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I first looked up the site due to a reference in one of the books; don't recall which. Uncle Orson's columns in the mid-90s were infrequent, but the standard for "active website" was a lot lower then too. Suffice to say they were interesting enough to draw my teenage mind back now & again, occasionally even into the forum. I don't remember exactly what made me finally register and post -- I'd never participated in a web forum before. I probably had a crush on Morgan Majors. That was summer of '97.
"HA-track." My memory says this pronunciation comes straight from OSC (either an Alvin book or the original short story, don't recall). There's a good chance this is a false memory, however, and my source is actually from something a HS friend told me, claiming to have sourced it in turn from OSC.
Posts: 1839 | Registered: May 1999
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I'm here because of erosomniac. He bugged me to join, so we swapped forums. He's now a regular on the forum I frequent, and I am here.
Posts: 866 | Registered: Aug 2005
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I had just gotten a broadband connection, and I needed something to use it on, so I signed up for this forum. Like many, I started on the other side, but I moved over here when I realized I could handle a much faster forum. It's slowed down over here a lot since then, but I'll still check in. Posts: 1592 | Registered: Jan 2001
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It's hatrack. Like a rack with hats on it. If it's weird to pronounce, just pronounce the two words by themselves. Hat. Rack. Hatrack. I can't imagine calling an American frontier town (even a fictional one!) "Hah-track". Slightly bizarre.
Anyway, I found Hatrack when I was 19, after reading Ender's Game for a guy I was dating. Guy or no guy, I fell in love with the book and read everything else in the next 3 or 4 years. I lurked on the forum and posted a bit until I went to Brazil for 19 months...and then when I got back, it was all Hatrack, all the time. I hosted get togethers, met OSC, met many Jatraqueros in person and have moderately kept up with the board. Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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It's not 'Hah-track'; the 'ha' in 'Ha_track' is the same 'ha' sound in 'hat', it's just that instead of inserting a very short pause after 'hat-', the pause is put in before the t.
Posts: 1762 | Registered: Apr 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Al: What I would like to know -- has anyone ever changed an opinion because of a Hatrack thread? I have saved a few threads that I put a lot of thought into. I reread one I started -- way back in 2001 -- on legalizing drugs. I found it rather depressing: the intransigent positions of most. Perhaps it was just the subject matter.
People do change opinions over time, and what they read on hatrack influences them. For instance, I converted to LDS in 2001, and that would never have happened had I not met a handful of Latter Day Saints that I encountered on hatrack, that prompted me to start investigating the church. So that's a pretty big change.
For many people, I think the change happen over time, and somewhat imperceptibly. However, a year later you will sometimes notice that someone you were discussing a subject with is now arguing your side, using the same arguments you used, and acting like they thought that way all along. Posts: 6246 | Registered: Aug 2004
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What fascinates me is how these sorts of threads bring posters that mostly lurk out of the woodwork . . . *grin*
When I tried to register, the entire forum was shut down for months. (Not because of me, forbye . . .) So, I registered with the Writer's Forums first and participated in a couple of writing-critique groups, and then Hatrack re-opened (pronounced Hat-Rack *wink*) and through this home away from home, I've learned about other perspectives, holding my tongue, sharing my thoughts with a bit more tact, and met some wonderful folks along the way.
I also have a complimentary, groovy, personalized, signed copy of Shadow of the GiantPosts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
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I only joined the forums last March. I don't remember when I started checking on the home page for updates on when OSC's next books would come out. I read Ender's Game somewhere around 1998 or '99, and then proceeded to read everything OSC ever wrote.
I got interested in the forums because of the Alvin Maker books. I remember reading that they existed and that the people on them played a role in developing some of the characters.
I still consider myself a lurker. Mainly because I still don't feel particularly articulate when writing in this format. But I love reading what people think. This is a great place for opposing viewpoints and discussions that generally don't turn into namecalling or rudeness.
Posts: 511 | Registered: Mar 2006
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I started reading the forums about eight years ago, but didn't sign up for quite awhile. Mostly I was just browsing for information on Ender's Game, which happens to be my all time favorite book. Before that I disdained discussion boards, but I found a discussion about the book and started reading it. I liked some of the opinions and soon moved over to the other side to see what kinds of topics were being discussed. I loved the fact that many people can have mature conversations about relevent issues without all the stupidity that I've seen in some other places. So I stayed. And I love it!
Posts: 340 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I think it's rather curious that sometimes I recognize a username and then am surprised at how low their post count is. It's as though the portion of hatrack posts that I read (which is rather small) is somehow skewed towards lurkers' posts. So much so that I start thinking that lurkers aren't lurkers. Weird.
(This is in response to Luet's post, since it definitely applies in her case.)
Posts: 1810 | Registered: Jan 1999
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i honestly cant remember how i found hatrack. someone might have told me about it, possibly my dad. hmm, i cant even remember when i signed up for hatrack. anyway to find out?
Posts: 813 | Registered: Nov 1999
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krynn, the exact date is in your profile: November 21, 1999. Nov 99 is also showed under each of your posts.
Posts: 4519 | Registered: Sep 2003
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first, I found hatrack by typing www.endersgame.com, but I didn't realize there was a forum. Then, I realized there was supposed to be an Ender's Game movie so I googled that and it took me to the other side. It took me the longest time to realize yoou could get to the forum page from the main page so I didn't know about this side for a long time. Then, I lurked for a few years and finaly got my own user name!
Posts: 28 | Registered: Nov 2006
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I found Hatrack in the midst of looking for information about OSC. I was really impressed by his writing and I wanted to see if there were any more books to read. I looked at the forums and started posting as "Wetchik" on the "Other Side". I found that it wasn't fast paced enough there, posts were too far and few between.
That's when I discovered you guys, though I haven't been visiting much lately, I should change that. I've been too occupied with grief lately...
Posts: 4229 | Registered: Dec 2002
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I also heard about it in one of OSC's note at the end of his books, but for a few months I just checked the front page for news updates and occasionally hopped into the parachat, until I found AKA in there one day and she convinced me to join the forums, along with a nice, long, welcoming email telling me all about the forums, etc. I still remember somewhere in that email she said something about fritos making great mini-torches.
Posts: 1934 | Registered: Jun 2001
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I started coming here because I was interested in OSC and I wanted to be a writer.
This is my third account. I tend to take extremely long breaks from here only to get sucked back in after the format and nature of the forum changes and my ancient account has been deleted.
Posts: 247 | Registered: Feb 2007
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I found this forum from watching an interview with OSC on the Fast Forward website.
I didn't partcularly like the cut of his jib, but I thought I'd check out the web site. I enjoyed his reviews and started to read the forums for a couple of months before actually logging in.
I have since read Ender's Game and another one (the sequel who's name escapes me for the mo'). I wouldn't call myself an Orson Scott Card fan (especially as his work is pretty hard to find on this side of the Atlantic) but I enjoy reading the forums and interjecting my 2p's worth.
I also keep forgetting that this site is really an authors "fan" site. The Hatrack* forum is really an entity in it's own right.
I think the thing that really hooked me was the concept of the Hatrack Secret Santa. Ho Ho HO!
* surely pronounced Ha'Trahk? or was that Bouquet?
Posts: 892 | Registered: Oct 2006
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I can't imagine calling an American frontier town (even a fictional one!) "Hah-track". Slightly bizarre.![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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I've been too occupied with grief lately...
