Friends on boards - have they transcended this?

Novella

I used to be a lot more social on Boards, as in I regularly attended beers and knew quite a few posters in real life, considered them to be close friends of mine etc. I do still have some friends who I originally met on this website and some other people who I keep in contact with infrequently but overall I'd say I had my fun and just sort of moved on from it.

I'm not adverse to making more friends here in the future, I simply post less now and don't have as much free time as I did back when I was in my late teens, early twenties. I rarely engage in conversations on the site these days whereas I used to love chat threads, for example. Plus I no longer live in Ireland so can't attend meet up's.

Natural progression in my life, I'd say. I was a young, free and single college student with time to spare. Now I'm married, have a stepson to keep me occupied all day and am expecting a baby. I guess I got old and boring! Now I visit this site to read and post about pregnancy!

Would I say I have helped anybody on here? Maybe. Nothing stands out in my mind. Posters have helped me though. I have learned so much from the hours I have spent over the years reading posts on different topics. In a way, I don't think I would be the person I am today if I'd never signed up as Novella.

Ruu

Gave me a place to rant about the lack of decent internet at the start (IrelandOffline) and even met a bunch of people for a run and food last year. I would call them very good friends.

Cold War Kid

Cold War Kid wrote: »

Bit extreme but I lolled.

It's a fact, for every one poster saying "I met a lovely person on Boards" there are two tied up in a cellar with gimp balls in their mouths, wondering why they didn't stick with that old cliche about not meeting strangers on the internet... If they could escape, they'd be on here.

Lovely Bloke

Met my wife at a beers about 8 years ago, I'd a gf at the time and another Boards head (no longer around these parts) told her lies on my behalf, so I wouldn't get caught. We've an almost one-year-old now.

I co-founded and run the boards football team (with help), so I've definitely made some good friends through that (and enemies! bleedin refs).

I've made some firm friends and have travelled to other continents to visit them.

Lately I've met and befriended a few of the craft-beer drinkers from the Beer forum, and I got the Homebrewing forum set up for mostly selfish reasons, I needed help and tips, and only last month I won a gold medal for brewing the best homebrew Stout in the country - out of 47 entries.

So yeah, Boards has made a huge difference to my life.

Neyite

Yep, I've a group of trusted friends from boards I see as often as possible, and talk to every day, and lots more people I've hung out with that are sound too. Encountered one or two that are utter fantasists and liars, and there are a few I'd avoid at a beers because I find them insufferable.

I've learned a lot, got a lot of support when I needed it and try to repay that to others. I never thought that any of that would happen when I first signed up to ask a question about something.

Dravokivich

efb wrote: »

No.

I don't mix online and real life

Personally I see little to no distinction between the two.

I've made so many friends, my best friends are boardsies, and the friends that I'm in contact with the most these days are the ones I met here. I never ever ever thought I'd meet people off the internet, because they're all weirdos dontchaknow.

One person in particular has made the biggest difference to my life than I ever thought possible. We met at a beers and that was it - it was like love at first sight - but for friends!She's the best thing since sliced bread. So she is *puke*

I've learned huge amounts, both from threads/posts, and from the people I've met.

I've helped and been helped by more people that I could ever count.

I've been frustrated and annoyed and cried over boards related stuff, but not in a long time.

I'm sure there are posters who cannot stand me, and there are certainly one or two who get on my tits, but it's the internet - who cares.

Menas

Deleted User wrote: »

.I'm sure there are posters who cannot stand me...

Must....resist....:D

Dog of Tears

I'd never have the slightest interest in meeting anyone here in real life.

I wouldn't be even vaguely curious.

Friends, family and work colleagues take up all my real-life socialising time.

Tilly

It has to be said that there are so many awesome people on Boards and i'm lucky to have met a few of these. I've had some really tough times in the past and these guys were amazing. my Boardsies buddies

rainbow kirby

Met my fiance because of the Athletics/Running forum!

eviltwin

I've never met anyone from Boards in the real world. Nothing against it but it just hasn't happened. I've tried to be helpful and hopefully any advice or support I've given has been useful. I've myself found Boards to be hugely beneficial, I've gotten a lot of advice I don't think I would have gotten elsewhere.

Unknown Soldier

Met my mot here in 2002, when it was mostly fields.

Still together.

Apologies to Gandalf for insulting you on Feedback quite a few years ago.
It was uncalled for.

Oranage2

No none, I'm not that interesting and I'm not really comfortable with the 'hi , how was you day' crap.

Wang King

Chucken wrote: »

Will they?

We always come back man

Wang King

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Met my wife at a beers about 8 years ago, I'd a gf at the time and another Boards head (no longer around these parts) told her lies on my behalf, so I wouldn't get caught. We've an almost one-year-old now.

I co-founded and run the boards football team (with help), so I've definitely made some good friends through that (and enemies! bleedin refs).

I've made some firm friends and have travelled to other continents to visit them.

Lately I've met and befriended a few of the craft-beer drinkers from the Beer forum, and I got the Homebrewing forum set up for mostly selfish reasons, I needed help and tips, and only last month I won a gold medal for brewing the best homebrew Stout in the country - out of 47 entries.

So yeah, Boards has made a huge difference to my life.

It turned you into a cheating hipster alcoholic..... Excellent!!

IvyTheTerrible

I've met several people from Boards in real life and they are lovely! I can say they are friends. I live abroad so I don't see them so much unfortunately.

Boards is a big part of my life, I use it for information, advice, to relax, and interact with people I like. I'd like to think that people find me helpful on boards too.

Sunnyisland

i always drop in to boards no matter where i am in the world,i usually get whats going on back home more from here than any other media,met one lovely lady from boards once, it was great,
one day i going to get myself to them beer gettogethers and drink me tea...

cloud493

The first friend I made on boards wasn't very nice, and we no longer speak. But I've mostly positive experiences, at least 9 people or so I met on or through boards.

Gongoozler

I've met quite a number of people from boards in the past. don't really talk to any of them anymore, through just not having that much in common, some just not bothering with me, some being dicks, and one or two being absolute nut jobs (and not in a good way).

I have one friend, he used to be on boards, though that's not how we met, and he closed his account. Never returned.

Met my boyfriend through boards too. Together over 3 years now.

Right now boards is mostly boring to me. I suppose after so long you just see the same stuff all the time. I have much less time for it now than I would have had, and I'm glad for it, because I would've spent way too much of my free time on it. It's not good.

Banjo String

efb wrote: »

the last people I'd drink with- v aggressive (SF)

Sorry.

What

blastman

Never met anyone from here socially. It's better all round that way.

Turtyturd

Haven't met anyone from boards in real life but there are a few lads on the soccer forum I'd consider friends. Keeping in contact with them would be the only reason I log in there as the forum has gone to sh*t.

pharmaton

No. My introduction to boards was a bit psychologically destructive, it was a long time ago and boards was a different place back then but what happened has always stayed with me and effected my life in a lot of ways. I have met one or two people gingerly but would never be comfortable being myself around a bosrdsie in real life so I don't go there.

harry Bailey esq

I've a few mates that post in boards,mostly in the soccer forum and legal discussion,forums which rarely,if ever id post in.I have had pints with a father and son who were once regular posters in the soccer and football forums but one is permanently banned now from the whole site,and the other has closed his account,possibly as a show of solidarity for his banned son Shamrock Rovers heads they are too, :eek:
(Im bohs from birth,gypsy blood courses through my veins)They even joined me,incognito obviously to the clubhouse in dalyer after the Dublin Derby last march!So say what you like about boards,it certainly breaks down barriers!I keep promising myself to attend one of the AH beers but something always comes up There are a few posters here who constantly crack me up,and id like to by them a beer by way of thanks.

My boards experiences have been pretty mixed. I was really involved in one particular forum years ago and met some great people through it. I met my first ever boyfriend through that forum and we had a six month period of complete and utter infatuation. Sadly, it ended on bad terms and as a consequence of that I lost contact with most of the people I had met through there, as they were his friends rather than mine (though, to be fair, geography was the main culprit in all of this). I still have a few casual acquaintances from that on FB but nobody I see on a regular basis, sadly.

I then got involved with another forum, with another group of some great people. It fizzled out largely due to my own faults and insecurities; when going through rough times I purposely withdrew and isolated myself. So all that kinda ended badly too.

I did meet one good friend through boards that I'm still in touch with. And I also became friends with someone I barely knew who happened to recognise me on boards, though we hardly ever see each other (geography to blame again). I've contemplated getting more involved with forums again and wouldn't be averse to making new friends......though I'm conscious of how it's ended for me in the past, and I'm not quite sure anyone wants someone who's so susceptible to prolonged periods of "FML" angst as a friend! What I do know is that I'm stuck with boards, whether I like it or not; the only consequence of closing an account is the opening of a new one! :pac:

5rtytry56

I would'nt really regard them as friends. While I met one guy -( he invited me onto his farm so I could do some quadcopter flying - dead sound as well.) I've never the other 2 individuals from different walks of life, a man and woman.
I first Ignored the woman, initially I thought she was full of poo in her posts. But I ended up un - Ignoring her because her posts were so wacky and hillarious. Actually, she's is cool too. I've seen a photo of her on another system. :)
The fella, he does'nt post here any more. Ah well. He was sharp and witty.

gugleguy does'nt fly quadcopters anymore either. I killed it because of the impossibility of getting a ticket to the "Data Drone Conference" in November 2014. Promoted with a picture of the present taoiseach on its website. I mean a "starving entrepreneur startup ticket "for 200 euro and processing fee could'nt be purchased by gugleguy. Sheesh.

Tarzana2

efb wrote: »

No.

I don't mix online and real life

Me neither. I have it set so that only mods can send me PMs. I'd relax that if someone had some genuine query for me. I love talking to people on here and have learned a lot, but also love the anonymity of it. No interest in striking up real life friendships on here.

anncoates

Have met up with some people in real life and like them a lot, and there's others I'd like to meet but I've always steered clear of general boards beers because I've no interest in meeting people simply on the basis of them being boards users.

MistyCheese

I have no friends on boards. I live in the Midlands. Miles from the coast. Miles from Warehouse, H&M and New Look too.