Curiosity about why people are here in the forums.

[Bagnu]

48 minutes ago, Tari Landar said:

It wouldn't go in the employment section, you're not looking for actual employment or employees (just giving you a heads up, because it'll get removed and you'll get your hand slapped by mods if you put it there). If you own a club looking for employees in your profession, then you can advertise there, but you do not.

Advertising on the forums isn't exactly welcome in the way you might think it is, for anyone. That's the only reason we're allowed signatures for it, really, it's not blatant "advertising your wares". The OLD forums, used to allow advertising, again in specific areas, but did allow it. The newer incarnations do not allow it, well, not really anyway. 

I would err on the side of caution advertising your services outside of the myriad of other advertising methods and your signature, merely because it probably won't go well. There may be an area in the adult section you can advertise, not sure, I don't visit that section (someone else might know better). 

 

I honestly feel advertising should be inworld or on MP only. I guess in a way people here are starting to turn me into what they think I am. The only thing that's impossible to change is my caring about others.

[Ajay McDowwll]

I landed here where I returned to SL after a bit of a hiatus, during which time everything became mesh and my avatar was beyond dated   I got some excellent help in navigating the new version of the world... and I've stayed

[Dafadilia Wayfarer]

I came to these forums because I've always been a seeker of knowledge and avid reader. Forums are a wonderful resource full of helpful and useful information if one makes the effort to look. I remained as an avid reader out of interest. I sometimes comment because I feel compelled to when I can contribute something or I've really enjoyed something someone has posted. That is it really.

[Chroma Starlight]

It's nice to write composed speech on page without the time constraints and pressures of a realtime social exchange; it's predisposed to be a higher form of communication at its best.

[Marisa Starbrook]

Back in 2006, I came to the old forums, because the grid would be down for about 6 or more hours a day. When that would happen, people would gather there (here) to commiserate about not being inworld. I had a terrible computer that could barely handle SL  and couldn't figure out why I was continually crashing. Once I got a better graphics card, the world opened up. I was able to spend time inworld with my friends. I joined these forums back in 2009 but didn't feel the need to participate until Bellisseria emerged as a hot topic. I've felt that I made a lot of new friends through our mutual interest in Linden Homes. 

[Claireschen Hesten]

When i first wanted help with some issue or another i went in search of a forum but the official one at the time was locked off to premium members as i recall. There was an SLX/Xstreet forum that was one of the predecessors of this incarnation of the forum that i used to browse/post on 

going through some old posts i found some old pics that were a lot better than when i first adding to the "look at me" threads 

 

[Lindal Kidd]

Quite a few of the answers here resonate with me, especially @Ren Toxx, @Madelaine McMasters, and @Elora Lunasea's.

I've always enjoyed teaching and helping people, and the old Resident Answers forum and the current Answers forum provide a great way to do this.  Plus, I learn stuff too!

One thing that's always been a big plus for me is when something...a product, or a computer game, or an activity...has an active community of users.  That was a major selling point for me when I purchased my first two digital video editing systems, back in the 90's.  It used to be that a company had to provide a platform for these user communities.  These days, it's all done for them, by the users themselves and social media.  I'm active in several Facebook user groups for various toys I own, and one of these days I'll look into this "Discord" thing people keep talking about.

One huge bonus feature of a good user community is...a sense of community.  It's not all work, there's humor and banter and silliness...and...well...fun!

[Jordyn McGregor]

2 hours ago, Bagnu said:

Well then I will. I refused a very small few who wanted my services to prove my point that I didn't come here to advertise. And I didn't. Now I WILL advertise!!! Appropriately of course in the employment section!!! And it is apparently allowed in our signatures. I honestly wish it wasn't allowed here at all though. The forums should be purely about discussion.

I'm confused.  You say you aren't here to solicit for johns, and turn down anyone who does approach you for your services.  And now you are saying you will advertise for your services...and will you still turn down johns?  Or will you start accepting them?  Ugh I haven't been awake long enough for this!

Just a thought...if you feel these boards should purely be for discussion, why don't you get rid of your advertising signature, stop all the talk about your chosen profession and make your contributions here "purely for discussion".  

[Jordyn McGregor]

Now in reply to your topic question.  I get bored spending all my SL alone on my skypad, so thought at least here I can have some form of interaction with people.  Plus I have so many opinions and thoughts and questions to share.

4 hours ago, Bagnu said:

Come and meet me inworld!!! It's so much easier to chat there and truly get to know each other!!! And anyone else who wants to as well!!!

I don't think we'd get on.

Edited August 4, 2020 by Jordan Whitt

[SpiritSparrow Skydancer]

I do not recall. Perhaps it was to get an answer to a question.  I would go with that.

 

 

[Rolig Loon]

I have no idea what my first post was. We've gone through three or four reincarnations of the forums since I joined in 2007, and I've lost all my history each time.  If I had to guess, though, it was probably a question in the old Texturing forum. I spent a long time there pestering Chosen Few about techniques, and then migrated to the Scripting forum, where I pestered Void Singer.  As long as they were both still in SL, most of my forum activity was in those two Creation areas, learning and then passing along techniques to people who were more clueless than I was.  When Void moved on, I started spending more time in the Answers forum -- where I had also been posting for years.  I avoided General Discussion until sometime in 2017, because it seemed too much like a toxic wasteland.  Either it has changed or I have, though (probably both), so I've been posting more here and -- more recently -- in the Linden Homes forum.

Why have I been posting?  Mostly to learn or to teach.  I'm not much of a chatterbox and I don't enjoy joining in threads that are full of endless sniping.  When I get into a silly mood, I can get involved with a game thread or drop a quirky thought into almost anything.  I don't come to the forums for social interaction, but I seem to do it anyway.

[Akane Nacht]

I was searching for the meaning of Second Life.

( apparently it's 00110100 00110010 )

also I don't remember what I first posted as it was on the old forums. Probably something silly.

[elise Voxel]

I wanted to make friends (not doing a great job of that so far...) and I wanted to get involved in the community

I think my first post was something about how my avatar looked

Edited August 4, 2020 by SassySam87

[Syo Emerald]

I just went back and looked at my first post from May 2011 (9 months after I joined) and it looks like I came to ask a question about how to use some stores giftcard properly.

[Lewis Luminos]

Like @Lindal Kidd, I actively seek out forums and communities for things I am involved with, so naturally I did the same when I joined SL. I joined the official SL forum and also the one "on the Midnight side of the street"; and I found that the other one was more active at the time so that's where I stayed. Since the other one moved and changed it's been much less active so I focus more attention here now. 

[Emma Krokus]

For the last 10 years I read the forums pretty much every day and have since I came to a previous inception. Yes, I have also partaken in the Midnight side and continue to lurk there.

Mostly a lurker: my first post was a question about scripting - I have learned so much from the help I have had here (and while I am here - THANK you to all who contributed).

I rarely dare venture into the general discussion threads - you can be a scary lot !! 

Lately I have bravely posted a few pictures though (totally in awe of regular posters in those threads OMG - the talent out there!).

I'd like to thank regular contributors to the forums too - it's been so interesting to get to know you. And I miss many that stopped posting... if you shuold be lurking, I hope you are well!

[Maryanne Solo]

SL was my second ever forum.
I cut my teeth on a creators forum and actively sought out SL's thinking... "Well this will be a piece of cake!".
and  O . M . G  what a bar-room brawl that turned out to be. (the old forums).

Never had I seen such hoo-haa, malarkey and outright rage as was present back then.

It was a golden age of the net really. Mostly unrestricted opinions be they good or bad.
The amount of pure energy & rage exerted over the course of the old forums would be enough
to power 27 grids using 92 "clouds" for the next fourty seven years! 😏

SL and its forums are inseparable as far as I am concerned.

Edited August 4, 2020 by Maryanne Solo

[Sukubia Scarmon]

I usually tend to lurk long before I participate in anything. I'm mainly an observer type of person, but I rarely fit in. I don't think I fit in here either, but I must have felt welcome enough to stay back then. I believe my first, or one of my first posts was about me looking for certain hairstyles - that simply don't exsist. I curse my oddly specific tastes.

[Mollymews]

as I remember my first ever post on the original forums was when I was at Plum where I spawned.  I didn't like the outfit I was wearing so looked in the menus of the Viewer 1 and it said Take Off All so I did

then I was total naked standing in a pose. So I went to find the Undo button and there wasn't one. And I didn't know how to get dressed again. So I just stood there naked on the stage with people all around and hoped nobody would say anything if they noticed, and nobody did say anything. As I found out later there were zillions of avatars all over the world in those days in various states of undress stuck in funny poses because crash and ghosted

then I found the forums and asked on there. A kind person from the forums IMed me inworld and told me about the then Advanced menu shortcut to Character Test \ Test Female|Male as a quick way to get not naked til I worked out how to find clothes in my Inventory and wear them. An Advanced menu which wasn't visible in Viewer 1 and we just had to know to press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+D, even when we didn't know and had no way to know what we didn't know

then after I did that, I found the Library Clothing folder and was all good, until I learned about getting/buying stuff to wear from the shops inworld and that we could make our own stuff. Upon which I decided that I really liked SL and have stayed ever since, with holidays away in between times

 

[Qie Niangao]

11 hours ago, Marisa Starbrook said:

Back in 2006, I came to the old forums, because the grid would be down for about 6 or more hours a day. 

That's very likely what first drove me here, too.

10 hours ago, Rolig Loon said:

I have no idea what my first post was. We've gone through three or four reincarnations of the forums since I joined in 2007, and I've lost all my history each time. 

Definitely remember all the content "purges" whenever a shinier forums package draws Linden attention. Happens every few years.

But I can remember my first real forums post: I argued that a particular brand of pixel genitalia needed to have an open API because it was effectively a natural monopoly -- which, in fact, it was, right up until it wasn't anymore. As you might guess, that thread was not without controversy, from which I learned that SL harbors a sizable faction of crypto-anarchist hyper-Libertarians who still regard the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 to be an affront to God-Given Capitalism.

[Ceka Cianci]

It's been so long ago that i forget why I came to the forums.. Probably asking a question or something..

That was when it was residence Answers in the really old version of the forums. like 2006..

Why I stayed was, because  I learned a lot about SL in them and over time could start to help answer questions for people coming in..

after awhile it just gets to be a place where I post up and also come to see communicate with people I've met over the years and also see if there are any good topics going on or any new news about in world.. things like that.

Plus it just becomes part of a routine too..

[Bree Giffen]

Whenever I play a multiplayer game I've found it useful to read and participate in the official forums for that game. It's pretty easy to just open up the forums in a tab while I'm browsing the web for other things. Yes, SL isn't a game but I am referring to the majority of online games that have forums.

[Drake1 Nightfire]

Every week.. Sometimes for the whole day.

[Laurel Aurelia]

I joined the forums because I enjoy helping others with their avatars and also to share in the photography community here. While I am new to interacting on the forums, I have been reading them for some time. It's been an interesting experience so far, and I mean that earnestly. In SL like any other part of the internet, it's easy to get into an echo chamber where everyone you encounter thinks the way you do. Here we have a lot of different experiences of the world - each valid and important. It's a good reminder to check my own thinking and practice some empathy.

[Lindal Kidd]

1 hour ago, Drake1 Nightfire said:

Every week.. Sometimes for the whole day.

That's so true, Drake.  One might say the old Forums were a safety valve for us.  When we couldn't get into Second Life, at least we could still talk about it!