Even though I've been on the internet since before there were Netscape or Internet Explorer browsers (remember Mosaic?), and have used internet news groups for nearly 20 years now, I did no internet searching when I finally decided to get my Monster.
I had given up motorcycles for nearly 10 years, with a brief interruption when I had a DR350 that my son traded to me for some college tuition. I decided to get back into motorcycling, but didn't want a pure sport bike with full fairing, but wanted something interesting. There was nothing available from Japan that excited me in any way. I had read about the Monster in 1993 when it was first introduced, and thought maybe it was what I was after, but didn't bother to find a Ducati dealer to look at one.
Then in the spring of 1997 when I was helping my son deliver the sunday paper, I occasionally noticed a neighbor pulling out of the neighborhood on one. It was way too loud, and it took several sightings to figure out what it was. Then finally I caught him cleaning it before his Sunday ride and had a good look at the Monster up close. I thought it was one of the most beautiful bikes I had ever seen. I was immediately hooked. Then I found out where the Ducati dealers were and started convincing myself to buy one. It took about two months to make up my mind that it was just the bike I was looking for.
By the time I had decided, all of the red ones had sold and I didn't want yellow or black, or a silver 750. I started calling all of the dealers within 150 miles and finally tracked down the one I bought in Fresno at Wilson's, 160 miles away. I've never enjoyed a bike as much as the Monster (and I'm currently on motorcycle #18 ).
Then I started using the internet to learn everything that I could about Ducatis and Monsters. So when Thomas Alberti started the DML e-mail list, I was ready to join right away, and here I still am.
....Or were you just looking for a simple yes or no answer? 8)