"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" sent in by Kevin Webster

The title of Stephen Sondheim’s famous 1960s musical has always been one that appeals to copywriters. It’s been twisted into a thousand variations over the years. I’m therefore about to give it yet another twist.

Dreamers back in the Swinging Sixties may well have dreamed about a world of communication where, at the touch of a button or two, people the world over would be able to talk to just about anyone, anywhere. The Internet wasn’t yet even a twinkle in the eye of its developers and as for forums, well, weren’t they nothing other than ancient Roman talking shops?

I’m fortunate to live in a town settled extensively by the Romans. To this day, wherever I go in Lincoln, there are reminders of that great civilisation that changed the face of Britain forever. I wonder what the worthy citizens who used to meet in the Forum to discuss the issues of the day would make of today’s world of computers and communications technology?

The retired soldiers who set up “Lindum Colonia” (as Lincoln was then called) were, of course, conquerors by nature. Having tamed the heathen Britons and with their active duty over, they would have then set about making their years of retirement both comfortable and fulfilling. No doubt the Forum would have echoed to many a tale of brave and glorious exploits, or perhaps just fond reminiscences of the homes that they left under the warm Italian sun.

Older folk love to reminisce. Life may have been both kind and unkind in equal measure, yet there is something very satisfying about just being able to discuss a wide range of topics amongst people of a like mind. Just as the ancient Romans did, the present-day older generation love to talk. It is so much easier to gather a large audience nowadays, thanks to the wonders of electronics. So we enter the fascinating (if not sometimes frightening) subject of the Internet Forum.

I think it will be fairly obvious, even at this point, that the author of this article considers himself to be an incorrigible “Internet Junkie”. I feel no compulsion to hide my compulsion. From the time I get up in the morning till the time I switch off my computer at night, I spend most of my day with my fingers firmly glued to my keyboard. All too often, the days and the nights run together, so that “open all hours” has become the norm, with only brief periods of rest in between bouts of mouse clicking.

You only have to join a few forums (or should that be “fora” ? – never having studied Latin, I tend to use the popular plural form, as used by the vast majority of forum users) to quickly get an impression of what and who makes each one “tick”. Inevitably, there are forums that are dominated by one or two individuals who battle it out daily, like tennis players in a marathon bash on Wimbledon’s Centre Court. Their monopolistic domination of the forum is interrupted but briefly by a few others that play the role of ball boys and ball girls, scooting onto the scene to return the debate to the principals and disappear back onto the sidelines.

Or there is the forum where one person (usually the founder or owner of the forum) seems to make all the running as to what subjects are put up for discussion and comment. Very often, such people will make regular pleas for others to add their own topics, usually without very much response.

By far the greatest number of forums on the Internet, (apart from those dealing with specialised subjects), appear to be those that are directed specifically at older users, or to use the current naff term (as Princess Anne might say) “silver surfers”. It is to this group that I belong, my hair having long lost its dark brown colouring.

I’ve been a member of the forum here at Seniority for well over three years now. Having amassed a total of over ten thousand postings, I think I can say that I know the forum well. Many people have come and gone, but there is a hard core of members who have been around since the forum started. I’ve even managed to meet some of them in person. That, for me, justifies everything that I’ve ever said about a forum on the Internet being much more than just a place where you can “sound off” about the issues of the day.

Making new friends has been the greatest pleasure that I can attribute to being a member of the Seniority Forum. In recent years, declining health and restricted mobility has meant that I’m no longer to socialise like I once did. Popping down to the local was always the easiest way of meeting folk and having a “good old natter”, but since I can’t easily do that these days, sitting down at my PC and flexing my fingers on the keyboard provides more than adequate recompense.

So the forum has assumed a major role in my life that perhaps is bigger than it ought to be. Sure, there are plenty of times when I’d rather be kicking a ball around the park with the younger members of my family or taking walks in the countryside. Digging the garden and planting spring flowers would be nice too, but since all these activities are impossible for me, the world that I inhabit comes to me via a seventeen-inch VDU monitor.

Maintaining a healthy interest in a host of subjects allows me to take an active part in the discussions that many people feel they want to avoid, either because they feel they lack the necessary communication skills or the knowledge of the subject matter they believe is something quite beyond them. I have learned a great deal from my forum hobby. Never someone who was shy at “having a go”, I’ve gained a massive amount of information from my daily interaction with folk across the globe.

My favourite part of the forum is the section that is called “Anything Goes” because it is the most popular one and attracts the biggest participation. It can be a virtual minefield for the unwary however, and at times can become heated and turn into a battleground. It doesn’t HAVE to be like that of course, but as we used to say in Yorkshire, “there’s nowt so funny as folk!” There are “funny folk” a ‘plenty to be found on the forum. Such a variety of styles, attitudes, life skills and interests guarantee that the place never becomes boring. It is practically impossible to like everybody who contributes, yet it must be remembered that there is a big difference between expressing your opinion on a particular subject and being a “nice person” in real life. Some members forget that and engage in quite unnecessary fighting and arguing.

One of the very best things about a forum for older people is that, for the most part, almost everyone will have experienced major trauma during their lifetime – loss of a loved one, unemployment, ill-health etc. as well as the great joys of life – family, weddings, the birth of a child or grandchild. Two very recent events in my own life are good examples of this. My wife and I have brought up four children and our only daughter got married recently. I put their wedding pictures online for other forum members to see and received many messages of congratulation. Then, only a few weeks back, we suffered the sadness of seeing our pet dog being put to sleep after contracting a major disease. My message on that occasion produced scores of messages of sympathy and understanding from other members. It helped us all to come to terms with our loss.

Each day is different, so there are many funny things that happen on the way to the forum for me. Even funnier things happen once I get there and there is no way on earth that I could ever imagine going back to the time before I experienced the joys (and the pains!) of “forumming”.