This board in the old days - Page 6

[fashionguru_23]

Like many people have said above, there are some posters who will remain "legendary" in my book. I joined back in high school, and I remember identifying with certain people and always wanted to know what they said, because usually our opinions lined up very well.

All the fighting I never really payed much attention to, because I didn't have any time for that. Although, I will say that there was a poster with the user name that had Philly in it, and they became the target of many people on the boards who just wanted to take a smack at them. Unfortunately, I will admit I took part in some of the bashing, because (at the time) it was fun, and by doing it I felt like I could belong with some of these "legends" of the board. Looking back, I completely take responsibility for my actions, and apologise to whomever that was.

The highlight for me was the "Preview Threads" that I would read every morning to find out Whizzer's thoughts. The review was always fair, honest, hopeful, and critical all traits you need when viewing what was usually the first public Broadway performance. I believe it was him who sent me a Playbill of the "A Little Night Music" revival, along with cookies from their work...which to a starving university student was a goldmine! 

Something that has also changed that I miss are the local boards. As being someone not from the NYC area, having a board about my city where local posters could speculate about our theatre scene was great, and I miss it terribly. Up until maybe a 6-9 months ago it was still there, hidden from the main page, but it was there. Now, I don't really know where to talk about my local scene online. Those local baords were also great resources when I would travel around, and want to see something or know information about a certain city.

As they say, "we can never go back to before", but as for the current state I will take it, and for some nostalgia I will read old threads when I am craving something comforting. 

 

 

 

[MlleDaae]

2003 Alum, what's good!! Seems like I've been on this board from the start. From what I remember, it was after Broadway.com shut down their message boards and BWW was just starting. I started the "Name the Musical" posts that became it's own section for a short time (I think?). But, obviously, I only pop on here from time to time.

One thing I'm not seeing in this thread that needs to be acknowledged: most of us were kids. Barely teenagers trying so hard to come correct with grammar and spelling in order to avoid the angry mob of older members and the very frank way of speaking online pre "social network". That said... looking back, I value the lessons I learned from the "tough love" to the down right mean/vile posts that gave me a glance into the soon-to-come real world. I'm a prime example of someone who would never be where they are now if it weren't for people telling me their hurtful "opinions". Come to think of it, most of the incredibly successful people I know have a similar story down to a specific person telling them they were sh!t or a multitude of other negative things.

The "kindness" culture of today is great for many reasons, but it appears as though no one is teaching the younger generation how to converse/deal with people who act negatively or trigger them. Just a lot of cancel culture, ghosting, and arrested development at foot. Yet, even this I understand... anyone who's had the pleasure of conversing taboo topics with, say, Evangelicals might understand the need for a "This is going nowhere/Shut this sh!t down" button for each conversation. Lots of grey area, people... lots of grey...

Anywho, wow.. I had no idea about the Patti Murin incident. Did she post something on the boards as herself or in a blog/interview? I read comment #53. Would like to know more.

Side note: Is it safe to say, judging by the outdated and buggy AF code that BWW has left their Chat Boards behind? Minus the moderating, of course. Speaking of money, I wonder how much it costs to take something down. Sounds lucrative.

[Scarywarhol]

It was really special. I try not to fall into "golden age" nostalgia delusions about anything, but this is a case where there really was something that is gone now. Beyond being comically hamstrung about what we can talk about, all because some users accurately diagnosed an obviously DOA production as not being professionally handled, we have lost a lot of posters who were extremely knowledgeable about theater history and really taught a kid stuck in the suburbs like me a lot. Who remembers MargoChanning? Ah, well. Message Boards are generally something of an anachronism these days, of course. I'm glad it's still around in some form and it can still be useful and entertaining. 

[LizzieCurry]

I started posting on this board 5-6 years before I moved to NYC (maybe earlier; I had another account using a now-defunct email provider, but I forget when I joined with that one). It actually helped, in a way, of giving me footnotes for when I moved here. I would see a landmark or even just some weird diner and remember it being mentioned here (sometimes derisively, or maybe not). It helped make my new surroundings even more familiar.

I was not one of those kids who felt theatre-deprived or like I had FOMO before the term was coined. I lived somewhere where I could see tours and regional productions regularly. And it was nice, in some ways, to feel "important" when writing about out-of-town tryouts in San Francisco or to talk about tour stops on the west coast that folks from other areas were curious about. Remember the epic Jersey Boys tour thread that started in 2007?!

That curiosity seemed to have dissipated a while ago, but I don't know how much can be attributed to a fractionalization of the board, attrition through jadedness, or some combo of those and other things.

[SweetLips22]

This is my 2nd[or 3rd] name here as I kept forgetting membership details etc.

My theatrical world expanded once I discovered BWW and I read here for a long time before I dared to contribute. I had never typed a thought before and after the first few attempts I was mortified that so many strangers could be so rude. I had never heard of or new the meaning of 'sock puppet' or some other word I was called; I asked a question and was told 'that's what google is for'; was mocked when I started a thread[ never knew the word thread or avatar] then criticised for my spelling and lack of typing ability--I never knew to leave a space after a full stop. I do now, thank you to whoever.

I got to know and appreciate the knowledge and historical theatrical input from so many here and also did like some of the relentless cut-throat bitchiness between the seasoned and the wackos [sue storm-the mad Russian].

I really say 'thank you' to those who indirectly taught and lead me into social media. It was a bumpy beginning but now I can add my little thoughts[ after much proof reading] and get a slight thrill when someone from wherever might respond to my words.

I feel like the current board has been moved into a 'retirement village' where the 'oldies' can still share their knowledge[min. age 60 and over] but the movers and shakers have somewhat been silenced so that all is now so PC.

We all now enter a new phase with covid forced upon us which will reflect on this board re new shows and related thoughts so adapt is the new word which I have done all along with my journey here on BWW.

Thank you to all the 'oldies' for their input to help me learn, not only about theatre, but life in general.

To everyone, stay safe and healthy.

SweetLips22......x[Jon]

 

[unclevictor]

Say what?

[DAME]

SweetLips22 said: "This is my 2nd[or 3rd] name here as I kept forgetting membership details etc.

My theatrical world expanded once I discovered BWW and I read here for a long time before I dared to contribute. I had never typed a thought before and after the first few attempts I was mortified that so many strangers could be so rude. I had never heard of or new the meaning of 'sock puppet' or some other word I was called; I asked a question and was told 'that's what google is for'; was mocked when I started a thread[ never knew the word thread or avatar] then criticised for my spelling and lack of typing ability--I never knew to leave a space after a full stop. I do now, thank you to whoever.

I got to know and appreciate the knowledge and historical theatrical input from so many here and also did like some of the relentless cut-throat bitchiness between the seasoned and the wackos [sue storm-the mad Russian].

I really say 'thank you' to those who indirectly taught and lead me into social media. It was a bumpy beginning but now I can add my little thoughts[ after much proof reading] and get a slight thrill when someone from wherever might respond to my words.

I feel like the current board has been moved into a 'retirement village' where the 'oldies' can still share their knowledge[min. age 60 and over] but the movers and shakers have somewhat been silenced so that all is now so PC.

We all now enter a new phase with covid forced upon us which will reflect on this board re new shows and related thoughts so adapt is the new word which I have done all along with my journey here on BWW.

Thank you to all the 'oldies' for their input to help me learn, not only about theatre, but life in general.

To everyone, stay safe and healthy.

SweetLips22......x[Jon]

"

Your a sweet and lovable hussy.  I enjoy you Sweetlips.

[alovingfan]

DAME said: "SweetLips22 said: "This is my 2nd[or 3rd] name here as I kept forgetting membership details etc.

My theatrical world expanded once I discovered BWW and I read here for a long time before I dared to contribute. I had never typed a thought before and after the first few attempts I was mortified that so many strangers could be so rude. I had never heard of or new the meaning of 'sock puppet' or some other word I was called; I asked a question and was told 'that's what google is for'; was mocked when I started a thread[ never knew the word thread or avatar] then criticised for my spelling and lack of typing ability--I never knew to leave a space after a full stop. I do now, thank you to whoever.

I got to know and appreciate the knowledge and historical theatrical input from so many here and also did like some of the relentless cut-throat bitchiness between the seasoned and the wackos [sue storm-the mad Russian].

I really say 'thank you' to those who indirectly taught and lead me into social media. It was a bumpy beginning but now I can add my little thoughts[ after much proof reading] and get a slight thrill when someone from wherever might respond to my words.

I feel like the current board has been moved into a 'retirement village' where the 'oldies' can still share their knowledge[min. age 60 and over] but the movers and shakers have somewhat been silenced so that all is now so PC.

We all now enter a new phase with covid forced upon us which will reflect on this board re new shows and related thoughts so adapt is the new word which I have done all along with my journey here on BWW.

Thank you to all the 'oldies' for their input to help me learn, not only about theatre, but life in general.

To everyone, stay safe and healthy.

SweetLips22......x[Jon]

"

Your a sweet and lovable hussy. I enjoy you Sweetlips."

The hussy days.  I miss them.  Is that Marc Shaiman video still around?

[Tennis Fan]

LizzieCurry said:   Remember the epic Jersey Boys tour thread that started in 2007?!

Well, I am rather theater-deprived.  And it took until 2018 for Jersey Boys to play in my city/town (though The Midtown Men played here twice sooner).  I found some insider dish re: JB's 2018 tour:  its national tour cast got haircuts when they were here. 

Of course, I had to book an appointment at The Illustrated Barber to get as much scoop as possible.  The barbers reported they were just regular guys. 

I enjoy coming to this board as well as Gold Derby and the Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board.  Carry on....



 

[temms]

Margo was the best - he posted a very nice review of a show of mine and I was more excited to read that than most of the actual reviews. It was a first preview and he was both insightful and diplomatic but very encouraging. That's a loss to this board I definitely still feel and it's diminished this place. 

[SweetLips22]

Thank you DAME---same back to you..x

[batboysings]

Posting from the UK as a teenager when going to a Broadway show was only a distant dream, having this board was like a window into another world! Thanks to all those early posters for the madness. Everytime I come back I'm nervous that the management will have finally decided to shut down the board and 20-odd years of history will be wiped out!

[Tag]

batboysings said: "Posting from the UK as a teenager when going to a Broadway show was only a distant dream,having this board was like a window into another world! Thanks to all those early posters for the madness. Everytime I come back I'm nervous that the management will have finally decided to shut down the board and 20-odd years of history will be wiped out!"

They did that with the regional boards, and all that local history is now gone.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

I originally started here as a teenager, and one of the Wicked fanboys/shills. However, I now realized I was more of a fan of the IDEA of Wicked and really just fell in love with Chenoweth's voice more than anything. This board was a much tougher place back then, but I loved it. It kind of felt like you stepped into New York and you better develop that thick skin and survival skill or else. That was part of the fun. People were really mean but you were expected to be mean back. There were some instances where I did feel sorry for posters who seemed like they were targeted and too much insider joking went on for far too long. But again, I also remember said posters giving it back or learning to give it back.

All those young Wicked fans that came in and totally took over the board where you'd have 2-years worth of Wicked threads keeping the board high in volume seems like such foreign place compared to this place now. One thing this forum was back then was "vibrant". It was full of personality and participation. Threads went on and on and people got to know each other and spoke to one another. This forum in comparison seems personality-less and empty in comparison, but it is a somewhat nicer place (though certain people still get away with writing some backwards stuff).

True, there were cliques and there was a lot more bullying, but the same was true in society in general (hard to imagine in the age of Trump) and many online communities had a less-moderated more wild west feel. I also think it's telling that most message boards outside of REDDIT all went through periods where they went from crazy wild west almost anything goes to more controlled and respectful. I think it's an issue of most of the posters growing older, maturing, and the fact that message boards in general seem to only be used by people of a certain and older generation while younger people favor other methods of communication that are a bit more self-centered where the responses are a bit more controlled (Twitter, Tumblr, Tiktok, etc.).

I valued the time back then because I truly ended up learning so much about theatre and it helped me find more shows and refine my palate. It was challenging, but intellectually rewarded. It was fun but also draining and tiring. It felt like New York. Maybe the forum the way it exists today is mirroring what New York has become. More flavorless but safer.

One thing I will say, this board was NEVER as nasty as DataLounge. Now that place is truly a cesspool of toxicity inhabited only by miserable people that want company.