First ever posts!

[The Sixth Wizard]

I would be really interested if any of the older or relatively new members could show us their First Ever posts! If you can find it, post it here...
Mine, coincidentally, was :

Originally Posted by Yours Truly

Hi everyone it's me the Sixth Wizard!

A.K.A The BIGGEST TOLKEIN FAN EVA!!!!!!!!!!

. . .And no I am not joking. This was me, inexperienced in the internet and possibly life, first time on a Tolkien forum.

Wouldn't it be cool if for example Saucepan Man, who has the greatest number of posts on the 'Downs, would show us the FIRST EVA. ( )

I'm sure they'll be hard to find, seeing as the "find more posts" option only goes back 500...

[Thinlómien]

Here's mine. I actually started a new thread with that name. This is the first post:

The Umli? Did/ do they exist?
I´ve been thinking this for long time. Umli, those half-dwarves, living in cold areas, do they exist in Tolkien´s books? They are one of the playable races in M.E.R.P. (Middle-Earth roleplaying), but I haven´t found any mention about them in Tolkien´s books (LotR, Silmarillion, Hobbit, Unfinished Tales). So I ask you, who I suppose to know this, is there any mention about umlis in any other souce, eg. The Adventures of Tom Bombadil? I think the idea of some half-dwarf folk sounds strange but it also sounds strange that the makers of the roleplaying game would have put races of their own to the book (I think it was made in co-operation with someone owning the rights of Middle-Earth...?).
And you may ask that why did I put this here, not to the roleplaying board. The answer is simple: I suppose you, who visit here know more...

It's quite amusing with using ´ instead of ' and various mistakes I wouldn't make today and me having no knowledge how the forum works... *remembers fondly the newbie times*

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Personally I'm very curious on how some of you started here (though, I could probably find out myself, but this way it's much better).

Six: Now, Six! Judging from this post, it should've been you playing the young fanboy/Tolkien geek in the last WW...
Lommy: Wow, what an... (seeks a good word) unexpected start from you... (at least from my point - I wonder now, this is for the second time I see you speaking of MERP in the last day - and never seen you speaking about that before - I never knew you had anything to do with it..?)

Well, to my first post - many of you will probably still remember it, but I'll post it here... (I pondered for a moment if I should post it or just link, since it's quite long, but then I said to myself that if I sent just a link, it might cause it to be skipped by potentional reader, so here it is.) Like Lommy, I started a thread in the Books with it (and in contrary to Lommy's, the matter was not completely solved yet!):

About Saruman and the Shire
Hi there, I just have one question which I'd like to get answered. I don't seem to figure the answer out by myself, so I'd be happy if you offer any assistence The topic is: When actually did Saruman start to care for the Shire? And, (continuingly) when did he start to smoke?

The thing is (to what I have come so far, up to now), according to Appendix B in LotR, Saruman started to watch the Shire regularly from 2953 TA on (the last White Council meeting). He appointed spies there and so on. This corresponds with the second text in Unfinished Tales (About Gandalf, Saruman and the Shire) where it is said that he started to visit (or appoint others to visit) the Shire "before the shadow of uncertainity fell on that land and it was scarcely guarded..." (which would start around 3000, when the Shire was more guarded by the Rangers).
But nowhere it's said he couldn't have started to care of the Shire earlier in 2953, let's say, for example once or twice visited it in secret (as he did later, before he appointed spies) - perhaps to check out "what does that Gandalf see on that no-mans-land?" or to buy some of the Ol'Tobby In the text about Gandalf, Saruman and the Shire (UT) there is that story of Saruman seeing Gandalf smoke - and talking about it - on the 2851 White Council meeting. But in Appendix B there is no word (and it seems very unlikely) that Saruman started to act in the Shire right after. But...

...the thing is, the first text from "About Gandalf, Saruman and the Shire" seems (at least to me) not to be narrative, but explaining: there is not distinct chronology in the text. But there are parts which confuse me:

"...when Saruman noticed Gandalf's love for the pipe weed (...) he tried it himself and soon he started to use it..." (sorry I'm translating back to English, I don't have the original) It seems to me, that Saruman first tested it some shord period after he saw Gandalf - which would be in 2850, right? (or short after) What do you think then? Did it take until 100 years later that he started to operate in the Shire, or perhaps until then he visited the Shire by himself once or twice, and obtained something to smoke? But if he did, wouldn't he smoke it regularly, and so start to require regular supplies? (according to UT: "...for this, the Shire continued to be important for him..." Again, sorry for the quotations, they are attempts to translate back to English since I don't have them in original, so maybe I even misinterpretated something because of translation )

But anyway, anyone any opinions about that? Any suggestions welcome.

[Thinlómien]

Legate - well, I must say that my reason to join this place was to get to ask that question (and possibly get to ask some other questions in future). Oh, and I've played MERP for ages (since I was nine or ten I guess - blame Noggie)...

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Sixer

I'm sure they'll be hard to find, seeing as the "find more posts" option only goes back 500...

Well, the variables on the Advanced Search function (searching by forum, date etc) do allow some leeway, but I still can't see my first posts on, for example, Books, Movies or Mirth because there are so many, even searching only those a year back or earlier.

However, as far as I can I recall, this was my first post ever. on WHo in the fellowship would have tried to take the ring next?.

I followed this up shortly with my first thread - Gwaihir to the rescue .. again?. A shamefully common question for a newbie, and to my even greater embarrassment, I was quickly directed (by Sharkû) to the Search function, as there were already umpteen threads on the point.

And, here is my first post on the Introduction thread.

Wow! Was that really 4½ years ago ...?

[Thinlómien]

A very good idea to add those introduction posts.

Here's mine.
Awwww, that's so funny and cute... *remembers 14-year old self*
Wait... That was only three years ago?

[Rikae]

Great thread idea, Sixth!

Oh, OK, my first ever post then.

Originally Posted by Newbie Rikae

Hello! This looks like a fun place to spend one's afterlife...

I've been a Tolkien fan since I read the Hobbit (20 years ago) and LOTR (19 years ago). Reread many times since, and no other book has taken their place in my heart. The PJ movies were the only movies I went to the trouble to watch in the theatre since my kids were born. Though the movies weren't perfect (I think I'm too much of a Tolkien fan to ever be fully satisfied with a film version), they are definitely up there among my favorite movies of all time. (Besides, there are two actors I like very much in them...and you'll never guess who!)
About me...I'm a divorced (well, not officially yet) mom of 3 girls and am back in college now, finishing up my Bachelor's: major in Studio Art & minor Media and Society, then it's on to grad school. My hobbies etc. are art (of course), gardening, reading & movies (I'm a sucker for fantasy & sci-fi, and a MP fan), backpacking, and spending way too much time on the internet.

Rune was the first to greet me, and there then followed some discussion about what MP was (Monty Python, in this case). The actors were Brad Dourif and Andy Serkis, btw, the latter of whom I met in March.

My goodness, a lot has changed in nine months...my major, for starters...

Now I'm curious...off to find somebody else's first post ever...