Conversations: Who's here, Who's not.

[Plexus]

It's been an eventful decade+ since I've posted here regularly.

I dropped out of college (2007), joined the U.S. Army (2008), got married (2009), deployed to Afghanistan (2010), spent a year stationed in Germany with my wife (2011), left the Army and started going to community college again (2012), stopped going to community college, rough patch here as I struggled with dissociation, depression, and worsening gender dysphoria (2014–), received my Court of Master Sommeliers "Certified Sommelier" certification and began running a wine and beverage program at a restaurant (2015), bought a house (2016), had my restaurant close suddenly (2017), began the conversation around coming out as trans to my wife (2017), went back to school for computer science (2017), came out as transgender and began formally transitioning (2020–), graduated college (2020) and began working full time as a software engineer (2020–).

Overall in a good place now. I don't find I have a huge attention span for video games like I used to, but I enjoy cooking, mixology, gardening, raising chickens, and playing TTPRGs with friends.

 

[IglooDame]

It's been an eventful decade+ since I've posted here regularly.

I dropped out of college (2007), joined the U.S. Army (2008), got married (2009), deployed to Afghanistan (2010), spent a year stationed in Germany with my wife (2011), left the Army and started going to community college again (2012), stopped going to community college, rough patch here as I struggled with dissociation, depression, and worsening gender dysphoria (2014–), received my Court of Master Sommeliers "Certified Sommelier" certification and began running a wine and beverage program at a restaurant (2015), bought a house (2016), had my restaurant close suddenly (2017), began the conversation around coming out as trans to my wife (2017), went back to school for computer science (2017), came out as transgender and began formally transitioning (2020–), graduated college (2020) and began working full time as a software engineer (2020–).

Overall in a good place now. I don't find I have a huge attention span for video games like I used to, but I enjoy cooking, mixology, gardening, raising chickens, and playing TTPRGs with friends.

There's been a lot of that going around over the last couple years.

The transitioning part, I mean specifically, though a lot of the other stuff too.

Anyway, welcome back!

 

[sophie]

It's been an eventful decade+ since I've posted here regularly.

came out as transgender and began formally transitioning (2020–)

There's been a lot of that going around over the last couple years.

The transitioning part, I mean specifically, though a lot of the other stuff too.

Anyway, welcome back!

 

[tjs282]

It occurred to me this morning that I couldn't remember seeing any posts from @Hrothbern in the recent UK politics and Ukraine serial-threads, even though he was a regular contributor to their previous iterations. So I looked at this profile, and he apprently hasn't posted anything in the public forum since late July. Does anyone know if he's OK?

 

[Birdjaguar]

It occurred to me this morning that I couldn't remember seeing any posts from @Hrothbern in the recent UK politics and Ukraine serial-threads, even though he was a regular contributor to their previous iterations. So I looked at this profile, and he apprently hasn't posted anything in the public forum since late July. Does anyone know if he's OK?

He has been silent for a while now and not responsive to messages. I am worried. Anyone have a connection to him?

 

[Lohrenswald]

By chance this new trophy thing was introduced recently, but I've been thinking about this for a few months. Back when the thought first came to my head I was feeling more gusto about going on to new and better things. Right now I'm tired and feel very beat down, but like this is the moment I decided on.

10 years ago I was still in highschool. It was around a moment where I became reflective about what kind of person I am, and I wasn't happy about it, and I wanted to change. 10 years later I am pretty different, but hardly better. I'm actually really disappointed in myself. The last 9 of them I've had depression even.

Anyway I think part of what going through my mind is I wanted to have intelligent arguments to figure out things, and learn from the people here who seemed intelligent to me. That didn't really work out at all, both with how people here are, and how I've just been lazy about it really.
I've made a couple of threads recently. I've tried to look a bit at other threads as well as a sort of swansong era, but nothing really entices me (and I've been really busy with going back to school). I cared a lot about socialism back then, I still kinda do, but through 10 years I've learned basically nothing. That thread was deep down really just one last attempt to talk about it for old times sake. Didn't really go well. I didn't want to make that the final contribution, so I wanted to make at least another, and I couldn't think of anything much better than just some of what's been bothering me. People there were nice, even those I don't feel like I've been on good terms with, so I feel kinda bad now about criticizing how I view this forum now, but like it is what it is.

And with that I felt like pointing out some people in an at least somewhat positive light
@Traitorfish I never really got to know you or talk to you much, but a decade ago I thought you were the coolest guy on the planet. I was amazed by the things you knew, and I felt like a failure for not learning from you. I guess it's weird to have a "confession" like that now but you were one of the main reasons I wanted to sign up.
Maybe weirdly joint message to @schlaufuchs and @Hygro who I spent a lot of time with on fiftychat. I felt I learned a lot from you and that you helped me become a more interesting person. Shame it wasn't enough
Feel like other people should be mentioned, but I'm blanking a bit
@Takhisis you've probably not thought much about me for years now. I dunno, I gave you a hard time on a lot, I suppose
@Kyriakos you've at least always been nice to me, and I really appreciate that
Sorry for other people who might deserve recognition

Don't know how much more to say. I feel both I and this place has developed poorly. But I still feel I don't really fit anymore.
I won't rule out I do something like abbadon and return in 10 years more, but I hope I won't.

I mean this as a farewell
I've got many regrets. With this forum and life in general. I probably should have engaged more in the book threads if I wanted to learn things.
Whatever.

Goodbye CFC

If you ever see a Lohrenswald somewhere, it's probably me

 

[Takhisis]

Well, nobody can force you to stay or to leave, so do whichever one's better for you. We'll probably still be here if you need us.
Go with my good wishes.

 

[Gori the Grey]

I hope it in fact isn't good-bye, but I wish you well.

I'll be keeping my eyes out for a Lohrenswald. I'll know its you.

 

[Birdjaguar]

The door is always open here.

 

[Farm Boy]

I hope you find yourself in happy times. The world is amazing. We'll still be us.

 

[sophie]

I’m sorry you aren’t feeling it here anymore Lohr. I hope someday you are able to see what the rest of us do: that you are a stronger, braver, kinder, more impressive person than you realize, and that the life you have lived deserves to be celebrated, especially by yourself.

You have me on twitter and discord. My dms are always open if you ever want to talk about anything.

Be well

 

[Fippy]

If that helps @Lohrenswald, i also feel like i don't really belong here.
Discussions are often very serious, topics too..for some reason peoples like to talk more about negative than positive things.
But in the end i don't really care, forums are supposed to be daily fun (and not influence our mood).

 

[thetrooper]

What @Fippy said.

 

[Edmund Ironside]

peoples like to talk more about negative than positive things.

I see this on YouTube, for example 'a top 10 worst' list is generally viewed more then a 'top 10 best' list.

 

[sophie]

the rate of new thread creation has become near-nonexistent. When all that is available are serial threads covering serious topics, you’re gonna get pretty exclusively serious discussion.

(also lowkey the mods are far less permissive of off-off topic, tasteful trolling, and general goofiness than was the case ten years ago, and that’s where most of the fondly-remembered posting activity originated)

 

[Gori the Grey]

And @Borachio's gone, who single-handedly used to keep the mood light.

 

[Farm Boy]

I rather fondly remember Sir B.

 

[Takhisis]

the rate of new thread creation has become near-nonexistent. When all that is available are serial threads covering serious topics, you’re gonna get pretty exclusively serious discussion.

(also lowkey the mods are far less permissive of off-off topic, tasteful trolling, and general goofiness than was the case ten years ago, and that’s where most of the fondly-remembered posting activity originated)

Well, we have gotten a bit stagnant.
Some factors are
-that for goofier places where you cannot be a) harassed by certain people who are inexplicably allowed by the moderators to continue and/or b) not to have our threads randomly split off without notification or subscription to the new thread and so lose track of where things went there's always platforms like Discord (and formerly Chatango, 50chat, &c.).
-that we've all generally aged as well and the world we live in is grimmer -->we get people who straight up come here to be racist or sexist or whatever and directly wish death upon use
-we've lost a ton of users.

(exemplified, for example, in the recent spate of no avatar switcheroos for April Fools)

 

[thetrooper]

What bothers me most is that a certain few seems hellbent to ‘win’ the debate. No matter what.

 

[bernie14]

What bothers me most is that a certain few seems hellbent to ‘win’ the debate. No matter what.

With help!!