R2OK!

ColinB · Guest

Having been absent from this place for many months I thought I'd have a look through the member list. Of all the past forum members I miss most, Lonegroover hits the mark. Okay, he wasn't active on this forum but he was certainly active in the BBC R2 Messageboards right up to the last minute. In fact, I remember him being the very last poster who managed to sneak in a fawning post about the love of his life (a certain breakfast presenter) - much to my annoyance!

As "Billbored", I used to love taunting him and challenging his pomposity. That said, he was a very intelligent and articulate poster; I guess that's what I found so strange about his obsession with Evans. I used to goad him into composing a lengthy and well-considered argument on whatever we were debating (usually Chris Evans!) in response to my "red rag to a bull" post - and I'd simply reply with "Yeah right". Then off he'd go again! Smile

Happy daze. What posters - either here or on the BBC MBs - do you miss?

BTW - who can guess who this is? His mission in life was remind us all that the "Speed Kills" campaign was a grand conspiracy. I used to cut and paste a whole thread in which he was active and begin my reply with:

"I wish to draw your attention to the following..." then I'd paste a half mile of thread contents. At its end I'd conclude: "It's BORING!"

Another red rag to a proverbial bull. Can you name him in one?

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

I was a relative latecomer to both the R2 Messageboards and I suppose to this forum but I feel that we all do build up some type or relationships with fellow posters and it's always sad when some of them seem to disappear without trace and I'm pleased to see that some formerly absent posters have recently returned

I certainly miss the posts of Undiscovered and Soulsister on here and Gnasty Gnome doesn't seem to post much now - I think he's been converted to Radio Four

There are probably many others whose names escape me

But looking on the plus side there are certainly some posters I don't miss including probably the most famous troll of all - probably so notorious I don't even need to mention his name - all I will say is just think of the chemical formula for tin Smile

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Are you ready for a Ruddles?

ColinB · Guest

SantaFefan · Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 9:47 pm Post subject:

I've just spent a while looking over the old R2 message board posts as well and yes, it's really very funny to read!

( I can still access them from my favourites )

I actually miss Scott's comments and wish he was back on here! he had me laughing out loud sometimes...

I miss Ernie, Captain Pugwash and Barking Biker from the early days on this board.. oh, and Boy Perkins too..
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Johnnie Walker read out my message on Pirate Radio! Very Happy

13/8/07
I have heard how radio should be.

FleetingEileenM · Joined: 30 Mar 2010 Posts: 5767 Location: Hampshire

ColinB · Guest

Reference my opening post in which I referred to LG managing the very last post, have a look at this thread listing (the very last one):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbradio2/F14126215

Says it all really!

Smile

SantaFefan · Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 10:07 pm Post subject:

Colin, the actual posts from that last thread do not appear when I click on it so I assume they were deleted.. I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure I just managed to get in the very last post of "Bo**ocks" back then..
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Johnnie Walker read out my message on Pirate Radio! Very Happy

13/8/07
I have heard how radio should be.

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

Looking at the last Messageboard Colin reminded me of another poster I definitely don't miss and that's Dingus 83

What a pain in the backside he was Mad

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Are you ready for a Ruddles?

ColinB · Guest

Yes, I noticed that too. It looks as if all the posts in the minutes leading up to the block being placed on new posts haven't been saved in the database. Pity - I was looking forward to revisiting LG's smug final post!

R2Icon · Joined: 10 Sep 2009 Posts: 1444

To me, the internet, web forums and the like are just arcade games, like the ones from the 70s, 80s and 90s, we play and play, get better and better- reach higher and higher levels until you beat the software: it can go no further, and rather disappointingly, nor can you. Getting to the end of Sonic the Hedgehog was quite possibly the most disappointing day of my life. Things have improved since the 70s, 80 and 90s though: other characters (that’s you lot) get to play the game at the same time but, and here’s the thing… you can never be sure if the other characters are just like you: players of the game: or part of the program that is trying to wipe you out. It can take months, sometimes years to work it out and take the appropriate action.

I miss Captain Pugwash and G Floyd

The difference between those old arcade games and this one, is that the program (and hence the endgame) is in a constant state of metamorphosis – the levels are infinite but indistinguishable from each other because of the hysteresis that binds them together, they intermingle with the real world to give them credibility, realism and genuine excitement: some players don’t even realise they’re in a game, they think they're just at home or maybe at work on the internet. But no, we’re all in it. There is no escape because the game inserts its own coins to continue.

SantaFefan · Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 8:00 am Post subject:

Yes, I was thinking along those lines too Rach... Laughing

( I think I'm right in saying G Floyd was Ernie back then.. )
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Johnnie Walker read out my message on Pirate Radio! Very Happy

13/8/07
I have heard how radio should be.

R2Icon · Joined: 10 Sep 2009 Posts: 1444

Great minds Santa..... Smile

Yeah he was Ernie, Santa. Smile

I liked Ernie- don't know why because people are just words on the screen.

littlepieces · Joined: 10 Jan 2010 Posts: 1098 Location: Lowestoft

I used to post on R2 pirate rides again(or something like that Nick Birse ran it and he is now on here)There was some good posters on there whose names i can't remember(good post this Very Happy

)But saying that i did become friends with a couple outside of the net
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I found out how you can hurt an insect.It's the bees knees

ColinB · Guest

Toggy · Joined: 18 Aug 2008 Posts: 1239

becky sharp · Joined: 01 Dec 2008 Posts: 6814

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19334 Location: Cheshire

Don't know how I've missed this thread Confused

.

I've had many a laugh when I've re-read some of the old R2 board threads, I'm sure most will agree we had a lot of fun even with the arguments that went on. Some of the funniest where on the original R2 boards which sadly were not preserved. A few of us copied and pasted threads which didn't have the dratted 3 min delay everytime you posted and were so fast, especially in the Coffee Bar.

Colin the last thread on the R2 board disappeared very soon afterwards, not sure why.

Lots of names I miss, most have been mentioned already. You do wonder what has happened to regulars when they disappear and hope all is well and it's good to see them if and when they return.

I know it's only a message board but there is a feeling of community among us I'm sure.

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

becky sharp · Joined: 01 Dec 2008 Posts: 6814

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19334 Location: Cheshire

Thanks for that Becky I'd forgotten! I think I'd just been allowed back from 2 weeks pre mod, probably for saying something about Evans!

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

littlepieces · Joined: 10 Jan 2010 Posts: 1098 Location: Lowestoft

I like this site there is no nastiness that can occur on other ones.Helen were you on pirate rides again but under a different name?
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I found out how you can hurt an insect.It's the bees knees

R2Icon · Joined: 10 Sep 2009 Posts: 1444

ColinB · Guest

SantaFefan · Posted: Thu May 10, 2012 7:53 am Post subject:

Heel yeah! Razz

_________________
Johnnie Walker read out my message on Pirate Radio! Very Happy

13/8/07
I have heard how radio should be.

SantaFefan · Posted: Thu May 10, 2012 8:13 am Post subject:

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19334 Location: Cheshire

Oh I remember The Migster SanteFe but the boards I'm meaning were before those ones, I joined late 2002/early2003. They weren't preserved and were on a different system and used to disappear about 1 month or so after the threads were posted and were always breaking down.

John, Nick, Lee and a few others will remember them.

I was on Nick Birse's board but I'm sure I used Helen May on there. I was Maggie M for a short while on those early R2 boards but not for very long.

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19334 Location: Cheshire

I'm not 100% sure I did have the last post, but it was a close thing.

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

Schizoidman · Joined: 20 Sep 2010 Posts: 1140 Location: Rural West Sussex

I loved the old Radio 2 message board and have just spent an hour reading through various threads which Colin has provided. I'm still not sure why it was so suddenly closed in September 2010, presumably it was the general (and sometimes malicious) criticisms of Chris Evans' appointment to the Breakfast Show.
I must admit I was very critical of him but now think he's rather good, though I do get fed up with seeing his gormless face starring at me vacuously every time I log onto the R2 website.

There were some incredibly knowledgeable people on the message board: Soulsister, jchpeacelily, sabrejet etc, and Madmedusa always made me laugh. I learnt a lot about music from the youtube clips, and will always be grateful to Jm/Jim for introducing me to Love's seminal 1967 album Forever Changes and the fabulous 'Maybe The People....' which is probably my favourite song of all time.

John W · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 3367 Location: Warwickshire, UK

Thanks for the memories! Smile

Ha, and lookie there, lonegroover posted a link to the earlier board (2005-2006). 12000 messages of mainly troll postings, and also some good music threads, then I found an iain_smith thread about a recently departed TV personality and that ended my trip down Memory Lane....
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John W

Shaky Fan · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 628

ColinB · Guest

You're right. It's all about money. The BBC as a whole now contracts out a vast proportion of its operational functions - everything from IT to outside broadcasts to catering to archiving to distribution - even to its presentation staffing for both radio and TV. Did you know that the BBC doesn't even transmit its own TV programmes? Nope. They're handed from Television Centre (which will be gone by 2015) to a company in Shepherd's Bush called Red Bee Media - the same company that also handles Channel 4's output and others.

The old BBC messageboards were hosted and managed in-house. The more recent ones (up to 2010) were contracted out although overseen by freelance contract BBC staff (eg: Peta, who looked after the R2 and 6Music boards). Money is being ripped from the BBC at an alarming rate with core functions being torn out on an almost daily rate and it was therefore inevitable that even this contract would be withdrawn. As it was. The excuse was that such messageboards were now old hat and, let's be honest, the work of the trolls (and one super-troll in particular) gave the powers-that-be the perfect excuse to axe the lot (excuse the familiar expression!).

Shaky Fan · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 628

Somewhat ironic then that they're still wasting money on the most pointless things. One of the stories on Radio Ulster's early morning "news" programmes this morning was about a disused army barracks about 30 miles from Belfast which has been lying empty for the last 4 years. So some bright spark came up with the ingenious idea of sending a reporter to the place this morning to talk to the show's presenter at 7am! Rolling Eyes