Is there a tech community?

[Guest]

So,

 

This is kind of an odd-ball question to ask, but honestly I would like to know if anyone has an answer.

 

I often hear YouTubers encourage fans to involve themselves in the "tech community". To facilitate this, you see a lot of forums, like this one created for communicating with this tech community centered around a channel. What really seems to happen though is you get more of a tech-support forum.

 

Now, I've been helped out by forums when I've had technical problems and I have no problem helping others out if I can.

 

However, I've never really been able to find any real discussions which support anything that I would call a community. Sure there's threads for sharing experiences, builds, etc.... but that seems like more of a race for everyone to squeeze their own two cents in than a place for any real interaction or feedback. Sadly, any time a real discussion seems to take place the thread is almost instantly destroyed by trolls or flame wars.

 

I can understand why the content creators perceive a community... they could talk to almost any fan / viewer, and that individual would most likely be more than happy to engage in a conversation. Does that community really exist between people who are not the content creators of the channel? I'm not so sure. If anyone can tell me where to go interact with a real tech community (including this one), please let me know... I would like to join!

[Arty]

there are lots of tech threads here that aren't hijacked.

theres a non techies thread were we laught at people who are technologically handicapped 

car threads

etc

[Atmos]

Take a look through the general discussion tab mate, we've got a ton of awesome threads going on about various things, and particularly in the tech news section do you find conversations, debates, and the like.

 

We're a tech community, and have more discussions than not about it, but we also get a lot of newer members who need help, and this is a friendly place to ask for it, where there are more than enough willing people to lend a hand.

[Guest trucker2]

Community? This is a forum, like newsgroups and like the BBS's were.

Closest thing was when I collected old computers, And that was when I talked to the people I bought stuff from. I spent an hour with the guy who sold me his TRS 4. He had moved on to collecting old calculators. He showed me his collection, Explained how the registers worked and why the registers on a cpu still used the name. Showed me how to hook it up. You actually had to wrap the wires around the leads and throw the breaker since it was made b4 the 110v wall outlet was invented. It was fascinating.

   Another guy sold me his 5150 (orig IBM PC) and we talked for an hour about how he bought it for his son brand new and how his son was now an executive at HP and how proud he was and how glad he bought it for his son.

   Then the guy who sold me his telescope..(you get the idea).....Community comes from face to face...church, club, school, dating, marriage, death......

And it comes from taking a chance. getting out there and living, Knowing if things go south you just have to deal, you cant re-register under a new name. Getting on a big steal ship full of strangers is scary but I got to travel the world and see thing both grotesque and amazing, and met some amazing people too.

Online is a diversion, like tv but more interactive. It is not a community nor is it real life.

[Swndlr]

Idk what else to say other than, this is the community!
Get to know some people, hang around, and stay awhile (good friendships always come with time)

From the time Ive spent here, Ive made some pretty cool friends, people that Im comfortable spewing out random shit to, etc

[LogicalDrm]

If you are looking for conversations about things behind consumer technology, this might not be the best place. But you find good discussions under several subforums. Because consumer grade stuff is kinda wide, most topics talk about best option to pick. So basicly questions and answers which I still wouldn't count as support. Those have good conversation about what features to look for and why.

[vXhanz]

Some of the best places that I've had deep and thought provoking discussions come from my work, as well as the people I went to school with while we were studying together. One of my best friends I met through a forum many years ago, he lived in the same area as I did and we struck up a conversation, hung out, talk about our families, jobs, etc. We still stay in touch even though I moved to Florida several years ago. 

 

I've read a LOT of interesting comments in this forum regarding tech, and everyone has their own opinion which is better or worse and why. Sure, some of the  threads devolve and go OT, but there are others that have great info. 

 

I guess the real question is what types of discussions would you like to see, or questions do you have that would add to the community/group? What would you do to help foster that change? 

[Toddwjp]

if you want a disscusion about the tech behind something, just make a topic and ask, those of us who know will more then likely respond

[DigitalFruitcake]

I feel this, OP. It's all tech-related discussion but I just want some online friends that understand and love tech. Hell, even better if I can learn something from them.

[Guest]

Alright, we'll there's some good answers. Thank you! I'm actually fairly involved in Toms Hardware, but again more from a tech support perspective.

 

 

I feel this, OP. It's all tech-related discussion but I just want some online friends that understand and love tech. Hell, even better if I can learn something from them.

 

This is really why I joined this forum, I have friends and I have other interests. But none of my friends are into this tech stuff and I have very limited local options.

 

 

Community? This is a forum, like newsgroups and like the BBS's were.

Closest thing was when I collected old computers, And that was when I talked to the people I bought stuff from. I spent an hour with the guy who sold me his TRS 4. He had moved on to collecting old calculators. He showed me his collection, Explained how the registers worked and why the registers on a cpu still used the name. Showed me how to hook it up. You actually had to wrap the wires around the leads and throw the breaker since it was made b4 the 110v wall outlet was invented. It was fascinating.

   Another guy sold me his 5150 (orig IBM PC) and we talked for an hour about how he bought it for his son brand new and how his son was now an executive at HP and how proud he was and how glad he bought it for his son.

   Then the guy who sold me his telescope..(you get the idea).....Community comes from face to face...church, club, school, dating, marriage, death......

And it comes from taking a chance. getting out there and living, Knowing if things go south you just have to deal, you cant re-register under a new name. Getting on a big steal ship full of strangers is scary but I got to travel the world and see thing both grotesque and amazing, and met some amazing people too.

Online is a diversion, like tv but more interactive. It is not a community nor is it real life.

 

I only partially agree with that, I'm an avionics technician in the military so my profession is very much technical and travel together. Also I met the girl who is now my wife in an online community  16 years ago. So I have seen online communities in action and developed relationships through them.

 

I think tech is just one of those things that's hard to get to know people through. I wish I could have made it to Linus's meet up, would have been cool to meet some people face to face who also enjoy the content of the channel.

[Guest trucker2]

Your right.......I was a MM in Aux1 on a knox class frigate(MM=Machinist Mate),85 to 89. I'll never forget those times. Times like when my friend became a Dad and a BT walked in and

said"Hey so-and-so! Hows your wife and my kid?!" Awesome times:)