We all need to be heard for a little while.

codemonkey

elsien wrote: »

Old person technophobe question ahoy! How do you just happen to get chatting to people? I had a colleague who was always dating people off Facebook - is it through interest groups, meeting pages, harassing random strangers? I only have comping FBI friends, no one I actually know or chat to online, so I've always wondered how these conversations get started.

In the old days of the internets (on my 28.8k modem) I used to randomly 'meet' people in chatrooms, at least one of whom is still my friend today. Then I used to be a member of another forum based on an interest and met loads of guys through that. Then I tried internet dating which is how I eventually met DH. I was a bit of a minx back in the day, but I had trouble meeting guys irl because, I'm quite shy and it takes me a while to warm up to people and because I'm not pretty so guys were always passing me over for prettier girls.

codemonkey

tea_lover wrote:

Also feel your pain with the spots - surely by mid-30s we shouldn't have to deal with this??

I have more spots on my face just now than I had for my entire teens. Surely this can't be fair. I cannot have grey hair and acne!!

tea_lover

codemonkey wrote: »

I have more spots on my face just now than I had for my entire teens. Surely this can't be fair. I cannot have grey hair and acne!!

I know, it's just not right! I always thought my skin was bad, but I recently saw some photos from when I was about 17 and I looked fine (awful hair though :rotfl:). I look far worse now!

Waves_and_Smiles

You made me giggle, code. I take a daily antibiotic for acne and acne rosacea. I rarely had a spot as a teenager, now without my pills I am covered in them in 3 days. It just isn't fair is it?

Hugs to code and tea. You are both amazing people and I care about you lots. Please both do something nice for yourself this weekend.

Elsien, I have been chatting to people online for years. Like code, I used to meet people in chat rooms initially. A service called IRC used to allow people to make chat rooms to discuss their interests or just for friends to hang out, I met a lot of people on there. Then I ran a forum for teenagers and added many to a chat programme (with parental permission!) to try to support them, along with a lot of their parents who also needed support off the forum.

I have met other people through forums on computer games, mental health problems and many other topics. For me, I have mostly started talking to someone on a forum, got to know them well and then added them to a messenger application.

codemonkey

Oh man. I have this photo of me at 17 wearing a pair of cream trousers that look like jodhpurs and a brown tshirt with my hair cut in a bob and highlighted in a very stripey manner. I thought that outfit was so great.

Eta: WaS, I used to use IRC. And geocities. I used to tell Americans that Ally McCoist was my boyfriend. Oh the shame.

elsien

Messenger application? Never used any of those either - clearly more of a Luddite than I realised.:o

codemonkey

elsien wrote: »

Messenger application? Never used any of those either - clearly more of a Luddite than I realised.:o

Msn or yahoo messenger(does anyone still use these?), icq (took me ages to get the name), gmail chat, facebook messenger. I believe the kids are all about snapchat and Instagram these days.

Waves_and_Smiles

I still use Trillian, which combines Yahoo, MSN and it's own messenger to speak daily to my american friend! Yes, it is all Snapchat and Instagram now, although they do still use messengers such as Whatsapp and Line but they are used mostly on smart phones. It's kind of like texting in a way but there is no having to wait for a reply after each message, you just keep typing to each other into one long conversation. I do have Line for the PC though which works like the MSN messenger used to, but with animations and all sorts of bells and whistles. I sometimes speak to my american friend on that, too if we feel like sending silly little animated bunnies and bears to each other.

tea_lover

I feel ancient now - haven't even heard of most of those things! Don't think I've ever used a chatroom in my life. Is it v wrong that I've already given some thought to internet dating once FOH finally leaves??

The sun is shining, and I only have 2.5hrs left at work this week. Have had a v productive week - lots of lingering jobs crossed off the to do list at last. Feels like spring is on the way!

Waves_and_Smiles

There is nothing wrong with considering internet dating, tea! Some people meet the love of lives on there, just stay safe while you do so.

It isn't dating but I met my american friend online when she was 15, we have now met 6 times and are really close friends 15 years later who talk every day. You do have to be careful but you can meet some wonderful people online, for friendship or romance! (Look at everyone here, I love you all). There are dodgy people but for me at least, it's no different to meeting people in club or bar, some people you want to run from but most are just ordinary people who want to meet others. It is just the same online.

Aw, I am sure you looked great at the time, code! I used to use Geocities, too then I moved on to MSN. The messengers are slowly fading out though because most people use smart phones to chat through text now rather than PC's.