What got you interested in forums?

[AUFred]

For me I am a big sports fan and got involved in college football message boards. I have been a member of one more than 20 years. I think I started on message boards around 1998 give or take a year. In those days with dial up internet message boards were easy points of contact.

 

[The Hulk]

For me it's being able to discuss my favorite stuff with others and to make new friends.

 

[Ravenfreak]

Back in late 2006, I came across Glitch City Labs a forum dedicated to researching and talking about the numerous glitches found in the Generation 1 Pokemon games. Ever since I joined that community, I was interested in joining more. The next one I joined was Titans Go dot net, a Teen Titans fan forum. I almost got banned from the forums too. :V I still find forums to be the best way to communicate with others, it's way better than any social media platform or Discord IMO.

 

[timewo]

I do not know people working online personally, so forums help me get help if I require, information about offers, opportunities available.

 

[freakofnature]

I seem to be unable to surround myself with people who share my interests. After experiencing a very dramatic playoff run by the Flames in 2004 on my own, I discovered a Flames hockey forum and signed up a few months later. Worst time to sign up for a hockey forum as the lock out happened that fall and there was no hockey to discuss until the NHL and the players resolved their differences the following fall, so I didn't really get into it until fall 2005. I discovered that I really enjoyed talking about shared interests on the internet with strangers. I made some good friends that I even met in person. One of them led me here. The rest, as they say, is history.

I should also say that internet forums satisfy my need to socialize with people without actually BEING with people. I'm an introvert. Being with people exhausts me.

 

[Jordan]

I original joined messaged boards tin the webmaster niche like webmaster world and such when they were popular. All of my programming and website development skills are all self taught, so forums were a big way to learn. These days any webmaster forum out there is filled with junk, and not really any useful information. All have the same discussions.

For me I am a big sports fan and got involved in college football message boards. I have been a member of one more than 20 years. I think I started on message boards around 1998 give or take a year. In those days with dial up internet message boards were easy points of contact.

That's honestly crazy. I would have been 3 or 5 years old

Being with people exhausts me.

That's because people are exhausting

 

[RUBESH]

making friends and sharing knowledge are key things

 

[cherry123]

Yeah it is to discuss my favorite stuff with others which will help in
getting feedback and to make new friends.

 

[Shortie]

I first started using forums back in 2004 and it was when I stumbled across a technology forum at the time when I was looking up something. I found that I was able to learn new things and also meet new people through the forum and that was where my interest in forums started.

I now love being on forums, discussing the things that I enjoy, and meeting new people as well.

 

[pjbleek]

used to work the graveyard shift and no one else was up, so it got me interested in them, some were bad...but then I found OTZ, 'nough said and have friends all around the globe

 

[cherry123]

I sometimes just love the interaction on forums you get diverse views from others which is great

 

[Stardom22]

I use it as a place for meeting new friends and have fun while being rewarded for it in the paid to post forums.

 

[Raja]

I thought you mean pay to post forums

 

[Veronica]

I think it was the next gradual step from AOL. LOL (showing my age LOL).. But I truly loved them.
(thanks JORDAN for making me feel old)!

I can honestly say that this forum has made me friend from everywhere. Even the UK! This forum will always hold a special place in my heart.

 

[AUFred]

I have been on forums for close to 30 years. In the dial-up days message boards was a great form of communication. I made friends from around the world. I did myspace & paltalk before there was a facebook. Now there are so many apps & video & talk options but I still find comfort in message boards.

 

[AstriaPorta]

I guess back then it was a nice way to talk and be myself or close too
at that time everyone around me treated me bad and anything
i did or said was either ignore or made me feel like nothing (not that they changed)
and never felt comfortable i was always acting different to suit what they wanted
even until now i don't talk or say much to them

 

[System32]

Honestly, I don't recall. I guess I am very chatty person and I looked for somebody online to share with my thoughts and probably find friends.

 

[Mystic]

I started on mIRC in the 90s which lead me to hacking and computer tech forums, which then lead me to these social forums.

More knowledge on software and hardware was my beginning goal which lead to a more social goal once i got tired of the technical side of things.

 

[freelancermaria]

Earning money and learning new things are two of the reasons I became interested in forum websites. Many years ago, I began with Mylot and Forum Coin.

 

[Ammi]

…the first forum that I joined …(…after much lurking and browsing etc…)…was a reality show one…Big Brother specifically, actually…it was back in the height of the rise of Big Brother as this kind of phenomenon in TV…when It was all more of a social experiment, rather than the contrived storyline reality TV of present time…having people from different lifestyles etc, brought up conflicts and lots of talking points …it’s funny how the fans would all watch the same situations but see things differently…?..so lots of lively discussions to have…

…I didn’t know anyone in real life though who watched it, to be able to have those lively discussions with…so yeah, that led me to a Big Brother/reality TV forum…for quite a long time I only ever posted there during the airing of Big Brother…in ‘on season’ as it was called…and only ever posted on that topic…but then, I gradually started to post in the general topics and eventually got to know members more and I guess …became a part of an online community…through members on that site, I was introduced to a few other sites….one of which has led me here…so….hello….that’s my forum history story in a little ol’ nutshell….and 2009 was my first year of joining forum life…