Today is World AIDS Day. The U.N. reports that 36.1 million people have HIV/AIDS worldwide. We’ve gotten used to the idea of AIDS, kind of like how we got used to space shuttles going up into orbit. Then Challenger exploded. Complacency can kill. Educate. Don’t hate. Reach out. Fight ignorance. There is still denial and fear surrounding AIDS. It’s OK to be scared of AIDS, as it is OK to be scared of death. But you should not be afraid of discussing AIDS, learning more about it, helping people who live with it. The fear is actually helping the virus to spread, because many people refuse to face the facts. The virus picked its primary transmission methods well: sex and drugs, not very high moral ground for starting an educational campaign with. AEGIS is the largest HIV knowledgebase in the world. It began with Jamie Jemison and Sister Mary Elizabeth, who each recognized the usefulness of a BBS for connecting those affected by HIV. Let’s hope that one day soon it becomes an important historical archive instead of remaining an active community.