Winamp & Shoutcast Forums

No, I'm not trying to be the smart rat that abandons ship early. (Besides, who's to say the ship is sinking?) I'm just letting you guys and gals know I'll be here less often than I used to. Maybe just the weekends? I don't have a fixed idea about that. But at least not daily like now, sometimes pressing <Refresh> repeatedly to follow discussions up to the minute.

Why? To find perspective.

I have always advocated the use of specialized applications each doing its job best, instead of one giant package that tries to do everything. That's why I'm using Winamp for enjoying music, CDEx for ripping and encoding, and Nero for burning, instead of those godforsaken bloatware called RealOne and MMJB. The same goes for interactive experiences on the net.

"What is a forum?" randman once asked. I, for one, think that forums are like bulletin boards -- real ones, done with corkboards and pins and pen and paper -- and a lot of thought. You stroll past the board, and catch a glimpse of something that interests you. You stop, and read, and think. You go to your desk, and take out a piece of paper, and think, and write a response. "Bah, this one won't do. Even if I post, people won't understand!" So you throw it in the bin, and start over with a fresh sheet, and think of a better way to convey your idea, and write again. Then you go back to the board (on the next day perhaps), and pin your response below the original post.

I don't know why, but imagining I'm writing with a pen makes me write with affection, conviction, passion, and genuine interest in the topic at hand. And that's how discussions in forums should be carried out.

You don't start a topic just to communicate with one person -- you have e-mail for that. (Oh, and that strange thing called PM on the forums -- look how spoiled we are!)

After you post, you don't hit <Reload> repeatedly and jump on the first person who flames you. If you do that, trying to one-up dissenters in a hurry, you're responding with your reflex, not your intellect. If this is the level of interaction you're looking for, pick a fight in IRC/ICQ/AIM/MSN/what-have-you, and leave your witty comebacks there. (No offence to IRC people; I confess that I'm on #******* a lot too.)

You don't try to gross people out in the forums -- Imagine a real-life bulletin board in a town hall, frequented by people of all ages. If you pin a goatse photo on that, and in turn get thrown out of the town hall, do you blame the whole town's lack of a sense of humour?

I'm not against controversy. In fact, controversy is often the fuel behind spirited discussions of our most intellectual of topics. But I'd rather it carries on slowly -- a lot slower than this excuse for insensitivity called "Internet speed". Take an hour to write a reply. Maybe a day. Take however long it takes, but make every post and reply the affectionate handiwork of someone who genuinely cares about the topic.

During the last year and a half I've used the forums in all the wrong ways. I directed personal remarks -- some of which are pure insults disguised as a harmless joke. I wrote frantically and hit "Submit" just to be the quickest to respond. I intend to step back, and change my ways.

So, here's a list of what I'm going to do. I sincerely recommend that you do the same:

I will visit the forums less frequently -- just frequent enough to assure myself that great threads will not go unnoticed. I reckon that once or twice a week would be enough for that.
Each time I visit, I will take one glance at the forums I'm interested in, craft my replies carefully to whichever threads that interest me, then I'll be gone. I won't lurk behind the scene pressing <Reload>.
I will put thought and substance (or thought and humour and/or substance :D) into all posts I write.
If I have nothing of substance to add -- but allow me to spew out a cheap joke once in a while :D -- I will refrain from replying.
If I personally see anything wrong with a post, and my response would be of little interest to other forumers, I'll respond with e-mail whenever possible, or PM.

See you all in a few days. :)