....at since the forums have been down?

I've still be rolling around in the IRC with Oni. Anyone else?

I've never used IRC before and am wary of it... Plus I already have ONE real time chat I'm devoted to all the time so... In anycase, I've been hiding in couple places... First in a secret message board created by Nintendo for more a "Mature" atmosphere than Nintendo's NSider Boards, built around the Metroid franchise. Then I spent time on a short lived art related message board with an oekaki whose name I can't remember right this second... Some of the pictures from there, which were some of the very first of mine drawn with tablet are on my directory... But that didn't last long. Went back to the secret Nintendo board... Then Nintendo shut them down... And now, I've been over at a small community founded by the board's survivors... But that's been about it... :\

Not much to be wary of it, unless you're worried you'll get addicted to it. IRC is one of the safer methods of chatting (much safer than IMing), and predates the web.

Side 7 has its own IRC server, and it's not connected to any major IRC networks, so most of the ratty trolls don't know it exists, and don't visit it. So, it stays as a nice, small crowd.

-- BK

BadKarma:

migucast:

I've never used IRC before and am wary of it...

Not much to be wary of it, unless you're worried you'll get addicted to it. IRC is one of the safer methods of chatting (much safer than IMing), and predates the web. Side 7 has its own IRC server, and it's not connected to any major IRC networks, so most of the ratty trolls don't know it exists, and don't visit it. So, it stays as a nice, small crowd. -- BK

And we have nice friendly mods that keep things clean!

I've mostly been hanging out in a private roleplaying forum, but for a while I was on a forum for a band called The Birthday Massacre. It's hard finding a good forum to hang out on

Well... To be fair... After the forums went down... I tried using it once or twice... But didn't quite understand how to navigate or use it and... In all... The interface was quite intimidating... Well... That and considering the IRC was probably very different from the GW crowd ... And since I had trouble fitting in already at the GW... Well... Let's face it... ..... I'm not so good with people I don't know.. ^^;;;;;;;;;; It's one thing to post on a message board... It's another to speak (or type) in real time to strange people... ^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; I guess I'm just shy about that sort of thing...

I also tried to spend some time in the Side 7 Oekaki board more recently and... That didn't go over so well either... ^^;;;;;;;;;;; I guess it's hard breaking into places that already has deeply established cliques and stuff, you know?

It is hard. I've always had a big problem with that, and usually just end up leaving after a very short while (or simply lurk) That's part of why I'm so happy about the new forums; it's new, so hopefully it'll be easier

:It is hard. I've always had a big problem with that, and usually just end up :leaving after a very short while (or simply lurk) That's part of why I'm so happy :about the new forums; it's new, so hopefully it'll be easier

Exactly. Even in the forums I'm in now... Because the community had to migrate from it's original location, I've had a second chance to really become part of the community and even though I've participated in a lot of events and helped out a lot of people... I still feel sometimes like I'm still an outsider looking in... :\ Even on the old forums... Which was never anything other than friendly an open... As hard as I tried, I was only really acquainted with a couple people at the most. Not including BK. Of course. So, even has nice as the forums were back then... It was hard fitting in. So, let's hope things go better this time around, eh?

migucast:

So, let's hope things go better this time around, eh?

Oh, definately, for both of us

I've always felt so guilty for not really being part of the community =/

Definately!

I've never really gotten into message boards too much. Even for sites I really like, such as here, I'm usually slow to get into the community. I guess it's part shyness, part concern about trolls or general unpleasantness, and part me wanting to be able to keep up with every post, which is, of course, impossible.

Another problem I have with message boards and such, which I've only realized recently, is that they're generally too focused. I find that there's too much to me to break it down into one category and it feels odd to focus on any one aspect. I may draw furries, or Japanese art styles, or certain fandoms, or be into medieval weapons or dragons or motorcycles or whatever, but just because none of those alone really define me as a person, I don't really feel like part of any of those or any other communities.

Ech... normally, I make more sense. The short answer is I don't feel like I really belong in any specific group. As for communities, I've mostly been at a very small and obscure board of random people and the forums of a virtual hockey league in which I own a team, but neither is really a place where I just hang out.

And how about real life for everyone? I was living at home and working temp jobs for a while before moving up to Canada and getting married a year ago last Monday. Since then, I've been working on my own art and commissions and waiting to hear back on my immigration papers.

School, mostly. In third year at the Ontario College of Art (taking a 6 hour drawing class that nearly killed me last Thursday =/ lol) Been doing some art, but not nearly as much as I'd lik, and started writing a story, which is slowly coming along. It's taken me a couple months to write just 15 pages -.-

Started living with my sister five days ago... we haven't killed eachother yet, which I suppose is a good sign (and she makes dinner lol)

Well.... In real life... I finally graduated... With a lousy and worthless degree for which I was without a job for a year... Until I got hired by the only place that wanted me... Which... Has unfortunately, binded me to the bowels of HELL which I cannot leave EVER because we need a constant money flow and there's no way for me to leave... -_-;;;;

I'm also getting married next year which is part of the myriad reasons why I need a constant income... So... Yeah. Just spent the time since the outage having the very life sucked out of my soul while making me hate my fellow man just a little more every day.

So... Yeah... Not so good.

wellll just uploading my stuff on sid 7 and all the other galleries Im member I logged in the IRC ONCE since I remember heh. Im not mcuh of a chatter

Searching for a job when you already have one is the best time to search. It gives you the luxury and power to be able to say "no" and walk away from a potential offer if it doesn't meet your requirements. Searching for one when you're jobless and desperate gives all the power to the employer.

Congratulations!!

-- BK

I've been to www.wolfweb.com a lot. Wheee fun times...

I stopped using forums after Side7's went down. Kicking around livejournal and Deviantart quenched my need for socializing online, though they just aren't the same.

Hope the re-emergence of the forums here will keep you with a sense of community and interested.

-- BK

if you mean by internet forum it would have to be my old home - the adut swim forums.

Well, as far as online goes, I still poke around at LiveJournal some, but I've become more of a reader than a poster lately. As far as message boards go... I agree, it is hard to work your way into an established forum. I lurk a bit in forums for a couple of bands I like (though that's an example of "too focused"... you can only talk about a band so much, right?), and then I moderate a forum as a part of my job. Though I've got the "nice mod" reputation there and have joined in on some fun discussions, it's more of a teenager thing (they make me feel old sometimes. :P)

In real life... I haven't been drawing like I used to (sadly) thanks to work and school... and that's what I'm up to. Work... school... oh, and I'm graduating college in a few short months! Woohoo!

Hopefully, getting back into the artsy crowd will make me want to draw more.

Congratulations on graduation!

I found Furcadia. It has improved my social life immensely. Granted, it's an online social life, but at least I don't actually have to talk to them directly. It has also eaten up chunks of my free time, as well.

Wow... Furcadia. That brings back memories I haven't played that in years... not since before they started calling it a social game, or whatever it is now; back when it was still called an RPG. It was actually how I first found out about Side 7

Ive been lurking around deviantart, and also ultima online grabbed my attention for aaaages. So been mostly hanging around forums for UO.

Feels good to be back here at Side7 though, was my very first art site home sniffs memoriiies.