Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

How and why are we here?

Options
  • 25-04-2015 1:03pm
    #1
    Rubecula
    Registered Users Posts: 8,551 ✭✭✭


    OK, this is just to allow you to talk about yourself. I will start off to give you an idea what I mean.

    Why am I here on O&O, and how did I get to be here?

    It all started for me a few years ago when I was browsing the internet, I was looking for a sports forum dedicated to my favourite football team (Everton). The site I happened to find was very friendly and quite a nice place. I was even asked to be a mod there, and what idiots would ask that of me? :P

    Sadly the site soon folded and I was at a loss. Then one day out of the blue the former site owner got in touch to say he had found a bigger site that was very similar. I gave it a try. Within a few visits I was hooked yet again and I am still a regular there.

    One of the lads was (and still is) from Dublin. So I approached him to ask about finding information about my family. He couldn't help but mentioned Boards.ie and the Geneology forum. I was excited by this as I had never heard of Boards.ie before.

    Anyway I gave it a try. and the friendliness and help I received from thet forum was immense. I obtained lots of valuable information about my grandfather (nicknamed 'Dub' for obvious reasons) He was actually a soldier in the Royal Irish Rifles in the first world war. Sadly however after the war he returned to a troubled nation, as most of you will know. Having faught for the British he was not exactly welcomed back with open arms and being an orphan with all his family now dead apart from a sister who had married and moved to Liverpool he packed his bags and left. Something which both saddened him (he was fiercely proud of being Irish) and makes me who I am. Grandad married a Liverpool girl and not long after out came me dear old dad. And of course I also appeared in the fullness of time.

    Much of this I knew already but Geneology on Boards.ie filled in many gaps. After I had all this information, I was reluctant to leave the site. it seemed so vast. I proceeded to investigate further.

    I found the science forums (fora?) and got well into it. Yet I am an oulfella and a lot of the other areas seemed to be dominated by youngwans. Not sharing a lot of interests I dawdled and toyed with the idea of not coming back quite as much.

    I then by chance found O&O. Wonderful I thought. People of my degeneration with similar interests. Basically that is it, that is how and why I am here. I know I am like a bad rash. I irritate and won't go away, but I like it here and I have a lot of affection for you all (Even though the redoubtable Chucken is the only one I have physically met who still appears here. (I have met another lovely Dublin lady who used to be here very briefly)

    I no longer seem to have any real family in Ireland but you folks are almost like that for me, Love you all.


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Jellybaby1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭Jellybaby1


    I joined Boards in August 2009. I had been made redundant the previous Christmas. By August I had caught up on all the chores, decorating, gardening etc., which I had neglected whilst working. I was the first of my group of friends to stop working. Since then they have all either been made redundant or retired due to ill health. None of us stopped working by choice. I was frantically applying for job after job without any success. I had only three interviews in two years. I eventually got a part time temporary job which only lasted three months. I continued to apply for jobs for four years before I realised that my daily hobby was only applying for jobs. Anyway I gave up job searching and did a few courses mainly with the intention of upskilling but I was already as much upskilled as I was going to get for work and time was running out for me. Then I began to do evening courses just for my own enjoyment. So there I was one day feeling bored, no friends to meet up with and I began searching the internet for women’s groups or clubs I might like to join. I was getting a lot of links to Boards and decided to check it out and discovered there was a whole world of people out there chatting away and I decided to join in. For quite a while I just checked out subjects like technology, consumer issues, and the Ladies Lounge but realised eventually that everyone was much younger than me. I knew there must be someone my own age on the site but where were they hiding? That’s when I found Oulwans and Oulfellas. I found people there who understood me and that was so nice, and they spoke the same language as me. I enjoy the banter, everyone is very friendly and although I have not actually met any of my virtual friends I feel like we are all old pals now. I sometimes wonder where some of the earlier posters have disappeared to, and wonder why more don’t join in the fun. I have a horrible feeling I might be left here all alone one day and I wouldn’t like that at all. We all have other things going on in our lives, good and bad. I have good days, and bad days. Thank you my virtual friends for keeping me sane on the bad days.


  • Options
    #3
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,051 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    Thats great JB, you are right, we need to keep things going as people do drop out for all sorts of reasons, we need to keep 'fresh blood' finding us.

    I was with O&O pretty well from the start, arguing in Forum Requests why it was a good idea to have the forum. Eventually - and it took ages, about a year I think, the forum was started with OG in charge, then the policy of having 2 mods was introduced and I was asked if I would like to take it on. Which I did. Its been a pretty rough couple of years for me one way and another and I did ease off modding for a while, but now I have three forums, all of which have very long names but are very undemanding.

    Rube is doing a great job of injecting a bit of life into O&O, but the forum belongs to all of us and we have to spread the word and keep it afloat. I think I mixed a few metaphores there! :pac:

    Its interesting that the forum is not entirely going the way it was anticipated. Both OG and I argued for the useful aspect of it, information, support, etc. In fact the social aspect has become much more important, and that's fine. I think it is that by this stage in our lives we have learned to deal with most things and just want this as a bit of light relief, which it is.

    Whatever way it goes, its a 'use it or lose it' situation, so come on folks, throw in the odd comment, keep us going! It also helps us know we are all ok, I know we are only 'virtual' friends, but its good to know everyone is alright. :)


  • Options
    #4
    Rubecula
    Registered Users Posts: 8,551 ✭✭✭Rubecula


    I think I have just been accused of being alright!

    *Makes a note to check on the levels in the strongbox*

    Great stories from both of you fine ladies, lovely to learn about each other isn't it? And most folks do like to tell their own story.


  • Options
    #5
    Pulsating Star
    Registered Users Posts: 702 ✭✭✭Pulsating Star


    When I finally got access to the Internet I went searching for car related sites, joined an excellent site (not really for the youngsters) where everything and anything was discussed , interest in cars just being a common denominator. Every so often there would be mention of boards.ie ( for good and bad)
    Said site eventually imploded so went to have a look at this boards place. Took a while to take in the forum diversity, the idea of it being a talking shop for the nation etc.
    When I came upon this section I felt more at home, bearly qualified on age but related more to topics and posting styles. Also not as noisy, more village than high street , more locals than tourists, not as many idiots,etc.
    Now having passed another decade marker I will probably be around a bit more.


  • Options
    #6
    Mollywolly
    Registered Users Posts: 566 ✭✭✭Mollywolly


    I feel so guilty for not being around so much these days but it's nice to see the old place going strong!

    I came across Boards.ie what seems like a lifetime ago and was shocked when I realised that I joined in 2008! That was the year I quit my job (yep, just as the economy nosedived - great timing huh?).

    Like Jellybaby, spent most of the next five years job hunting, applying for jobs that I didn't have a hope of getting and waiting for the "Dear John - PFO" letter that never came. Most employers didn't/don't respond - too many applicants I suppose.

    Anyways, I lurked around the Limerick board and Bargain Alerts and stumbled onto O&O one day and found such a lovely bunch of virtual friends. Hope you're all doing ok!

    Now, I finally got lucky(?) and landed a job in Customer Service. Started part-time and now full-time, so don't have too much time to spare. Besides, sitting in front of a computer all day tends to put me off sitting in front of one again after I've had me dinner!

    I'm still trying to convince the OH of the benefits of being an oulwan. Just recently pointed out a hotel deal for 3 nights B&B plus a dinner which was €100 less than a youngwan would have to pay. He might finally be coming round :)

    Any newbies to O&O should hang around. You'll be entertained, educated and supported by all the wonderful folk in here.

    Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time to get the dinner on the go. Has to be ready in time for Corrie :D


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    JuliusCaesar
    Registered Users Posts: 4,882 ✭✭✭JuliusCaesar


    Got to Boards via Askaboutmoney, which I joined when house-hunting originally. Boards was mentioned a few times and one day when bored (heh heh) I came over, nosied around, posted as a guest a few times till a mod (probably fed up having to approve my posts) suggested I join. So I did. That was 2006, NINE years ago!! I eventually ascended up to moderator status, got used to the life of luxury, and have been here ever since.

    I have a confession to make: when this forum was originally mooted, I voted against it. :o I thought that oulpeeple are as diverse as young ones, I've nothing in common with most people my age or of any age, I've friends older and younger. But I'm glad now that it's come into being. We do actually have things in common - aches, retirement, etc :D (I was on a walking tour of Dublin where they were talking about stuff that happened in the 70s as though they were history! But it can't be history, I was there!!)


  • Options
    #8
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,051 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    A few years ago I was in a museum and in the 'house' or 'domestic' section they had all sorts of household stuff that I easily remembered from my childhood and teens. :eek:


  • Options
    #9
    OldGoat
    Registered Users Posts: 12,633 ✭✭✭✭OldGoat


    JuliusCaesar wrote: »
    I have a confession to make: when this forum was originally mooted, I voted against it. :o
    Me too. :o

    I just re-read that thread. Lots of familiar names now sadly missing from the ranks of O&O.
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055956739

    I'm older than Minecraft goats.



  • Options
    #10
    Riverireland
    Closed Accounts Posts: 833 ✭✭✭Riverireland


    I have a suggestion to make that I believe would greatly increase the use of this section. Change the name to something simpler. Oulwans could quite easily be thought of in spelling terms as auldwans, old ones, owlwans, there are so many variations. Something simple like over 40's or 50's or older boardsies or even silver surfers is a widely used term. Just a thought as I rember trying unsuccessfully some time back to find this section before and being unable due to not being able to spell it correctly. There must be loads of older members unaware of this section. Hope this is of some help to increasing the join in rate��


  • Options
    #11
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,051 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    If the name is changed to silver surfers I will resign. (there's a threat! :P) I am inclined to agree about the name though, I always call it O&O because I can't remember how to spell it!


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    0lddog
    Registered Users Posts: 3,292 ✭✭✭0lddog


    Must agree about the name......but maybe its just as well........keeps the wanaabeees at bay.

    Dont beat yourself up over voting against O&O starting........you were much younger then;).

    OTH, I have been old - it seems - for ever

    Anyone remember the tall, big framed Garda who did most of the point duty on O'Connell bridge ? ( '50s, 60s and mayber 70s )
    Suppose he has gone to his reward ( the great cross roads in the sky ) by now:(


Advertisement