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Is this a reflection or a eulogy?

  
 
Feverfew
17:20 / 04.04.08
Over in Policy, in the Is that it, then? thread, I find myself oddly moved by Alex's Grandma's post wherein ze says:

The end of Barbelith?

I think it is now, really.

To look on the bright side, it's been great over the years - at the particular point when I signed up (when the board was letting anyone in, back in 2004) I was at something of a loss as to what to do with myself. All my friends were getting married for the third time, I was alone in the facilities. So, cheers, Barbelith. I doubt I'm alone.

But now, what's the point of continuing? Active membership's a fraction of what it used to be, what remains of it is stupidly aggressive (I do hold my, actually both, hands up in all this) but there's nothing to be done about it now.

Liminal Nation sounds like a fab idea for some, and the other new board might be good too; for others there're other places, I guess.

But really, if the end of term is in sight for everyone ('our sentence Is up!!!) etc, can't we all just, y'know, chuck our schoolbags in the air and celebrate the good times?

*

Now I am, unashamedly one of what I believe have been previously referred to as Barbelith's 'starry-eyed optimists' (I believe Haus used the term, but I may be misquoting it, and, if so, I apologise). I've always had a problem with the idea that Barbelith was dying, or ending, or that anyone who registered past a certain date had missed the 'glory days', but of course this would be because I'm only a comparatively recent joiner - I'm only just over two years old, here. (That and I have past form for my starry-eyed optimism.)

However, I was wondering if people would like to reflect on the effect that Barbelith has had on their lives, positive or negative (but, prefarably I guess, positive), in case this place is about to suffer a mass exodus to Breefield or Liminal Nation.

Personally, because of Barbelith:

- I have learnt enough HTML to get by,

- I would never have had my interest in animé renewed, and by extension

- I would never have seen Evangelion - at least certainly not in one - long - marathon

- I would never have realised how much intelligent discussion can actually occur on the internet

- I wouldn't have been exposed to such a wide variety of media (Phonogram, Roadside Picnic, The Yiddish Policemen's Union, and Travian, to name a few - but the jury's out on the last one)

- and there are a number of sundry things that Barbelith has brought to my life that I'm grateful for.

Now, personally I hope that this isn't 'the end', but if it is, I'm with the 'chuck our schoolbags in the air' idea; mock me (or this) if you want, but I'd like to celebrate the board's successes as much as anything.

What's Barbelith done for you, and not just lately?
 
 
grant
17:27 / 04.04.08
Moomins.

Somehow, never heard of 'em until here.

Spent last night soothing the quarrelsome 2-year-old by placing him on my lap in front of a YouTube collection of YouTube stopmotion.

He likes to say "Grooooke!"
 
 
Pingle!Pop
19:18 / 04.04.08
Moomins! Is that anything to do with me, or were they mentioned elsewhere? Anyway, if you have a two year old you must make sure to scrobble up all the DVDs and watch the whole lot, as Moomins bring joy.

Or, obviously, even if you don't have a two year old.
 
 
grant
19:32 / 04.04.08
Ha! I just got a call from home asking where to find the videos online, because the small person has been *asking* for them.

I can't remember where Moomins entered Lith, but there was a time when there were many Moomin name changes. Moominstoat, I remember, and kookymojo was one too, I think.
 
 
Less searchable M0rd4nt
19:37 / 04.04.08
I think that's when Tove Jansson died. I know my 1st Barbelith thread was on Moomins. Thus was my evil stranglehold consolidated.
 
 
Shrug
19:37 / 04.04.08
I'm never quite sure about the 'if this is the future haven't we been here before?' attitude or, indeed, the teleological reclaiming of past Barbelith experience as the good ol' days of the Golden Age. (Although, maybe that's deliberate contrariness because it hasn't been exactly my experience).
There's a little wealth of cultural information, entertainment and entirely agreeable people here for the most part.
Barbelith introduced me to: Le Tigre, Mervyn Peake, Queer Theory and DFW and I like people here and there (although I've never met anyone), moderate away when the will or time is there, and am generally quite content with its goings on.
 
 
Shrug
19:53 / 04.04.08
Oh, there's more, I suppose. Much of my use and/or enjoyment of Barbelith* has come from learning to articulate the inarticulable about myself and others which the more thought out and lengthily conversational medium here provides opportunity for. (My own efforts at this rarely appear on line, however, but it is very beneficial to see people interact in that manner [or with usual Barbelith poise and hopefully with usual Barbelith humility]).
So, I do, um.... like it quite a lot, really. Still. Even though it's oh so quiet.



* (I joined for a second time after an extended period of losing my lurking password in 2003 when I was 19/20 and still somewhat consider myself as a closet lurker.)
 
 
Mug Chum
21:10 / 04.04.08
There's certainly a galaxy of good things the lith brought my way that I can't remember.

But on top of my head and writing a bit freely... it's really the first place on the internet where I found is possible to have (mostly read, in my case) intelligent conversations coming from many places that challenged many underlining assumptions on tons of matters. It's mostly the first place where I found it had similar tastes to my own (but with much higher standards, and at times bringing light to things I never even noticed in things I liked). And with a sense of humour I rarely see in other places.

It's a forum I'm grateful for directing me to corners and confirming vague poorly thought out 'suspicions' I had in the back of my head on matters of race, gender, politics and queer theory (and many others) I couldn't really find in my own circles. And how at times the starting point for a discussion is at a much higher level than the usual, and how at times it confronted me to revaluate my own standings.

And I'm pretty grateful for how it brings (articulated) perspectives I never see anywhere else on the internet (or at all, really) on films, books and comics.

But no, I'm not entirely sure it's on its dying moments (but it sure had a better ratio and greater activity before).

On top of my head, the lith brought me (these I believe are the most recent ones and fresh on my memory):

- many anime films from Seth's threads;
- many books/links from the folks at the temple (who, despite my total thickness on the subject, manage to articulate such things in ways even someone like me can start to understand a little), the Switchboard and the Headshop;
- many films I would never have heard of from corners of pop culture unknown to me;
- GM's superhero comics I would never have give attention to (and therefore wouldn't have read something like A.S.S. afterwards), Phonogram, Casanova, Scott Pilgrim.
- Too many bands to remember.
- I would've never given a penny of attention to Dr Who if not for the lith.

And also, folks are a charm.
 
 
Shrug
21:57 / 04.04.08
PS, also, people have been very helpful academically to me on here which I've very much appreciated.
 
 
Alex's Grandma
02:21 / 05.04.08
I think that's when Tove Jansson died. I know my 1st Barbelith thread was on Moomins. Thus was my evil stranglehold consolidated.

You were right to fear them, though. IMVHO.
 
 
Alex's Grandma
02:25 / 05.04.08
They'll do anything they like with you, actually.

Bad Moomins.
 
  
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