Off-Topic

lou91

Never posted on this forum before, but it seems a bit strange that there's no off-topic/general conversation thread, especially if meet ups take place. It could be a good addition, considering how a lot of the topics here are a bit heavy...

Thoughts?

Boston

Off topic threads are a nonsense, theu create the impression of a closed clique of people and they detract from the forum as people generally dump all their posts into the one massive thread. The forum has a purpose and works quite well

lou91

Oh, I'm not saying it doesn't work well! By purpose, do you mean helping people with problems? Yeah, obviously that's a good thing but that doesn't mean it can't also have a social aspect.

It just seems a bit strange, comparing it to the so-called "social" forums that organise meet-ups. A lot of the posters are familiar with each other from these sorts of threads which would presumably would make the beers less... awkward, for want of a better word.

It seems from the other thread that a lot of people were interested in that meetup to get to know people, wouldn't off-topic threads facilitate that more? Bit of a foundation or whatever online first, apart from just knowing a username??

Again, just my opinion!

Boston

We get a lot of transient posters here given the nature of the forum. Consistently less well established posters complain that large threads with thousands of posts are very daunting and hard to break into. The way it's worked to date is that topics of both a heavy and light nature pop up relating to specific things, run for a while, fall off the main page and get started a new. Junking all the light threads in one massive thread will not encourage anybody to post who wasn't happy using the individual ones, but will be off putting to others.

Annasopra

RandomUserName! wrote: »

Never posted on this forum before, but it seems a bit strange that there's no off-topic/general conversation thread, especially if meet ups take place. It could be a good addition, considering how a lot of the topics here are a bit heavy...

Thoughts?

I'm not sure what the point of that is

There is a mixture of topics here - some are people looking for advice, some want to socialise, some are into politics, some are into culture, some people want to drool!, some are just looking for information

Annasopra

The Feedback thread seemed to suggest that an off topic thread might be a good idea

So ok - heres a question - what do you all do in real life;

I was unemployed but have just returned to college to do a masters in equality studies

Kanoe

sweet. I agree with pavlov, a lot of forums here have them and it does help soften the sometimes very formal nature of a lot of threads here, in fact transient posters might feel inclined to stop by more often.

I start mah new job tomorrow Johnny (social care, working with elderly at moment, hoping to get into occupational therapy in the future)

Chuchoter

I think a thread that was like offtopic/introduce yourself would be nice to get new people in, then its not like some off topic threads are, where its loads of old members with in jokes you don't get.

I'm in 5th year in secondary, working towards medicine as we're discussing real life btw :P

EDIT@johnnymcg: Whats equality studies? Sounds interesting.

Links234

unemployed here too

rainbow kirby

Johnnymcg wrote: »

So ok - heres a question - what do you all do in real life;

Just finished a masters in computer science. Looking for a job now - hoping to find a decent graduate Java developer job.

zxy - good luck with the new job

L1011

Field engineer in a medical IT company. It pays the bills, and ensures I don't get to spend much time at home, or vaguely near it for that matter, meaning I only go insane slowly rather than quickly...

L.Jenkins

Finished a Degree in Software Engineering and working away in the Electrical industry :rolleyes: Hoping to land a job down in Roscommon as an IT specialist in a disability access centre.

Kanoe

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Just finished a masters in computer science. Looking for a job now - hoping to find a decent graduate Java developer job.

zxy - good luck with the new job

thanks it's a rung on the ladder.
Am working in computer research lab (as a scrubber) until then if you'd like I can make some inquiries. (I know the head of dept personally )

and for the OT, I think there's room for one as often other threads and posts tend to go that way so it's useful to have a place designed to accommodate them. Should deter a clique forming too.

Kanoe

I know that last post only made sense in my head.

Pygmalion

rainbow kirby wrote: »

masters in computer science.

MYOB wrote: »

Field engineer in a medical IT company.

ItsThatManAgain wrote: »

Finished a Degree in Software Engineering and working away in the Electrical industry

zxy wrote: »

Am working in computer research lab (as a scrubber)

Is there something I should know about the computer industry?

rainbow kirby

Pygmalion wrote: »

Is there something I should know about the computer industry?

It's relatively LGBT-friendly, and there's a slight bias here in favour of nerds?

L.Jenkins

Technically, I don't work in the IT industry yet. I have another Degree in Electronics and Computer Engineering aswell and work as a grosely under paid Electrical engineer.

Annasopra

crayolastereo wrote: »

EDIT@johnnymcg: Whats equality studies? Sounds interesting.

I'll tell you next year - ah no seriously it's about the theories of what equality is in terms of things like human rights and then it's also about equality for different people e.g. Gender equality, sexual orientation, disability, economic equality - The course is also like a call to action in that is very much designed for people who have been or are involved in social justice campaigns e.g. Women's rights, LGBT rights, immigrants rights

Kanoe

I don't work in IT either, I just empty the bins (arty type myself) but I've really enjoyed working there. sound people I'm going to miss them.

baby and crumble

So many gay nerds, I love it!!!

I'm going into final year of my PhD, although I'm a qualified social worker, but there was no work when I qualified, at least not in the field I wanted, so I managed to blag myself a funded PhD out of my last placement!

I work with older people with intellectual disabilities to tell their life stories, and (queue nerdiness!) I have built an online archive to house them. It's a great project, I get to get my doctorate basically by chatting to little old ladies over tea about their lives and playing around with web design. WIN! :cool:

Outside of workiness I play videogames (quelle suprise) and collect vintage games systems. Yeah I know. :P

Kanoe

zoegh wrote: »

So many gay nerds, I love it!!!

I'm going into final year of my PhD, although I'm a qualified social worker, but there was no work when I qualified, at least not in the field I wanted, so I managed to blag myself a funded PhD out of my last placement!

I work with older people with intellectual disabilities to tell their life stories, and (queue nerdiness!) I have built an online archive to house them. It's a great project, I get to get my doctorate basically by chatting to little old ladies over tea about their lives and playing around with web design. WIN! :cool:

Outside of workiness I play videogames (quelle suprise) and collect vintage games systems. Yeah I know. :P

I suspect we will be having much discussions in the near future :pac:

Links234

Nerds!

I'm a big comic book and sci fi nerd, and a huge fan of star trek I'm not ashamed to admit!

baby and crumble

Star Trek FTW! But which series?

Gotta be Voyager for me, closely followed by Next Gen.

We do not speak of Enterprise.

L1011

Pygmalion wrote: »

Is there something I should know about the computer industry?

Its the new Royal Navy At least going on stereotypes:

Gay men can hide in IT, 'cause techies are never expected to have girlfriends anyway

The butchest lesbians around can hide in IT, 'cause female techs are expected to be butch lesbians anyway... and so on.


I never got in to Star Trek, so I suspect my nerd-card is marked as a result.

Links234

zoegh wrote: »

Star Trek FTW! But which series?

Gotta be Voyager for me, closely followed by Next Gen.

We do not speak of Enterprise.

Next Gen because I grew up on it and always loved Data, Deep Space Nine because it seems a lot of people didn't like it and Dax was so very hot, the original series for how camp it was and because of the films. or rather, some of them. I watched the voyage home loads of times, and it's always great.

Voyager I didn't like so much? dunno,

what enterprise? never heard of it!

baby and crumble

Links234 wrote:

Voyager I didn't like so much? dunno,

I'm sorry, what? You're a lesbian and you DIDN'T like Voyager?

Does... not... compute...

Links234

I know, it's a connundrum

Links234

well, it's not that I didn't like Voyager, it's just that it really wasn't as good as the rest. like it took a lot of things that were set out in the next gen and kinda messed them up, like the episodes with the Q in voyager were really bad. didn't really like a lot of the cast either, I couldn't stand tom paris, chakotay, neelix. I think the doctor and 7 of 9 were the only ones I really liked in the series

baby and crumble

Links234 wrote:

well, it's not that I didn't like Voyager, it's just that it really wasn't as good as the rest. like it took a lot of things that were set out in the next gen and kinda messed them up, like the episodes with the Q in voyager were really bad. didn't really like a lot of the cast either, I couldn't stand tom paris, chakotay, neelix. I think the doctor and 7 of 9 were the only ones I really liked in the series

I agree, the Q episodes were pretty bad, apart from that one with Q's son, that was pretty good... And you have to admit, the Bride of Chaotica episodes were pretty great. They were almost better when they cut loose, the best episodes were where there was a lot of comedy.

I didn't like the way the Borg ended up just being a bit "BOO! Hahahahah we scared you!" by the end of Voyager, because they were proper badass when Picard went all Locutus.

And yeah some of the characters of Voyager were annoying (God I wanted to SMACK Chakotay for all his "I shall call my spirit guide" things :mad:), but c'mon... Janeway. FREAKING JANEWAY! Kate Mulgrew is an epic actress, and that voice... HOLY MOLY! :eek:



NYOM NYOM NYOM

Kanoe

Deanna Troi.

I knew someone who reminded me of Janeway and by association always wanted to punch her (janeway) in the head.

electrobi

zoegh wrote: »

So many gay nerds, I love it!!!

I'm going into final year of my PhD, although I'm a qualified social worker, but there was no work when I qualified, at least not in the field I wanted, so I managed to blag myself a funded PhD out of my last placement!

I work with older people with intellectual disabilities to tell their life stories, and (queue nerdiness!) I have built an online archive to house them. It's a great project, I get to get my doctorate basically by chatting to little old ladies over tea about their lives and playing around with web design. WIN! :cool:

Outside of workiness I play videogames (quelle suprise) and collect vintage games systems. Yeah I know. :P

AWESOME job and good old fashioned nerd hobbies.

electrobi

Hi. I usually post under such guises as: anonandro, <something>andro, <something>anon etc. This is my new profile.

I'm a Youth Worker, working with young people aged 12-18 in a "disadvantaged area", alongside a youth justice team. I love my job but my hours have been cut back tremendously. I'm currently taking a break from a Social Care degree; In other words, I fecked off to another country for a few months and didn't bother to fill in my application. So here I am, "getting to know you, getting to know all about you..."

My hobbies include: bombing internet forums, drinking copious amounts if tea, traveling, graphic novels/manga/cosplay, cycling and stalking models.

BTW. No thanks @ Star Trek.

Links234

zoegh wrote: »

I didn't like the way the Borg ended up just being a bit "BOO! Hahahahah we scared you!" by the end of Voyager, because they were proper badass when Picard went all Locutus.

how they handled the Borg was definitely a low point as well, I loved when they introduced 7 of 9 but as it went on I went from being excited about episodes about the borg to going "oh no" you're definitely right, they were extremely badass back in next gen, really unstoppable and powerful. voyager ruined them

what made DS9 really great was that they went their own way, had their own bad guys, and the dominion were really quite bad ass.

zoegh wrote: »

And yeah some of the characters of Voyager were annoying (God I wanted to SMACK Chakotay for all his "I shall call my spirit guide" things :mad:), but c'mon... Janeway. FREAKING JANEWAY! Kate Mulgrew is an epic actress, and that voice... HOLY MOLY! :eek:

NYOM NYOM NYOM

She's a great actress, but didn't save the series for me. I think most of the characters were annoying, or sometimes just bland and forgettable, like Tuvok or Harry Kim or Kes. there was some really awful episodes too, like that one where Tom Paris turns into some lizard creature for some silly reason? that has to be one of the worst I've seen in any trek series.

I liked Voyager at times, but it just wasn't as good at all as TNG or DS9 or the original series. and it had the worst cast of characters out of the lot. in DS9 even some of the minor characters were brilliant like Garak.

electrobi wrote: »

My hobbies include: bombing internet forums, drinking copious amounts if tea, traveling, graphic novels/manga/cosplay, cycling and stalking models.

cool, what kind of graphic novels are you into? I love the Sandman and what manga?

electrobi wrote: »

BTW. No thanks @ Star Trek.

Awww

Nevyn

Babylon 5 beats Trek, DS9 was the best of trek but Babylon 5 still wins.

Links234

Thaedydal wrote: »

Babylon 5 beats Trek, DS9 was the best of trek but Babylon 5 still wins.

it was probably the better show but I didn't have the same fondness as I did for the next gen. like, I grew up with trek, it was a big part of my childhood, but babylon 5 I didn't see until years after it aired.

rainbow kirby

Should I just rename this thread Star Trek Chat? :pac:

AssaultedPeanut

I graduated from college 2 years ago, have a BSc Hons. And now thanks to the R word (thou shalt not speak it's name:mad:) I work in a boring office in the city centre doing completely non-science type things.......meh pays the bills



....oh and I don't watch Star Trek:P

Links234

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Should I just rename this thread Star Trek Chat? :pac:

we could talk about something else?

like Battlstar galactica!

rainbow kirby

Ever played the Battlestar Galactica board game?

Links234

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Ever played the Battlestar Galactica board game?

no, I haven't.

rainbow kirby

Links234 wrote: »

no, I haven't.

It's a lot of fun, especially when played with a big group of friends Here's a bit about it.

Nevyn

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Ever played the Battlestar Galactica board game?

Fecking cylons have always won.

Links234

I don't think I've ever really played any board games with friends. I remember one time trying to play some game, but we couldn't get the rules so just ended up playing poker instead lol

Kanoe

an old friend of mine was a board game freak, she could play chess or scrabble for hours on end, she was a jigsaw maniac and crossword puzzle enthusiast too. It used to drive me nuts and now I actually miss it. weird.

L.Jenkins

How about risk as a board game. Took 5 days to finish one game We just used the xboz after that.

rainbowdrop

This is THE nerdiest thread I have ever read on the interwebz:D:D

I have mental images of you all now, and you all look like this in my head:

http://www.fotosearch.com/bigcomp.asp?path=DSN/DSN019/1797294.jpg

:cool:

rainbow kirby

We're not that bad, I promise! :pac:

Links234

rainbowdrop wrote: »

This is THE nerdiest thread I have ever read on the interwebz:D:D

I have mental images of you all now, and you all look like this in my head:

http://www.fotosearch.com/bigcomp.asp?path=DSN/DSN019/1797294.jpg

:cool:

no more like THIS

I wish

Aard

The extent of my Star Trek experience was the recent film, which was fantastic, and one tv episode which was awful.

Kanoe

I'm a contradiction. And liking star trek does not equal nerd btw, unless you greet people in Klingon and dream of attending betazoid wedding.
I have many questions.

baby and crumble

zxy wrote:

And liking star trek does not equal nerd btw, unless you greet people in Klingon

"nuqneH!"