This is topic A question to all you veteran Hatrackers... in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.


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Posted by ZachC (Member # 12709) on :
 
I first read Ender's Game when I was ten years old, and since then I have been obsessed with anything Orson Scott Card ever since.

One of my OSC themed pastimes is reading the forum here at hatrack river, but I rarely post, I mostly just enjoy witnessing the debates and discussions that unfold within these pages.

I have been lurking around in this manner for a number of years under different aliases while occasionally posting when an issue of great importance to me was brought up.

Throughout the years I have become amazed at some of the people that post here. When I read of personal stories of teaching underprivileged youths of when you share touching windows into your lives I feel that I am truly honored to belong (in however small a way) to this community.

So now to my question. For the people who have been posting here for years, how did you start? How did you first come to find Hatrack and make a name for yourself in its pages? And I am most curious to know how it has affected your lives, because even I feel reading Ender's Game (and almost everything else OSC has written) and joining Hatrack has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.

If I am intruding to much with my question, you have my sincerest apologies, but I am genuinely curious to know how the individuals that I personally hold such a high regard for, got their start.
 

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Posted by T:man (Member # 11614) on :
 
I really haven't been here that long so I might not fit your criteria but I'll share anyway.

I found the forum originally browsing the web looking for an online copy of Shadow of the Giant that I could pirate and read. My local library didn't have a copy and I was determined to finish the story. I was a pretty broke 14 y/o so I decided the most obvious course of action was to google up an online copy.

The forum is not a really large part of my life, I rarely post despite lurking daily. I know it has definitely changed how I think about myself, and the kind of image I portray of myself online and in real life. This has allowed me to be more comfortable in my own skin and allowed me overcome in small parts my depression.

It has also been a strong motivator. As an undergrad now I'm always excited to hear about our grad student's trials and exploits. Shoot, I'm applying for law school next year and it feels good to know I'm not the only one worrying about these sorts of things.

I also feel strongly about the quality of the community here. I spend a lot of time at less reputable forums and am always glad to return here to see such a relatively respectful discourse. It always surprises me and really warms my heart.
 

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Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
 
In 1999 I was working in my first professional job, which involved a lot of time sitting at a computer while I waited for processes to finish. In June of that year I decided to see what people online were saying about some of my favorite authors. As it turned out, Card had a site, which I explored thoroughly. I found the forums, and read both of them in their entirity, as well as the archive of the Big Mouth Lion iteration of the forums. A forum member named dmichael had posted something that I found ridiculous about animals (that they were biological robots in a way that we weren't, I believe, though I could be wrong about that), and I created an account so that I could refute what he was saying.

I chickened out, though, and didn't actually post anything for months. I made a hundred or so posts under this username before switching over to Noemon, under which I developed a name for myself and did the vast bulk of my posting.

Hatrack had a huge impact on me. I learned that there were people out there who were as (and often more) intelligent than I was who had opinions that were 180 degrees from my own. They weren't stupid, and they weren't thinking shallowly about the issues; they'd just come to very different conclusions than I had when looking at the same set of facts. I learned how to see an issue from various viewpoints. I learned how to argue without being hostile, and I made friendships that meant--and still mean--the world to me. When I went through my divorce in 2005, Hatrack and sakeriver were a lifeline for me, providing me with company, compassion, and understanding that wasn't available to me in the flesh, apart from when I was physically hanging out with friends I'd met here and on sake (I knew virtually no one in the city in which I lived, and wasn't up to going out and making friends with strangers in meatspace at that point).
 

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Posted by Jake (Member # 206) on :
 
Huh. I thought I was signed in as Jake when I posted that.
 

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Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
 
That Noemon sure is wordy!
 

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Posted by Jake (Member # 206) on :
 
That guy, huh? I swear he never shuts up.
 

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Posted by AchillesHeel (Member # 11736) on :
 
I'm only four years in, but like T I'll share as well.

When I was eleven my brother came home with a copy of EG that he had stolen from the library of his imminently closing middle-school. He had previously insisted that I read The Harper Hall Trilogy by Anne McCaffrey (I still have a deep and fervent love of her writing today) so when he said I should read this other book with a strange spaceship on the cover I was more than willing. My little head was blown. Reading The Hobbit at a grievously slow pace as a class became torturous by comparison to reading and rereading about Battle School. Anne McCaffrey taught me to appreciate fantasy, but Orson Scott Card showed me how fascinating psychology in story telling can be. I became ravenous for more of both, and still am.

Over the next few years I would infect less literature inclined friends with Ender's Game, eventually going through a couple copies as they deteriorate or go missing by way of youthful hands. In a much more recent copy there was mention of a website where Mr. Card himself would interact with fans, an electronic cabinet where he might share early chapters or divvy out advice for a youngster with a love of the written word. Hatrack River, a phrase that would taunt me while I was alone looking at my tiny bookshelf and elude me when given a rare opportunity to access the internet.

In time (maybe around fourteen) I had both access and the address for an evening. If memory serves I may have even registered under my own abbreviated name and added addressed OSC with a fan letter. Whether it was a thread or message I have no recollection.

In 2008 I bought my first laptop, and promptly began embarrassing myself amongst you fine folks. Refining my ability to debate, study matters that are important to me and most importantly be considerate of another persons argument have been invaluable to me. Thank you for being kind, and thank you for laughing at me even when I didn't deserve it. It has all been for the best.

I lurk daily, but prefer to stay out of the heavier topics as they end in harsh or dismissive responses too often. Although I appreciate the insight I gain nonetheless. My time here has little effect on my life beyond how I spend my spare time alone while watching netflix.
 

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Posted by Szymon (Member # 7103) on :
 
I visited hatrack when I first read EG and after I came to the US. First to read OSC related topics, then other. Now I mostly read, rarely write, because I have found that I have difficulties speaking my mind here. Don't know why.
 

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Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
 
I discovered Hatrack in 2003, after falling in love with the Alvin Maker series. I'd just moved out of home, 3000km interstate, and in with my boyfriend.*

I lurked for a while, and was petrified the first few times I posted. But people welcomed me, and joked with me, and given I'd left my main community of friends behind, Hatrack became so important to me.

It taught me a lot, as an Australian, about American society. I had made a lot of assumptions, mostly gleaned from popular culture, and it was a learning experience to have those challenged. I also still treasure the a lot of those early friendships I made.

I don't hang out here much anymore, for a variety of reasons. But I'm really glad this forum still has the ability to draw in people.

*Dear reader, I married him. He even posted on hatrack for a while.
 

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Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
 
I also started posting after a move, in my case to a small (pop. less than 500) rural town. It was great to have a larger base of people to talk to.

As far as changing my life -- I met my husband on Hatrack. We were married in 2005 with 30+ Hatrackers at the wedding, so even though I don't post here much anymore Hatrack will always have a place in my heart.
 

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Posted by CaySedai (Member # 6459) on :
 
I read some of the Ender and Alvin Maker books before finding out about Hatrack. I posted more often in the beginning, but I still check in frequently.

And I was one of the Hatrackers at the wedding of dkw and Bob Scopatz - it was the most fun wedding I've been to.
 

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Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
 
The first time I ever heard of Ender's Game or Orson Scott Card was during my 6th grade year in school. One of my friends was reading it at the time and recommened it to me, but the copy he had was graced with this absolutely horrid cover. And so I scoffed at him. I was reading the Young Wizards series by Diane Duane, Chrestomance series by Diana Wynne Jones, Hitchhiker series by Douglas Adams, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, and the like at the time, and it seemed so beyond my sophisticiated 6th grade literary sensibilities to read a book with such a silly cover.

I promptly forgot about the book with the silly cover.

The next year in 7th grade, my reading had swayed some from the more literary classics of sci-fi and fantasy to reading what were dubbed "techno-thrillers" by Dean Koontz and Michael Crichton. However, I received a recommendation from an adult friend of my parents for a book called Ender's Game by an author the adult friend could not remember. Having always identified more with adults than with children my own age, I took the recommendation in stride and filed it away to locate on my next Barnes & Noble sojourn (having forgotten the silly cover completely). The next time I went to a bookstore I searched the science fiction section (as 7th grade me felt the young adult section to be below him) for the book and located it (this time with a much more pleasant cover). After purchasing the book, I retired to the bookstore cafe to enjoy some hot tea and began reading the recently acquired book.

As these things tend to happen, I devoured it almost immediately and then started on a literary journey which continues today (I'm among the minority of people who not only anticipate but also enjoy the new and various books by Orson Scott Card).

I spent a lot of time on the computer in my mother's classroom during middle school, so I made a cursory search for Ender's Game related sites and discovered the Virtual Battle School forum (a collaborative fanfic forum set in the Ender universe). I joined during the "Integration" storyline in which the space station was on lockdown. My characters included an eponymous angry one-armed soldier in Centipede Army, a schizophrenic Irish soldier in Centipedie Army, and an African American commander of Salamander Army. My reception was less than positive at the time.

As other members of that forum leaked onto this forum, I followed. My reception here was also less than positive for a variety of reasons (many of which were detailed in my recent landmark).

I may follow with the life altering bits later; though, much of it is also discussed in the above linked landmark thread.
 

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Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
 
I heard about Hatrack in one of the Alvin Maker books, when OSC mentioned it. I thought it was a really interesting, so I checked it out.

It was a tough time around here. Several trolls had been posting a lot, and people were kinda fired up about it. I walked in to this unknowingly, by making my first post.

I have always read a lot, and never have been too shy, so it seemed to me that this place was a blessing. I took my time, crafting my first post in a political thread, I think. Then all of a sudden people jumped all over me. I had people accuse me of being one of these trolls, as he was famous for using alts, and "no one posts a first post like that".

I got defensive, and tried to refute these accusations, but I was pretty turned off. I actually had people email me, threatening me, because some of the things this troll had done really pissed people off. Rather than making me back down, it pissed me off.

I kept posting because several people were very nice to me, and encouraged me. Also, it was nice to see people here interact. At the time, this community was very much MORE of an actual community. People met IRL all the time, and they had people traveling all over to meet each other.

Eventually I got past the issues, and most people realized that I wasn't Otaku, or any of the other trolls, and some of those people even apologized.

I arranged several Hatrack picnics/meetings, and met 20-30 Hatrackers. Some of them were locals, but some of them were just in the US for a visit, and others were from all over the country. It was amazing.

I introduced my girlfriend at the time (JenniK here) to Hatrack, and she reads almost as much as I do, so she loved it here. When we got married, we actually used an internet cafe kiosk to post here. She doesn't read OSC, but she loves the community here.

Hatrack has had a profound impact on me. I met some of my best friends ever here on Hatrack. Also, I hear a lot of people say that you can't change someones mind arguing on the internet, but that has not been the case for me. I love a good argument, as long as it isn't just a shouting match, and there are a lot of people here that are as knowledgeable as I am, (or more so) and as opinionated (or more), so I have had some of the best discussions of my life here at Hatrack.

I don't post here as much these days, for a number of reasons. It isn't as active of a forum, some of my favorite people have lefts for a place I didn't feel welcome at and didn't care for, and I am older and more complete as a person these days. However, Hatrack had a huge hand in influencing me and changing some of my views and opinions, and I will be forever grateful to it, and OSC, because of it.
 

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Posted by ZachC (Member # 12709) on :
 
Thanks so much to all of the people who have posted their stories so far.
I am so grateful that you have taken the time to share your personal experiences in the thread.
I am glad to have gained an insight into your lives and I hope to talk more with you guys in the future.
 

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Posted by theamazeeaz (Member # 6970) on :
 
I lurked. Then I really really wanted to comment on Ashlee Simpson lip syncing on SNL. So I registered.
 

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Posted by AchillesHeel (Member # 11736) on :
 
+1
 

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Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
 
I'd love to see rivka, TomDavidson, or others of our more prolific posters chime in on this one.
 

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Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
 
I read all the OSC books I could get my hands on as a teen. Then I'd read them again. Then again. I've probably read all his pre-Shadow books an average of 4 times each.

I posted a few times on the AOL message boards, but only lurked on Hatrack. Then on my 18th birthday (coincidence?) I registered and posted something from my school's computer lab.

I'm not really sure I ever "made a name for myself", honestly.

I am also one who met their future spouse here (back in 2003). We now have a two year old, and another boy on the way .

This site is now much less important to my life, but I'm glad it was here when I needed it.
 

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Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
 
I found Ender's Game soon after it was published and it quickly became my favoritest science fiction book ever. I became a devout OSC reader and to this day cite him as one of my favorite authors.

I was hanging around Hatrack River for a good year in 1999-2000 (at one of the first jobs I had that put me in front of a computer with internet access), stalking OSC mostly, before it occurred to me to peek in at the forums. I signed up to respond to a thread about Radiohead, who had recently come out with Kid A. Funny thing is, I've rarely entered any discussions about OSC or his books here. This forum kind of had a soul of its own. I almost never make my way to the "other side."

I found a lot to like about this forum and have been visiting it just about daily for 12 years now, with a hiatus here and there when I felt like it was taking a bit too much of my time. I've always been a clumsy wallflower here, but I've learned quite a bit from all the powerful posters and have had many of my opinions tempered and changed due to the fantastic discussions that have taken place. Hatrack has been a significant part of my life for a long time now.

The board used to be a good deal more lively, especially back in the early 2000s. So many members, like the elves of Middle Earth, have gone West over the years. I wish it still moved at the same pace with the same variety of irresistible threads to occupy my attention all day, but alas, it's the Age of Men now.
 

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Posted by stilesbn (Member # 11809) on :
 
I don't remember exactly how old I was when I first read Ender's Game. I must have been under 10 though. I started reading Hatrack at least 12 years ago, but rarely comment. Mostly because I don't ever feel like I can articulate what I really want to say very well.

Basically y'all are too intimidating. Since I generally don't agree with most people here, instead of getting massacred I just enjoy reading opposing viewpoints.
 

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Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
 
Ender's Game was a book my dad gave me as my first "adult book", when I was twelve.

I loved it.

In college (Fall of 95), with dedicated ethernet to the dorm room I went looking on OSC-related stuff, because he was a favorite author of mine. I found the original VBS mailing list (not OSC sanctioned, run by a woman named Barbara Walton, I believe) and this site. Just lurked (I might have posted 3-4 times under some username, but that's it).

Followed through all the message board migrations.

Tried my hand at official VBS, but by then it was already mostly dead. Tried some Hatrack 1830, but couldn't keep it up.

I've been moderately posting for nigh on 12 years now. My participation has ebbed and flowed. There was a time when I felt the board was overwhelmingly conservative for an extended period of time that probably helped push me to some other boards.

Nowadays I secretly root for more Dan Frank types to help counterbalance current forum trends.

I've never written a landmark. I did not meet my spouse on Hatrack. I did let Kama crash at my place for a couple nights during Kamacon, for which my girlfriend (and eventual wife) was supremely tolerant of.

I've met Kwea. Don't believe what he says, he's still a complete and utter jerk Also, never challenge him to a game of pool.

I've met other hatrackers, and become Real(tm). I owned (and did nothing with) the jatraqueros.com and jatraqueras.com domain names.

I still like that appellation.

I haven't read much recent OSC. But Ender's Game, Speaker, and Maps in the Mirror cements him as one of my favorite authors. Don't tell anyone, but I have a guilty pleasure of liking Treason way more than one ought to.

I miss lots of ancient posters that have completely disappeared, and don't miss many others.

I've got a couple kids now, and am a long way from that college freshman.
 

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Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
 
Oh yeah, and I keep the dude thread alive for future e-archaeologists to unearth some day and be befuddled by.
 

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Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
 

quote:

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The board used to be a good deal more lively, especially back in the early 2000s. So many members, like the elves of Middle Earth, have gone West over the years. I wish it still moved at the same pace with the same variety of irresistible threads to occupy my attention all day, but alas, it's the Age of Men now.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Lyrhawn:
Even if this website itself were to ever go away, the Hatrack Family would still be out there, and I'm very grateful to be a part of that.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Kwea:
Don't believe Bok. You should all challenge me to a game of pool. For money.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Kwea:
Don't believe Bok. You should all challenge me to a game of pool. For money.

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See, I told you he was a jerk!

(Pssst, when do I get my cut?)

Oh yeah, I used to sign my name s below, but now I mostly won't. Because of a completely different forum (Samprimary knows which one).

-Bok
 

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Posted by Dr Strangelove (Member # 8331) on :
 
I can't remember which book it was - probably one of the Shadow series - but I seem to remember reading in the acknowledgements something about this site. I was probably 14 or 15 and thought of myself as quite bright. So when I started lurking here and reading the posts of people who were, without a doubt, smarter than me, I was hooked. TomD, rivka, Noemon, Kwea, Lyr, Olivet, Bob_Scopatz, dkw, even KoM, and more, are all people I credit with teaching me how to communicate intelligently.

I never really got in to posting in the serious threads, mostly because I took way too long to write out posts, and by the end of it inevitably convinced myself that what I was saying wasn't worth posting. But I did fancy myself a part of the community here at one point. Like Lyr, I heard people talk about the golden days, but the days (and nights) I spent here as a teenager were pretty golden. My favorite stretch was when I was working up the courage to tell the girl I liked how I felt and came here asking for advice. I believe the thread was titled "My Teenage Angst Thread". She ended up shooting me down, but 3 years later we got married .

And while it was more on Sake that I posted about my mental health struggles, I can honestly say that Hatrack saved my life. Tis a long, sad story I don't care to recount (incidentally, the 6 year anniversary of that time in my life just came and went), but long story short, mackillian gave me the shove I needed to go get help.

Once I got into grad school, and really even before that while I had a very active social life for a bit, I haven't been able to find the time to post as much. And I'm ok with that. I still check here pretty much every day, and I go through spurts where I try to get back into a posting routine. But whereas when I was a teenager I was in desperate need of a community, a need which Hatrack filled, I now don't have that need as much. So I think of Hatrack like that good friend that you haven't spoken to in a long time, but you know that if you need them, they'll be there.
 

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Posted by Dante (Member # 1106) on :
 
I started lurking on Hatrack because I enjoyed OSC's books (even though I've never been much of a sci-fi fan). I started posting occasionally a little later and posted infrequently for five or six years. Although I had some enjoyable conversations and made a few friends, I can't say that Hatrack had a huge impact on me.

Still, every once in a while there's something. I teach in the English department of a small Middle Eastern university, and we'll be reading Ender's Game in one of my classes next semester. And this semester I started an informal discussion group among my freshmen; I suggested a number of possible mottos for our group, and they chose "We speak with passion and listen with respect."
 

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Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
 
I found Ender's Game in the school library when I was 12 or 13. I ended up reading everything by OSC I could find. I caught up with the in-print catalog around the age of 18 or 19, and mostly kept up with new material since then (I'm a bit behind at this point, which is kind of weird to realize).

I loved Ender's Game. And then I loved Speaker for the Dead. I've enjoyed nearly all of OSC's fiction.

I found this site in 2001 or 2002, I think. I don't remember why I never registered a forum account until later. I don't think I understood how forums worked (I didn't understand that I could find interesting and meaningful interaction in them; at first they seemed like something other people did for unknowable reasons).

But now I would say forums make up a good chunk of my social life. That's only possible because I have a pretty limited social life, but it's still significant for me.
 

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Posted by Wendybird (Member # 84) on :
 
I don't know when I found the forums exactly but I know it was way back when (as you can tell from my member #) I don't post a lot but I do lurk and really appreciate the viewpoints of the various posters on all the issues that get discussed. It enlarges my understanding and the forum gives me something to do when I'm procrastinating something I should be doing Hatrack was there for me when my son was receiving a heart transplant to pray for us and give me a good place to take a mental break. Its changed through the years but that is the nature of the beast. I still love it here and I still love OSC and his work.

**edit to add - it seems the earliest register date on this particular post is 1999 so I know I registered before that. I want to say 1998? I found Hatrack River when it was over on Big Mouth Lion just after it moved from AOL.
 

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Posted by brojack17 (Member # 9189) on :
 
I found the forums in 2006. Good place for awhile. It got quite snarky so I left for awhile. I just recently came back. So far, so good.

I read EG for the first time 24 years ago. It has been my favorite book since. I credit it with getting me to really be a reader.

There used to be some fun stuff here like your 1000th post was a biographical "introduction" to the forum. And if you met with a "real" forum member, then you could be vouched for as "real" also. I met a couple in California and became real. I was able to make real two forum members in Houston. That was fun.
 

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Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
 
Meeting only a single real Hatracker does not make someone real. You have to meet two.
 

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Posted by brojack17 (Member # 9189) on :
 
Lucky for me, I met two on the same meeting. I haven't seen them around since my return.
 

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Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
 
I met Kara.

Not fair, of course, since we knew each other well before I think either of us were on hatrack
 

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Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
 
I first came across Ender's Game in 1992, as a high school freshman. We were required to read for 5 minutes to start our English class period every day, and someone had lent it to me. I did not really read for fun at that point, but began reading in class on a Friday. I took it home and finished it by Saturday morning, and bought Speaker and Xenocide that afternoon. I then read another 15 or so of his books by the end of high school, and probably 20-30 more by other authors.

It started me on the path to becoming an avid reader, writer, and eventually English major.

In 2001, I had been out of college for a year and traveling abroad, and my sister saw something about an OSC Writer's Workshop. I sent in my writing sample and was selected for the first workshop in Greensboro in 2001, and met a bevy of Jatraqueros, most of which have become either infrequent posters or have moved on from Hatrack (Jenny Gardener, Slash_the_Berzerker, Olivet, JohnKeats, and others I'm sure I've forgotten).

That lead me here, and I was fairly engaged for a number of years - though at this point I've mostly kept to lurking.

Edit to add: It's amazing and a little sad to see that there are 15 days worth of posts on the front page. Can't help thinking back to the time when posts would slip off the front page within hours if they weren't bumped.

[ November 14, 2012, 04:54 PM: Message edited by: FlyingCow ]
 

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Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by TomDavidson:
Meeting only a single real Hatracker does not make someone real. You have to meet two.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Samprimary:
I met Kara.

Not fair, of course, since we knew each other well before I think either of us were on hatrack

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quote:

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Originally posted by Bokonon:
The infinite recursion of realness ends at Slash the Bezerker.

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quote:

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Originally posted by FlyingCow:
Edit to add: It's amazing and a little sad to see that there are 15 days worth of posts on the front page. Can't help thinking back to the time when posts would slip off the front page within hours if they weren't bumped.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Marek:
I am pretty sure I am real

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quote:

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Originally posted by SteveRogers:

quote:

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quote:
Originally posted by FlyingCow:
Edit to add: It's amazing and a little sad to see that there are 15 days worth of posts on the front page. Can't help thinking back to the time when posts would slip off the front page within hours if they weren't bumped.

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I actually remember when it used to be like that too. It was nigh impossible to complete a long reply without someone replying before you.

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quote:

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Originally posted by rivka:

quote:

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Originally posted by Bokonon:
The infinite recursion of realness ends at Slash the Bezerker.

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Doesn't it specifically go back to one specific gathering?

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Probably, but Slash invented the concept. It was one of his fits of narcissism, if I recall
 

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Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
 
Anyone who frequents the forums is a Jatraquero. It was more a description of commonalities that leads us here (and keeps us here), than a strict set of rules.

Someone would have to ask David Bowles for the definitive answer.
 

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Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Bokonon:
Someone would have to ask David Bowles for the definitive answer.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Bokonon:

quote:

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Originally posted by rivka:

quote:

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Originally posted by Bokonon:
The infinite recursion of realness ends at Slash the Bezerker.

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Doesn't it specifically go back to one specific gathering?

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Probably, but Slash invented the concept. It was one of his fits of narcissism, if I recall

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Oh, definitely.
 

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Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
 
I met Jon Boy, Brinestone, Sarcastimuppet, Nathan Novak, and another poster whose name I can't remember for lunch at BYU once, way back in 2003. Pat was going to be there as well, but had to cancel. It was the only time I've ever met Jatraqueros in real life, and as immersed as I was in the forum at the time, it was a surreal experience.

It is one of the biggest regrets of my Hatrack life that I didn't go to Endercon. I was living in Orem at the time and knew about it, but was too lazy to sign up. Stupid, stupid.
 

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
afr, hansenj?

And yeah, I joined just about when Endercon was, so too late to do anything about attending.

Timing.
 

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Posted by Parkour (Member # 12078) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by SteveRogers:

quote:

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Originally posted by Bokonon:
Someone would have to ask David Bowles for the definitive answer.

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Does he even lurk anymore?

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Does he even lurk?
 

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Posted by Parkour (Member # 12078) on :
 
Do you even lurk?
 

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Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
 
Endercon was quite the good time. Mostly we just talked about afr and what lo-o-o-oser he was. OSC even lead a workshop about it.

Hobbes
 

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Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
 

quote:

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afr, hansenj?

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quote:

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Endercon was quite the good time. Mostly we just talked about afr and what lo-o-o-oser he was. OSC even lead a workshop about it.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Parkour:
Do you even lurk?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Dr Strangelove:
I can proudly claim to be real. Jon Boy, brinestone, mr_porteirohead, beverly. and I think sarcasticmuppet can affirm to my reality, courtesy of a pizza dinner somewhere near or in Park City, Utah.

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quote:

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Originally posted by advice for robots:

quote:

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afr, hansenj?

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Yes, that's her. (How'd you know?)

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She was active on HR about that time, lived in the right area, and I always had trouble matching her real name with her screenname.
 

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Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
 
I found out about the forums almost by accident. There was a thread years ago about LDS missionaries and whether or not missionaries were there because they felt they had to or if they truly wanted to help others.

I posted in that thread (under a different name at the time) and received a VERY nice email from OSC's wife who thanked me for sharing.

I've been a Hatracker ever since!
 

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Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
 
Kristine is pretty much an angel. I don't know how much she reads the forum these days, but I would guess whatever the amount is, it's far above how much she posts.

Hobbes
 

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Hobbes:
Kristine is pretty much an angel.

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Very true.
 

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Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
 
I met her, and OSC, at a convention in Boston. They were both very nice, and I enjoyed it. Kristine had a little more time to spend, as she wasn't signing books, and we had a really nice conversation.

I also met up with several Hatrackers there, and I got to meet G.R.R. Martin, who told me I should have come earlier and came to his party the previous night.

It was a good day. And to tell you how much I care about this site, this community......it's the only convention I had attended at that point, and one of 2 I have ever attended.
 

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Posted by Dan_Frank (Member # 8488) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Kwea:
I met her, and OSC, at a convention in Boston. They were both very nice, and I enjoyed it. Kristine had a little more time to spend, as she wasn't signing books, and we had a really nice conversation.

I also met up with several Hatrackers there, and I got to meet G.R.R. Martin, who told me I should have come earlier and came to his party the previous night.

It was a good day. And to tell you how much I care about this site, this community......it's the only convention I had attended at that point, and one of 2 I have ever attended.

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Wow, that sounds like the best convention ever.
 

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Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
 
ZachC, there are lots of theories on why posting has fallen off.

My own personal reasons were that the tone of the board had changed, at least in my mind, and several of the posters that I enjoyed interacting with had left for a variety of reasons. Couple that with the advent of Facebook giving another online community option, and I end up only checking back to lurk every few weeks or so.

I'm sure everyone has their own reasons for leaving. But it is a little sad to come back here sometimes and imagine the tumbleweed blowing about.
 

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Posted by Marek (Member # 5404) on :
 
I do think it has something to do with Facebook, also I know the 2008 election season seemed to lead to more hurt feelings than most other events. Not sure if it actually drove away many posters, but I know it made much of hatrack less fun for a while.
 

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Posted by brojack17 (Member # 9189) on :
 
Apparently, I'm the last to become "real".
 

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Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
 
Man, what a blast from the past thread.
 

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
Indeed.
 

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Posted by James Tiberius Kirk (Member # 2832) on :
 
It's late, and I'm home for Thanksgiving, and I can't sleep. So:

I started reading Orson Scott Card's books for two reasons: one, because my brother had read Ender's Game in class and recommended it to me; and two: they were near Tom Clancy's and Michael Crichton's books on the shelf at my high school. I devoured the shadow series as much as I could, and at least one of the books makes mention of Hatrack River. At some point I wandered over here and lurked here for several months. At the time the forum had had a serious spam issue and wasn't accepting new members. Someone - I think Primal Curve? - offered any lurker the use of this handle around Christmastime 2002, and I snatched it up. So the name "James Tiberius Kirk" actually has no significance to me: I didn't make the Star Trek connection until much later.

I guess that means I've been here about a decade. I hadn't thought much about that until now.

When I joined Hatrack was kind of a refuge to me, because I was going through a weird time in my life. Some tough things were happening at home, and I'd always been sort of a news junkie and I was trying to make sense of the world. I was thirteen or fourteen, and at the time there were actually quite a few Jatraqueros about who were within my age range.

I spent most of my early days lurking and trying not to angst all over the forum. I started out on the Other Side because I was intimidated by the types of discussions you all would have over here in what was the Books, Films, Food and American Culture subforum before the switch. I saw it as a community of adults, sharing adult opinions, on important topics. When I finally started reading regularly it began to shape my thinking in a lot of ways. Though I could reliably expect a debate between, say, Dagonee and TomDavidson on any contentious issue, I learned that people don't always fall into neat little "conservative" and "liberal" boxes. (That said: I do think there was a much larger conservative presence on Hatrack at one point, especially before the 2004 election; by 2008 it was gone.)

I remember being impressed by how so many of you were willing to let your "real lives" intersect with your online ones - that was something I always remained cautious about, even to this day. I couldn't imagine sharing as much of my life with you as some of you have in your landmark threads (and I've read a lot of them, believe me.) So you can imagine my surprise when some of you started getting married to each other and having kids The old Hatrack gallery let me attach faces to all of your names, and the mental images I have from some of you are drawn from that photoset. I guess everyone's aged a bit since then.

Hatrack introduced me to a few of early online hangouts. TomDavidson introduced us all to NationStates around the time I arrived, and I played for a little while. I learned about AnsibleMOO and my favorite video game Homeworld here.

I enjoy most everything about Hatrack River. I remember how you all made me laugh on days when I really needed it, even if you all didn't know it. This being Thanksgiving, I think it's appropriate for me to say that I'm thankful for you all.

[ November 23, 2012, 01:12 AM: Message edited by: James Tiberius Kirk ]
 

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Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by James Tiberius Kirk:
This being Thanksgiving, I think it's appropriate for me to say that I'm thankful for you all.

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Absolutely agree with this.
 

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Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
 
Wow, this thread brings all the mini beasts out of the woodwork.

I remember coming to Hatrack and I remember being worried by Jon Boy when I first visited. I must have been reading OSC at the time but I don't remember what specific book or where my first post was.
 

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Posted by Sala (Member # 8980) on :
 
I read Ender's Game when it first came out in the magazine (Amazing?) in the late 70s. Then met OSC several times when he came to BYU to speak in the early 80s. I lurked at Hatrack for a loooooong time before finally deciding to post. I'll have to make this post to see when it was I finally decided to join up. I'm still not a big poster, but I like to come here and read. Edit: So, I apparently decided to join up in 2005. I know I was lurking in the 90s. I don't know why it took me so dang long. I guess I'm just not a poster. Just a reader.
 

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Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Teshi:
I remember coming to Hatrack and I remember being worried by Jon Boy when I first visited.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Jon Boy:
You fool! I almost had her convinced that her fears were unfounded! You've ruined YEARS of careful planning! Now Jon Boy must return to his lair and begin plotting Hatrack's doom all over again.

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*laughing aloud

I first read Songmaster when I was much younger. I had just complained to my childhood best friends that you always knew books would end with a happy ending. Well ... let's just say it was my first mixed ending. Loved it. Remembered the book but not the author at the time.

At university, I had a mentor who was an OSC fan. My mentor brought him to our university through the student lecture series. It was a great dinner, an interesting talk (for multiple reasons), and a prompt to find out more about OSC's work. Wow. Yup, and turns out he had written one of the book I remembered most clearly from my young years.

I had browsed the BML forum back when my mentor first brought up OSC, and I read a lot. Never felt like posting. Came back after dinner with OSC and signed in to join the conversations with other readers. Everything kind of flowed after that.

I learned about being clear from watching others think through and communicate tough ideas. I learned about community and passion. I definitely learned that people who disagree with me -- even at the most fundamental level -- could know more than me, have thought about the issue more than me, or just disagree for their own reasons.

I had the pleasure of attending a signing with Tom and Christy, and I met OSC (briefly) again, as well as the lovely Kristine for the first time. I was absolutely abashed to know that they knew my forum screenname, and I was terribly shy. They were kind, and I went and hid behind the bookshelves quickly, just hyperventilating a little.

I met my adulthood best friends here. I have had a near-daily relationship with people, many of whom I've never met, from all over the world. For years, both here and at sakeriver. And the internet became a different place for me, and the world became a different world, and I became more as a person.

Thanks.
 

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Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
 
PS: The old login still works after all. Heh.
 

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Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
 

quote:

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How did I worry you?

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Hah.

I honestly don't remember precisely; it wasn't for any real tangible reason. When I first visited and read Hatrack for whatever reason I found you too much-- and I didn't make an account until a couple of months later.

I don't deny that it is, in hindsight, crazy.
 

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Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
 
It might not be that crazy. I probably was too much back then.
 

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Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
 
I remember Jon Boy hitting 5000 posts in what, 3 days?
 

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Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
 
He was a very distinctive presence and very outgoing. That's all I can remember, really.
 

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Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
 
He was indistinguishable from Pat for about a year.
 

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Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :
 
Once, back in 2006, Jon Boy hit me for 3 days. I lost my ability to count accurately pretty quickly, but it could have been around 5000 times.
 

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Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
 
imagine a jon boy stamping mrsquicky in the face forever
 

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Posted by Tinros (Member # 8328) on :
 
At least he didn't hit 5000 posters in 3 days. That's what causes broken hands.
 

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Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
 

quote:

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He was indistinguishable from Pat for about a year. [Smile]

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quote:

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I started my trend of not really posting much all the way back then. I'm still not sure how people actually manage to remember me, though I suspect it has something to do with once being part of the Wisconsin cabal.

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quote:

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Originally posted by advice for robots:
Those were heady times at the 'Rack.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Lyrhawn:

quote:

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I started my trend of not really posting much all the way back then. I'm still not sure how people actually manage to remember me, though I suspect it has something to do with once being part of the Wisconsin cabal.

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Your more recent absence has been noted, by me at least, with sadness.

Post more.

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Yes sir!

I am posting in this high-qual....
 

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Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
 
I knew you a bit before FF, but that is where I know you from best.
 

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