Being called a 'wizened legend of the forum' by @joe_alouder not only made me laugh out loud but also got me to thinking just how long I've been around these parts. As far as I can remember I first arrived in the summer of either 2004 or 2005. Can't work out which but I know I was in Ibiza all summer at the time. I used to go to the internet cafe and spend hours talking to you lot. I was so pleased to finally find a place to discuss pop music with intelligent like minded people. Initially I was called Barbel Wockel and my first ever post was schooling someone who insisted that Britney was a better singer than Aretha Franklin (Some things never change). I also remember having a very early run with @Kirkland (I think) when I ridiculously stated that Betty Boo wasn't a very good rapper? I disappeared for a while around 2006 but ran back here to lament Joss Stone's tragic Brits performance at the beginning of 2007 and think I've posted almost every day since. I used to chat a lot with Trixie and Storm back in the day but they have long gone. The legendary @Maureen still pops up every now and then but hasn't been a regular for years. I'm pretty certain that @AcerBenII was here when I first arrived as we had a mutual adoration of Rosie Ribbons. I'm sure @ladylloyd has been here as long as me. So other than Mr @Popjustice which still active posters have been around the longest? Who remembers the Jamie Kane game? Or when the boards first moved server? Or can find themselves on here........ http://popjustice2.proboards.com/
When did the forum start? I thought I joined as an undergrad student but I could be wrong. I was Rage* in the early days and became Tribal Spaceman in mid 2007 for the Spice reunion. I do miss Yellow Man In Timbuktu and Kung-Fu Fighting Dancing Queen, are they still here under different names, I wonder? I was one of the #straightladsofpopjustice along with sifr. How wrong I was!
I've done a bit of detective work and it turns out my second account was registered on December 1st 2004. I know it's my second account because the first post I made with it said "I'm back" and I remember having to start over after not being on the site for a good part of a year. I'm so old.
Wasn't there a sub forum dedicated to one legendary poster who got dramatically banned? I vaguely remember someone going out in a giant blaze of glory and there posts being so lols they were placed in a forum so we could all enjoy them. Have I made that up?
This all rings a bell, but I can't remember who it was. PJ Big Brother was hilarious as well, although I was still watching the actual show at the time so it must have been a very long time ago.
Forum meltdowns were a bigger deal then because social media was in its infancy and places like this were our main source of interaction.