Forums

 
I love online forums. They are the platform of the procrastinator, the dias of the dawdler, the lectern of the lackadaisical. On a forum, you can be whoever you want, or just be yourself. You get to meet new people, chat with old friends, talk bollocks and generally have a blast.

I have also found forums having a profound effect on my life. I met my husband through the forum for a doom metal band called Type O Negative. We got to know each other through reading each others posts there, via private messages and later through Skype and other messenger services.

Over the years, I have met others on forums who, although we have had no contact with one another in real life, I now consider to be good friends. I care about them and what happens in their lives. I open up to them when I'm having a bad day, and I try and be there for them when they are in the same boat.

Sometimes, a community like this can inspire and amuse and at other times you wish you could reach through a computer and slap someone. Not everyone gets along in the real world and the same can be true on a forum. Except on a forum there is that added benefit of being at least partially anonymous. You can really lay into someone if they get under your skin, or you can ignore them completely. To me its always more fun to lay in. Sometimes people just need to be told how ridiculous they come across.

Considering the joy I get from online forums, I'm surprised that I never thought to try and start one before. Recently though I was looking at ProBoards and thought I'd give it a shot, mainly to provide another avenue of contact with my friends back in Australia and around the world. I have been told that ProBoards can be, and I quote, "kind of icky", but I figure it's a simple and free place to start.

And so opens The Bungalow. My little experiment in creating a net haven for friends.

And, of course, it's purple.


Everyone is welcome to join, but I cant promise that it will always be full of hugs and niceties. There will be swearing, flaming and general nastiness at times probably. Some of us like it that way :P