Why in the world would you post to (eeeuw) a discussion board?!?

[Nords]

Many of my family & neighbors don't understand the concept of posting to a discussion board. They think it's something done by losers loners who can't handle actual human contact or who have nothing better to do all day. Oddly enough, some of these skeptics are the same people who feel compelled to send me daily e-mails of important jokes and newly-discovered urban legends while they wish they could ER like that lucky guy Nords.

I've been using bulletin discussion boards since the days of 300 baud modems with acoustic couplers, yet lately I've been pruning back the number of boards I monitor. After a couple decades I doubt I'm going to stop but I'm not sure why I'm cutting back.

It makes me wonder about the life cycle of a board poster. Do we ever "get over it" and stop posting? We seem to come in many forms & durations. Anyone who's been here more than a month is aware of the new poster who comes on strong (20 posts in the first few days) and soon drops off to nothing. We moderators continue to learn advanced concepts from other posters in spam, phishing, astroturfing, and other unsolicited marketing campaigns. Still other posters dip their toes in the water with a question or comment, seem to be satisfied, and are never heard from again.

Some posters are here to raise a ruckus or to graciously accept their due of rightful worship after proclaiming their amazing wisdom, and they're usually swiftly dealt a Darwinian demise. (Others take longer, and then there's the special case of hokus.) There's also at least a 10:1 ratio of lurkers to posters, yet it absolutely astounds me that people can just continue to watch for months or even years without speaking up. I just can't be a spectator.

I'm intrigued by those of you who can come & go without feeling compelled to read each & every post. I don't feel obligated to contribute to every single thread (despite what some claim) but I can't seem to skip any of them. I can't just drop in, comment in a thread or two, and then wander off again for weeks. That's costing me a couple hours a day which could possibly be better spent on researching stocks or surfing or developing six-pack abs, but somehow here I am again. Maybe I'll get better at it now that TH is no longer sprinkling Vida Guerra images randomly through his posts.

I like to write and I like to read. Lately I've been reminded that this is one of the best boards I've ever seen for answering questions or solving problems, which perhaps makes the other forums pale in comparison and leaves me little reason to stay there. My nephew the Army Ranger pointed out last month that my face-to-face conversations are now sprinkled with phrases like "I know a lawyer in Minnesota" or "I've read about a doctor in Florida", and he wonders how in the world I met all these people. When I'm kvetching to my spouse about a problem, she's quite likely to ask "Well, what do the ERs think?" I'll smack my forehead and trot off here to find out.

Discussion boards have provided great drama over the years. A decade ago an "alternate lifestyle" board had a very popular poster professing to be a mid-20s dominatrix, and as one of the board's top contributors she obligingly supplied impressive amounts of vocabulary & content to prove it. A couple years later it was quite a shock to that board's faithful to discover that "she" was actually a 30-something male sociology professor with a huge pile of research to write up. Shortly afterward that board went paid verification and largely closed itself off from the rest of the world. On an investing board, participants were actually ejected if they didn't contribute their quota of links, and that board seems to have evolved itself to oblivion. Closer to home, I'm alternately repulsed & amused by the effect that hokus has had on both M* and Greaney. I was also quite surprised to watch another poster be hoist upon his own petard by his spouse. Not that he didn't have it coming or that he left himself logged into the board or even that it took so long to happen-- just that it was so totally at odds with the image he presented, yet so easily believable that he could stab himself in the back that way.

I think a critical ingredient to decades of posting proficiency is having a thick skin perspective that engages the issues without taking them personally. I used to be quite enervated by some of the religious or political threads (especially the politically religious threads) but I've learned to sit back and watch the axes pendulum swing. It can be annoying (and so can being a volunteer moderator)-- but all the drawbacks are more than compensated for by a great idea or a website link or even an awesome photo.

I sometimes wonder if I'll still be posting here in a year or a decade. I certainly won't be posting more often than I am now. I can't decide if less posting means that I'm more mature or more introspective or just less engaged, but right now I can't imagine another habit that'd be a more valuable use of my time...

OK, everyone, thanks for listening and now get to work: why do you post here?

[riskadverse]

I'm a loner who can't handle actual human contact and have nothing better to do all day.

[larry]

I post here because I've found a like-minded group of people. This is also one of the best diversified boards I've found. The spectrum runs from wannabes to alreadybeens.

This is also one of the best boards to post a problem and get answers from a smart bunch of people. I've appreciated 99% of the posters and their willingness to help.

I too was a lurker for quite a while and am always learning from the great group of people here, keep it up folks.

[REWahoo]

I lack the intelligence, education, and eloquence Nords demonstrates in his initial post, so I have to keep my response short and too the point. Like me, the reason I post is pretty simple: Although I’m still working very hard at it, I don’t seem to be able to get past step two of the ER Forum Addiction 12-Step Program.

The 12 Steps to Freedom from Addiction

1. Admit you are powerless over your addiction - that your life has become unmanageable
2. Believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore you to sanity
3. ….

[Mwsinron]

I cant even remember how I found this board. I guess due to the process of trying to find information on retiring early. Next thing I know I would read the posts everyday and then decided to chime in. Im not yet retired. But I figured if I could pick up a few tibits from the pro's what the hell. I learned one thing in my life to try and learn from other peoples mistakes on life lessons. Rather than going through the pain yourself.


Oh and sometimes it makes great drinking material...hic

[HFWR]

I'm HFWR, and I'm a forumaholic... :P

FIRE, investing, travel, boobs...

[wabmester]

Discussion boards are sort of interesting. * Real-time communication without a need for a real-time response. * Many to many. *Archived and searchable.

That mode of communication will never go away. * It can't be replaced by the telephone, email, or books.

I read and post because I enjoy it. * It's entertaining, educational, and timely. * And I'm easily amused.

Boards and discussion groups do tend to become pretty cliquish, though. *I like to see the regime in power overthrown every once in a while.

[Dawg54]

I like the tips you get on investing. Political and religious discussions I try to avoid, but thats not always easy.*

[haha]

The Devil makes me do it.

Ha

[Marshac]

I'm here for the stories There are some great ones. The bulls also help balance out my generally negative views of the economy.

[MasterBlaster]

Why ?

Why do you post here ?

Why ? Why? Why?

Why is the grass green ? Why ?

OK - Here's the real truth just for you...

I'm a mid-20s dominatrix with nothing better to do all day than to post here

Originally Posted by Marshac

I'm here for the stories There are some great ones. The bulls also help balance out my generally negative views of the economy.

Marshac,

I really had a negative view of the economy when I was your age. Think about it. 20% interest rates, 10% inflation and an energy crisis

I like it when things are bad now - I'm so used to it!

[unclemick]

Hmmmm - step 3

So if I worship Odum the modum - after the wooden boat and flaming arrows - I get reincarnated as what

A keyboard?

heh heh heh heh heh

[Eagle43]

I lurked, while I was working, then decided to join 6 months or so after retirement.

I hate to admit it, but I look forward to scanning the threads.* Almost every day something is interesting.* I also quote, to DW mostly, "Well, the forum thinks. . ."* Isn't that dreadful? If you have a question about something, somebody somewhere has an answer. *Witness I started a thread asking about Albuquerque, and voila, info tumbled out.

Political and religious postings do not bother me.* In fact, they are sometimes a welcome change to financial ponderings.* "Bush sucks" is more interesting than "PFCU CDs are paying more", although the latter is more profitable.*

And yes, "Blow me" is an option.

[Cool Dood]

Great post (as usual) Nords!

Come to think of it, I'm not really sure why I post here but I can't help coming back for more.

[cube_rat]

Originally Posted by Nords

OK, everyone, thanks for listening and now get to work: why do you post here?

To fufil evey retired man's Kathy Bate's fantasy.

[VoyT]

*Why do I post here? *I don't have a life

* I've learned a great deal here ... about fixing things, and cell-phone plans and learning to think for myself when it comes to investments. *You're a great bunch of folks to chat with. Don't always agree with everything I've read, but it's always entertaining. *I hope I've contributed something to the conversation.

[shiny]

Before finding this board I didn't "know" anyone who had retired in their 30s or 40s. It was such a great help to read how others deal with the "what do you do all day" question, etc.

Because the topics are so varied it seems that everyone gets the chance to show their knowledge and personality, that allows me to feel like I know them better and thus empathize when they have a problem or be interested in their opinions.

But you know, even though I often tell DH about discussions here I don't go around telling folks who ask me what I do all day that I'm on a discussion board... hmmm. I guess I'll have to think about that (and maybe take a poll here ) to figure out why that is.

[Nords]

Originally Posted by cube_rat

To fufil evey retired man's Kathy Bate's fantasy.*

I think this JPEG should be a corollary to Godwin's Law.

Is it me or was all the light & air just sucked out of the room again?