Promoting the Downs?

[davem]

Well, any ideas or personal accounts? Have you brought anyone onto the Downs, got a link placed from any other sites?

I managed to get a link to the Downs on the Tolkien Society Links page a while back(bottom of the 'Miscellaneous Links' section), & Esty did a nice job at Tolkien 2005 last year by sewing a Downs T-shirt onto her bag, but has anyone else done something more interesting/creative?

[Encaitare]

I made a bunch of BD promo icons on LiveJournal, and then made some more especially for the Warg and Warg Rider Appreciation Thread on request. I don't know if the actually got anyone to the Downs, but they're dorky and fun.

I was thinking about making some banners, too, actually...

[Lalwendë]

My mate joined and did about three posts and then found more important things to do. But I'll let him off.

I often have geek e-mail conversations at work with former colleagues (who have been hived off elsewhere so I am a lone geek right now), and I'll throw in a link to a good argument on the Downs now and then. Mostly they tolerate this.

I suppose I could add an extra word to my name and promote it all the time.

[Firefoot]

I prompted my cousin to join a while back - she made it to about 80 posts before quitting. She still really likes LotR, though, and I do mention the Downs now and again.

[Durelin]

I was responsible for dragging CaptainofDespair onto the Downs by tempting him with roleplaying.

I have a link to The Barrow-Downs on my live-journal, and on the Xanga that I do not really use anymore. I've suggested the site to several people in the past, I think.

Oh, and then I have my Barrow-Downs t-shirt.

[Formendacil]

Does familiarising your family and friends with the term "Werewolf" count?

If it does, I think a lot of us have probably done our part...

If not, I can still say that one of my non-Tolkien online friends has become very familiar with me disappearing from MSN to PM or chat with what I tend to describe as "the Lovely Lady 'Downers". I may yet get him to join on the reputed strength of our female numbers.

Of course, the Werewolf talk could be a bit of a deterrent in that matter...

[mormegil]

I've successfully had two people join by my referral; admittedly it's mainly for WW though they have been moderately involved in other threads. One of them in particular has become fairly well known in the WW community of Downers.

When I first joined I was on the Gamefaqs forum a lot more and my signature was a link to the registration page here with a little blurb that they should join, though I'm not sure any of them did...on that site the discussion aren't nearly as intelligent as they are here. Too many trolls and the like.

[CaptainofDespair]

Originally Posted by Durelin

I was responsible for dragging CaptainofDespair onto the Downs by tempting him with roleplaying.

I have a link to The Barrow-Downs on my live-journal, and on the Xanga that I do not really use anymore. I've suggested the site to several people in the past, I think.

Oh, and then I have my Barrow-Downs t-shirt.

Huh? Who said my name?

I wish I could say I brought people to Downs. I have tried, several times, to get some of my more LOTR minded friends to join. Alas, they find forum roleplaying to be second-class to Dungeons and Dragons Pen 'n Paper style.

[Thinlómien]

I have brought one 'downer, and I'm trying to convert two others all the time...

[Mithalwen]

In my real life I am a lone Tolkien freak. I wouldn't say I was in the closet but it isn't something I go out of my way to publicise ... A few colleagues are aware because I had to explain random demands for suggestions of how to kill people when I modded a WW game and it led to comments such as "you must meet X ... he wears a Star Trek uniform at all times and works in computers..." so you understand why I keep it low key (or I hope so )..... anyway it would be very inhibiting to meet anyone I knew here.

So does that make the Downs a private passion or a secret vice.....

[Bêthberry]

Given the scepticism and sometimes downright hostility of some on this site towards the new stage adaptation of LotR, I would have to say that I won't be promoting this site at any events concerning the production.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

I admit to vandalising the City of Aberdeen with Barrow-Downs graffiti on walls, buses, etc., especially regarding ATM, Werewolf and, of course, The Warg and Warg Rider Appreciation Thread. So far it has brought no noticeable rewards.

It wasn't clever marketing ploys which brought me here, though. Good old-fashioned word of mouth to thank (or curse) for that.

SamwiseGamgee was the prophet.

[Lalaith]

When I first started playing werewolf, I told people about it in both RL and on another board I post on.
Some of them were intrigued and wanted to watch, so I gave them the link to the Downs.
But they arrived at the point when phantom and Eomer were having a massive barney - so they got freaked out and ran away....

[Mithalwen]

Even more freaky if the respective fangirls had started fighting in defence of their heroes...

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

In my real life I am a lone Tolkien freak. I wouldn't say I was in the closet but it isn't something I go out of my way to publicise ... A few colleagues are aware because I had to explain random demands for suggestions of how to kill people when I modded a WW game and it led to comments such as "you must meet X ... he wears a Star Trek uniform at all times and works in computers..." so you understand why I keep it low key (or I hope so )..... anyway it would be very inhibiting to meet anyone I knew here.

So does that make the Downs a private passion or a secret vice.....

I can understand this. There's a certain lack of understanding of all things Tolkien in the average office environment. I have to say I find other people's obsessions with the local football team or other hobbies equally 'geeky' but we tend to get associated with being really weird! And there is a certain type of fantasy/sci-fi fan who is a little bit odd, I must admit.

I've just turned my interest into a little eccentricity and ceased to care what others think. Luckily I seem to find all the equally geeky people at work to be the most well adjusted, in contrast to some of the 'normal' people.

Actually, my old boss was asking about Tolkien fan fiction the other day and where he might find some good stuff, so I might direct him to the Downs fan-fic section. I just hope it works with screen reading technology.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Oh Lalaith! That was one of my favourite Werewolf incidents! As it happened we were both innocent.

I have never before pondered what would make people visit the Downs and then turn away. Probably all those 'uncloaked' captions...

[Cailín]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

In my real life I am a lone Tolkien freak. I wouldn't say I was in the closet but it isn't something I go out of my way to publicise

Indeed, I know! Ever since I confessed to reading Lord of the Rings in Drama class, people have been asking me to 'play Arwen and Aragorn', 're-enact a fiery eyeball' and all of the sorts. It's annoying. And when I mention Tolkien to my teachers, they point and laugh or yell something about 'all Hobbits must die'. I shall be careful whom I tell in the future (tis like a dark, horrible secret we all share).

I've tried to refer some friends to the site, but I only seem to manage to scare them off. I mostly talk about the werewolf game though (and one of the reasons they are so intimidated might possibly be that I cannot resist muhaha-ing every once in a while when discussing the game). I do have suspicions that there are at least a few who lurk to read my fab contributions. However, most of the people I know who might be remotely interested in this forum are extremely irritating and bad-mannered and I'd rather not have them around. The others would probably start swooning over Orlando Bloom and misspell every other word. Better keep them out. Incidentally, many fans of the movies or books here are familiar with the Barrowdowns website because of the funny name generator!

[Farael]

Well, I must say I'm a BDer in the closet.... not a Tolkien fan in the closet because most of my friends know I've read LoTR, The Hobbit and The Sil three times (each) yet I'm not sure I'd stand in front of one of my lectures and claim that I'm a Tolkien Nut.

My problem is that none of my friends really like Internet Forums... my girlfriend does not like Tolkien and my only friend who REALLY likes his work.... falls in the above category.

What I think is that maybe if BD's webpage (not the forum but the page) was actualized more often, I might be able to tempt a friend or two... yet I'm not sure WHAT you could add to it to bring the kind of people that this webpage seems to be after. Sure, get lots of pics of Orlando Bloom and.... yeah, I rather not think about it, I sure like the 'inteligent' discussions.... although sometimes I Feel like a fish out of water. G'd bless the Mirth.

[Lhunardawen]

I've successfully persuaded one of my high school friends to join the Downs about a year back even though he had only watched the movies and not read the books despite my persistent nagging for him to do so. He managed to post a little in (obviously only) Mirth and N&N before giving up, and the last thing he did before he (finally) became un-dead was to greet me on my second deathday. And now he's back in the boring land of the living.

One of my friends (now, in univ) created a Downs account because he thought it was necessary to register before he can read the Werewolf threads. He even entertained the thought of joining one, but I don't know what's still holding him...perhaps the fact that he, like the person above, has never read the books.

Must be all my talk of CbC (back in high school) and Werewolf (nowadays)...

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

I can understand this. There's a certain lack of understanding of all things Tolkien in the average office environment. I have to say I find other people's obsessions with the local football team or other hobbies equally 'geeky' but we tend to get associated with being really weird! And there is a certain type of fantasy/sci-fi fan who is a little bit odd, I must admit.

Well also I wouldn't say that I was a sci-fi/fantasy fan. I have only watched one of the StarWars films for example, Dr Who and the gloriously bad Blakes 7 in my youth. I see the Tolkien thing as a part of my interest in language and mythology. It is just that Tolkien covers more than one section in the Venn Diagram.....

So apart from wanting to avoid a blind date with Mr Spock, I also got used to keeping quiet because I go the impression as a Lit undergraduate that a obsession with Tolkien wasn't quite the thing .....

[The Saucepan Man]

Mrs Saucepan posted once, under the nickname "moonpie", but I think her account has since expired ...

[Mithalwen]

One post? Was it just a desperate attempt to get your attention?

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

Well, I did manage to persuade Ealasaide to join the roster. And denizens both of office and home recognize our distinctive style of webpage at a mere glance, though it rarely becomes a topic of conversation. Also writing for the RPG’s in the massive parking lot while concurrently racking up miles for the Walk to Rivendell not only turned a few heads but educated a few to the activity the Downs inspires, or more likely the dangers there of.

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

One post? Was it just a desperate attempt to get your attention?

Something of the "Dear! Dinner's ready!" nature?

Ah, the things we do for love...

Not that anyone loves me enough to go join a crazy Tolkien fan website. Everyone I might try talking into it... is already here!

[AbercrombieOfRohan]

I guess I'm quite the recruiter (or maybe all my friends are just huge nerds ). Shelob, Malkatoj, Marcolie Lamen and SunniGadi all joined because of me. A little known member called Vulrath is also a friend of mine and another friend also joined but I don't know which username it was under. I'm pretty sure that Vulrath still lurks, but he'd never admit that. I suppose it isn't surprising though, since most conversations with me go, "Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo. What do you think about Fordim's latest poll?/ Did you read werewolf?/ So and so changed their signature last night edhc..."

[Encaitare]

Originally Posted by Mith

I can understand this. There's a certain lack of understanding of all things Tolkien in the average office environment.

And in the average high school environment. Often at the beginning of the year, teachers will ask you to tell them something about yourself. So I usually write "I'm a Tolkien nut". It really annoys me when the teachers ask "What's that?"

I tried to get a friend to register, but she never would because she'd never finished the books. I also got my ex-boyfriend to register, but he never posted.

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

One post? Was it just a desperate attempt to get your attention?

Heavens! Are you suggesting that she might be a Downs widow?

[Mithalwen]

Perish the thought......

[Durelin]

Originally Posted by The Saucepan Man

Thank you Moonpie for demystifying for me what seems to have become a very complicated debate about Frodo's motives and who, or what, may have influenced him in his decision.

I agree. I have always been very much inclined to the view that, at that moment at the Council of Elrond, Frodo knew, in his heart of hearts, that he was the one to undertake this Quest. It could be no other, and he knew that.

Frodo assumes the task willimgly and knowing that it is his to perform. Had he not done so, then I daresay that he would have succumbed to the power of the Ring much earlier than he did.

(From Topic: Why did Frodo Volunteer to take the Ring?)

So now we know why he so readily agreed...

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Durelin

So now we know why he so readily agreed...

Ai! I have been caught out ...!

It was, of course, a gentle encouragement to her to continue posting.

Although one which clearly failed ...

Well unearthed by the way, Durelin. I had remembered that the topic was about Gollum, but I could not find it when I looked some time ago.

Edit: Ah, I see that the topic was not about Gollum. That's probably why I couldn't find it ... :/

[Mithalwen]

Somehow this makes SpM slightly less scary ..lol

[Hookbill the Goomba]

I got deep into a Balrogian wing debate with my English teacher earlier in the year. So, after seeing this thread, I decided to invite him to give the site a visit. No idea if he has, yet. I'll know if he starts referring to Gandalf the grey uncloaked or Mount Zoom.
There is a distinct lack of Tolkien fans in my collage, so it's difficult to find anyone who will be interested.