Ah, the e-fed. The shining hallmark of the internet wrestling fan. Now, not only do you watch wrestlers, you actually pretend to be one…online…against other people. To those who've never seen, heard, followed, and been in an e-fed before, it seems a bit unusual that someone would pretend to be a wrestler online, and spend hours upon hours doing so. But, to me, e-wrestling means much more.

First and foremost, the one thing I like most about e-feds is the friendships they foster. I've met some really great and really bad people in various e-feds, ranging from one of the smartest persons I've ever had the pleasure to meet to one of the most selfish bastards I'll probably never forget. I've had countless friends, enemies, scuffles, arguments, flame wars, debates, and mass exoduses in my time with various e-feds, but, in the end, I wouldn't trade any of it, because I've met and kept in contact with some truly remarkable people. Being competitive with one another, the very reason e-feds exist, can only foster both friendship and hatred. While the "hatred" part only runs skin-deep in the long run, it's the lasting bonds forged through e-fedding with a group of people that you eventually come to see as a second family that, overall, is the biggest reason I continue to be involved in e-feds.

Secondly, the grandeur of it all is certainly appealing. Everyone wants to live out their fantasies- whether it is playing video games, reading books, watching movies, or writing. E-feds allow wrestling fans to indulge in the fantasy that they could be the next wrestling sensation. The entire structure of the e-fed as a "fantasy" federation only heightens the realm of reality, which, in turns, heightens the level of fun you get by writing out things you wish you were able to do. The aura, feel, look, and storylines of an e-fed compel many, including myself, to continue to indulge ourselves.

Also, the competitive nature of e-feds is one of the biggest assets to the continued interest in them. The rules are simple, yet truly enticing: whoever writes the best, wins. Judging your writings varies from federation to federation, but my main point is this: you get to prove you're better than someone else, and if you're not, that just inspires you to get better. If it's a friend, the back-and-forth war of the words can produce some very fond memories, as you both force every last ounce of creative wit into your roleplays. If it's a rival, you get to shut him up by proving you're better than he is, mainly due to everyone else agreeing that you're better. The competition isn't cut-throat or laidback, but a great mixture of both, and is very enticing.

Finally, the thing I hold in second-highest regards, below the fostering of friendships but above all else, is the evolution and character development of your e-wrestler. I usually compare it to video games: you have a character, you grow with him, you face victories and defeats, and if you do it just right, both of you learn something. Except e-feds give you the chance to make a character deeper than any video game: one you personally created, one that has no identity except the one you gave it. Even "real" wrestler e-feds and e-characters are, in fact, a writer's interpretation of a character. If you can take an idea, whether it is a fictional character or an actual wrestler, and modify and adapt and hone it, it's your right and obligation to call it your own, and you develop a bond with that character. Even better, since e-feds are largely about the wrestling matches and interactions, others help you change, modify, and react to your character, giving him or her a real identity, one you take pride in creating, maintaining, and evolving.

There are many, many, many other reasons why one would join e-feds, and many other reasons why people stay in e-feds. I've had numerous friends refer to it as a drug: once you're hooked, you never really quit. While I wouldn't go as far as calling it a "drug", I do believe that once you truly spend the time and effort to become really involved with an e-fed, you'll never really leave the game, because you'll take all your memories of it with you. Whether this gives you fond memories or a reason to come back is up to you, and, even better, hopefully this 'lil intro convinced a few nay-sayers that e-fedding isn't some crazy thing crazy wrestling fans do on the internet. We're all still nerds because we pretend to wrestle online, but I'll be damned if we don't enjoy it. I know I do, and I know I'll continue to enjoy and actively participate in e-fedding for quite a long while.