# This Forum....



## mjscott

Does anyone else say, half-way through their Saturday, "Hey! Wait a minute! I can't stay online reading and responding to these posts! _I do have a life!_ "


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## Lems

mjscott said:
			
		

> Does anyone else say, half-way through their Saturday, "Hey! Wait a minute! I can't stay online reading and responding to these posts! _I do have a life!_ "


Yeah!! We're a gang of wraddicts...

Lems
__________________________________________________________________
Don’t worry to understand it. Living surpasses all understanding. Just dive into it.


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## belén

I say it and I go have a "little life" and then I am back home and there is this misterious force pushing me towards the computer...


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## lauranazario

mjscott said:
			
		

> Does anyone else say, half-way through their Saturday, "Hey! Wait a minute! I can't stay online reading and responding to these posts! _I do have a life!_ "



On the contrary... I say, "Hey, reading and responding ARE part of my life" and therefore I make time for it. 

Saludos,
L.


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## vachecow

Sometimes.........


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## Artrella

¿¿¿Esto es contagioso???​









*
Art*


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## mjscott

lauranazario--
You have a point!


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## cuchuflete

mjscott said:
			
		

> Does anyone else say, half-way through their Saturday, "Hey! Wait a minute! I can't stay online reading and responding to these posts! _I do have a life!_ "



Time for an update?


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## jmx

mjscott said:
			
		

> Does anyone else say, half-way through their Saturday, "Hey! Wait a minute! I can't stay online reading and responding to these posts! _I do have a life!_ "


For me, right now the difficult thing is not to decide whether to browse the forums or not, but rather wether to go on browsing the endless Spanish-English vocabulary Forum, and others, or just examine the Spanish-English grammar Forum and the Cultural Issues one, as I usually do.

So the WR Forums have become a part of my life this last couple of months, but I can't agree with myself about exactly how big a chunk of my life they can take.


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## VenusEnvy

jmartins said:
			
		

> For me, right now the difficult thing is not to decide whether to browse the forums or not, but rather wether to go on browsing the endless Spanish-English vocabulary Forum, and others, or just examine the Spanish-English grammar Forum and the Cultural Issues one, as I usually do.


he he, funny. While I am asleep at night, that vocab forum accumulates pages and pages of new questions! It's amazing, really.


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## te gato

Ahummmm;
One question.....What life? 
I must be waiting by the same pond belen is swimming in to pounce because I agree with her...There must be this magnet in my computer..that seems to have a pull over my fingers..no.no..no..stay away from the computer...Don't touch it!!...Don't you dare turn it on!!!...agggg..too late..
Then I tell myself..NO..stay away from that forum..don't you dare log on..don't you darrr....Ah Man...you did!

te gato


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## Artrella

I think that most of the people "addicted" to the net (whatever it is, forums, chatting rooms, IMs...)(we) lack something important, that we can find here.
However after a while you understand that you are "addicted" and that you are not getting that thing you lack... most of the times is something related to the emotions.
It's hard to quit... very hard!! But you have to do the same thing as drug addicts, or alcoholics, or gamblers do.  Cut it once and for all!!  Who's the first here??

Anyone has a cigarette.. please!!!


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## mjscott

Instead of turning my computer off, I click on START, TURN OFF COMPUTER, and then, STAND BY, instead of turning the computer off. That way it pops right back on when I hit the on/off button and saves my Spider Solitaire game right where I left off....
....Unfortunately, I'm not any further with my Master's Thesis. I think I should write on the language improvement garnered while subscribing to the WordReference Forum.
I shall withdraw shortly so that other things can reach completion within my existence!


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## lainyn

Oh, me too! I'm addicted to WR, but it's really bad for me, because I enjoy exploring ALL the forums on here, not just the ones which discuss languages I actually study or speak. Isn't that terrible? I'm getting a bit better now, though - I don't have to look at the forums *every day* anymore. 

I like to the WR is a good influence on me - where else can I communicate with so many future colleagues? 

~Lainyn


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## gaer

lainyn said:
			
		

> Oh, me too! I'm addicted to WR, but it's really bad for me, because I enjoy exploring ALL the forums on here, not just the ones which discuss languages I actually study or speak. Isn't that terrible? I'm getting a bit better now, though - I don't have to look at the forums *every day* anymore.
> 
> I like to the WR is a good influence on me - where else can I communicate with so many future colleagues?
> 
> ~Lainyn


My 2 cents: I see other people spending hours and hours playing computer games. Languages, to me, are much more interesting "games".

And what about people who spend hours in front of the boob toob, watching "reality TV", which has nothing to do with reality and demands no thinking or imagination?

Finally, what about those of us who have no one in our families who care about languages, no friends who care about languages? 

If participating in discussions about language is an addiction, I think it's got to be a very good one compared to most addictions I know!

Gaer


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## Everness

gaer said:
			
		

> My 2 cents: I see other people spending hours and hours playing computer games. Languages, to me, are much more interesting "games".
> 
> And what about people who spend hours in front of the boob toob, watching "reality TV", which has nothing to do with reality and demands no thinking or imagination?
> 
> Finally, what about those of us who have no one in our families who care about languages, no friends who care about languages?
> 
> If participating in discussions about language is an addiction, I think it's got to be a very good one compared to most addictions I know!
> 
> Gaer



I don't think that the topic of language is the problem: it's the medium! Virtual vs. real. As video/audio technology advances, it will soon be difficult to distinguish between a real person sitting in front of you in your office or at home and someone who is thousands of miles away sitting in front a monitor just like yours. Our senses will be fooled. Next, our minds and our hearts will follow suit. Eventually we won't need to leave our houses in order to relate to other people. We'll have virtual relationships in a virtual universe, and we'll all agree that it's the real thing. My 2 cents!


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## abc

WR is truly one of my favorite places all year round. Am I addicted to it? Perhaps.


mjscott,

Did you say that you were working on your thesis? I'm sending you my best wishes.


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				Everness said:
			
		

> ...Eventually we won't need to leave our houses in order to relate to other people. We'll have virtual relationships in a virtual universe, and we'll all agree that it's the real thing.


 
This will not happen in _my_ _universe_ even if it has eleven or more dimensions.


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## Cath.S.

> it will soon be difficult to distinguish between a real person sitting in front of you in your office or at home and someone who is thousands of miles away sitting in front a monitor just like yours


Do I care about my friends' physicality? About their smell, their body vibes?
Well, to be honest, it depends on the person. Even in "real", non-computer life, there are people around me whom I consider as having a strong physical presence, some of my other friends seem to be just made of language. 

So what does it matter that you're not in the person's actual compagny when all you want to do with that person is talk? Anyway, people we have conversations with over the internet are not "vitual", it's not as if they were AIs, they are real but just physically remote.

I sometimes sense very acutely somebody's vibes over the net, even if it is just a subjective impression.

All this forum interaction is a real part of my real, undivided life. So are my dreams, mind you...


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## Artrella

*For Spanish speaking people... read this*>>>_Las comunidades on-line son el laboratorio donde se destilan las experiencias más originales e intensas en materia de sexualidad y relaciones interpersonales. Los canales de chat, las listas de correo, los foros, el mail, el Messenger, con 7.5 millones de cuentas activas en la Argentina, son la antesala de romances reales o nuevos escenarios de sexo salvaje e intangible. _ 
*source*


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## te gato

Hey gaer;
Hang on...ok..2 cents American..convert that to Canadian...you get..
Ok..so my 1/8 of a cent..
I agree with you..Language is so important..How else do we get our feelings, thoughts, points across..I mean...just think about it..here we talk and help and receive help from people ALL OVER THE WORLD..where else could you do that?...ok..if you worked in an airport..but this is more fun..
So you make on line friends...while helping someone..or being helped..what is wrong with that?..in my view nothing..
Here we learn about other cultures...other meanings for words..other phrases..definitions..yadda,yadda..it is so interesting..we have to think..I would rather be doing this than have my butt glued to the couch watching mindless T.V...and if I am lucky enough to make good friends while I am here..then GREAT!!!more power to me..and I am a better person in the end..

te gato 




			
				gaer said:
			
		

> My 2 cents: I see other people spending hours and hours playing computer games. Languages, to me, are much more interesting "games".
> 
> And what about people who spend hours in front of the boob toob, watching "reality TV", which has nothing to do with reality and demands no thinking or imagination?
> 
> Finally, what about those of us who have no one in our families who care about languages, no friends who care about languages?
> 
> If participating in discussions about language is an addiction, I think it's got to be a very good one compared to most addictions I know!
> 
> Gaer


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## lainyn

I would agree with you perfectly, Gaer, except that I'm currently going through my examination period for university right now, and this is not the time in my life to be addicted to *anything* except my textbooks, eh? I need to be more dedicated to the studies I'm paying good money for. 

Virtual friends are great things, but it is my humble belief that everybody needs some of each. 

How many people have actually met a friend they made online? And no chickening out to make yourself look less careless or stupid. I have, and I don't regret it at all. It was a good experience, even though I could have handled the situation better.

~Lainyn


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## gaer

egueule said:
			
		

> Do I care about my friends' physicality? About their smell, their body vibes?
> Well, to be honest, it depends on the person. Even in "real", non-computer life, there are people around me whom I consider as having a strong physical presence, some of my other friends seem to be just made of language.
> 
> So what does it matter that you're not in the person's actual compagny when all you want to do with that person is talk? Anyway, people we have conversations with over the internet are not "vitual", it's not as if they were AIs, they are real but just physically remote.
> 
> I sometimes sense very acutely somebody's vibes over the net, even if it is just a subjective impression.
> 
> All this forum interaction is a real part of my real, undivided life. So are my dreams, mind you...


I agree with you very strongly, and I've had experiences in the past when I've met people I've only known in writing at get-togethers. The people I got along with the best, in "real life", were the same people I enjoyed most talking to.

I've said for many years that meeting this way gives us the potential of meeting people "from the inside out". In way, everything is in reverse.

Even in the case of my wife, who I'd met long before I exchanged a letter, some of the most important things about her I learned through writing. Even though we had known each other, we seemed to have missed many of the most important things.

I don't consider people less real or less important just because I can't see them, hear them and "smell them". 

Gaer


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## gaer

lainyn said:
			
		

> I would agree with you perfectly, Gaer, except that I'm currently going through my examination period for university right now, and this is not the time in my life to be addicted to *anything* except my textbooks, eh? I need to be more dedicated to the studies I'm paying good money for.
> 
> Virtual friends are great things, but it is my humble belief that everybody needs some of each.
> 
> How many people have actually met a friend they made online? And no chickening out to make yourself look less careless or stupid. I have, and I don't regret it at all. It was a good experience, even though I could have handled the situation better.
> 
> ~Lainyn


As I just said that although I had met my wife before we began writing, we found out how much we had in common when we started talking in email.

There are many of us who do not have the opportunity to go to classes, to do what you are doing right now. I don't. But I remember vividly what it was like when I was in the position you are apparently in now, and it was wonderful. In my case I was studying something I loved and was surrounded by other talented musicians. (At that time I had no interest in languages, which is ironic.)

I don't recall ever saying that virtual friends are a replacement for real friends, but real friends who have no interest in languages are no replacement for "virtual friends" who share a passion for the same thing. 

Gaer


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## gaer

Everness said:
			
		

> I don't think that the topic of language is the problem: it's the medium! Virtual vs. real.


Who do you talk to about language? I'm trying to learn more German. I can only get this help online. I have no friends who speak German. No one in my family speaks German.

I have no friends who speak Japanese. No one in my family speaks Japanese.

I have no friends who speak French. No one in my family speaks French.

My problem is finding help and finding people who share my interests. Where I am able to find such people is the solution to this problem. 

Gaer


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