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Where Have All The Old Men Gone?


Guest Marad44

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Guest Marad44

I am new on BW. suckling_pig's recent topic, What Direction, Moderators?(http://www.blowingwind.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=27707&st=0&p=335069entry335069) leads me to beg the question, What has become of the old guard in their 60's and above?

Has the changing demographics elbowed out the seniors? Are aging Asians subjugated to silence by unfair type-casting? Could it be why they take oblivion on BW as inevitable? Or am I failing to see them active under the cloak of anonymity?

If suggestions are welcome BW could take a leaf out of Gay.Com whose Mature Men room is one of the well-patronized discussion rooms. Granted, GC and BW are structured differently. If a review of BW's forums is in the pipleine may I drop in the suggestion box that the seniors be given a platform of prominence to stand and be counted instead of being dwarfed and obliterated by the growing new generation?

I am encouraged by the rise of BW from the time of an article in 2003 (http://blowingwind.tripod.com/) to its current profile of rounding up and engaging the gay & bi communities in & around Singapore.

I mean no ill will toward any age group. As a new comer, I just fail to see chitter chatter coming from the old quarters.

Regards, Marad

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What a very good observation Marad,

I was wondering about that too. I remember that a few months back I was quite turned off by a few members / guests who kept shouting their opinions very loudly and stuffing their views down other members throats. Could that be something to do with it?

However I think that your idea of having a sub-forum specifically for a mature age group is worth an experiment. In my mind, there is a question that if the sub-forum becomes too focussed, the number of audience becomes too small to generate a critical mass of interest. But then again it is worth trying out so that we can find where the sweet-spot is? I like trial and error method, it is sure much more fun !

We see things not as they are, but as WE are - The Talmud

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear - The Buddha

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The emerging seniors are coming ... I am one of them ... he he ... they will be IT savvy enough to contribute in the forums ... sad part ... my white hair coming out all over from head, nose and also pubic ... sigh ...

Trust is more important than monogamy. - Savage Garden, Affirmation

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I believe there is a clear saying OLD and NOT OUT.

For those of us who had been working in civil service or in offices, IT is very much a norm.

It is those who worked in smaller and older companies like those small dealers/hawkers/provision shops,

the helpers see no need to upgrade or they do not know where to start.

I've mentioned to a Mr.Low some 6 months ago during an OC tea session that I am willing to teach his friends

basic computer skills.

I think cost is not a problem as computers are under $500 if one seeks for basic surfing and emails.

I can conduct the sessions at my place.

Mr. Low, please pm me.

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There are a few "type" of mature men in BW :

1. The silent reader - Guest

2. The contributor - BW registered members and anonymous guest

A majority of the mature men I seen in saunas, some are illiterate, some have techno-phobia, some just can't be bothered about spending long hours online.

Those tech savvy mature men whom are 50s or 60s and above are far and few in between. The majority of the 40s are more tech savvy as internet happens during their time.

Then there are those whom aren't interested in sex forum like BW but instead chose to read up more hardcore stuff like The Online Citizen, and or Yawing bread, etc.

Then there are many whom will patronised our massage and personal folders looking for fresh meat and batang (pole) to sextify their hunger.

Thus leaving those who really follow and contribute to the forum to the designated few and the young and the loud or the young and loud.

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There are a few "type" of mature men in BW :

<snipped>

Then there are those whom aren't interested in sex forum like BW but instead chose to read up more hardcore stuff like The Online Citizen, and or Yawing bread, etc.

<snipped>

Thus leaving those who really follow and contribute to the forum to the designated few and the young and the loud or the young and loud.

How very well put GM, I couldn't have expressed it better!!!

It is quite a shame that what can a great source of info and support for the gay community here has taken on a tone of constant bitching and shallow mundane chatter. I am not saying we should be super intellectual. For that we have to leave to Yawning Bread. But BW can expand on it's already apparent strength: RELEVANCE. it has great potential to be relevant to the average gay guy. If we can keep the bullying and rudeness down, and encourage (back) a more varied age range and consequently a more varied intellectual climate, it would be of such value to the community.

Edited by suckling_pig

We see things not as they are, but as WE are - The Talmud

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear - The Buddha

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GM is right. the 40s guys are the one who are more exposed the internet and computer since it bloomed during that perform.

Oh dear, I actually remember using computers with green and black computer screens .....

We see things not as they are, but as WE are - The Talmud

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear - The Buddha

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I wonder how many are familiar with Teleview - well, that was as far back as I could remember when I started using the computer. And I'm still into surfing the net...BW being one among others.

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old uncle here born in the 60s. Ahem. I am very tech savvy as I worked in the IT industry hardware. But most of the time surf only chinese websites and make friends. Back in 60s, we were either English or Chinese ed. I think the educaction background has an influence on those who were Chinese ed like me who prefer to surf Chinese websites than English ones. :wacko:

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Oh dear, I actually remember using computers with green and black computer screens .....

My first exposure to computer was in SP then. The hard disk is a huge 12" 20 Mbytes and the computer then is a big thing residing in another big room and we only touched the 'terminal'. Computer then was so expensive. Floppy disk drive was built externally with 51/4" and 512Kbyte only. The 1.44 Mbyte Floppy 3.5" was release later was deemed as an 'advancement' then! My earliest job was related to hard disk.

12" 20Mbyte -> 51/4" hard disk 20Mbyte/40Mbyte -> 31/2" hard disk 120Mbytes and so on and so forth.... those days, a 250Mbyte drive would cost 300 USD. Time really flies..

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Guest Marad44

Guys who joined the workforce in the1960's, 70's & 80's invested a larger part of their pay (also smaller then - my first pay check was $1280 in April 1973) on computer literacy which is taken for granted in today's offices. I remember the big hit that the Commodore Vic 20 made through its sales office on Shenton Way, before the first Apple made its appearance. It was the star in June 1980, selling at $850 and a junk by end of 1982. http://www.commodore.ca/products/vic20/commodore_vic-20.htm

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Guys who joined the workforce in the1960's, 70's & 80's invested a larger part of their pay (also smaller then - my first pay check was $1280 in April 1973) on computer literacy which is taken for granted in today's offices. I remember the big hit that the Commodore Vic 20 made through its sales office on Shenton Way, before the first Apple made its appearance. It was the star in June 1980, selling at $850 and a junk by end of 1982. http://www.commodore...dore_vic-20.htm

Totally agreed. Poly grad during th 80s starting pay was at $900. Computer at that time was only for those who had extra cash. But I am still glad today that my curiosity of typing led me to learn it myself in primary 5 had rewarded me so well until today.

Just to share a story. A senior executive once complained that my team was unproductive and not like his team because he himself stayed late everyday. Little did he realise that when he typed an email, he used only 2 fingers to type. Many older people didn't have a chance to learn typing and thus when IT started to change the world, I believe many were not keen because of the typing issue.

I started my first civilian job at a factory wth PC, follow by Pentium Chip. It was quite fun then to learn how to convert and upgrade until Pentium 4. I guessed eventually Intel realised that this kind of design won't help them to generate much cash and thus changing their design to be non-competible by generation.

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Guest Marad44

It's good to read anecdotes by the Golden Boys of BW! I was not convinced by the explanation given by the younger generation as to the why's and where's of senior men. I am beginning to see them kicking! :thumb:

Edited by Marad44
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Actually this topic digressed from the whereabouts of senior gay men to computers...

Anyway I was exposed to computer when I was about 3 or 4 years old. That kind with the green text against the black background. Sort of nostalgic too.

I started using Internet around 8 or 9 years old.

And I still remembered using a big floppy disk to play games. ^_^

Image00109.jpg

I'm always running after you.

You are my ideal.

You are me.

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Guest Marad44
Actually this topic digressed from the whereabouts of senior gay men to computers...

darkflame, We digressed to computers to refute the suggestion that the seniors lacked sufficient knowledge to be on BW ^_^

I was exposed to computer when I was about 3 or 4 years old. I started using Internet around 8 or 9 years old...

Lucky you, from the Y generation. When your generation came out of college, help desk & system control jobs that were opening in IT absorbed you and your demand still flies high. At weekly project progress meetings, all disciplines would be represented by senior employees except IT, by a strappling young handsome lad. ;)

PS: Born 29th June, eh? Same as my dad. I have a collection of dorama series. They can be infectious; I could forget meals and sleep and watch a serial in one sitting! :smokin:

Edited by Marad44
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  • 2 weeks later...

I don't think they've gone anywhere. I think it's more the flood of posts by 18-25 yos that in relative terms make it seem that the more senior posters have disappeared.

It's not particularly surprising: at that age, one is looking for affirmation from society. Life becomes a flurry of arranging, seeking, receiving and regretting precious invitations to teenaged parties ("dress in white, one said with quotations from someone's wife, a famous writer in the 1920s", sorry - Neil Tennant moment).

Many of these threads may seem uninteresting to senior posters (at least from the standpoint of the subject; they might be interested on account of the thought of a spring chicken dinner), whereas younger posters will generally participate in threads started by senior posters.

Mercurio sacris fertur Boebeidos Undis

virgineum Brimo composuisse latus

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darkflame, We digressed to computers to refute the suggestion that the seniors lacked sufficient knowledge to be on BW ^_^ Lucky you, from the Y generation. When your generation came out of college, help desk & system control jobs that were opening in IT absorbed you and your demand still flies high. At weekly project progress meetings, all disciplines would be represented by senior employees except IT, by a strappling young handsome lad. ;) PS: Born 29th June, eh? Same as my dad. I have a collection of dorama series. They can be infectious; I could forget meals and sleep and watch a serial in one sitting! :smokin:

Nice one! So you do know my generation is the one influenced by the Japanese wave. Love those doramas when I was a kid and teen.

I'm actually working in IT industry now. :whistle:

Image00109.jpg

I'm always running after you.

You are my ideal.

You are me.

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