Is there a stigma attached to internet message boards?

brummytom

As it says on the tin.

Following on from the 'does your OH knows you're on boards' thread - how many of your friends/family know you post here? Are you at all embarrassed about posting on here?

Personally, I haven't told anyone I post on here; there's a part of me that thinks people would take the piss (mind you, they'd probably be glad I do something on the internet besides what I do publicise).

So yeah, do you tell people; are you embarrassed by it?
Is there still a stereotype of forum users being 'nerds'?

GLaDOS

I don't care really, mention boards in passing all the time

Miracleman

It just wouldn't come up in conversation ever I don't think but if I was ever asked I'd see no reason to lie or anything, big deal like!

davyjose

NERD!!!!!

smiley girl

Yep, there is a stigma posting on message boards. My sister saw me reply once and was like 'eh what are you doing' and then I couldn't finish that reply cos I felt stupid! My bf is like 'who are you typing to now?' so i reckon he thinks its weird, but I do tell him the good stuff sometimes!!
Wouldn't tell anyone else now!!! Its my secret little secret! lol :P

Senna

My avatar wares a helmet so people cant see my face, couldn't live with the shame if it got out.

netwhizkid

You must have Chlamydia to post on boards, I thought everyone knew that

stripysocks85

I don't think there's a stigma of necessarily being a 'nerd' but more so a 'freak'! The idea that social networkers are somehow socially awkward etc.

TBH, met my bf on the internet but only told few people. Some people would form opinions about it so I'm just not prepared for their judgement, although I shouldn't really care :P

I_am_Jebus

meh, it's hardly any different to having a bebo or facebook. I couldn't care what people think..

stripysocks85

Senna wrote: »

My avatar wares a helmet so people cant see my face, couldn't live with the shame if it got out.

Can you live with the shame of not being able to spell though?

wears

Novella

A lot of my friends know I'm on boards 'cause I do tend to mention it in passing. Ya know, "Oh, I read on Boards...." etc. People do seem to think it's weird that I go out with people I met on the internet though!

I was in work one morning and a girl I work with asked me who I'd been out with the night before. Without thinking, I replied, "Boardsies!". She thinks I'm crazy now! :pac:

Senna

stripysocks85 wrote: »

Can you live with the shame of not being able to spell though?

wears

See my point exactly, i dont know who you are, therefore i dont give a rats arse what you think:D

5starpool

Yes. I've had over 13000 secret shame moments.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

I used to be quite secretive about it, but I guess boards is more of a general one and not a specifically nerdy one so it's not so bad. Some people do think it's weird, my housemate does roll her eyes and call me electro~bitch like it's an insult sometimes.

I was a bit apprehensive going to my first boards meet-up over the summer thinking I was going to be thrown into a pit of weirdos, but that actually worked out fantastically so I shouldn't have been nervous

Abi

The term 'nerd' is over used tbh. It portrays an image of an intellectual that doesn't quite gel with people who are more concerned with their social status. If you know how to use a computer, it doesn't make you a nerd, it makes you computer literate.

I'm not ashamed to use boards.ie, or any other message boards. If someone mentions boards to me, I'm happy enough to say who I am.

partyatmygaff

I wouldn't mind tbh, I'm always ripping people who use Facebook and the like, never actually mentioned it though, some people find it weird for some reason.

January

My brother and sister are on boards *waves*

Cupcake_Crisis

Theres no shame in being a boardsie. A lot of my friends post here anyway so we're all one big nerdy family

GLaDOS

There's nothing wrong with being a nerd anyway

Toots

My friends and family know I use boards. When the guys in work found out I mod the banking forum, I got quite the ribbing. It helped me cement my position of office nerd.

InkSlinger67

brummytom wrote: »

they'd probably be glad I do something on the internet besides what I do publicise).

What do you publicise brum? Tommys? Tanks? Tommy Tanks?

herya

I_am_Jebus wrote: »

meh, it's hardly any different to having a bebo or facebook.

It's different, you use full sentences on boards.

sky88

nothing wrong with it i just havent told anyone because its never came up really

brummytom

InkSlinger67 wrote: »

What do you publicise brum? Tommys? Tanks? Tommy Tanks?

Everyone at school knows I'm a dirty bastard

donmeister

Ha! Everyone that knows thats im on boards always call me a nerd and then there all ears when I have a serious bargain alert for them :rolleyes:

Insect Overlord

Most of my good friends have set up a Boards profile at one point or another, and others have appreciated my being able to use the site as a resource. No shame at all on my part anyway.

Latchy

there is a large membership and still a sense of anonymity on boards but I have no problem telling people I am a member

But I dont go out of my way to tell them my username . If the stalkers want to find me let them find me the hard way :pac:

TheZohanS

A couple of my pets know I use boards.

I banned Splashy my goldfish for a week for trolling my dog...Splashy hasn't moved since Saturday...he's just floating away....

...should be ok though, I had that happen to MC Hammer my first goldfish years ago and he came back to life one day when I got home from school.

Saibh

If someone asked me, would tell them I use boards.

I mentioned it to someone at work that I did post here, but wouldn't tell them my username.

They might get bored after a while if they decided to read my posts :pac:

pikachucheeks

brummytom wrote: »

how many of your friends/family know you post here? Are you at all embarrassed about posting on here?

I'm not embarrassed about posting on Boards at all. I am who I am, I don't suddenly morph into someone else, with all these dirty secrets, when I post online!

All my family and friends know I use Boards ... I reference it quite a lot.

Few of my friends have an issue with me using Boards but I don't really care. They don't understand how fun it is! :cool:

dodgyme

My wife nearly caught me the other day ...... I just told her I was on porn sites.!!! lucky escape hah!?

bluemachaveli

I always refer to boards in passing conversation. My OH is knocking around here somewhere as well!

gypsygirl

I'm not at all embarresed about using Boards, not only is it fun but also highly informative. I would in no way be secretive about posting on Boards and have introduced friends to the Boards and they love it too. I don't shove it in folks face but if the subject comes up I certainly would'nt be embarresed, in fact I'd recommend it, I've recieved a lot of valuable information on Boards about Pet Issues etc, me and my baby rottie have definitly benifited from Boards. Thank fcuk for internet message boards I say!!! Free information and a place to rant?? ya couldn't bate it with a stick, long may it continue.

espinolman

An internet message board ? What is that , never heard of that before .

But sure i don't even know how to turn on a computer , so how could i post in an internet message board forum .

I don't even know how to type .

No stigma to boards.. Plenty of people know.

4chan on the other hand, wouldn't tell too many people I be on it.

I treat forums, like any other social interaction.
I don't have anything posted on here, that I wouldn't happily have my friends and family know.
I've have nothing to be embarrassed about.

Clare Bear

None of my family, friends, boyfriend know I have friends from here. Which is sad because I have really, really great friends on Boards but I always just say I know them from college or through friends etc. None of my friends (that I know of) have met people from message boards etc so I think they'd find it strange. Not really bothered but it's easier for me to say I met my online friends elsewhere.

That is why I can't get ya to come to a beers! Ya big wuss!

I don't care what anyone thinks.
If they genuinely think that it is unacceptable to know a person, based on how you met them.
Thats is their problem.

I've had so much fun because of boards etc.

Clare Bear

Moonbaby wrote: »

That is why I can't get ya to come to a beers! Ya big wuss!

I don't care what anyone thinks.
If they genuinely think that it is unacceptable to know a person, based on how you met them.
Thats is their problem.

I've been to quite a few Beers actually. It's just the ones that you go to I tend to cancel on :pac:;)

And you're right and maybe they wouldn't care but it's too late now, I've been lying for too long! :pac: The one person I did tell was my brother and his reply was "Can you not find any real friends" Typical brother remark I suppose but I've kept my mouth shut since.

TanG411

I tell my friends I'm on Boards but they end up saying ''What's that''?.

Then I tell them it's a message board place. I don't expect them to join soon

dodgyme

Moonbaby wrote: »

I treat forums, like any other social interaction..

Ah come back to bed love - you promised tonight was the night.

Moonbaby wrote: »

I don't have anything posted on here, that I wouldn't happily have my friends and family know..

Ah get off the phone - you promised!

Moonbaby wrote: »

I've have nothing to be embarrassed about.

I am going on the porn sites again

minidazzler

Alot of my friends know I post here, and my username is an easy tell really. Alot of them don't like that I do, even though they mostly don't know what I post.

It has bit me on the ass recently btu I couldn't care less really. There are some great people on here and I can't wait til I actually go to a beers!!!

Sofaspud

herya wrote: »

It's different, you use full sentences on boards.

Speak for

aine-maire

5starpool wrote: »

Yes. I've had over 13000 secret shame moments.

Show-off

But seriously, I think people see it as a little strange...unless they've actually been on boards themselves
I've never posted anything I wouldn't like people to know anyway..

dubtom

I have no problem with anyone knowing I use Boards or any other site,funnily enough though I wouldn't tell my user name,stupid as it sounds I like my privacy.I do have an issue with people I know reading stuff I wrote whether it be serious or not, I suppose that just ole paranoid me. I too find most of the content on boards informative,it's the first place I'd look for info or advice on subjects, and have often recommended it to people.

Sharpshooter

dodgyme wrote: »

Ah come back to bed love - you promised tonight was the night.


Ah get off the phone - you promised!


I am going on the porn sites again

This isn't a dating site.

minidazzler

Sharpshooter wrote: »

This isn't a dating site.

Until you have more than 4000 posts.


Yeah, there is a bit of a stigma. I don't want my friends reading what I write, but I will stand behind most of it.

(Except some of my early posts in the Military forum. Some of them were stupid an ill concieved.)

Sharpshooter

minidazzler wrote: »

Until you have more than 4000 posts.


Yeah, there is a bit of a stigma. I don't want my friends reading what I write, but I will stand behind most of it.

(Except some of my early posts in the Military forum. Some of them were stupid an ill concieved.)

It doesn't matter what your post count is, Boards is not a dating site.

Re your Military posts, was that wise to draw attention to them with search up and running again.:D

4zn76tysfajdxp

My family don't know about Boards. It's weird that they never ask why I'm on the internet 24 hours a day...

My friends know. Some of them even congratulated when I got the AH modship, which was really strange. Of course, there are the friends I've made on Boards itself. I think they know I use Boards.

minidazzler

Sharpshooter wrote: »

It doesn't matter what your post count is, Boards is not a dating site.

Re your Military posts, was that wise to draw attention to them with search up and running again.:D

My posts only go back to 500 anyway when searching. (I think) Ah well. oops.

DirkVoodoo

Seeing as I wear a jacket with boards plastered on the front and back, it's safe to say my entire family knows I post on here :rolleyes: