Why I Love Forums

I never thought I would. I really didn't think I'd click with this whole social networking 'thing' either. I come from the IT industry, but social networking? Please! Not for me, I thought. I started my blog last year as a kind of experiment. I wanted to see if I could actually get into the routine and discipline needed to maintain the thing. I wanted to see if I could come up with anything remotely interesting to say, because, what would I actually write about and who would care anyway? I wanted to see if it was something I'd have to force myself to do. Well, surprise, surprise! I found I actually enjoy it. Who would have thought? I give it to myself as a reward if I meet a certain goal for the day. In addition to blogging, I've discovered forums. Of course, I always knew they were there, but I thought 'what benefit could I really get from them'? I'm fairly self sufficient after all. They have an obvious educational value, a support value, a networking value, and a promotional value. They have all that, but the thing I love most about them? They're BLIND. I don't necessarily mean the annonymity of them, although that's part of it. I mean they're blind to social status, geographic location, cultural differences, economic situation and age. People come together with common interests, desires, dreams and aspirations and - connect. OK, maybe I'm kind of late to this party, but better to finally arrive than never get there at all, right?