Friends on boards - have they transcended this?

Stheno

Have you made any friends on boards who have made a difference in your life?

Or have you ever chatted to someone on boards whom you've decided to help out?

Do you think other posters where you are a regular poster see you as being good or bad?

Do you ever learn anything from boards?

Or do you just see boards as a place for mindless drivel?

For me, boards is all of the above

I've made and lost friends, and was thinking about that this week, once I got into real world contact, I stopped it, but the person I am thinking about recently liked my linkedin status, so I might ping them asking to meet up for a coffee.

I've helped out a few people with advice, and been astounded with how people are and how ignorant (as in unknowing) about information that to me is basic IRL other posters have helped me and vice versa

I do despise some posters but have never blocked them as I am curious as to their logic

I've learned loads from boards, I travel a lot and when I'm abroad I go straight to AH for a synopsis of the news, but I've a personal change coming up that without the accomodation forum I'd not be prepared for.

And god knows I post plenty of endless drivel in the interview thread, but overall, boards for me is like a soother, it's comforting, and no matter where in the world I'm in, it's very Irish

RedXIV

Boards introduced me to my fiancée, and is the reason I've a family

I've made a number of friends that I'd meet on occasion in the real world.

I got my first professional job through it

I'd like to think I helped quite a few people too, I do try to help when I see topics i'm confident about

efb

No.

I don't mix online and real life

Links234

Met my girlfriend cos of boards

Got quite a few very awesome friends cos of boards too

gandalf

TBH Boards has been part of my life now for nearly twenty years if you count the Quake scene before boards officially came into existence. In that time I have made a good number of friends, some of whom are quite close. I've been to Boardsie weddings, a number were at mine. I have made friends and fallen out with a few. I have met and mixed with people who I never would have interacted with if it wasn't for Boards.

I have learnt a lot on boards and am still being educated here on a daily basis.

Boards is part of my life and even though at times I waste a lot of time here I believe the positives heavily outweigh the negatives.

Chucken

I've made some lifelong friends here


I'm not on facebook etc so here is it!

padd b1975

I made one friend via The Thunderdome of all places!

Turned out she was a neighbour of mine, well she's about ten miles away, but in Mayo that's practically next door!!

Stheno

RedXIV wrote: »

Boards introduced me to my fiancée,

I met my current OH through boards (he's no longer a member) and we are toghether over six years

Stheno

padd b1975 wrote: »

I made one friend via The Thunderdome of all places!

Turned out she was a neighbour of mine, well she's about ten miles away, but in Mayo that's practically next door!!

Mayo you say? Ten miles you say? Shure she was looking in your windows!

ROAAAR

I've never met Seamus, but would you believe he gave me a few Tips for Geography for my leaving cert which I aced
I believe I promised him a pint in return which never came about, cheap students

Cold War Kid

I've gotten to know a bunch of people from Boards outside of Boards over the years - and have met them or am friends with them on Facebook or contact them through other means besides Boards. I haven't made any friends in the sense of people I regularly hang out with though, much of which is to do with geography. Only gotten to know two people (in quite recent times) from the same area I live in, via Boards.
I have lost Boards pals too or a quite close friendship has fizzled out (but not ended) - some of it down to me, some of it down to them, some of it down to both of us, some of it down to nobody... just the natural way sometimes. Online friendships can be prone to drifting apart, but that doesn't necessarily make them less valid than "real-life" friendships and I do miss some of them, but... that's just the way things can go.

Yeah I've helped a few people out in whatever small way I can.

I've been on Boards for years and years (a few accounts) and people have viewed me positively and negatively. I have been a highly opinionated and argumentative poster but I'm growing out of that - not comfortable with it any more.

I definitely learn from Boards - some highly informed and articulate people here.

Yes it's also a place for mindless drivel (well AH specifically) and that's not always a bad thing.

I have left numerous times with the intention of not coming back, but have always come back and now I'm definitely here to stay - Boards has annoyed me at times (and not all of it, just certain corners) but comparing it to any other discussion platform, it's actually far superior in terms of quality of posts and well-thought-out views and bullsh1t spotting. Some absolutely great people too.

Tugboats

I remain hopeful of getting laid thanks to boards. Im willing to have sex with any female on boards aged 16-29 preferably no larger than a size 10. Pm me if interested

lazybones32

All I see are words. No people, no faces, just words.

Chucken

Do you know what annoys me/ makes me sad? When someone you're friends with just closes their account without saying goodbye

padd b1975

Stheno wrote: »

Mayo you say? Ten miles you say? Shure she was looking in your windows!

Definitely some looking through windows went on right enough.....

Cold War Kid

Chucken wrote: »

Do you know what annoys me/ makes me sad? When someone you're friends with just closes their account without saying goodbye

Ah they'll be back.

Chucken

Cold War Kid wrote: »

Ah they'll be back.

Will they?

libelula

My best friend in the whole wide world lives in boards. I found her in here
Sometimes she gets out and we go on adventures. So we do.

All faintly Armin Meiwes-esque.

Cold War Kid

libelula wrote: »

My best friend in the whole wide world lives in boards. I found her in here
Sometimes she gets out and we go on adventures. So we do.

That's really cool.

Cold War Kid

Deleted User wrote: »

All faintly Armin Meiwes-esque.

Bit extreme but I lolled.

Satori Rae

Chucken wrote: »

Will they?

They will be back with new accounts they will

Lia_lia

efb wrote: »

No.

I don't mix online and real life

Pretty much the same here!

Cold War Kid

Lia_lia wrote: »

Pretty much the same here!

I was like that for years - staunchly so. Then I became Facebook friends with one person, eventually another, and then I didn't think about it anymore, then went to beers etc.
But having been there I can totally understand your perspective too.

efb

Cold War Kid wrote: »

I was like that for years - staunchly so. Then I became Facebook friends with one person, eventually another, and then I didn't think about it anymore, then went to beers etc.
But having been there I can totally understand your perspective too.

Well I'm here a good while now and it works for me

Satori Rae

I like to keep things separate myself I am not ready for commitment :P

Son Of A Vidic

Tugboats wrote: »

I remain hopeful of getting laid thanks to boards. Im willing to have sex with any female on boards aged 16-29 preferably no larger than a size 10. Pm me if interested

There's no easy way to break this to ya, but with that kind of desperation, I'm guessing you'll be 'tugging' your boat for the foreseeable future.

Mint Aero

I must have about 70 odd friends from here.

Ummmm, there's bill......mike....ummm pete

Toby?

Yes toby!

efb

Mint Aero wrote: »

I must have about 70 odd friends from here.

Ummmm, there's bill......mike....ummm pete

Toby?

Yes toby!

No surprises they're odd surprised there is 70 though...

Shanotheslayer

I'd be more of a regular poster in the football betting forum. So I try and help people there and people have helped me there. Never met anybody off boards would if the regulars in the football betting forum ever went for pints I'd go. The Soccer forum... not so much :pac:

efb

Shanotheslayer wrote: »

I'd be more of a regular poster in the football betting forum. So I try and help people there and people have helped me there. Never met anybody off boards would if the regulars in the football betting forum ever went for pints I'd go. The Soccer forum... not so much :pac:

the last people I'd drink with- v aggressive (SF)

Novella

I used to be a lot more social on Boards, as in I regularly attended beers and knew quite a few posters in real life, considered them to be close friends of mine etc. I do still have some friends who I originally met on this website and some other people who I keep in contact with infrequently but overall I'd say I had my fun and just sort of moved on from it.

I'm not adverse to making more friends here in the future, I simply post less now and don't have as much free time as I did back when I was in my late teens, early twenties. I rarely engage in conversations on the site these days whereas I used to love chat threads, for example. Plus I no longer live in Ireland so can't attend meet up's.

Natural progression in my life, I'd say. I was a young, free and single college student with time to spare. Now I'm married, have a stepson to keep me occupied all day and am expecting a baby. I guess I got old and boring! Now I visit this site to read and post about pregnancy!

Would I say I have helped anybody on here? Maybe. Nothing stands out in my mind. Posters have helped me though. I have learned so much from the hours I have spent over the years reading posts on different topics. In a way, I don't think I would be the person I am today if I'd never signed up as Novella.

Ruu

Gave me a place to rant about the lack of decent internet at the start (IrelandOffline) and even met a bunch of people for a run and food last year. I would call them very good friends.

Cold War Kid

Cold War Kid wrote: »

Bit extreme but I lolled.

It's a fact, for every one poster saying "I met a lovely person on Boards" there are two tied up in a cellar with gimp balls in their mouths, wondering why they didn't stick with that old cliche about not meeting strangers on the internet... If they could escape, they'd be on here.

Lovely Bloke

Met my wife at a beers about 8 years ago, I'd a gf at the time and another Boards head (no longer around these parts) told her lies on my behalf, so I wouldn't get caught. We've an almost one-year-old now.

I co-founded and run the boards football team (with help), so I've definitely made some good friends through that (and enemies! bleedin refs).

I've made some firm friends and have travelled to other continents to visit them.

Lately I've met and befriended a few of the craft-beer drinkers from the Beer forum, and I got the Homebrewing forum set up for mostly selfish reasons, I needed help and tips, and only last month I won a gold medal for brewing the best homebrew Stout in the country - out of 47 entries.

So yeah, Boards has made a huge difference to my life.

Neyite

Yep, I've a group of trusted friends from boards I see as often as possible, and talk to every day, and lots more people I've hung out with that are sound too. Encountered one or two that are utter fantasists and liars, and there are a few I'd avoid at a beers because I find them insufferable.

I've learned a lot, got a lot of support when I needed it and try to repay that to others. I never thought that any of that would happen when I first signed up to ask a question about something.

Dravokivich

efb wrote: »

No.

I don't mix online and real life

Personally I see little to no distinction between the two.

I've made so many friends, my best friends are boardsies, and the friends that I'm in contact with the most these days are the ones I met here. I never ever ever thought I'd meet people off the internet, because they're all weirdos dontchaknow.

One person in particular has made the biggest difference to my life than I ever thought possible. We met at a beers and that was it - it was like love at first sight - but for friends!She's the best thing since sliced bread. So she is *puke*

I've learned huge amounts, both from threads/posts, and from the people I've met.

I've helped and been helped by more people that I could ever count.

I've been frustrated and annoyed and cried over boards related stuff, but not in a long time.

I'm sure there are posters who cannot stand me, and there are certainly one or two who get on my tits, but it's the internet - who cares.

Menas

Deleted User wrote: »

.I'm sure there are posters who cannot stand me...

Must....resist....:D

Dog of Tears

I'd never have the slightest interest in meeting anyone here in real life.

I wouldn't be even vaguely curious.

Friends, family and work colleagues take up all my real-life socialising time.

Tilly

It has to be said that there are so many awesome people on Boards and i'm lucky to have met a few of these. I've had some really tough times in the past and these guys were amazing. my Boardsies buddies

rainbow kirby

Met my fiance because of the Athletics/Running forum!

eviltwin

I've never met anyone from Boards in the real world. Nothing against it but it just hasn't happened. I've tried to be helpful and hopefully any advice or support I've given has been useful. I've myself found Boards to be hugely beneficial, I've gotten a lot of advice I don't think I would have gotten elsewhere.

Unknown Soldier

Met my mot here in 2002, when it was mostly fields.

Still together.

Apologies to Gandalf for insulting you on Feedback quite a few years ago.
It was uncalled for.

Oranage2

No none, I'm not that interesting and I'm not really comfortable with the 'hi , how was you day' crap.

Wang King

Chucken wrote: »

Will they?

We always come back man

Wang King

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Met my wife at a beers about 8 years ago, I'd a gf at the time and another Boards head (no longer around these parts) told her lies on my behalf, so I wouldn't get caught. We've an almost one-year-old now.

I co-founded and run the boards football team (with help), so I've definitely made some good friends through that (and enemies! bleedin refs).

I've made some firm friends and have travelled to other continents to visit them.

Lately I've met and befriended a few of the craft-beer drinkers from the Beer forum, and I got the Homebrewing forum set up for mostly selfish reasons, I needed help and tips, and only last month I won a gold medal for brewing the best homebrew Stout in the country - out of 47 entries.

So yeah, Boards has made a huge difference to my life.

It turned you into a cheating hipster alcoholic..... Excellent!!

IvyTheTerrible

I've met several people from Boards in real life and they are lovely! I can say they are friends. I live abroad so I don't see them so much unfortunately.

Boards is a big part of my life, I use it for information, advice, to relax, and interact with people I like. I'd like to think that people find me helpful on boards too.

Sunnyisland

i always drop in to boards no matter where i am in the world,i usually get whats going on back home more from here than any other media,met one lovely lady from boards once, it was great,
one day i going to get myself to them beer gettogethers and drink me tea...

cloud493

The first friend I made on boards wasn't very nice, and we no longer speak. But I've mostly positive experiences, at least 9 people or so I met on or through boards.

Gongoozler

I've met quite a number of people from boards in the past. don't really talk to any of them anymore, through just not having that much in common, some just not bothering with me, some being dicks, and one or two being absolute nut jobs (and not in a good way).

I have one friend, he used to be on boards, though that's not how we met, and he closed his account. Never returned.

Met my boyfriend through boards too. Together over 3 years now.

Right now boards is mostly boring to me. I suppose after so long you just see the same stuff all the time. I have much less time for it now than I would have had, and I'm glad for it, because I would've spent way too much of my free time on it. It's not good.