The Uses Of Forums

[deathmetal]

Most use forums to chat and learn from others, but there also seems to be another use, which is the belief that by contributing to some body of information, we are leaving our mark on the world and achieving a sort of immortality, small as it may be.
While I have troubles with this concept, I have seen it over the years. On the plus side, it encourages people toward great works of underground scholarship; on the negative side, people often assume that having typed in a representation of the truth is a substitute for having made changes in the world, leading to "armchair activism" in which a stream of clicks inevitably end in a "aw heck, it won't matter anyway" and leaving the room.
Food for thought, maybe, or just the ramblings of an Old Joe Krantz-addled lunatic. You decide.

 

[warren]

Not an unreasonable observation.

 

[pappymac]

I vote for lunatic.

 

[carver]

Should we have bids on the amount of posts before it gets closed down?

Hahahaha.... 65.
However I find what you wrote interesting, click, the plus sides you mention are clearly there. I don't know if the one that does the big research considers himself to be a world changer more than a forum convincer. Click. But it's true that when lots of people agree with something big you write, there IS a, click, feeling of satisfaction. That's true too. Not quite sure I get true last part about the armchair activism and the haw heck leaving the room. Would you mind elaborating? Cheers

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Having met dozens of you guys in person and come to know many of you fairly well from the boards, I think I'm here for friendship and comeraderie. Of course pipes are important, as is the tobacco, but I can smoke without having to ask many questions at this point. But, of course there's always more to learn, more blends to try, more nuances to conquer. But, what keeps me scanning the board first thing when I awake is friendships.

I plan to travel more in the near future, and the dream would be to be able to smoke a bowl with you all.

Eh, as to immortality... technology changes, servers are fleeting. Long after we are all cold and covered in dirt, all that will remain will be our stories. I have no wish for just my words on a forum to exist, but maybe my story can live on (just as your stories will live on) in the hearts and minds of others here.
Was that too corny? Ha ha! Your mother smokes Mixture 79. ::

 

[georged]

I've been on pipe boards since before the World Wide Web was invented. As in, literally invented. Dozens of them. Also, any number of other trade/interest specific boards, from professional audio sound systems to diesel trucks. A bigger picture view would be difficult to find.
My conclusion? The only qualification required to have a presence on the Internet is enough money to buy a computer.
It explains everything.
The end.

 

[deathmetal]

I've been on pipe boards since before the World Wide Web was invented.

Will you tell us more? Fellow BBS guy here.

 

[uncleblackie]

Does Prodigy count? 2600k.

 

[texmexpipe]

I find myself on the solid learning end of things as well as enjoying the virtual Pipe club that is this forum.

 

[ashdigger]

Tyrannosaurus-Rex didn't need forearms.....oh forums. Nevermind.

 

[georged]

Will you tell us more? Fellow BBS guy here.

Yup. UseNet. Nothing to tell, really. People are people, only technology changes.

 

[deathmetal]

I remember USENET, although I was not a pipe smoker at the time. My loss. Of course, I started out on early 80s BBSen. It was also a different time and in many ways, a more advanced format than the web. In other ways: what a pain in the neck. But the high barrier to entry in having to learn how to use computer, modem and phone system was a plus.
I see two associated issues:
1. Scope. The larger a community becomes, the more anonymous it becomes, and the more it becomes a target for the usual spammers, scammers and non-aligned griefers.

2. Exclusivity. The more a community becomes open to "the general public," and they are encouraged to visit it, the more likely they are to exhibit their normal behaviors in it, effectively vandalizing it.
Smaller web forums strike a nice balance with all these factors.

 

[igloo]

Well it beats the new TV fall line up , four out of seven days a week .

 

[jabo]

I like the info and the BS.I really think it's all for enjoyment.You guys keep up . And I'll just sit here in my armchair and tell ya you're all wrong ! ;0)

 

[ssjones]

I find it interesting of the pipe community folks who don't participate in forums. A lot of the old guard doesn't seem to have any interest (Rich Esserman, ec.) Of all the guys who write for The Pipe Collector, I can't think of any who use the forums.

 

[skraps]

I find it interesting of the pipe community folks who don't participate in forums. A lot of the old guard doesn't seem to have any interest (Rich Esserman, etc.) Of all the guys who write for The Pipe Collector, I can't think of any who use the forums.

I think there are two camps. There are the old codgers that could give to squats about talking about pipes & tobacco. Give them their tub of PA, their 1 or 2 pipes a year from the drug store and they are content to go about their business. It's not a hobby to them, it's not some brotherhood, it's simply what they do.
Then you have the old guard that is an active part of the community, but seems to avoid the more modern methods of communication. I think these guys simply have an established group that they interact with. Guys they have met at shows, communicated with through email or phone or are part of a local pipe club together. They are content with the type of interaction they have and the times that it occurs.

 

[dottiewarden]

Originally, I came here to learn about my new passion, pipe smoking; and learn I did. Although I still learn plenty of interesting stuff, I pretty much could go on smoking my pipes without reading these forums.
For many it's a business, for others it's an opportunity to be recognized, and for others it's just a way to hang out with some like-minded, or not so like-minded, fellow pipe smoking hobbyists. Some how, though, these forums offer a space to interact with others, creating an ever changing community of posters, and much like a hotel lobby, we come, we go, some lasting many years, yet others disappearing after a brief or a prolonged period. Yet, in the midst of things, there are enough of us to give a sense of permanency to this place.
Eventually, I too will disappear into the unknown depths of the internet, but meanwhile, I'm just here for the informative and entertaining camaraderie.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Al, I've noticed that The guys that still subscribe to strict pipe dogma (cake, packing, finger feel moisture of tobacco, etc...) cannot stand when someone says or posts things that differ from the dogma that they've known for decades. I've tried to drag some of the guys from The Briary on here, but the idea that someone would get creative or experiment just blows their mind. Then, you have the guys who just buy their pipe stuff, go home, and watch TV after work by their self with no one to bother them, maybe guys who get their fill of socialization at work.
But, as Deathmetal has said, if a forum gets too crowded, people become more anonymous. I tried to participate with a bicycle forum for a while this summer, as the wife and I started riding our bikes more. And, it was Old West rules. Say something, and expect bullets to start zinging. Foul language, everything becoming political (blew my mind), and personal attacks for the stupidest of things. It just didn't make sense. It wasn't fun or informative at all, wading through the BS to find a nugget of anything that you could use. This is one of the reason I avoid the Facebook pages for pipes. It just gets chaotic. This is truly one of the best forums that I have ever seen, much less participated with.

 

[jerwynn]

"The paths of glory lead but to the grave".

 

[jvnshr]

I have joined the forums a year ago and I have never thought that I would stay that long I have gathered lots of information about pipe smoking (I am still learning, every single day) and some other stuff, I have met (virtually) lots of good, intelligent and wise people here. And sometimes when I post on a thread I think that my grandkids will look up for me on the internet one day and find those posts of mine and will say "wow, grandpa smoked a bowl of EMP at that particular time".

My grandfather for instance, fought in USSR army during the WW2 and last year Russian government opened a website and uploaded all the scanned old documents related to WW2 to the homepage. I managed to find some documents when my grandpa joined the army, where he fought, how he got injured and stayed in the army, etc. I printed all of them and took to my father and uncle. They felt like grandpa was back for a second, because I had the same feeling. And I am sure that my grandkids will read this one day and feel the same thing.