Yes really. Shrug. I've been moderating forums since 93. I've met lots and lots of people from places like this. In fact in a round a bout way I met my fiancé online.
Whether I've physically met people from here isn't all that relevant. There are many I'd call friend. I've been offered places to stay, teams to ride with. Plenty of good stuff happens. Not sure why I'd want to water that down by going to hang around a forum where I have no connection point other than owning a bicycle.
Originally Posted by
carleton
Really? How many people do we actually "know" here? 5? 10 tops? We are all just avatars and handles for the most part. You might care if you hung out in FOO more often. And the guys that post in Mechanics are pretty knowledgeable.
You guys are part of a bigger place. Coming to 41 for everything is like going to the mall but only shopping at The Gap. Venture out a little. You never know, you may make friends in other places, too.
I know that the hard part is keeping up in a forum. There is always this urge to keep up with the living topics. But remember, BF is big with lots of members with lots to say. Keeping up with one sub-forum is a lot. Keeping up with more than one can be a challenge. It's cool to stay in one community...just don't take your bike to The Gap and expect them to remove your bottom bracket. It's OK to visit other sub-forums every now and then, take care of some business, then come back to where you are comfortable. Just bear in mind that other people do that, too. So when they stop by and ask a question to which "the regulars" already know the answer, be nice to them. Everybody can't be a regular at the 41.