What do you like about people? - Page 10 - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

VanimaEdhel · 05-30-2003, 04:09 PM

DayVampyre: For just being so cool. Mutants forever! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Arafangwen · 05-30-2003, 04:11 PM

Quote:

I am new so I have not communicated or actually been acquainted with anybody, but I have read many posts and I have come to the conclusion that many Downers are nice. The friendliest people must be GaladrieloftheOlden, Lush, Niluial, Arafangwen and Amanaduial the archer. I am sure there are many more friendly Downers that I am yet to be acquainted to.

I feel so loved! Thank you so much! I would say post wisely, but it seems you have it down already. Congratulations!

I would like to take this moment to thank all the newbies who make this site just a little more fun and a lot crazier! (Not like we can't handle the last part well enough on our own!)

***The Barrow-Wight*** · 05-30-2003, 05:10 PM

I think we've had enough talk about how much we like one another (or don't). CLOSING.

***Mister Underhill*** · 08-20-2003, 11:51 AM

In an uncharacteristic abuse of admin power and in open defiance of lindil’s recent complaint that the Downs these days is as much about its members as it is about Tolkien discussion, I’m adding this one last contribution.

A chat discussion with Sharkû yesterday afternoon inspired me to cull through a few old half-finished posts that never made it off my hard drive and onto the board. This is one of them. Although this thread is as musty and withered as Lobelia Sackville-Baggins’s smile, I reckon it’s never too late for a word or two of praise, so I dusted off this post and (sort of) finished it. Roughly in the order that I met and got to know them during my ongoing sojourn here on the Downs:

Barrow-wight. Having worked closely with the Wight in the past, I’ve had the opportunity to observe some of his qualities that the average member never sees. No, I’m not referring to his unnatural obsession with Eddy Wally – I’m talking about things like the guy’s perfect pitch when it comes to setting the tone of the Downs. When the board was still young, he always knew what was appropriate and what wasn’t, and just what to say to resolve a sticky situation. He more or less mentored the original Downs Team, either through direct advice or by example, and we in turn mentored the motley crew that tends to the Downs nowadays. But the thing that I admire most about the Wight is that he’s a man of action. When he’s around, stuff happens. Changes get implemented. New features suddenly appear. Fresh content steadily churns out. When other people are getting bogged down in discussions and debates, the Wight is cutting through the b.s. and getting things done. Great sense of humor, smart, good taste in music... I could go on and on.

Sharkû is the German brother I never had. Possessed of a razor keen mind and a deadly sharp wit, he’s an inexhaustible well of myth, folklore, historical, and of course Tolkien-related knowledge. He has wisdom and insight that belie his years, and a command of and genuine love for the English language that puts most native speakers to shame. Sharkey seems drawn to the fringes, the unexplored corners, the uncharted waters, and I love the way he has trod many of Middle-earth’s less-traveled paths. Sometimes you meet people who just seem to be on the same wavelength as you. Sharkey is one of those guys for me.

Mithadan. Intelligent, witty, kind, patient, generous, friendly, humble, classy, clear-headed, fair, articulate... again I could go on and on. Mith was one of the rocks on which the Downs’ reputation for friendly scholarship was built and remains a powerful force in shaping the site via the RPG section he pioneered. His Books topics spawned many of the Downs’ most memorable debates. An all around great guy, he lives up to the Atticus Finch icon that stands in for him on the Chat Wights page.

HerenIstarion exemplifies some of the best qualities of the Downs: a friendly, scholarly approach, a sharp intellect, and a strong passion for all things Tolkien. To get a measure of what true devotion to Tolkien means, check out the first post of this thread to hear about the trials he encountered in trying to read Tolkien the first time around (in translation; he’s a Russian speaker) and how he learned English – that’s right, learned English – in order to read the Prof’s work. I’ve always felt a kinship with HI because we registered within a few weeks of each other back in the day.

réd. A prominent figure in the Elder Days of the Downs, especially in chat, she’s little known to modern-day posters. Her brusque, in-your-face posting style stirred many a controversy back then, but réd’s fiery mien has always been inspired by a devotion to a high standard of discussion and a no-nonsense sort of common sense. If you make it past the tough exterior, you’ll find a sweet, sensitive, caring person – she takes care of sick little animals for a living, after all! She’s smart, is an amazingly fast learner, and has a great sense of humor (you’ll hear me say this about many of my favorite Downers; just about anyone worth knowing, it seems, is good for a laugh). The Downs aside, what I admire most about réd is the way she changed careers when she realized that the path she was on wasn’t fulfilling her. And thus the lives of many thousands of hapless fruit-flies have been spared.

Kate (aka onewhitetree) is another Downer possessed of maturity, intelligence, wit, and self-confidence far beyond her years. She also falls into the class of member who is more of a force in chat than on the board. Funny, charming, and intelligent, Kate brings a strong sense of a full life outside the internet to discussions that she joins. Her mastery of English and its grammatical rules is formidable. She’s one of those people who is great to joke around with because she knows how to pick up the cues and increase the mirth.

burrahobbit eschews surplusage.

Maril[...] was a breath of fresh air at a time when the Downs was really struggling to redefine itself post-movie. Her vivaciousness, eloquence, passion, good humor, intellectual and spiritual curiosity, willingness to examine new points of view (an exceedingly rare quality!), willingness to defend unpopular positions, and her plain old common sense spawned many a good discussion when the forum was groaning under the weight of Orly-worship threads and “Who’s your favorite elf?” clones. Her periodic returns to the Downs are always cause for a little spate of “View Recent Posts” stalking.

Thenamir’s rambunctious, opinionated conversational style is always guaranteed to wake up any chat room he enters and any thread in which he posts. But behind the sometimes bluff and fiery exterior lies an intelligent, thoughtful, humorous, and utterly sincere man. Like several other Downers, he’s gifted with fearsome punning and wordplay abilities, and he has a unique sense of humor. The perfect Downer to share a chuckle over Terry Tate videos with.

Estelyn. God’s gift to the Downs. It’s not an overstatement to say that the forum would be a shambles without her tireless patrolling, keen eye, and firm but gentle hand. Her moderation is marked by thoughtfulness, tact, patience, and style. Don’t ask me how she finds the time to do the bulk of the policing and be one of the Downs’ most intelligent, articulate, insightful, and funny posters, but she does. Always cheerful, always upbeat, Esty’s the type of person that I imagine her friends call first when they’re feeling down. A class act all the way down to the ground.

Lush. We’ve crossed paths on only a handful of occasions, but I’ve always admired Lush’s style. Her frank, unselfconscious manner lends an unusual authenticity to all her posts. Most people you meet on the web, no matter how smart or funny or articulate they are, hold back a big piece of their “real” selves. With Lush, you feel like you get Lush, full throttle, every time out. She brings a unique combination of youthful energy, intelligence, self-deprecation, humor, and confidence to any discussion she joins. All that, plus a knack for creating crowd-pleasing topics that run for months and months.

Bethberry impressed me right away with her passion, energy, and commitment to shaping and improving the RPG section. Then she put her money where her mouth is by joining the team of Heroes who daily take on the Herculean task of moderating that selfsame section. She’s another Downer who’s as quick with a snappy line as she is with an intelligent and articulate contribution to any discussion. I know her less from the forum and more from the chat room, where she’s always great company (when not walking the dog(s?) or feeding a soccer team of kids).

Rimbaud is the MacGyver of puns – he can take just about anything and turn it into a play on words. Widely read and a true logophile, Rimb can discuss the shades and nuances of a word’s meaning at length. Behind his joking, self-deprecating demeanor is a sharply insightful intellect. I hear tell he may be spending more time on the Downs again soon. I hope the rumors are true.

Squatter is one of the most talented writers I know. He’s eloquent, erudite, quietly passionate, more fun than a barrel of monkeys, and has a style that puts you right at ease and makes you feel like he’s an old friend. He can make you laugh, cry, and grab for your Latin-English dictionary all in the space of a single post. His groundbreaking work on the Travest-o-meter©, coupled with his work on The Revenge of the Entish Bow and its sequel, may lead to a plentiful and cheap (not counting the ethical cost) source of energy as JRRT’s RPMs are harnessed and put to work.

Other members whom I especially admire (but I have to wrap up this lengthy entry at some point, or it will forever remain among my Unfinished Posts):

lindil
Gilthalion
Aiwendil
littlemanpoet
Dwarin Thunderhammer
Gwindor
Ulmo/Legolas
Diamond18
The aforementioned RPG Heroes

Members who have apparently left the Downs forever and who would never read any praise I gave them anyway:

Mhoram
Kalessin
galpsi
Saulotus

Okay. That’s enough of the mutual admiration society. What are you looking at? Move along! This thread is closed! Go post something Tolkien-related for goodness’ sake!

05-30-2003, 04:09 PM	#361
VanimaEdhel Etheral Enchantress Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Wellesley College! Posts: 1,473	DayVampyre: For just being so cool. Mutants forever! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] __________________ "I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each others dreams, we can be together all the time." - Hobbes of Calvin and Hobbes

05-30-2003, 05:10 PM	#363
*The Barrow-Wight* Night In Wight Satin Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 4,058	I think we've had enough talk about how much we like one another (or don't). CLOSING. __________________ The Barrow-Wight

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08-20-2003, 11:51 AM	#364
*Mister Underhill* Dread Horseman Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Behind you! Posts: 2,752	In an uncharacteristic abuse of admin power and in open defiance of lindil’s recent complaint that the Downs these days is as much about its members as it is about Tolkien discussion, I’m adding this one last contribution. A chat discussion with Sharkû yesterday afternoon inspired me to cull through a few old half-finished posts that never made it off my hard drive and onto the board. This is one of them. Although this thread is as musty and withered as Lobelia Sackville-Baggins’s smile, I reckon it’s never too late for a word or two of praise, so I dusted off this post and (sort of) finished it. Roughly in the order that I met and got to know them during my ongoing sojourn here on the Downs: Barrow-wight. Having worked closely with the Wight in the past, I’ve had the opportunity to observe some of his qualities that the average member never sees. No, I’m not referring to his unnatural obsession with Eddy Wally – I’m talking about things like the guy’s perfect pitch when it comes to setting the tone of the Downs. When the board was still young, he always knew what was appropriate and what wasn’t, and just what to say to resolve a sticky situation. He more or less mentored the original Downs Team, either through direct advice or by example, and we in turn mentored the motley crew that tends to the Downs nowadays. But the thing that I admire most about the Wight is that he’s a man of action. When he’s around, stuff happens. Changes get implemented. New features suddenly appear. Fresh content steadily churns out. When other people are getting bogged down in discussions and debates, the Wight is cutting through the b.s. and getting things done. Great sense of humor, smart, good taste in music... I could go on and on. Sharkû is the German brother I never had. Possessed of a razor keen mind and a deadly sharp wit, he’s an inexhaustible well of myth, folklore, historical, and of course Tolkien-related knowledge. He has wisdom and insight that belie his years, and a command of and genuine love for the English language that puts most native speakers to shame. Sharkey seems drawn to the fringes, the unexplored corners, the uncharted waters, and I love the way he has trod many of Middle-earth’s less-traveled paths. Sometimes you meet people who just seem to be on the same wavelength as you. Sharkey is one of those guys for me. Mithadan. Intelligent, witty, kind, patient, generous, friendly, humble, classy, clear-headed, fair, articulate... again I could go on and on. Mith was one of the rocks on which the Downs’ reputation for friendly scholarship was built and remains a powerful force in shaping the site via the RPG section he pioneered. His Books topics spawned many of the Downs’ most memorable debates. An all around great guy, he lives up to the Atticus Finch icon that stands in for him on the Chat Wights page. HerenIstarion exemplifies some of the best qualities of the Downs: a friendly, scholarly approach, a sharp intellect, and a strong passion for all things Tolkien. To get a measure of what true devotion to Tolkien means, check out the first post of this thread to hear about the trials he encountered in trying to read Tolkien the first time around (in translation; he’s a Russian speaker) and how he learned English – that’s right, learned English – in order to read the Prof’s work. I’ve always felt a kinship with HI because we registered within a few weeks of each other back in the day. réd. A prominent figure in the Elder Days of the Downs, especially in chat, she’s little known to modern-day posters. Her brusque, in-your-face posting style stirred many a controversy back then, but réd’s fiery mien has always been inspired by a devotion to a high standard of discussion and a no-nonsense sort of common sense. If you make it past the tough exterior, you’ll find a sweet, sensitive, caring person – she takes care of sick little animals for a living, after all! She’s smart, is an amazingly fast learner, and has a great sense of humor (you’ll hear me say this about many of my favorite Downers; just about anyone worth knowing, it seems, is good for a laugh). The Downs aside, what I admire most about réd is the way she changed careers when she realized that the path she was on wasn’t fulfilling her. And thus the lives of many thousands of hapless fruit-flies have been spared. Kate (aka onewhitetree) is another Downer possessed of maturity, intelligence, wit, and self-confidence far beyond her years. She also falls into the class of member who is more of a force in chat than on the board. Funny, charming, and intelligent, Kate brings a strong sense of a full life outside the internet to discussions that she joins. Her mastery of English and its grammatical rules is formidable. She’s one of those people who is great to joke around with because she knows how to pick up the cues and increase the mirth. burrahobbit eschews surplusage. Maril[...] was a breath of fresh air at a time when the Downs was really struggling to redefine itself post-movie. Her vivaciousness, eloquence, passion, good humor, intellectual and spiritual curiosity, willingness to examine new points of view (an exceedingly rare quality!), willingness to defend unpopular positions, and her plain old common sense spawned many a good discussion when the forum was groaning under the weight of Orly-worship threads and “Who’s your favorite elf?” clones. Her periodic returns to the Downs are always cause for a little spate of “View Recent Posts” stalking. Thenamir’s rambunctious, opinionated conversational style is always guaranteed to wake up any chat room he enters and any thread in which he posts. But behind the sometimes bluff and fiery exterior lies an intelligent, thoughtful, humorous, and utterly sincere man. Like several other Downers, he’s gifted with fearsome punning and wordplay abilities, and he has a unique sense of humor. The perfect Downer to share a chuckle over Terry Tate videos with. Estelyn. God’s gift to the Downs. It’s not an overstatement to say that the forum would be a shambles without her tireless patrolling, keen eye, and firm but gentle hand. Her moderation is marked by thoughtfulness, tact, patience, and style. Don’t ask me how she finds the time to do the bulk of the policing and be one of the Downs’ most intelligent, articulate, insightful, and funny posters, but she does. Always cheerful, always upbeat, Esty’s the type of person that I imagine her friends call first when they’re feeling down. A class act all the way down to the ground. Lush. We’ve crossed paths on only a handful of occasions, but I’ve always admired Lush’s style. Her frank, unselfconscious manner lends an unusual authenticity to all her posts. Most people you meet on the web, no matter how smart or funny or articulate they are, hold back a big piece of their “real” selves. With Lush, you feel like you get Lush, full throttle, every time out. She brings a unique combination of youthful energy, intelligence, self-deprecation, humor, and confidence to any discussion she joins. All that, plus a knack for creating crowd-pleasing topics that run for months and months. Bethberry impressed me right away with her passion, energy, and commitment to shaping and improving the RPG section. Then she put her money where her mouth is by joining the team of Heroes who daily take on the Herculean task of moderating that selfsame section. She’s another Downer who’s as quick with a snappy line as she is with an intelligent and articulate contribution to any discussion. I know her less from the forum and more from the chat room, where she’s always great company (when not walking the dog(s?) or feeding a soccer team of kids). Rimbaud is the MacGyver of puns – he can take just about anything and turn it into a play on words. Widely read and a true logophile, Rimb can discuss the shades and nuances of a word’s meaning at length. Behind his joking, self-deprecating demeanor is a sharply insightful intellect. I hear tell he may be spending more time on the Downs again soon. I hope the rumors are true. Squatter is one of the most talented writers I know. He’s eloquent, erudite, quietly passionate, more fun than a barrel of monkeys, and has a style that puts you right at ease and makes you feel like he’s an old friend. He can make you laugh, cry, and grab for your Latin-English dictionary all in the space of a single post. His groundbreaking work on the Travest-o-meter©, coupled with his work on The Revenge of the Entish Bow and its sequel, may lead to a plentiful and cheap (not counting the ethical cost) source of energy as JRRT’s RPMs are harnessed and put to work. Other members whom I especially admire (but I have to wrap up this lengthy entry at some point, or it will forever remain among my Unfinished Posts): lindil Gilthalion Aiwendil littlemanpoet Dwarin Thunderhammer Gwindor Ulmo/Legolas Diamond18 The aforementioned RPG Heroes Members who have apparently left the Downs forever and who would never read any praise I gave them anyway: Mhoram Kalessin galpsi Saulotus Okay. That’s enough of the mutual admiration society. What are you looking at? Move along! This thread is closed! Go post something Tolkien-related for goodness’ sake!