How long?

[Kath]

Disclaimer: I'm not sure if this is allowed and will happily delete it if asked to!

Basically this is for my own personal interest. My mother asked me earlier just how long I spent on the Downs in a day. I had a think about it and came up with an average answer of at least 3-4 hours on a normal day, and much longer when playing werewolf, on weekends and days when I'm ill.

This got me to wondering whether this is more, less or about the same as all you other Downers. So I thought I would start this thread and ask you to put down how long you tend to be online for in a day.

I didn't make it a poll because that's a little impersonal. I like explanations and reasons. Also, I'd love to know where you spend most of your time when online.

If I get enough answers then I'm sure to find people who spend more time on a day than me, and the next time someone accuses me of obsession I can just open this thread and point out those more obsessed than me!

[Glirdan]

Hmmm....This is an interesting thought and question....I think, on school days, I'm on for at least (normally) three hours a day. On weekends and stuff, it's anything over seven hours. So, you can use me as an example if you want to!

[Diamond18]

If I have work, about 7 or so hours. If I don't have work, things can get pretty scary....

I mainly haunt forums and email lists pertaining to my various interets.

[The Only Real Estel]

How long on average....

Probably 15-20 minutes on the Downs. If that.

Maybe...30-40 minutes total? If I'm not on the Downs I'm either (A) looking up sports stuff (or playing fantasy football, depending on the season ) (B) emailing (C) searching my friends xanga sites (since mine had to be shut down) edit: (D) oh yeah, and of course chatting on AIM, Yahoo, & MSN...

That's about it really.

[JennyHallu]

Well...used to be about 6-7 hours, mostly spent lurking...but with these new rules at work...I'll be down to about 2-4 depending on the day. Spending time with hubby does come first. By a tad.

[Farael]

It varies a lot. When I'm on the computer, I'm usually checking the forums often, but rarely staying for too long. I'm not a big fan of lurking I guess so I talk to people on MSN, check various hockey, football and other kinds of entretainment sites and then check the downs again. It's hard to put a number on it, but I'd say about 2-4 hours on average? Some days I'm only around for half an hour, other days I spend a whole afternoon in and out.... so yeah, I'd think it averages to somewhere around that.

[Valesse]

Like Kath, if I'm doing some 'project' I might spend hours on a single post. The first post of the "day" in WW usually takes me about thirty minutes (Thats a VERY important post!) but when I did the SilmIRC it got up to two hours! Its not that I'm a slow writer, I just want to word everything -just- right. In those situations I can easily rack up 5-6 hours on the 'Downs per day.

However, on average, I probably spend about 2-3 hours on the 'Downs in a day, mostly in an unactive, vegitable state, staring at the "Who's online?" page and refreshing constantly to see what the latest Mirth is about. Sad, isn't it?

Most of my time is spent on mIRC with chat-'Downers like BB and Esty

[Nogrod]

I'll join this "it depends"-club. On a hard and entertaining game at WW it takes half of the day... (all the free time), on easier days, I might just check the situation (½ hour) and log out.

RPG posts I normally write "unlogged", but surely that is BD-time too? They tend to take some time, more so, as English is not my first language. I usually write them by hand somewhere else, and then a second time with my PC.

[Diamond18]

So it seems TORE is the only one in this thread so far who seems healthy. Though I suspect he downplays his time since I've seen him on the 'Downs for longer periods. Who's Online tells all, mwah ha ha!

I kind of bounce all arond the net (and IM of course) when I'm online so I like to think I don't hang out in one place for too long. Though Werewolf games kind of take a lot of time and effort so if there's a game going on, that increases my 'Downs time but a lot.

[the guy who be short]

Wow. You're nuts.

I used to spend quite a while here, but it's down to about half an hour a day. Except when I have to PM... then it's often far longer!

[Meela]

It used to be that I would spend half my day, maybe even the whole day on and off, on the Downs, but now I only check one or two threads a couple times a day, so it's only about ten minutes to half an hour a day.

[Formendacil]

Hmm.... about 45 minutes let's say in late morning/noonish. At least one additional catchup of 30 minutes in the mid-late afternoon. And a checkup in the later evening- possibly late at night if I work- of another 30 minutes.

So, a baseline of probably about 2 hours.

However, on days when I neither work nor have to spend time doing... stuff... that probably jumps up to about 4, maybe even 5 hours.

Also... does time spent MSNing 'Downers count? Because I probably spend at least another half hour per day on other sites, more if another 'Downer's on MSN...

[alatar]

Surely I spend only spend two of three minutes a week on the 'Downs, right? Keep that in mind as we work to get our stories straight .

[Cailín]

Unless I am playing werewolves, I do not spend much successive time on the Downs. When I'm home, I just check every hour or so - see if anything interesting happened. About an hour or two a day in total, I guess.

I work on the computer a lot - translating and all that - so I'm often around to check if I got any PMs, but mostly focusing on other things. Or at least, attempting to focus on other things.

[Firefoot]

"It depends."

Without RPG's and without werewolf, we'll call it 1-2 hours.* An RPG post will take between 1/2 and 1 hour, and werewolf... well, I haven't been playing as much lately, so that's less of a consideration, but when I do - we'll call it a lot more time.

*Weekends - definitely more time than that.

That's not sounding right. I should try tallying myself some time. The thing is, I often just pop in to check, and I might be on for just a couple minutes. I'm really sure how that all adds up.

[Celuien]

Lots.

I never really tried totalling my time before, but I guess about 1-2 hours on a usual day, more if I'm in a Werewolf game. And that doesn't count my offline time working on posts. When the Assigned to Mordor RPG was active, I'd spend an extra 2-3 hours offline just working on posts for the game. Werewolf can add another 3 or 4 hours between researching village happenings and posting.

Range: 1-6.

[The Only Real Estel]

Originally Posted by Diamond18

So it seems TORE is the only one in this thread so far who seems healthy. Though I suspect he downplays his time since I've seen him on the 'Downs for longer periods. Who's Online tells all, mwah ha ha!

Haha, no I'm not "downplaying" (otherwise known as lying ) my time. I just have a bad habit of not logging out of my account. (until it logs me out automatically)

So according to Who's Online, I'm probably on here quite a bit!

[Hookbill the Goomba]

How long do I spend on the Downs? Very simply:

Far longer than is healthy.

Lets see:
1hour in the morning
30 mins in at college
2 hours just after getting home
3 hours after tea
And probably the odd 15 minuets here and there.


You know what I blame this on the downfall of? Society.

[Lalwendë]

Depends.

Sometimes I can spend most of the day with the Downs open, even if I'm in another window trawling e-Bay or something. Other times I have a binge and go on here for hours.

I like having a look at random times during the day, but it depends if I am really busy at work or not. If I get a moment between tasks I often have a look though, even if I am busy. But if there's someone sneaking round my desk I have to shut it down right away, because I don't know who I can trust not to be a big ol' grass round here!

But then some days I don't get on at all, even at weekends. Mainly as I'm busy. What I do is say to davem "Is there owt on t'Downs?", and he might go "Nah, it's dead." So I don't log on. or he might go "I'm just having an argument about..." in which case I make sure to have a look, as I may as well, as he'll be quiet and glued to the screen for a few hours.

A lot of the time though, I'll come on for a nose not intending to stop on, but I'll get carried away with a post, which is why I have eye bags, from late night postings. Cheers you guys!

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

Mainly as I'm busy. What I do is say to davem "Is there owt on t'Downs?", and he might go "Nah, it's dead."

Ho ho ho.

I must say I pretty much do the same, usually. That is, keeping the Downs open even when I'm off doing something else. I sometimes just leave it open on my computer as I go downstairs or somewhere else.

[Celuien]

Originally Posted by Hookbill the Goomba

I sometimes just leave it open on my computer as I go downstairs or somewhere else.

Same here. So don't go taking that Who's Online list too seriously, or there might be some times it looks like I'm here all day!

[Kath]

I never even look at the Who's Online list! But then, it took me a good 2 years to find it in the first place

Thanks for all the answers guys, and especially thanks to Hookbill! My time is about half of yours! Well, when not ill. I think this week I've been on here about 8 or 9 hours each day!

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Originally Posted by Kath

Thanks for all the answers guys, and especially thanks to Hookbill! My time is about half of yours! Well, when not ill. I think this week I've been on here about 8 or 9 hours each day!

What can I say? I have no social life and have no intentions of getting one. If nothing else, it saves vastly on money.
But when I'm not on the Downs, I'm usually doing something Downs related (mostly photo-shopping )

[Diamond18]

Originally Posted by Celuien

Same here. So don't go taking that Who's Online list too seriously, or there might be some times it looks like I'm here all day!

I usually like to be invisible for just this reason -- I hate having to remember to log out, and then have to log back in... so if I'm invisible I can leave myself logged in 24/7 without people wondering have I lost my mind. It never logs me out automatically, I wonder why.... Anyway, right now I'm visible because I'm modding werewolf and I figured my players would like to know if I'm online should they have a question or whatever. I'm not sure they actually care, but I decided to go the extra mile if anyone does. Of course, I have not been remembering to log out every time, but oh well.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Freaks. Weirdos. You're all sick! (Well, some of you.)

If I have nothing else to do then I'll often hang around, drifting among the corpses. But you want an average? Well, I certainly come here every day. Average? Less than an hour.

I know that Hookbill is on at all times. Maybe it just so happens that he's on when I'm on I used to tell myself.

Yeah, right. I'd say he's severely HOOKED.

[Amanaduial the archer]

I feel like an outcast! I don't go on as much as I used to, hence my decline in RPG posts - generally probably about, ooh, 3 hours a week? So about as much as most people apparently go on in a day... It used to be much more: last year and the year before, my 'glory days', I was probably logging about for about 3-6 hours per day, but then AS-Levels started to feature in the equation, along with multiple commitments; it's been than usual more recently, but I went for a few weeks without the Downs - but yeah, my time probably averages about 2-5 hours per week.

Of course, as I have no really strong excuse such as marriage (if you have a look at the Memorial of Members thread - congratulations to Ithaeliel, much as it is bizarre to be wishing someone of almost my own age that; I'm so glad you've found someone who makes you that happy), you may commence the throwing of projectile objects for such shameful Downs disloyalty

[Diamond18]

Originally Posted by Eomer of the Rohirrim

Freaks. Weirdos. You're all sick! (Well, some of you.)

Werewolf sickness. (At least in my case. ) It's highly contagious and a devil to cure.

Aman, speaking of Downs disloyalty, I've been known to be gone for months at a time.

[Thinlómien]

Well, well, well. I'm not usually online every day. (About four days a week or so, it depends.) When I am, it varies from 1½ hour to 5 hours. With werewolfing even more.

[Lhunardawen]

During my first two years, I'm here for only 2-3 hours (or so) a week. Every weekends. When I'm temporarily released from *ehem* prison. Come fourth year, though, I managed to sneak in every now and then during Com Sci class. Hahaha. Where's that evil smilie?

After graduating from high school, it's 2-3 hours (or so) everyday. Or at least I try to be here everyday. Saturdays are especially hard since I'm sometimes away the whole day. I occasionally work offline, too - for Green Dragon posts or replies to long PMs.

[Parmawen]

Oh, now I feel bad. I'm on probably about 10-25 minutes a day...maybe 40 if I'm posting a lot in the discussion forums. I tend to haunt the Middle Earth mirth section the most...

[mormegil]

Well generally on an average day at work it's open all day long but I check things about for 5 minutes every hour. Generally I spend most of my 30 minutes of lunch on it. It depends a lot of what is happening at home as to how long I spend, probably between one to two hours. I use to spend a lot more time at work but since my promotion it's been more difficult.

[Taralphiel]

I'm another work-day browser. A couple of minutes here and there, though I supopose it would add up to about 2 hours by the end of the day.

I spend most of my time in the RPG's, though on uber-lurk mode at the moment . Also (as I am notoriously shy on BD) I lurk the books and movie discussion thread and look through some of the discussions, but never pluck up the bravery to add my two cents in

Maybe one day....

Tara

[Laitoste]

Again, it depends. I'm on for a couple of minutes at a time throughout the day. I'm probably on for about 2-3 hours, total, and more on weekends and days when I don't have anything else to do (I have 2 slacker classes this semester and it wasn't supposed to turn out that way. ).

[Brinniel]

Ah, there's nothing like reviving an old thread.

When I first joined the Downs, I used to spend over half my day on the computer. I talked, thought, and breathed the B-D. It was an addiction and it drove my family crazy.

Then in early 2004, I disappeared and ghosted away due to the unfortunate problem of obligations to reality. Over two years later and graduated from high school, I'm back. I admit I no longer talk, think, and breathe the B-D, but nevertheless I am back. Now I usually spend no longer than two hours on the B-D each day, unless I'm RPGing (I'm a terribly slow writer.)

[Holbytlass]

Every morning (unless problems) I check emails and birthday wish then browse mirth and BD announcements/obituaries for 'bout an hour. An hour or more in the afternoon and sometimes at night if I can't sleep, I'll check out books and novices/newcomers.

About 2-3 hours weekdays, 1hour weekenddays. Werewolf games jump up to about 5 hours everyday.