wow...this forum is lonely now

[ringbearer]

We should select a date range, so some Well Met Friends can get together! This was my first Internet Forum and almost feel ashamed that "we drifted apart". I did not have thousands of posts like some, but still remember when "the Fair Folk" still dwelt here!

[Valandil]

Great idea! November?

[Earniel]

Yeah, it would be lovely to see some of the old folks back.

Originally Posted by Eärniel

Still here, but less than I used to because I'm busy with getting a house empty between work and social responsibilities and it's eating my internet time.

Man, one year later, and I'm pretty much still at this. How embarrassing. (House still not empty, but getting there. Also, new nephew to babysit).

[Snowdog]

Originally Posted by ringbearer

used to have a lot of posters...where did everyone go?

facebook, twitter, instagram, snapchat, pinterest, etc. etc. The attention span has been reduced to 140 characters. I always thought it counter-productive for an internet forum site have a 'facebook' page. It's sort of like committing suicide.

Originally Posted by ringbearer

We should select a date range, so some Well Met Friends can get together! This was my first Internet Forum and almost feel ashamed that "we drifted apart". I did not have thousands of posts like some, but still remember when "the Fair Folk" still dwelt here!

I first came here when the first Tolkien-themed messageboard I was a part of (TORC) crashed in August 2000. I went searching for others. I registered here (when it was EZboard I think), on Minas Tirith, Land of Rohan, Council of Elrond, and Tolkienforum. The first one banned me, the second and fourth one I still visit on occasion (like here) though Council of Elrond is a functional basketcase of its former self. The third one I don't think I ever went back to after the first day, and the fifth one I visit to read story posts but rarely post myself. I think I was with Ringbearer.org until it folded and tried to re-invent itself as something else. I registered with a few new ones that I found in 2007, like Fanatics Plaza, which still has quite an active core involved, but it seems the day of the messageboard is passed. All that remain seem to have a handfull of dedicated old members that keep the wheels rolling, albeit very slowly. When the site administrators abandon their sites, it usually spells the end of the line.

[juntel]

Originally Posted by Snowdog

facebook, twitter, instagram, snapchat, pinterest, etc. etc.

not a member of any of those... man, I feel like a din-o-saur

Originally Posted by Snowdog

I registered here (when it was EZboard I think)

EZboards... hehe... strange days of yore, before the towers fell...

First post here in 7 years, probably my last at this rate

Sorry now, have to go back on Usenet and rewind my VHS recordings of Barney Miller....

[Snowdog]

Usenet BBS... that takes me back!

[brownjenkins]

I'm here every year or so whether I'm needed or not!

[Amael]

I don't do much online at all these days. I worked on writing an Elder Scrolls fan RPG very off-and-on for about five years, and ultimately we just all kinda lost interest. The Hobbit movies kinda sapped some of the interest I had for the Tolkien universe, so I've been reading through various Tolkien material, such as The History of Middle Earth. That kinda piqued my interest again. I just, you know, have to keep away from the Hobbit movies. Don't get me wrong, there are some decent qualities to those movies, although I'm trying to think of some at the moment and uhhh ... I'm drawing a blank here. Oh yes, the soundtrack! Yes, the soundtrack! Gotta love that soundtracks they had for those films! Billy Boyd's singing was a really nice touch to the soundtrack.

But yeah, other than that, 'Ingwe' and I will probably be moving pretty soon. We have been doing well where we are, but have realized that we've become too 'comfortable' where we are, and too 'comfortable' is almost always followed up with stagnation. So it's basically gotten to that level. We both work in IT, and we're looking to new horizons, such as working as field geologists or something, mainly looking into volcanology. We have degrees for it, it's just that we will have to take some additional courses to be able to actually specialize in that area. However many courses we'll have to take doesn't matter. It'll be fun! More fun than all that which has become routine, which is to say, everything.

[Mari]

Interesting! I hope you find new adventures

[Valandil]

Yes, and keep us posted!

[Varnafindë]

Not only this forum is lonely - at the moment the whole Entmoot is lonely

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Amael

We both work in IT, and we're looking to new horizons, such as working as field geologists or something, mainly looking into volcanology.

Volcanology certainly ought to heat up any stagnant life! Sounds exciting. Best of luck!

But if you ever find a small golden ring down in your extinct volcano... Leave it!

[Mari]

That's sound advice...

[Midge]

Oh my goodness guys. I don't even remember posting all the stuff I posted in this thread.

[HOBBIT]

Wow, very lonely. Dropping in to say hi though!

[MasterMothra]

In its heyday this was one of the best boards out there! Always enjoyed lurking and reading. Great people.

[Amael]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

Volcanology certainly ought to heat up any stagnant life! Sounds exciting. Best of luck!

But if you ever find a small golden ring down in your extinct volcano... Leave it!

If I find something like that, I'll just assume that someone on the team is trying to pull off a practical joke. Then I'll take the ring and put it on, and then realize, oh crap, it wasn't a practical joke after all.

Originally Posted by Mari

That's sound advice...

Yes. I may just need to leave the ring be. I want things to be interesting, just not THAT interesting. Of course, if I'm close enough to such a ring to be able to see it, then I'll already be drawn to it whether I like it or not. Resisting the call of the ring is a herculean feat only a hobbit can pull off.

[Arien the Maia]

All "old fashioned" bulletin board forums are slower these days. Pity I prefer them to social media like Facebook/Twitter etc. I recently thought of the good ol' days of Entmoot (early to mid 00s)...miss it a lot!

[Earniel]

Yeah, I also still prefer forums to newer social media like facebook and twitter. But I reckon we're the minority.

[Snowdog]

I got rid of the fecebook app from my phone and closed my twitter. I'll login to fecebook on my computer at times mainly to see what the kids and grandkids are doing and to download their pictures. Makes life simpler. As for all the old legacy Tolkien sites from around the turn of the century, the only one I know that has had a recent update / renovation was Tolkien Forums. That was onlyu due to the original guy who started it got ill and handed off his site to someone who has been doing a good job looking after it. It seems to attract new members too. Others that are still around like The One Rong.com and Arwen Undomiel still have news of the Hobbit movies from 2010 or thereabouts. Then there is this place and Barrow Downs which are pretty much the same as they ever was.