Top Ten Signs You're Addicted to the Barrow-Downs

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

Never heard that one, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's bogus. A *lot* of Urban Dictionary's "definitions" aren't real– not even real slang, I mean.

I can't remember who exactly I learnt it from, but it wasn't Urban Dictionary. I think it was... a professor!

[Glirdan]

When you use your phone to check up on what's been happening and to play a game if WW due to lack of computer and Internet......not as easy as it sounds when you have auto-correct, although it makes for some very interesting sentences that never get posted

[Galadriel55]

When a brief look at the Downs before school and a couple hours after become a habit.

When you start thinking in BD typing abbreviations (like Pee-Jay instead of Peter Jackson, LoteR instead of Lord of the Rings, The-Sil instead of The Silmarillion, You-Tea for Unfinished Tales, etc...)

Yes. Then you know you're addicted.

[Galadriel55]

When anything really good or really bad/annoying happens, one of the first things that enters your mind is "I should post about this on the Shire/Mordor thread..."

Yes, my printer has just chewed on half a pack of paper, and I just spend 20 minutes wrestling it from it's teeth. And right when I finished I thought I should assign this to Mordor... but thinking of the Downs made me not mad again.

[Boromir88]

Realizing the years of cross-posting on the Barrow-Downs, has now moved into crossing on other social sites. Like cross-messaging on facebook. And I don't just mean "Hi" crossing, I'm talking full 4+ paragraph message being crossed by both people. Then after the cross-messaging, replying "Edit: oops, cross-posted."

[MCRmyGirl4eva]

Another sign: You join after stalking the site for a month

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by MCRmyGirl4eva

Another sign: You join after stalking the site for a month

I think that's not so bad still. As far as I am aware, there are people who joined after stalking for many months or even year(s) (and who knows how many are out there who are doing that right now still. I am pretty sure there are some. Yes, I see you! Yes, I mean you! Join now! After you join, you can claim it was me who talked you into that).

And welcome to the 'Downs!

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Apparently that annoying exclamation mark that is on Big Lots adverts is called Lottie. I immediately thought of Loslote when I saw that, even though I haven't posted in how long?
Also, Google Chrome has that thing where it displays your six favourite/most visited websites and whenever the Barrow-Downs is not one of them, I go crazy getting it back on there.

[MCRmyGirl4eva]

When you come on here merely waiting for toast to pop.

[Galadriel55]

When you see a random stranger and think that s/he looks like DownerX. And then wonder what on earth s/he would be doing here now, since they live across the world. And only then tell yourself that no one decided to pay you a surprise visit.

[Eönwë]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

When you start thinking in BD typing abbreviations (like Pee-Jay instead of Peter Jackson.

Just wanted to point out that Andy Serkis does that (have you seen the newest production video for the Hobbit?)

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Eönwë

Just wanted to point out that Andy Serkis does that (have you seen the newest production video for the Hobbit?)

Heh, I'm not the only one I guess... But does he call the movie PJ is producing "tee-aych"?

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

This is probably the best place to post about what happened to me today - even though it is not really a "sign", strictly speaking. It's, I think, a natural result of being a 'Downer (or in my case, being me).

Not sure if any of you are familiar with the computer game Star Wars: The Old Republic (or if any of you are even playing it). I am, and let's just say that it's a classic role-playing game where you have your character, who has a story which you are following in the game, all situated in the Star Wars universe (long time before the movies). Now I was playing a person acting as a spy who, as it comes, has to use secret codenames. So from time to time, you get a codename in which your character is addressed during some part of the game.

I would like to point out that all the dialogues with the NPCs (non-player characters) in the game are fully voiced and so it looks more like watching a movie than playing a game when you talk to someone.

This time, I came to some NPC who was about to assign a new task to me. He explained to me what I have to do, and then he finished the dialogue by saying: "Your codename for this operation will be... Legate."

For a few seconds, I was like: "What??? Did I hear correctly?" And then I completely cracked up. I mean, YES. That's possibly the coolest thing that might have happened to me there

It feels great to be called by your own name, you see

P.S. Oh, I just recalled, when I am at it... the fact that the very same character's ship is called "the Phantom" is a minor detail. Now that I think of it... if I encounter one more 'Downer name in there, I might start becoming suspicious as to the identity of the creators of the game...