Is spending time on forums TRULY worth it in the end?

[Dagger Dias]

I don't think this topic exists already, if so.... my bad. It was something I thought could spark an interesting discussion.

As human beings many of us struggle with seeking the approval of others, wanting people to like us. This led me to a topic that I thought could spark some deep and interesting discussion.

Why exactly is it that many of us seek to earn the respect of the regulars on online forums? I'm sure every single person on this forum has dealt with this before. Could it be because you want the mods to like you enough for you to possibly earn a spot on the staff someday? Or something simpler, you just want to make friends to discuss things with? In the end, does it all really matter what people on forums think about you? You might never meet these people in person, the odds of that are incredibly low unless you email each other and decide to meet, or something.

You get bored one day and decide to post a few things on this forum (or another one) and then other people who you might never come across in real life (whether you consider them friends or not) might respond back or give you rep if they liked/disliked your post. Is it all worth it in the end? I speak from experience when I say that I have spent too much time on here before and lost time that I could have allocated to more important things.

1. So if you are one of the people who want well-known members of a forum to like you, why do you feel this way?

2. Assuming you either are a well-known member of a forum, or have earned the respect of multiple "regulars" of a forum.... Was it worth it? Would you go back and do it again, or would you rather have spent time doing things in real life that perhaps needed to be done but were neglected in favor of the forum?

3. If history were changed to where you could not become a member of any forum, even this one, how would you have spent the time you earned back, and what would you have liked to have gotten done?

4. Be truly honest with this question. Have you ever met someone from a forum in real life and hung out with them multiple times in person? Were they anything like their posts on the forum?

5. Other than making new friends to add on facebook or send messages to, can you honestly say that your time spend on forums has been worth it?

I'll go first. I struggled with wanting people to like me on this forum, as well as wanting to get noticed (such as my posting spree from a few months ago) and wanting people to like me is something I have struggled with many times in life. I came here and made some new friends who I wanted to discuss things with, and thus as I got to know more people by reading their posts it made me want them to like me.

I'd say that it was worth it to earn the respect of some of the people around here. There are obviously still others whose respect I have yet to earn, but that's ok. Not everyone is going to like you, that is just a part of life we all have to learn. I've made new friends and discussed several things with them, that's the whole point of a forum to begin with. I did lose time for a lot of things in real life though. I could have studied more in school, or worked more on the game I'm making (which should already be done by now) and spent more time with friends.

If history could be changed to where I never joined Wrestlezone (the only forum I'm a part of) then all the time I spent on here would have gone towards working on my RPG, Division Blade, which would be finished by now without a shadow of a doubt. (It's a little less than 90% done, after working on it for years)

The only person on this forum I have met in real life is Tommydreamerfan but that's because he was my former roommate and I'm the one who told him about Wrestlezone before his short-lived 4 post stint on here. I have never met anyone else on here, and it could be cool to one day. Therefore I don't know if any "regular" is like their posting style in real life conversations.

In conclusion.... Yes, my time spent on forums has been worth it. Most of my immediate friends do not watch wrestling as much anymore (unless they are watching it with me) and I can talk to the friends I have made here about the recent happenings in WWE or TNA whereas my immediate friends barely know who Wade Barrett or Sheamus are, some have never even heard of TNA. I like that I can come here to a community of 16,000+ others who are wrestling fans like me, and I've met a lot of cool people.... so in my particular case.... it has certainly been worth the time spent here, even though it could have gone to more important things that go on in real life, because I have a place to talk about things I don't normally get to talk about with immediate friends.


This topic has been on my mind for DAYS, and I would really enjoy seeing what some of the rest of you have to say about it, so.... please take the time to respond to the questions that I have put in bold.... Discuss.

 

[DiscipleofWrestling]

1. So if you are one of the people who want well-known members of a forum to like you, why do you feel this way?

I don’t know if I necessarily go out to really make people like me on this forum. I’ve found that the more I try to make people like me, either in the real world or in the virtual one, it comes off as cheap and not natural. I just try to keep it natural. I know not everyone is going to like or agree with what I have to say, but I do like discussing wrestling which I really don’t get a chance to do on a regular basis off the computer.

2. Assuming you either are a well-known member of a forum, or have earned the respect of multiple "regulars" of a forum.... Was it worth it? Would you go back and do it again, or would you rather have spent time doing things in real life that perhaps needed to be done but were neglected in favor of the forum?

I think it was definitely worth it in the end. I have been able to discuss a lot of topics on these forums about wrestling and am now just dabbling into some of the non-wrestling forums. I am a online graduate student. So, most of my time is devoted to being online in some capacity. A lot of times, even if it is just to get my mind jogging, I come on here, see what’s up from a wrestling standpoint, and see if something gets my mind going to type a response. More often than not, being on here is sort of an escape from other crap going on. So, for sanity’s sakes, this has definitely been worth my while.

3. If history were changed to where you could not become a member of any forum, even this one, how would you have spent the time you earned back, and what would you have liked to have gotten done?

To be honest, I probably would have been typing other stuff online. I write my own blog on MySpace on several stories of the week or month, and I’m sure whatever time I had would have gone towards some writing project like my blog or my book I’ve been working on. Other than that, I probably would have turned to television to waste some time or see if something got my mind going for grad work.

4. Be truly honest with this question. Have you ever met someone from a forum in real life and hung out with them multiple times in person? Were they anything like their posts on the forum?

I have not met anyone on the forums in real life.

5. Other than making new friends to add on facebook or send messages to, can you honestly say that your time spend on forums has been worth it?

I personally believe that this time has been worth it because I get to talk about wrestling and other topics with other people. It provided me with an avenue through which I didn’t feel like the only person on Earth that actually likes professional wrestling. I’ve had a great time discussing some of these topics and a fun time writing some PPV reviews on the Old School PPV Reviews sub-forum. The free time would have been spent on doing other things to take my mind off things. So, I really don’t see much of a net loss in participating in a forum like this.

 

[Dudebuster420]

1. So if you are one of the people who want well-known members of a forum to like you, why do you feel this way?

Well, I think it's only human to want people to like you. To me the medium of interaction doesn't matter. It's still interacting with other people on a somewhat personal level as we all share so many of our views, beliefs, and ideas so strongly on topics from the major to minute. You're talking about peoples feelings and thoughts on a number of levels on any number of issues, those things are real unlike the virtual world we use to express them.

I really like to write, it's easier for me to authentically express myself in writing than to try and verbally put what is in my head to words. As a writer of sorts of course I want people to like what I write. Positive feedback from the people here tell me that not only is my thinking in line but so is the manner in which I express that thinking. Also, I like to entertain people and I believe I can do that rather well in writing.

Don't forget, I am also a big reader as well. Coming on here gives me an unlimited supply of reading material and there are some very talented writers here that make the experience all the more pleasurable outside of getting my fix for reading. I really enjoy listening to what other people have to say, and how they view things. I guess you could say I like to explore the minds of as many people as I can. Everyone has a different take on things, and all of those different takes took thought to form, I like to examine how those thoughts are formed and why.

2. Assuming you either are a well-known member of a forum, or have earned the respect of multiple "regulars" of a forum.... Was it worth it? Would you go back and do it again, or would you rather have spent time doing things in real life that perhaps needed to be done but were neglected in favor of the forum?

Yes it is worth it. There are a number of things that I get out of doing just this. I wouldn't invest my time in it if I thought it wasn't worth it to me. I'm not neglecting anything in my real life from posting on the forums either, so I have no regrets. Whether closely connected in the real world or connected over the internet, friendship and camaraderie still occur and I think that's part of everybody's motivation.

3. If history were changed to where you could not become a member of any forum, even this one, how would you have spent the time you earned back, and what would you have liked to have gotten done?

I would have just been on another forum. It's something I can do from the comfort of my home that I greatly enjoy.

4. Be truly honest with this question. Have you ever met someone from a forum in real life and hung out with them multiple times in person? Were they anything like their posts on the forum?

Yes, especially back when I first had internet and discovered chat rooms and forums, I was then able to meet more people in my area without having to go running all over town. Most of them were much the same as they had presented themselves on the internet as well.

5. Other than making new friends to add on facebook or send messages to, can you honestly say that your time spend on forums has been worth it?

Don't use facebook, myspace, etc..., Since I receive exactly what I seek just from my own participation, yes it is very much worth it. People giving you the thumbs up, making friends, becoming a respected member or a moderator/admin is all a bonus.

______________________________________

On a side note, One of the reasons I like doing this so much is the fact that I get to talk to people from all over the world, learn about them and where they come from, see how other people think and what their lives are like, all of which I could not learn without the internet. Sometimes it also feels good to stand for what you believe in, or debate issues with other people just for fun too. It's a way to display your writing and mental talents.

There's even an arcade here to play video games. So let me get this right. I get to talk about every aspect of wrestling which I love, I get to interact with people from all over the world, I get to learn a lot of new things all the time, I get to read a lot of good writing, I get to share my own writing, AND THERE'S VIDEO GAMES????!!!! Fuck Yeah It's Worth It! If there's a few people who really dig my writing and find me to be pleasant than that kicks ass too.

 

[DirtyJosé]

1. So if you are one of the people who want well-known members of a forum to like you, why do you feel this way?

I don't necessarily want certain people to like me, but I don't want to look like a total twat either. I came here in search of some fellow fans to shoot the shit with, and LD with when none of my other wrestling buddies can make over to my place for a show (did I just use LD as a verb?). I'm not here to make BFF's, but I do want be more of a pleasure here than I am a burden.

2. Assuming you either are a well-known member of a forum, or have earned the respect of multiple "regulars" of a forum.... Was it worth it? Would you go back and do it again, or would you rather have spent time doing things in real life that perhaps needed to be done but were neglected in favor of the forum?

Hey, if I'm being honest with you and myself, the time I spend here is time I would have spent jacking off in one way or another. The forums aren't why I spend some time doing mostly nothing productive, and in fact does bring positive change to my life. Obligatory E-Fed push right here, but it really has been a great exercise to get me working my creative and writing muscles far more often than if I had been left to my own devices. Yeah, I could be finishing a doctorate or feeding children in Africa, but I wasn't about to do those things before I found this place anyway.

3. If history were changed to where you could not become a member of any forum, even this one, how would you have spent the time you earned back, and what would you have liked to have gotten done?

I haven't even been around for a year, let alone spent that much time online here. And as stated earlier, I probably would spend that time doing dumb things anyway.

4. Be truly honest with this question. Have you ever met someone from a forum in real life and hung out with them multiple times in person? Were they anything like their posts on the forum?

Nope, not yet. But many of you would be welcome here.

5. Other than making new friends to add on facebook or send messages to, can you honestly say that your time spend on forums has been worth it?

Yes. Alongside the previously mentioned positives I find in WZCW, I've had a great time being here. I've had some lulz, bounced around ideas and shared opinions with a great many number of people that I respect, and learned things I hadn't known before.

And it got me watching soccer with passion. Take that how you will.

 

[TheAnimal]

1. So if you are one of the people who want well-known members of a forum to like you, why do you feel this way?

I'm not that bothered if i'm liked or disliked really. I just want to be able to have the debate/discussion about things i enjoy. It is good to get the different opinions of people about wrestling/sport/tv. If people do like me then thats a bonus, but if they dont i wont get upset about it. Im not looking to be on the staff because even if i wanted to be, i genuinely wouldnt have the time to do it.

2. Assuming you either are a well-known member of a forum, or have earned the respect of multiple "regulars" of a forum.... Was it worth it? Would you go back and do it again, or would you rather have spent time doing things in real life that perhaps needed to be done but were neglected in favor of the forum?

I was a member of the old forum many years ago, so maybe when i was younger i could have put a bit more time into studying but im older and wiser now so i know what needs to come first. I was i suppose a regular back on the old 1 but i hadnt been on there for quite a while anyway.

With regards to the new forum: I dont really think i am either, but i haven't put excessive time into being on the forum. I was in the final year of my degree this year so although my start date says Feb or March 2010, i did put the things i need to first before using the forum. I dont think i spend time on here that i need to do something else with, because i dont spend hours on here and if i am on here its at the end of a day or on a day off. Time i spend on here i would probably just be watching TV or a DVD or something similar. I even try to avoid writing long posts or replying in threads with long posts because it would take too much time! LOL.

3. If history were changed to where you could not become a member of any forum, even this one, how would you have spent the time you earned back, and what would you have liked to have gotten done?

I would most likely just be watching TV or a DVD or playing video games, something similar because i just spend time on here that i wouldnt be doing much with anyway.

4.. Be truly honest with this question. Have you ever met someone from a forum in real life and hung out with them multiple times in person? Were they anything like their posts on the forum?

No, i dont plan on it really but thats not meant in a bad way. It is something so unlikely/unrealistic to happen that i wouldnt put time/energy into trying to make it happen.

5. Other than making new friends to add on facebook or send messages to, can you honestly say that your time spend on forums has been worth it?

Yeah because i havent put loads of time into being a member, i just come on here to post and debate/discuss. I enjoy being on here, i just dont put too much time into it because i know there are a number of other things that i need to do before i go on here. Or i know things i have to do during that day if im on the morning so i dont spend a long time on here.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

The answer to your question is yes and no.

No, it isn't worth it, because the chances of you building any meaningful relationships over an Internet forum are significantly smaller than the chances of you building any meaningful relationships through face-to-face interactions. Now, this isn't to say that it can't happen, and this also isn't to say that you can't build meaningful relationships through the Internet (you can, but there are Internet sites dedicated to this specific purpose). But, if you're looking for something more intimate or personal, then a forum is definitely one of the last places you should be looking.

On the other hand, yes, it is worth it, because it's a more efficient means of finding people with similar interests. Imagine how much of a pain it would be (not to mention embarrassing) to have to go up to every person you meet and ask them if they're a fan of wrestling and, if so, would they like to discuss last night's episode of Raw? Forums are, for the most part, created for a specific interest, and all its members have to bring with them when the join is a desire to discuss this specific interest.

 

[LigerBomb]

1. So if you are one of the people who want well-known members of a forum to like you, why do you feel this way?

I'm not, and I don't.

2. Assuming you either are a well-known member of a forum, or have earned the respect of multiple "regulars" of a forum.... Was it worth it? Would you go back and do it again, or would you rather have spent time doing things in real life that perhaps needed to be done but were neglected in favor of the forum?

I don't know how I'm viewed by other members here nor is it of critical importance to me. Assuming for a moment that I am respected, it was "worth it" in the sense that I didn't do anything to go out of my way to garner such respect so there was nothing lost and respect was gained. Win/win in my estimation. Along those lines I budget my time on here. I log in, leave it in the background and go about my day both at home and work. I always priorities my "real world" first.

3. If history were changed to where you could not become a member of any forum, even this one, how would you have spent the time you earned back, and what would you have liked to have gotten done?

I'd probably just troll other non-forum sites on the net. As I said, I already get the "real world" stuff done so my WZF time is just leisure time to fill up the in-between.

4. Be truly honest with this question. Have you ever met someone from a forum in real life and hung out with them multiple times in person? Were they anything like their posts on the forum?

OK... to be truly honest, no.

5. Other than making new friends to add on facebook or send messages to, can you honestly say that your time spend on forums has been worth it?

I don't do the above, so I've no way to really answer that. Regardless, my time here has been "worth it" in as much as it's what I've chosen to do with my time, hence I'm living my live as I see fit; nothing more "worth it" than that.

 

[The Doctor]

1. So if you are one of the people who want well-known members of a forum to like you, why do you feel this way?

I want people to like me because I like having friends. Why would I WANT to go into a thread and have people bash me and make me feel unwelcome? That's why I ask everyone to help me out by telling me when I'm doing something wrong, provided they aren't a douchebag about it.

2. Assuming you either are a well-known member of a forum, or have earned the respect of multiple "regulars" of a forum.... Was it worth it? Would you go back and do it again, or would you rather have spent time doing things in real life that perhaps needed to be done but were neglected in favor of the forum?

Oh absolutely it was worth it. I've made so many friends, ones which I call or text daily. When I first moved here a year ago, I was so lonely. I had just moved from Italy, and the only people there for me were my internet friends. In particular, Nathon. I have this cell phone plan that lets me call or text anywhere for a flat rate a month, and Nathon was the first person to call. It was so awesome hearing a friendly voice and actually having someone to talk to during a time where I had no one.

Then, I became active on Wrestlezone. It was so great having people to talk with about something I'm passionate about. During the summer I met Dave and Tenta on here and we became good friends. This also helped a lot.

Forums helped me out during the darkest times of my life.When my first ever girlfriend broke up with me, when I moved from Italy, and more. And I've helped several of my internet friends with their problems, such as offering Nathon a room in my house when I found out about his abusive parents. I also helped my friend Danny (with help from other friends Nathon and Evan) to finally tell his parents about the severe depression he's been facing. We had to get the police sent over to his house because we were so worried. He's now doing so much better.

So yeah, I'd say it's been worth it.

3. If history were changed to where you could not become a member of any forum, even this one, how would you have spent the time you earned back, and what would you have liked to have gotten done?

Nothing.

No, seriously. I don't have a very interesting life. I go out to the movies with friends, I run, I eat, I play videogames, I read...but I fit all that into my days, along with forums. If I hadn't had forums I'd probably be severely depressed right now. I may have played more videogames or read more, but really there's nothing I would have or could have done to fill the times I've spent on forums that isn't just dicking around on the internet.

4. Be truly honest with this question. Have you ever met someone from a forum in real life and hung out with them multiple times in person? Were they anything like their posts on the forum?

I haven't, but I want to. I had plans to meet my friend Evan this summer, but it sadly looks like that's not going to work out. I have no problems with meeting people over the internet. I mean, it's not like I'm stupid and would meet them in a dark alley. I'd only arrange to meet people over the internet that

1. I trusted.
2. Would agree to meet me in a crowded space

One day I'm going to meet some of my internet friends.

5. Other than making new friends to add on facebook or send messages to, can you honestly say that your time spend on forums has been worth it?

Most definitely. I love to read and write, and I've formed relationships with people all over the globe, people I never would have known otherwise. I got my first girlfriend because of the internet, and friends whom I love. It's not like I had anything else to do with my life, sine I balance everything so well.

 

[Ferbian]

1. So if you are one of the people who want well-known members of a forum to like you, why do you feel this way?

It's not as much only the well-known members as much as an all-around circle of love I prefer.

And to be a bit more serious, while I certainly don't mind if people hate me, or like me, I do try to be liked for the most of it, because I don't see the need for me to sit down with the majority of a crowd that simply doesn't like me, and would rather be without me.

As opposed to sit down with someone where you either know, or would assume that they have a positive opinion towards you, and enjoys talking to you, as well as hearing your insight on subjects.

2. Assuming you either are a well-known member of a forum, or have earned the respect of multiple "regulars" of a forum.... Was it worth it? Would you go back and do it again, or would you rather have spent time doing things in real life that perhaps needed to be done but were neglected in favor of the forum?

I don't know whether I would say it was "worth it" but I feel having been a member of this forum for about 7 months now, getting modded and people saying they consider me a good poster as quite an achievement, not that I would run around bragging about it.

I feel that my time here has been worth it, not because I've been praised, awarded, or the opposite, but because I have gotten friends here, people I come online to hear their opinions, to talk with them on topics in the non-spam section as well as talk about random stuff in the spam sections.

I would definitely go back to do it again if I had the choice, but I wouldn't let real life come second to this, and I never have to the extend of which it would be considered wrongly prioritized.

3. If history were changed to where you could not become a member of any forum, even this one, how would you have spent the time you earned back, and what would you have liked to have gotten done?

I don't know, it's mostly due to the fact that I can't put myself in the position where I would need to make a choice of what to do, there's a lot of different things I could be doing, I'd probably spend my time doing something else in terms of computer related material (gaming etc.) but that's also things I did before, which has slowed down due to this forum, so I really don't know.

4. Be truly honest with this question. Have you ever met someone from a forum in real life and hung out with them multiple times in person? Were they anything like their posts on the forum?

It depends on what you consider a forum, there's a Danish youth site called Arto, which is a mixture of forum / chat room and a lot of other things, I got to know my best girl friend through that site.

But if we're talking about a forum like this, no I have not, the majority of people, or actually the only people I have encountered on these kind of forums have been foreigners and the chance to meet up have been limited that way.

5. Other than making new friends to add on facebook or send messages to, can you honestly say that your time spend on forums has been worth it?

Yes I can, through the Firefox dictionary I have improved my English with small errors I did not know I had, as well as I have become better with writing longer topics, which has helped me in English project and essay writings.

As well as I have adjusted to capitalizations of starting letters, names etc. something pure laziness prevented me from doing before, but it is something I have started doing on here.

So I would definitely say without becoming friends with a lot of people, I have benefited from being a member of this forum.

 

[Vash21]

1. So if you are one of the people who want well-known members of a forum to like you, why do you feel this way?

I dunno whether or not I want them to like me, i just like having good people to chat with. I like knowing that I can make an impression either good or bad on people. Going through a pretty rough spot right now personally and it has been nice to vent and chat with one other person in particular who is going through the same thing. Have come to the conclusion that I will never be very well liked here, an accepted it.

Am glad that you asked the question because one of my favorite places to post on this forum is in the Cage. Haven't made that great of an impression, but am working at it. I would like people in there to think I was a good poster. Don't really care if they like me, just that they don't think I am a waste of space. I don't think I will ever impress some of the people in there, they can be real bastards. I also have some different views on things which doesn't help matters. I have to remember to climb down from my high horse which happens to be standing on a soap box. I am not always right.

2. Assuming you either are a well-known member of a forum, or have earned the respect of multiple "regulars" of a forum.... Was it worth it? Would you go back and do it again, or would you rather have spent time doing things in real life that perhaps needed to be done but were neglected in favor of the forum?

Not here, but elsewhere. I am a regular on one other forum in particular and am pretty well known and well liked. I have made a lot of what I would consider pretty good friends who share similar interests. I do this at work and in some spare time so I don't think that I waste too much time on it. Also own a Blackberry which helps with keeping up what goes on in the forums I am a member of.

3. If history were changed to where you could not become a member of any forum, even this one, how would you have spent the time you earned back, and what would you have liked to have gotten done?

I dunno, I like posting. Can't imagine not doing it. It has replaced some of the things I used to have more time for.

4. Be truly honest with this question. Have you ever met someone from a forum in real life and hung out with them multiple times in person? Were they anything like their posts on the forum?

No but have kept in contact through texting which while not in person allows you to have a better relationship with them. I don't think I have met any mass murderers.

5. Other than making new friends to add on facebook or send messages to, can you honestly say that your time spend on forums has been worth it?

Yep.

 

[The Gribbler]

Put simply, it gives me something to do when I can't afford to go out, my girlfriend is busy with uni work and im on a break.

It gives me some interesting people to talk to that have views and opinions that differ from mine and that I find interesting.

 

[Sparky]

It's the only website my mum allows me on, I feel special on here I can swear and call people ass mongerers and there is nothing you can do to me.

No in all seriousness? There is no difference between a forum and a chat room other then the same people are always on here. you learn new stuff about the thing you're interested in, meet new people and Hels you find people who are interested in the same thing.

 

[Dave]

1. So if you are one of the people who want well-known members of a forum to like you, why do you feel this way?

I would like to think that I am quite a respected member of this forum and that makes me feel good, in some perverse way. This is the only forum I have ever really committed to and I have put a lot of work into making people’s stay here very enjoyable and not least my own. I think in everything we do, we all just want some acceptance that everything is worth it. When you get to a level where everyone on a forum knows your name and know that you are good at what you do, then you feel that acceptance and that is something that I would imagine would keep a lot of people here.

However, for me, it was just a whim that I started here. I joined the forum to get Smackdown spoilers and decided that I would make a go of it. I saw people who were the big dogs on the forum and thought to myself that I would try and get to that point and I feel as though I am well on my way now.

2. Assuming you either are a well-known member of a forum, or have earned the respect of multiple "regulars" of a forum.... Was it worth it? Would you go back and do it again, or would you rather have spent time doing things in real life that perhaps needed to be done but were neglected in favor of the forum?

I would say that it has been worth it. Sure, I sometimes think about the other things I could have been doing in my spare time but I don’t think it would have made any difference. I still have a close group of friends. I am still seeing someone and I still like to go out to work and out for a drink now and then. This forum is not the end all and be all for me. I have a pretty good social life as it is but I have enjoyed the time I have been here for. I just see it as an extended part of my social life and I am happy with the way that has panned out. My social life hasn’t suffered because of this forum.

3. If history were changed to where you could not become a member of any forum, even this one, how would you have spent the time you earned back, and what would you have liked to have gotten done?

I don’t think I would have done anything different. I would have probably spent more time with my family or friends but I don’t think that it would have been that much time. The forum is a great way to kill time and the times when I am on here is generally when I have nothing else to do and at nights during the week. I don’t think there is anything better that I would have been doing to be honest.

4. Be truly honest with this question. Have you ever met someone from a forum in real life and hung out with them multiple times in person? Were they anything like their posts on the forum?

I have hung out with Lee, Dave Phoenix, Deexter Jorgan and Tastycles. All of them are absolutely brilliant guys. We went to WWE tapings together and had a fucking blast. I wouldn’t consider them proper friends but they are definitely guys that I enjoyed spending time with and would love to meet them again.

5. Other than making new friends to add on facebook or send messages to, can you honestly say that your time spend on forums has been worth it?

Absolutely!

 

[It's Damn Real!]

1. So if you are one of the people who want well-known members of a forum to like you, why do you feel this way?

I don't really want anyone to like me to be honest. They either do or don't. My thoughts on which they choose are quite irrelevant, but I suppose on some level it's nice to feel that appreciation from your peers when you put work into something and get praised for it – be it via rep, a return post, whatever.

2. Assuming you either are a well-known member of a forum, or have earned the respect of multiple "regulars" of a forum.... Was it worth it? Would you go back and do it again, or would you rather have spent time doing things in real life that perhaps needed to be done but were neglected in favor of the forum?

Real life isn't as formulaic as forums are, so yes, it was worth it, because forums allow you to craft and articulate your responses much more concisely and less by the seat of your pants the way these types of debates would in person. Realistically speaking, the two aren't very comparable at all, despite the fact both deal with point and counter-point style debating tactics, because real-life debates aren't usually as detailed and supported as they are on the forum.

3. If history were changed to where you could not become a member of any forum, even this one, how would you have spent the time you earned back, and what would you have liked to have gotten done?

Actually doing work for the job I'm being paid to do, or perhaps wasting more time in front of a TV than I already do? Hard to say, really – I don't think anyone can look back with 20/20 hindsight and say they would absolutely be doing this or that were they not spending as much time on a forum as they are/did.

4. Be truly honest with this question. Have you ever met someone from a forum in real life and hung out with them multiple times in person? Were they anything like their posts on the forum?

On this forum? No. On other forums? Absolutely. I post on the second largest New York Rangers forum on the internet, and I've met dozens of users from that site – a number of which I hang out with regularly now. Most of the people I've met are exactly the way they are in person as they are on the forum – forums are, after all, just an extension of our personalities in digitized written-out form, no?

5. Other than making new friends to add on facebook or send messages to, can you honestly say that your time spend on forums has been worth it?

Yes, because as I noted earlier, if you have a desire to debate things in a point/counter-point style, there is no better medium to do so in than a forum where you can formulate your points in a much more orderly fashion than you might be able to do in a face-to-face scenario.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

If it's truly worth it or not might depend upon your reasons for spending time on forums in the first place. For me, I think it's helped rekindle my interest in wrestling to some degree. I've watched wrestling all my life and I've pretty much seen it all and having a place to sort of express my views on what I see, see what others think about whatever and just being in a place where you don't have to really worry about defending yourself from wrestling haters is a nice change.

A lot of the guys I grew up with, went to school with, etc. have all kind of scattered into the wind the past several years and we all loved wrestling. We all watched it, debated on who was better, what matches we would like to see, etc. and it was just a lot of fun. But, as sometimes happens to grown ups, we've drifted apart in the course of persuing our lives in the world. Not really having anyone to talk about wrestling with, debate with, complain with, etc. did take some of the fun and interest out of it. To some degree, I can do all of those things on forums and even possibly come to look at things in ways I hadn't considered before. I've gotten a fresh perspective about a number of things wrestling associated and I think it's worked out just fine for me.

 

[hArdyPUNKmArk]

1. So if you are one of the people who want well-known members of a forum to like you, why do you feel this way?

When I first joined WZ Forums (only forum I’m a part of) I started off wanting regulars to ‘like’ or ‘respect’ me but over the following months I found I didn’t really care. Some are going to like you, some aren’t. There’s not much you can do about that. I ended up liking who I liked and disliking who I disliked much like other posters opinions of me. I just stuck with posting honestly and respectably and have ended up being more liked (I hope ) since I started to just post rather than thinking about what others would think and over analysing my post before submitting it.

2. Assuming you either are a well-known member of a forum, or have earned the respect of multiple "regulars" of a forum.... Was it worth it? Would you go back and do it again, or would you rather have spent time doing things in real life that perhaps needed to be done but were neglected in favor of the forum?

For me I think it has been worth it. Last year was my year for posting multiple times a day and spending a good 4-5hrs on here each day. I lost my internet at home and wasn’t on for the better part of 6 months this year and have only really just returned. Since returning I’ll just browse the threads and comment on something that interests me enough to warrant a post (like this one Dagger). I like my new way of forum surfing, it allows me to post on threads that really interest me rather than posting just for the sake of posting and just to have more people like me and to get rep and a higher post count. I couldn’t care less about those things now and am just here to enjoy myself and discuss wrestling with some great people.

3. If history were changed to where you could not become a member of any forum, even this one, how would you have spent the time you earned back, and what would you have liked to have gotten done?

If I were to go back to the day I joined and never did I would have tried to spend more time writing songs and getting more comfortable with performing. I would be trying a lot harder to get into music the way I’ve always wanted to. I can finally say since my hiatus from WZ that I have fulfilled my music goals of playing at least 3 gigs and performing originals which I’ve now done this year 5 times. As I said above, my current time spent on WZ is perfect. It doesn’t get in the way of things I really want to do like playing guitar but it still allows more than enough time to be able to jump on WZ for a good hour and read through some great posts and also post in threads that really grab my attention.

4. Be truly honest with this question. Have you ever met someone from a forum in real life and hung out with them multiple times in person? Were they anything like their posts on the forum?

I’ve never met anyone from WZ so I can’t really comment. I’ve had out of forum chats with David (Phoenix) on Facebook and he seems pretty much like the guy we all see on WZ, a champ .

5. Other than making new friends to add on facebook or send messages to, can you honestly say that your time spend on forums has been worth it?

Absolutely. I’m the only one in all my friends that enjoys wrestling. WZ Forums is the only place in the world I can discuss my love for Professional Wrestling. I wouldn’t change a thing about my time spent on here. I’ve got a lot of great memories and have had some great discussions. I’ve been a part of the WZ invasion being Buff Bagwell in the nWZo, I’ve been Tag Team Champion in WZCW and I’ve loved every minute of it!

I always enjoy your threads Dagger.