|
|
What is the BBS? Why, it's Whyville's fantastic forum system! BBS in most cases stands for Bulletin Board System. You can almost always find someone online to chat with or to discuss topics with here on Whyville's BBS. There are many different sections to chose from, such as Human Body, Beauty and Fashion, School, and lots more. You can even get your questions about Whyville answered by the City Workers! People engage in exciting debates, help each other out in life or school troubles, answer questions about the body, or simply goof off and have fun!
I feel that everyone should experience the BBS. It's lively, hilarious, interactive, and once you start, there's no getting out of it! Nearly all BBSers are friendly and some will definitely make you laugh. It's one of the best forums I've ever been on, mainly because of the unique personalities of the people on there. I interviewed some senior BBSers about their experiences using the BBS, which can hopefully give you an idea about what the BBS is all about.
nico511: How long have you been participating in the BBS? What were some of your first experiences on there as a newbie?
whyhere1: 2 years, maybe? I was a dumb little duck when I first went BBSing.
Delp: I've been participating in the BBS for about a year now. As a newbie to the BBS, I didn't really have too many shocking experiences, mainly because I've been on Whyville for quite a long time so I knew the ropes. I was probably a little more awkward when I first started.
xoxkitkat: My search bar tells me I started posting a little towards the end of 2010 and got more into it during 2011. I started out giving my opinion on silly topics like Snuggies and Ugg boots; apparently I thought they were "the cheese!"? Sometimes I think there's some embarrassing forums newbie illness that no one can escape . . .
HotTrent1: I think I started around August in 2011. I was very unaware of basically everything at first. But after a while, I eased into the new concept and now I'm well-known throughout the forums.
jordanew: I think I've been on BBS for like, a year or two now? Not particularly long, in my opinion, for how long I've actually been on this site. So to answer the next question, because of that, I wasn't a full on newby as a BBSer. I started getting into BBS through role-playing, which was probably the only reason I stayed on. Eventually, in the mean time, I started posting on other topics, and voila.
nicenfun: My first post on the BBS was in 2006 for an old salary game called Solstice Safari. However, I didn't become actively involved with posting until 2010-2011.
nico511: About how many posts do you have on the BBS? How many times a day do you usually post?
whyhere1: About 4.5k, I post usually less than 10 times a day.
Delp: I have about 3600 posts on the BBS. I post probably about 10 times per day, though it depends on whether or not I'm in an interesting discussion with someone or if it's a slow day on the BBS. Basically, if it's interesting, or it's something I have some knowledge on, I answer it.
xoxkitkat: I just hit 9000 on Monday -- craziness! My daily posting habits change depending on whether it's during a school week or the weekend. I'll also post a bit more if there's a thread with one of those fiery topics going on or if I'm holding some kind of event with my club.
HotTrent1: I have a little over 11,175 posts at the moment I believe. I post about 20-50 posts a day, depending on how busy I am with school and other things.
jordanew: I think I'm at 6 thousand now? I had to go check to make sure, because I honestly don't care enough to check back. And I'll usually probably post 2 times a day minimum. Oh God, that sounds like an awful thing to say.
nicenfun: I have just a little over 4,000 posts so far, which isn't as many as I should have considering how long I've been on Whyville! How many times I post a day depends on how busy I am. I would say at least 10-25 times a day.
nico511: What is your favorite topic to discuss in the BBS and why?
whyhere1: Videogames and general chatter.
Delp: I really like talking about health and emotions in the BBS. Health, because I feel as though young adults should ask as many questions as possible about their health and I like being able to answer some of the questions that people may have. It's also really interesting to see the different lifestyles that people have. Emotions, because I've been studying psychology for years and I think that mental health is a huge topic right now. I like to offer as much advice as I can in the BBS so that other users feel as though they've got a safe place to post their problems without being judged, and also so that I can make an effort to improve what it upsetting them
xoxkitkat: Ideally, the performing arts, but not too many people on here seem to share my interests. *sad face* I guess like those touchy moral/political debates because I think it's cool when people take such a strong stance on something they believe in, and it's interesting to learn more about the opposing side of a debate.
HotTrent1: I generally post all over the forums, but I like to go into Life in Whyville for trading and selling parts, attending BC's and other parties, and fun conversations!
jordanew: I have a lot of different topics I like to browse. I think I like the school category and current events the most, but because I really don't care what topic I'm posting on, as long as I understand it and it makes sense, I don't really have a specific place I'm usually found, I guess. I like the current events section, not because I find my opinion so above others(not that I haven't had that downfall a few times), but that I really like hearing different points of views on certain topics.
nicenfun: I really enjoy answering questions in Ask the City Workers and giving advice in the Human Body section and the Emotions & Coping and School category. I gravitate to these areas because I love to help people as much as I possibly can!
nico511: What is your favorite part of being on the BBS?
whyhere1: The interactions between people and the sense of knowing everyone like in a small town.
Delp: My favourite part of being on the BBS is how close we all are. There's not too many active BBSers compared to the population of Whyville, and after a while, you're fairly well-known there and you know everyone else. I've made some fantastic friendships over the year with people who I look forward to talking to everyday. It's really cool to talk to people from all over North America (and some even farther!)
xoxkitkat: I think it's a great place to get to know people without having those awkward "How's the weather?!" icebreaker conversations. I literally always bring up the weather with new people, so it's nice to go into a chat room and have an idea of what to talk about with someone I met through the forms!
HotTrent1: The intelligence grown from it. Sure, it can be very immature at points, but you can learn some great things that schools don't teach like world affairs and other people's point-of-views of ideas.
jordanew: I'm honestly not sure why I like it so much or why I continue to come on. I'd say that I really like the community based forum as a whole, and the way it works.
nicenfun: My favorite part would be being able to communicate with a large group of people and connecting with them all in a different way. I like hearing everyone's opinions and discussing all sorts of topics.
nico511: Finally, what tips can you give to people who may want to start BBSing?
whyhere1: Just post.
Delp: The first thing you should do if you want to start BBSing is read the forum rules, especially when it comes to posting topics in the right place. Also, don't spam just to get your post count up. Finally, make sure you aren't afraid to talk to anyone and feel free to just jump in on the discussion whenever! We don't bite!
xoxkitkat: Just pick a topic you like and start posting! Don't beat yourself up if someone disagrees with your opinion, the diversity of personalities and viewpoints is what makes the forums such an awesome thing!
HotTrent1: Don't start out annoying; it will leave that impression of you. If you start out as a scammer, you'll be portrayed as untrustworthy for a very long time. Seem somewhat sophisticated with decent grammar. If you aren't mature, you'll be disliked by some, maybe even more. Just go to areas you know and then work your way through the forums and you'll be set in no time!
jordanew: Don't sit there and try to be a somebody and be fake, or trollish, or anything. I don't look upon people who try so hard to earn popularity points with a great amount of respect, because the people that interest me the most, to the point of addressing friendly or mailing out of curiosity, are those who seem interesting as a person because their being their own person. Don't waste your effort on trying so hard. It's way easier to just let yourself post naturally.
nicenfun: Be yourself, yet be respectful of others. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, however, don't shove yours down the throats of other BBSers.
Well, there you have it. To wrap everything up, the BBS is one the the best features on Whyville and a real joy to be a part of the family. To start off, introduce yourself or just chose an interesting topic and post! We hope to see you soon!
~nico511
|
