When You Are Oppressed, Or Ten Weighty Reasons for Teenagers and Their Parents

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Anyway, I think Hookbill had been drinking Pernod. Ugh. *Shudder*

What Mackes you skay that? (falls over)

[the phantom]

My mom is a BIG nagger. She worries about everything. It gets annoying sometimes, but I know she loves me. My dad doesn't really nag, but he's always big on giving warnings on things involving finance, work, and school. You know, kind of pointing out no-nos ahead of time.

I joined the Downs as a teen. I was almost 20, but still, I was a teen, still in school, and living at home- well within my mother and father's nagging jurisdiction, yet I did not receive a single warning or nag about the Downs (except those concerning the percentage of my day I spent on the site, which at times was substantial).

My parents figured that I wasn't stupid and that I could take care of myself. If I would've joined the site and immediately started handing out my full name, SSN, credit card #, and address then something bad might've happened but my parents knew I wouldn't do that (and if I did do it, they would tell me "tough luck, it's your own fault and you know it").

Unless you make bad decisions The Barrow-Downs is very safe. In fact, it's probably safer than going to a mall. You could get into a wreck on the way to the mall. You could get robbed, raped, or abducted in the parking lot. Also, I've been a cashier in the past and if someone came through my line with a store specific credit card I knew a couple ways to really mess their finances up if I wanted to (but don't worry, I doubt the other cashiers ever could think of the method let alone pull it off).

Plus, you'd think a site dedicated to quality literature would have an extremely low number of stalkers when compared to chat rooms, gaming forums, and other places on the web.

When it comes to the amount of time spent on the Downs, obviously work and school should not be kicked to the curb to make room, but if all tasks have been completed and it is time for recreation then why not spend a large amount of time on the Downs? It can be quite beneficial for reasons listed above in other posts. It's certainly better than lots of the things I see kids doing for fun.

Anyway, my parents were always happy to see me doing things in my free time that required thinking and reading. Nobody has anything against those two things, right?

(ironically, after saying school should come first- this post took longer than I thought so I'm late for class now)

[InklingElf]

I totally concur with your points H-I!

As I've observed from my stay here at the Downs my literary criticism here and at school has much improved. Of course my many thanks go to the elder members of this forum mainly because they have shown great confidence in the points they make in certain posts, backed up by plausible information etc. etc. Don't worry I won't make the sob-story out of this post

A week or two ago I reviewed my very first ramblings on the Downs...much like looking back on a journal so you can imagine how embarrased I am with reactions like "Did I write that!?" and so forth...but as it progressed I found my more recent postings more purposeful and found myself delving more into more serious posts...and leaving doggy ears in me dictionary (heh).

I am sorry for the kids that were banned from the Downs--no one can argue a parent's perrogative but I believe this rich community may contribute in many ways to education mainly in Tolkienology....er English Literature.

I remain a faithful member of the Downs. Though it is a slightly goofy at times its academia-like atmosphere remains a small but imperative part of my interests and schooling....I WILL bookmark that list H-I

[Mithalwen]

I don't mind the occasional pastis (memories of very hot evenings at french terrace bars) but it should be mixed with a lot of water and sipped slowly.... The teenage tendency to mix it with Blackcurrant cordial and slug it tends to lead to "talking to God on the great white telephone" (and ruins the palate)...
so a very bad idea ...

[Elennar Starfire]

Quote:
My mother holds fully to the "For all you know you could be talking to some 40-year-old pervert petifile!" thing. I did tell her that this is a very family-friendly site, and that any problems of the creepy-git variety are quickly dealt with, but she gave me a patented maternal look and just said "You just be careful" in this tone she's got.


Oh, how familiar that sounds . My mother is convinced that anyone who speaks to me over the internet is a criminal. Mostly I just growl and point out how strict the BW is.

My mum gets upset at me if I give out info like "I have a younger sister". Seriously...who could stalk me with that? Not that I pay attention to her or anything...I'm not stupid.

[akhtene]

I probably belong to that weird minority of parents who would like my child to spend more time at the computer, but she hardly would (too much into sport).
I would mostly wish her to practise her English, and maybe some other skills previously mentioned.

[Orominuialwen]

I am very fortunate in that my parents (especially my mother) approve of the Barrow-Downs. They realize that I'm not going to do anything stupid like give out my real name, my age, my phone number, or any location more specific than the city and state I live in (there are over 200,000 people in it, so it's not like I'd be easy to track down just going on that.) Due to my time here I've become a much better typist (I've gone from being absolutely terrible to only moderately bad ) and a better writer (I now cringe to see some of my early posts). I've really become more outgoing from my time here, too. Normally I am very shy and hardly talk around people I don't know well, but not so here. I've also learned tons about different parts of the world and other cultures due to the fact that the BDer's come from all different places. The 'Downs is an education in itself!

[HerenIstarion]

Long live akhtene! Praise her with great praise!
Cuio i akhtene anann! Aglar’ni akhteniannath
Praise her with great praise, akhtene of the great mind!
Daur a Berhael, Conin en Annűn! Eglerio!
Praise her!
Eglerio!
A laita te, laita te! Andave laituvalmet!
Praise her!
Cormacolindor, a laita tárienna!
Praise her! The thoughtful heart, praise her with great praise!’

*Anyone versed in elvish is welcome to correct all of those 'eglerio'-s (which I have a feeling do not apply to singular and feminine at all) and other similar stuff and things...

And, of course, nice to see akhtene back

Partying re: nothing bad in having little fun, as long as one has fun. And truly, 'my fun is different from yours' Men may long remember your words, Ioreth (um, sorry, I mean, Fea)! For there is hope in them

And yet, and yet we down here, (yours truly at least) are for a good middle line, or, wossname, golden mean, divine proportion and all of them strange things wise [wo]men do. Or:

All of the parties involved should compromise, as far as I see things, but sometimes there is a need for a little push and shove. Democracy we live in, and all are equals, but, recalling particular farm of fame, some of us are more equal than others, and in the parent-child dichotomy parent is exclusevely more equal (by far, by very very far). Hence the need of the push mentioned, and what is a better push than simple letting the opposite side in? Conqeurors came and went, but Ankh-Morpork stood where it stands...

So, do not merely complain, be more constructive! What was that c[h]at thing about, eh? Yours truly enjoys his beer and a little wine sometimes, so hush about digestive systems and panleukopenia of feline family members, pray

Besides, wine drinking has a lot of tradition behind it. Letting alone quite obvious Christian connections, almost all of the pre-Cristian religions considered wine as sacred (Sun worship, usually). Not to forget Thranduil's good elves and especially the butler, Galion, who's preferences in the matter allowed Bilbo to free dwarves (dear mods, I'm a sneak, I can keep any topic Tolkien related ).

Excessive application of anything is what's really harmful.

cheers