Online forums - how was your first experience?
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31365)
Denmark
February 17, 2012 8:33pm CST
Do you remember the first online forum that you joined? What kind of forum was it? Did you find it difficult to understand how the forum worked?
The first online forum that I joined was a Danish forum called "Jubii debatten" It was 7 years ago and I still remember how confused I was in the beginning. I didn't understand how it worked, how to respond to a discussion or how to start a discussion. The senior members used expressions and abbreviations that I didn't understand, and I didn't really know where to start. My first response consisted of one word, but I was happy when I found out how to post it 
Today it is very easy for me to navigate around in a new discussion forum, but I still remember the confusion that I experienced in the begining.
Today it is very easy for me to navigate around in a new discussion forum, but I still remember the confusion that I experienced in the begining.2 people like this
10 responses
@enelym001 (8322)
• Philippines
18 Feb 12
Unfortunately I completely forgot the name of the site. But I do remember it is about IT stuff and latest technologies. I was fond of watching that guy's show before on our local TV and the website was being regularly flashed on TV. I joined the forum and yes at first I could not understand how it work, where to post my reply or new topic. Even some of the new forum site before are a little confusing to navigate. It takes days before I get used to one.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
18 Feb 12
It is not easy to navigate when you are a new member. I had never seen a discussion site before and it took me a while to understand how the site was built. There were categories, subcategories etc and it took me a while to figure that out. I also remember that it was possible to quote a response written by one of the other members and write our response under the quote. I didn't know how to do that and the other members didn't know who I was talking to
@enelym001 (8322)
• Philippines
18 Feb 12
Forum sites are very different from myLot. But when I was new to myLot and no interests and friends added on my list yet. I was totally confused why am not getting responses or just get one or two responses. But as soon as I get all things done and gained friends, it becomes more enjoyable to keep coming back here.
Some forums til now are so confusing. especially if you get a lot of reply and when you post a reply you have to open two windows sometimes just to reply in one box to all replies. Sometimes quoting it helps but you have to quote each one to give reply to all one by one.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
18 Feb 12
Yes, forums are different from MyLot. I think it is nice that we are able to comment directly on the responses on MyLot. On forums you have to quote the response that you want to comment on or at least mention the name of the member that you are writing to, otherwise it is hard to know where the comment belongs.
I experienced the same thing as you when I was a new member on MyLot. I started discussions but I didn't get any responses or just a few responses, but that changed when I found some friends and started talking to the other members. Today I really the enjoy the time that I spend here and I have found many nice friends.
@myfb2009 (8296)
• Malaysia
22 Feb 12
Hi Porco, the first online forum that i had joined is Mylot. Indeed, at the very beginning, i was confused at how everyone of us able to earn from here. After reading a few posts posted by the senior members, i slowly managed to find my ways to post in here and earn as well. the next day, i quickly checked my account and happy to see i did make a few cents from my participation. Nowadays, i am familiar with the surrounding of this site and is doing fine with it. Only i must admit that it is indeed hard to find active referral for this site. But, it never discourage me. I will always active participate in here like usual. Hope you are doing fine, Porco...
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
22 Feb 12
I remember when I was a new member of Mylot. My first thought was: "It looks like a really interesting site, but I am not sure how to use it" and it took me a while to used to the site. I asked some questions and the senior members helped me understand how Mylot works. Now I have been here for 4 years and it is easy for me to navigate the site. I agree with you when you say that is is hard to find referrals. I have one referrals, but he is not active anymore, so now I use Mylot without referrals.
@myfb2009 (8296)
• Malaysia
28 Feb 12
Thanks for that "Best Response", Porco. Yes, indeed it is just very hard to find good referral, nor matter how hard i tried to promote this site. But never mind, i will still be here because i had found a few wonderful friends through this site. Have a wonderful day, Porco.
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58679)
• Delhi, India
18 Feb 12
Hi!
I started with Yahoo answers and it was very user friendly to post our responses to questions. There someone mentioned about mylot. I tried mylot but got not understand in the beginning the meaning of starting a new post and how to post my own responses.
The earning after few days was merely 2-3 cents. I remained confused like you. However, some of the dear friends helped me to 'understand' the concept and after that there was not looking back and now I enjoy this site like anything. Since I joined this site, I have learned many new things, which otherwise I would not have learned and have made friends across the globe, which otherwise would not have been possible.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
19 Feb 12
I have read some of the questions and answers on Yahoo answers, but I haven't participated myself. When I joined MyLot I was also confused, because it was different from the forums where I used to participate in discussions, but after a while I learned how things work. Like you I have learned many new things here, and I love spending my time here, because so many countries are represented here and I think it is really interesting to talk to people from around the world and learn more about their countries.
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
19 Feb 12
Funny you ask, because someone has inquired about whether we read our first posts here and I said that I have in the past and that because mylot was my first forum, how lost I was here..So yeah, Mylot is my first and actually only forum..(I am not counting my school forum, that is different..lol)
1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
20 Feb 12
Oh yeah, that was one of my main problems, navigating the site..But now, I know exactly where I need to go, even if I accidentally lose a discussion, if it is a friend or even if not, (it is a little harder if it isn't a friend), I can find it again easy enough..
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
20 Feb 12
Sometimes it is interesting to read our first posts again. Some time ago one of my friends commented on a discussion that I made 4 years ago when I was a new member. It was fun to see it again and see how much my writing style has changed since that time. I also felt lost in the beginning and I didn't really know what the different things meant or how to navigate the site, but little by little I learned how to use the site.
1 person likes this
@olliekobra1 (1825)
•
18 Feb 12
I play in a local 5 aside league and we have a forum set up for that its really good because all of the people on it know each other so there's a lot of banter so its social and fun. On the forum you can also learn a lot of facts about the league so its reall good. Mylot is a good forum but the topics are vast so you could be on here all day and discuss lots of stuff with people all over the world.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
19 Feb 12
I think it is lot of fun to be part of a forum where the members know eachother. I have tried that once. When I studied online my classmates and I lived in different parts of the country and we had a forum where we were able to write to eachother. Because of the distanse we didn't meet in person very often, but we had fun to talking to eachother on the forum. Yes, Mylot is a very big place. There are so many different topics and I think that it is really interesting to talk to people from many different parts of the world.
@TheShadowXX (100)
• United States
18 Feb 12
I can't even remember what was my first forum. I do remember that it was a strange thing getting use to, because around that age I was using AIM, and was waiting for instant responses to my questions of the forums that I was on, lol.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
20 Feb 12
I can imagine that forums were a very different experience when you were used to instant messenger. Communication on forums is a lot slower, and another difference is the length of the messages. Some members of forums write paragraph after paragragh, and on messenger we don't write that much. My first posts on a forum were very short, but after a while I turned into to one of those members who write paragraph after paragraph 
@craziestqueenever (1819)
• Philippines
18 Feb 12
The very first online forum that I had joined was a teen site here in the Philippines. It is a website for teenagers. I used to recall that I am really addicted to that forum. I gained a lots of information. At first, I am a bit awkward on what am I going to do on that site. As time passes by I get to learn on how to act online. How you act online reflects on your personality.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
19 Feb 12
I also got addicted to the first forum that I joined. I used to spend hours there every day and whenever I switched on my computer I visited that forum. It was a pretty big forum with lots of different topics and every day the members posted many new discussions, so there were always new discussions to read and participate in. I am still a member of that forum, but I am not addicted to it anymore and I only visit it every once in a while. I had the same experience as you, it was a bit awkward at first, and I had to get to know the site, but after a while I learned how to use it and learned to how to act.
@barkah69 (96)
• Indonesia
18 Feb 12
Hello friend,
I think almost of us meet a new thing.
From zero and then learn step by step to know more.
I think all agree for the time get new thing, its sure to find instruction manual to learn device more.
But it is difficult is for the first time, after that will fluently if raising upgradable device.
Like I first time learn office with workstar, lotus. Its many complicated command. After I have a skill that programs, I can follow with easy while the first time window office rising. I'm just adjust a bit knowledge.
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
18 Feb 12
Yes, when we learn a new thing we have to start from zero and little by little we get more knowledge about the topic that we are learning about. I think that it is very interesting to learn something new, but a new thing is often difficult in the beginning, and it takes a while to adjust to the new situation. I felt that way when I joined my first forum, but now I am able to use those forums without problems.
@Triple0 (1904)
• Australia
18 Feb 12
Some forums can be pretty confusing! The first forum I ever joined was a game forum for downloading console games so that I could burn them. At first I joined it simply to start downloading the files but something happened before and I needed help. So I made my first post! I was surprised that someone replied and I responded but I didn't know how to quote at the time. Then I joined a few after that but just to earn anyway. It's quite fun joining forums, it's easier to look through your favorite categories. 1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
18 Feb 12
I also think that it is fun to join forums. You can find people who share your interests and you can ask questions and get answers. Yes, quoting was difficult in the beginning, it took me a while to figure out how to do that. In the beginning I didn't how to use smileys either, we had to change the settings in order to use smileys, and I wasn't sure how to do that. After a while I got used to the way that the forums worked and it became it easier for me to be an active member.
