History of this Forum - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Morthoron · 09-08-2021, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ring Bearer

The group is 15 years old! I thought Facebook got popular in the late 2000s.

Well, we did invent the Internet. So there's that.

***Mithadan*** · 09-09-2021, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Well, we did invent the Internet. So there's that.

When do I get my royalties?

Ring Bearer · 09-09-2021, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mithadan

As I said above, the history of this site is subjective; varying based upon point of view.

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In December 2001, Boston.com named the Barrow-Downs as a Tolkien “mega-site.”
So this is where we were during the first couple of years, until December 2001. And then the first movie came out…

Thank you for this!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I made a point of haunting the Movies section, arguing against not merely the way the films were being made, but of their very existence. I just didn't see the need for them.

My opinion was shared by a few others, but we were quite definitely in the minority. That's almost certainly even more so now. I still like reading those threads even today.

You would have to agree that the references to LOTR and quotes from Tolkien wouldn't have been as common as they are in today's world.
LOTR is pretty popular in the Silicon Valley for example.
Btw, the colour scheme has remained unchanged for 21+ years!?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

so I think the 24th July 1999 is the genuine launch date for the site.

Well, that's older than my zygote.

Inziladun · 09-09-2021, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ring Bearer

You would have to agree that the references to LOTR and quotes from Tolkien wouldn't have been as common as they are in today's world.
LOTR is pretty popular in the Silicon Valley for example.

I could really do without the old memes around "You shall not pass" (misquoted from the book) and "they're taking the hobbits to Isengard".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ring Bearer

Btw, the colour scheme has remained unchanged for 21+ years!?

Yep. One of the enduring charms.

Huinesoron · 09-10-2021, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I could really do without the old memes around "You shall not pass" (misquoted from the book) and "they're taking the hobbits to Isengard".

Would you say Gondor needs no memes?

hS

Galadriel55 · 09-10-2021, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

Would you say Gondor needs no memes?

Not if you can't simply walk into Mordor.

Snowdog · 09-11-2021, 05:31 AM

I see Mithadan mentioned the old EZ Board Barrow Downs Forum. I did join in those days with my EZ Board 'global' account and posted a few times in existing threads. I'm thinking July/August 2000 or thereabouts. Can't remember what the threads were about, and I would drop in and be gone for periods of time (which describes my whole history with Barrow Downs over the last twenty years). Having been an old 'book' guy from the 70's, I only rekindled my Middle Earth flame when I heard some rumor in 1999 that there was a movie being made. The first place on the webz I found was The One Ring dot com and I became a regular there from the first of 2000 until I started looking elsewhere. That was when I found Barrow Downs, Entmoot, and Minas Tirith.

My pattern was to 'go rangering' around between the boards and see what interesting discussions were happening. I will admit that I was one who got lost when Barrow Downs moved from EZ Board, as I returned to look for them and they could not be found on the EZ globe. I did rediscover the 'new Barrow Downs' and re-registered in 2002. One of the big draws of this place over most of the others is the name does not even get a mention in the PJ movies, so the general membership tended to be (from my perspective) more book-orientated. Always loved the comfortable 'dark' theme that has remained unchanged through the years too.

I have made one good friend from being here. Natalia, who went by the name of Lush here. I have been in semi-regular contact through the years since meeting in some discussion thread here. I've followed her journalism career and watched her son grow from an infant to a solid young man. I have been enjoyng her 'geolocation' puzzles she posts on her newsletter.

I remember getting some Barrow Downs coffee mugs and a T-shirt way back when. The coffee mugs ar elong gone, one dying on the kitchen floor not long after getting them, and the other I lost track of in a divorce. I still have the T-shirt, and because I always ordered them in XL, it still fits! In the time I've been here, I have gone from a working professional raising kids to a comfortbly retired old grandfather coot whose grandchildren are graduating high school and are in college. I still have less than a thousand posts, but I'll be here until the end.... of either me or the board, whichever comes first.

09-11-2021, 05:31 AM	#7
Snowdog Emperor of the South Pole Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: The Western Shore of Lake Evendim Posts: 647	I see Mithadan mentioned the old EZ Board Barrow Downs Forum. I did join in those days with my EZ Board 'global' account and posted a few times in existing threads. I'm thinking July/August 2000 or thereabouts. Can't remember what the threads were about, and I would drop in and be gone for periods of time (which describes my whole history with Barrow Downs over the last twenty years). Having been an old 'book' guy from the 70's, I only rekindled my Middle Earth flame when I heard some rumor in 1999 that there was a movie being made. The first place on the webz I found was The One Ring dot com and I became a regular there from the first of 2000 until I started looking elsewhere. That was when I found Barrow Downs, Entmoot, and Minas Tirith. My pattern was to 'go rangering' around between the boards and see what interesting discussions were happening. I will admit that I was one who got lost when Barrow Downs moved from EZ Board, as I returned to look for them and they could not be found on the EZ globe. I did rediscover the 'new Barrow Downs' and re-registered in 2002. One of the big draws of this place over most of the others is the name does not even get a mention in the PJ movies, so the general membership tended to be (from my perspective) more book-orientated. Always loved the comfortable 'dark' theme that has remained unchanged through the years too. I have made one good friend from being here. Natalia, who went by the name of Lush here. I have been in semi-regular contact through the years since meeting in some discussion thread here. I've followed her journalism career and watched her son grow from an infant to a solid young man. I have been enjoyng her 'geolocation' puzzles she posts on her newsletter. I remember getting some Barrow Downs coffee mugs and a T-shirt way back when. The coffee mugs ar elong gone, one dying on the kitchen floor not long after getting them, and the other I lost track of in a divorce. I still have the T-shirt, and because I always ordered them in XL, it still fits! In the time I've been here, I have gone from a working professional raising kids to a comfortbly retired old grandfather coot whose grandchildren are graduating high school and are in college. I still have less than a thousand posts, but I'll be here until the end.... of either me or the board, whichever comes first. Last edited by Snowdog; 09-11-2021 at 05:38 AM.