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Are forums a waste of time?


Ziggy + Angel + Rain

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Have you ever felt as though posting on forums (can - but doesn't have to - include MLPF) is a waste of time?

 

Ever just asked yourself, "Self, what are you doing?  You could be drawing.  Writing.  Reading.  Peeling potatoes.  Pretending you're a grizzled old sea captain...  Why are you wastin' yer time a-postin' on this here forum?"  I leaned into the sea captain role a bit at the end.  Or a really poor Applejack impression; I can't tell.

 

Furthermore: What do you hope to accomplish at these forums?  What, if anything, do you feel you have accomplished on these forums?  What's your favorite flower?  Disregard that last question.

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Honestly, these forums accomplish nothing. They're nothing more than a form of entertainment. All though you can accomplish some things such as, meeting people, discussing political views, or amassing an army of Paladins to fight super mutants and destroy F.E.V. vats. My favorite flower is the Rose ( I never disregard questions :okiedokieloki:).

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Yes and no. If you have something to say and are looking to make an impact there's better places to put those thoughts. However you can talk about pretty much anything on forums and it can be a great mental exercise one way or the other.

 

But if you're looking to accomplish something that matters forums will not help you in that regard.

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Technically, most things can be a waste of time. Most forms of entertainment can be considered this, but we all still do them. So even if posting in a forum is a 'waste of time', I will still do it anyways.

 

As for what I have accomplished here, well, I actually am at a place where I matter for once. I can't say that about anything else in my life, so it is something quite special in that regard. 

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I was under the impression that forums are primarily to be used as time sinks, although they can be good for networking in some cases. I'm sure there are artists and other such people who have met others who helped to improve their craft.

 

 

 

What do you hope to accomplish at these forums?
Talk to people, make friends, and have fun.

 

 

 

What, if anything, do you feel you have accomplished on these forums?
Talked to people, made friends, and had fun. Also pissed people off with my socioeconomic views. You should see some of the vitriolic things people have PMed me lol.

 

 

 

What's your favorite flower? Disregard that last question.
Don't tell me what to do. It's the Venus Flytrap. Other flowers just sit there and look pretty. The flytrap is all like "Screw that. I'm gonna devour the flesh of weaker creatures." It's the most metal of the flowers.
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I came here to have a great time with people who enjoy similar interest. As a waste of time? I think of it as investing time in the things you like.

 

Btw, my favorite flower is the corpse flower.

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I don't consider forums a waste of time.  They're the only way I've had any success socializing, and believe it or not, that strange activity of interacting with other people is good for the mental health, and, in some cases, the physical health as well.  So, no I really don't see them as a waste of time.

 

What do I hope to accomplish here? I hope to one of these days make a connection with at least one person, preferably more.  What have I accomplished here? A bunch of random senseless posts and public whining.  What's my favorite flower? The one in Mario that makes you spit fireballs, I dunno. What a weird question.

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What's my favorite flower? The one in Mario that makes you spit fireballs, I dunno. What a weird question.

The exotic and much sought-after Fire Flower that grows wild in...  Inside of inexplicably floating blocks.  All throughout the Mushroom Kingdom and other compatible locales.  And I used to think Mario was sneezing them, myself.

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For me personally, of course! It's a lovely little way to spend some time somewhere where I feel accepted without any pressure. I have good friends here, and it's pretty chill.

 

Some people invest time and effort into making this site wonderful, and have so much they've accomplished here - for those people, it's definitely not a waste of time, it all just depends on the person!

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Some forums you can learn a lot from. When I was working on my last house to get it into top for to sell it, home improvement forums were hugely helpful for advice, and therefore not a waste of time. So I'd say in general no, as you can learn a lot of really helpful skills.

 

This forum, it depends. Quite a few people depend on the income from the forum as artists from commissions. As far as a waste of time though, I see it as you get out what you put in. If you feel like you're wasting time, you probably are. Me personally, I don't feel like I am. I work from home, so I miss a lot of the social interaction that I would get from work, so I feel like I get it here. Additionally, I've made a lot of amazing friends, many of whom I'm going to see in a few weeks time. Those friendships are important to me, and I never would have met those people if it hadn't been for this forum. So no, it's not a waste of time to me. 

 

Finally, I gain a sense of organization from the forums. A place for everything and everything in its place, which I can put there as a moderator. That came across a lot more presumptuous than I meant it to, but being able to move things around, lock threads, put threads in the correct location, this all satisfies my OCD. The OCD is strong with this one.

 

Jasmine.

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(edited)

I dunno about the other forums, 

 

But I owe lot to this site in particular, 

 

Before I came here, I was too afraid to even "start" writing stories and drawing art was just a time killer...

 

Now I'm experienced in a couple RPs (I've probably written a total of about 5,000 words at this point..which is a lot to me o-o),

 

and The request shops I've opened pushed me to advance my drawing abilities. (I still suck....but much less than before).

 

So I do not believe the Forums is a waste of time o-o 

Edited by DefinitelyNot Vulcan
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They're a waste of time if you find yourself there for reasons other than the main purpose of the forum. It's easy to get carried away on off topic garbage. I used to find myself arguing politics on the Howard Stern fan boards. imagine the intellectual quality of people that place had. I see people on mmo-champion's forums screaming about feminism, religion or war. Ultimately it can cause you to associate that forum or even the original purpose of the forum with feelings of anger.

 

I've been in a place where I was so invested in arguing that I lost sight of why i should have been there. I lost a lot of enjoyment from watching this show due to the negative interactions I had with some of its fans. That's a mistake I would never repeat again, but sadly I can't have that time back when the show was still new and shiny.

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(edited)

Everything can be a waste of time(Who will remember you art, literature, etc unless you do something extraordinary?), it all depends on what it can do for you. If the entertainment you gain from forums keeps you from boredom/insanity/etc then it has been useful(Entertainment is a necessity and comes in all shapes and sizes. Forums are included). Though this may be a bit hedonistic, that is what life is primarily about(Unless you bring religion into it or survival). You work to both support and make life enjoyable for yourself(As well as others).

Edited by Guardsman Moondancer
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i think forum is pretty good place to simulate  social  conversations between people and it is good way to connect people all around the world I mean I cant afford to go to the america just to say hi  but in the forum i can say hi to people who are  not so close to me in distance .

 

and the forums have been very helpful for me  as i dont have any  physical social connections  or  friends offline it is a place where i can meet good people and I can be happy with them I mean I could be alone  and do something more productive but what is te point of doing anything if there is no one you can show the product to . 

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I could go all philosophical on your ass and say, Ultimately everything is a waste of time, but that sounds extremely depressing x) I think it all comes to what a view of a waste of time is. Some people arguing gaming is a waste of time, but is it a waste of time if the person enjoys it? Some people are super career focused while others think that is a waste of time.  Like Gestum said, it isn't a waste of time if you enjoy it, but people shouldn't let anything on the internet consume their lives and have to understand that one day it may end. 

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As someone who has spent the last 7 years on at least 1 forum, I wouldn't say they're a waste of time if you come across people you like.

 

Oh, and my favorite flower is the faceplant.

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