An Unexpected Vir(tu)al Party - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

***Mithadan*** · 06-28-2020, 05:00 PM

As the assembled crowd grew silent and lost in their own thoughts, typically a foreshadowing of a mass exodus from the party to take place shortly, Mithadan smiled. It had been a long time since he had done more on the Barrow-Downs than post an occasional thought, start a rare thread or do some needed policing. Long ago, he had posted as often as anyone. Long ago..., and here was the reminder of how long. Twenty years. Around 1998, he had begun to first scour the internet for sites with information about Tolkien and Middle-Earth. It was not long before he came across the first message board. A sleepy place with few posters having a short attention span. It disappeared quickly. He did not even recall the name... something like the Tolkien Meeting Room or something like that. Shortly thereafter, with news of the movies beginning to percolate, Mithadan discovered a few more bulletin boards. Some were too quiet. Some had members that actually knew one another and weren't interested in outsiders. One was dominated by a moderator that was convinced he was the ultimate authority on Tolkien. Another was fixated on the movies.

He stumbled upon the Barrow-Downs within days after the site opened (the splash page opened a bit before the forums; did anyone here even know that the site has a splash page?). He did what most people do. He lurked for a while without registering or posting. Then he jumped in with both feet. Not only did he post; he started a new thread... and got flamed. Mithadan chuckled. He even recalled who did it. A condescending reply along the lines of "shouldn't this be posted in the Newcomers Forum?" This was almost enough to make him leave. But he didn't. And soon, he virtually met Barrow-Wight, Mr. Underhill and Sharku, who eventually made up the initial team of Administrators. Twenty years ago...

Taking up a wine glass, Mithadan drew a dagger and tapped it against the rim, sounding a bell-like tone. The room grew even more silent as he stood. Curious, Bird flew over and perched upon the back of a chair.

"Estelyn!" he cried. "Thank you for organizing this virtual get-together. This has been a fine party on a worthy occasion. And a welcome distraction from our troubles and concerns. To Estelyn!"

He drained his glass as the crowd chimed in with cheers and cries of "Here, here!" and "Good old Esty!"

As the cheers died down, he continued. "The is the Down's twentieth birthday! That is a long time for a website to exist. Even Facebook is not that old!" He looked about at the faces surrounding him. "I do not know everyone here. I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

"Oh-oh," whispered Pio. "He's leaving again."

"But," he continued. "I hope that I will get to know many of you. And to those who have been long absent but appeared for this special event, thag you bery much!"

He took a deep breath and his smile grew a bit sad. "Twenty years," he said. "A long time. And perhaps I have been an absentee for many of those years. I wish I had not been. For I have enjoyed being a member of the Downs. I have enjoyed the discussions, the RPGs, and even the arguments. You see, before I joined the Downs, my interest in Middle-Earth was, to quote the Professor, 'a secret vice.' Until there was an internet, I did not know anyone personally who had an interest in things Tolkien. It seems inconceivable today, but its true. And thank you, Barrow-Wight for making this happen!

"So for the last twenty years, I have enjoyed the opportunity to converse with people having like interests, something I could not do during the... ten years I lived before that."

"Ha!" proclaimed Saucepan Man. More polite, Piosenniel and Birdland merely chuckled.

"In about 2005, I first noticed something," Mithadan continued. "Some of the members that had first posted a few years before had disappeared. These were persons that I, at least, considered colleagues that shared a common interest, and, at best, friends. Some had made announcements or explanations, others simply were gone. Some reappeared years later, for a month or a season, but most did not. Others arrived and filled their spaces, if not their memories. Keep in mind, this was years before "Social Media" in its present form developed. Members never used their real names and rarely shared them; there was a real fear of hacking and identity theft, as well as perhaps a desire that the members "vice" remain secret. I sometimes received queries from concerned parents worrying about who their children were speaking to."

Mithadan paused. He seemed to see faces and images that others could not. His smile faded almost entirely. But it did not disappear. His message was both melancholy and happy.

He continued. "The folks that I posted with in 2000 to 2005 are not the same as those who posted in 2005 to 2010, 2010 to 2015, or 2015 to 2020. Yes, I have gotten to know new members and make new friends and some old timers are still here. But I miss those that are gone. Yes, I could look up the e-mails that they used to register, assuming they survived the change over of platforms and that the members still use the same accounts, but that would be a bit strange. Perhaps some will stop by again, as several have to attend this party.

"But their words and thoughts survive, maintained on our forums. They are not forgotten. So my last toast today is in honor of those missing. I have prepared a list of some of those departed members; those that I recall fondly. You should all feel free to recite your own lists and why you remember those members. Mine is too long to give reasons why I miss them. Suffice it to say that I do. And if I have forgotten anyone, well, they will have to stop by and remind me who they are... or were."

He laughed. With a twinkle in his eye, he added, "For I am not Mithadan. That is only my persona. Just as they are not their screen-names"

The doors to the hall opened and a line of Stone Trolls entered. Each, ignoring the screams of those who fled from their entry, marched with dignity into the center of the room. Each bore a drum and carried drumsticks. They formed a (slightly ragged) line and awaited Mithadan's signal.

"This list contains the screen-names of those who once posted here, but are now gone. Members that have posted or visited within the last several months are not included, even if they rarely appear. Some may have very few posts, but touched my soul in some way. Some may not have visited in many years. Others that have many hundreds or even thousands of posts are not included simply because I do not recognize them. This is my personal list. I urge you to post your own lists in honor of your departed friends. Something like this was done many years ago in a thread entitled A Memorial of Members.

"To all my friends who have moved on, a toast!" After each name was recited, the drums rolled.

Mithadan removed a scroll from his pocket. When unrolled, it nearly reached the floor. Interested, Bird craned her neck, a stream of smoke issuing from her nostrils. "Don't even think about it," warned Mithadan as he pulled the scroll out of her reach. He cleared his throat and began to recite his list.

"*Varda*
Aganzir
Ainaserkwen
Alaklondewen
Alfirin
Alkanoonian
Amanaduial the Archer
Aralaithiel
Arwen Imladris
Aylwen Dreamsong
Azaelia of Willowbottom
Balin999
Belegorn
Belin
Beregond
Beren87
Birdland
Bruce MacCulloch
burrahobbit
CaptainofDespair
Child of the Seventh Age
Cuthalion
dancing spawn of ungoliant
Daniel Telcontar
davem
Diamond18
dogtrot
doug*platypus
dragoneyes
drigel
Durelin
Dwarin Thunderhammer
Ealasaide
Elenna
Elmo
Encaitare
enep
Envinyatar
Erendis
Feanor of the Peredhil
Finwe
Firefoot
Frodo Baggins
galpsi
gamegie
Gil-Galad
Gilthalion
Gordis
Gwaihir the Windlord
HerenIstarion
Ibrîniðilpathânezel
Imladris
InklingElf
JenFramp
JennyHallu
Joy
Kalessin
Kalimac
Keeper of Dol Guldor
LadyBrooke
Lalwende
lathspell
LePetitChoux
Lindil
Lindolirian
Lobelia
Lotrelf
Lush
Mad Baggins
Maedhros
Maikadilwen
Man-of-the-Wold
Marileangorifurnimaluim
MatthewM
Mattius
McCaber
Merendis
Mhoram
MLD-Grounds-Keeper-Willie
Mnemosyne
Morai
mormegil
Nerwen
Nienna
onewhitetree
Orald
Phil the Balrog
Phrim
quam
radagastly
Raynor
red
Rhun Charioteer
Rimbaud
Rose Cotton
Samwise
Saulotus
Sharku
Sindacuion
skip pence
Sleepy Ranger
Susan Delgado
Taimar
Telchar
Tevildo
The Might
The Perky Ent
the phantom
The X Phial
Tigerlily Gamgee
VanimaEdhel
vanwalossien
zifnab"

He drained his glass again.

06-28-2020, 05:00 PM	#40
*Mithadan* Spirit of Mist Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Tol Eressea Posts: 3,399	As the assembled crowd grew silent and lost in their own thoughts, typically a foreshadowing of a mass exodus from the party to take place shortly, Mithadan smiled. It had been a long time since he had done more on the Barrow-Downs than post an occasional thought, start a rare thread or do some needed policing. Long ago, he had posted as often as anyone. Long ago..., and here was the reminder of how long. Twenty years. Around 1998, he had begun to first scour the internet for sites with information about Tolkien and Middle-Earth. It was not long before he came across the first message board. A sleepy place with few posters having a short attention span. It disappeared quickly. He did not even recall the name... something like the Tolkien Meeting Room or something like that. Shortly thereafter, with news of the movies beginning to percolate, Mithadan discovered a few more bulletin boards. Some were too quiet. Some had members that actually knew one another and weren't interested in outsiders. One was dominated by a moderator that was convinced he was the ultimate authority on Tolkien. Another was fixated on the movies. He stumbled upon the Barrow-Downs within days after the site opened (the splash page opened a bit before the forums; did anyone here even know that the site has a splash page?). He did what most people do. He lurked for a while without registering or posting. Then he jumped in with both feet. Not only did he post; he started a new thread... and got flamed. Mithadan chuckled. He even recalled who did it. A condescending reply along the lines of "shouldn't this be posted in the Newcomers Forum?" This was almost enough to make him leave. But he didn't. And soon, he virtually met Barrow-Wight, Mr. Underhill and Sharku, who eventually made up the initial team of Administrators. Twenty years ago... Taking up a wine glass, Mithadan drew a dagger and tapped it against the rim, sounding a bell-like tone. The room grew even more silent as he stood. Curious, Bird flew over and perched upon the back of a chair. "Estelyn!" he cried. "Thank you for organizing this virtual get-together. This has been a fine party on a worthy occasion. And a welcome distraction from our troubles and concerns. To Estelyn!" He drained his glass as the crowd chimed in with cheers and cries of "Here, here!" and "Good old Esty!" As the cheers died down, he continued. "The is the Down's twentieth birthday! That is a long time for a website to exist. Even Facebook is not that old!" He looked about at the faces surrounding him. "I do not know everyone here. I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." "Oh-oh," whispered Pio. "He's leaving again." "But," he continued. "I hope that I will get to know many of you. And to those who have been long absent but appeared for this special event, thag you bery much!" He took a deep breath and his smile grew a bit sad. "Twenty years," he said. "A long time. And perhaps I have been an absentee for many of those years. I wish I had not been. For I have enjoyed being a member of the Downs. I have enjoyed the discussions, the RPGs, and even the arguments. You see, before I joined the Downs, my interest in Middle-Earth was, to quote the Professor, 'a secret vice.' Until there was an internet, I did not know anyone personally who had an interest in things Tolkien. It seems inconceivable today, but its true. And thank you, Barrow-Wight for making this happen! "So for the last twenty years, I have enjoyed the opportunity to converse with people having like interests, something I could not do during the... ten years I lived before that." "Ha!" proclaimed Saucepan Man. More polite, Piosenniel and Birdland merely chuckled. "In about 2005, I first noticed something," Mithadan continued. "Some of the members that had first posted a few years before had disappeared. These were persons that I, at least, considered colleagues that shared a common interest, and, at best, friends. Some had made announcements or explanations, others simply were gone. Some reappeared years later, for a month or a season, but most did not. Others arrived and filled their spaces, if not their memories. Keep in mind, this was years before "Social Media" in its present form developed. Members never used their real names and rarely shared them; there was a real fear of hacking and identity theft, as well as perhaps a desire that the members "vice" remain secret. I sometimes received queries from concerned parents worrying about who their children were speaking to." Mithadan paused. He seemed to see faces and images that others could not. His smile faded almost entirely. But it did not disappear. His message was both melancholy and happy. He continued. "The folks that I posted with in 2000 to 2005 are not the same as those who posted in 2005 to 2010, 2010 to 2015, or 2015 to 2020. Yes, I have gotten to know new members and make new friends and some old timers are still here. But I miss those that are gone. Yes, I could look up the e-mails that they used to register, assuming they survived the change over of platforms and that the members still use the same accounts, but that would be a bit strange. Perhaps some will stop by again, as several have to attend this party. "But their words and thoughts survive, maintained on our forums. They are not forgotten. So my last toast today is in honor of those missing. I have prepared a list of some of those departed members; those that I recall fondly. You should all feel free to recite your own lists and why you remember those members. Mine is too long to give reasons why I miss them. Suffice it to say that I do. And if I have forgotten anyone, well, they will have to stop by and remind me who they are... or were." He laughed. With a twinkle in his eye, he added, "For I am not Mithadan. That is only my persona. Just as they are not their screen-names" The doors to the hall opened and a line of Stone Trolls entered. Each, ignoring the screams of those who fled from their entry, marched with dignity into the center of the room. Each bore a drum and carried drumsticks. They formed a (slightly ragged) line and awaited Mithadan's signal. "This list contains the screen-names of those who once posted here, but are now gone. Members that have posted or visited within the last several months are not included, even if they rarely appear. Some may have very few posts, but touched my soul in some way. Some may not have visited in many years. Others that have many hundreds or even thousands of posts are not included simply because I do not recognize them. This is my personal list. I urge you to post your own lists in honor of your departed friends. Something like this was done many years ago in a thread entitled A Memorial of Members. "To all my friends who have moved on, a toast!" After each name was recited, the drums rolled. Mithadan removed a scroll from his pocket. When unrolled, it nearly reached the floor. Interested, Bird craned her neck, a stream of smoke issuing from her nostrils. "Don't even think about it," warned Mithadan as he pulled the scroll out of her reach. He cleared his throat and began to recite his list. "Varda Aganzir Ainaserkwen Alaklondewen Alfirin Alkanoonian Amanaduial the Archer Aralaithiel Arwen Imladris Aylwen Dreamsong Azaelia of Willowbottom Balin999 Belegorn Belin Beregond Beren87 Birdland Bruce MacCulloch burrahobbit CaptainofDespair Child of the Seventh Age Cuthalion dancing spawn of ungoliant Daniel Telcontar davem Diamond18 dogtrot doug*platypus dragoneyes drigel Durelin Dwarin Thunderhammer Ealasaide Elenna Elmo Encaitare enep Envinyatar Erendis Feanor of the Peredhil Finwe Firefoot Frodo Baggins galpsi gamegie Gil-Galad Gilthalion Gordis Gwaihir the Windlord HerenIstarion Ibrîniðilpathânezel Imladris InklingElf JenFramp JennyHallu Joy Kalessin Kalimac Keeper of Dol Guldor LadyBrooke Lalwende lathspell LePetitChoux Lindil Lindolirian Lobelia Lotrelf Lush Mad Baggins Maedhros Maikadilwen Man-of-the-Wold Marileangorifurnimaluim MatthewM Mattius McCaber Merendis Mhoram MLD-Grounds-Keeper-Willie Mnemosyne Morai mormegil Nerwen Nienna onewhitetree Orald Phil the Balrog Phrim quam radagastly Raynor red Rhun Charioteer Rimbaud Rose Cotton Samwise Saulotus Sharku Sindacuion skip pence Sleepy Ranger Susan Delgado Taimar Telchar Tevildo The Might The Perky Ent the phantom The X Phial Tigerlily Gamgee VanimaEdhel vanwalossien zifnab" He drained his glass again. __________________ Beleriand, Beleriand, the borders of the Elven-land.