Furtive Forumosan Phenomenon

Discussion Open Forum
1

Ok, I’ve never been to a Happy Hour so I should really experience that one of these months.

However, recently I’ve twice encoutered the “Furtive Forumosan Phenomenon” in real life.

You meet someone and Forumosa comes up in conversation. Then everyone does a little fishing but no one comes clean about who they are.

Interesting. This is a little bit of Taiwan zeitgeist in the making.

I mention the Happy Hours and not going because this is happening in normal life situations. Forumosa is growing!

Have others had this experience as well?

And are Happy Hours full of cathartic releases and mad guesses at true identities?

2

The reaction I get is “So, you’re bob?”

“Yup.”

“You don’t look anything like what I expected.”

“What did you expect?’”

“A skinny weasel sort of guy.”

“And what am I?”

“A fat bald bastard sort of guy”

It’s all very edifying as you can well imagine.

3

I’ve had a kind of reverse of that - I’ve actually met people in real life then spotted something in a post or three on here that’s made me wonder, and then found out that these people are Forumosans. It’s almost scary.

4

Well, I always come clean, if forumosa is brought up.

5

You can avoid all this zeitgeist as you call it by not going to a happy hour.
Aren’t you happy now? Do you think one hour of happiness is going to turn your life around? Do you really want to sneak out while the wife is asleep just to pump drunks for their online identity?

6

[quote=“bob”]The reaction I get is “So, you’re bob?”

“Yup.”

“You don’t look anything like what I expected.”

“What did you expect?’”

“A skinny weasel sort of guy.”

“And what am I?”

“A fat bald bastard sort of guy”

It’s all very edifying as you can well imagine.[/quote]

Wrong. Although we have never met, I have always pictured you as “A fat bald bastard sort of guy.” :wink:

7

[quote=“wolf_reinhold”]You can avoid all this zeitgeist as you call it by not going to a happy hour.
Aren’t you happy now? Do you think one hour of happiness is going to turn your life around? Do you really want to sneak out while the wife is asleep just to pump drunks for their online identity?[/quote]

Well now you’ve gone and made me feel silly…

:blush:

8

I think that’s good as well, but this “furtiveness” as I called it, makes me feel like it’s a case of I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.

9

my worry is that the person you’re chatting to turns out to be someone you’ve had a horrific flame war with. not that i’ve really had any but then i can never be sure who i’ve pissed at at one time or another…

10

Perhaps that is more so the case with Forumosans who have a split personality. You know, a cool easy-going guy in real life who is a complete ass on Forumosa.

Nah, none of those here. :wink:

11

What is this ‘real life’ of which you speak? Sounds ghastly…

12

Every time I post I have a quick scan for identifying marks. I know plenty of people who post on Forumosa, but I would be utterly mortified if they found out that I am THIS idiot. I mean HONESTLY… I spend more time worrying about if I can be identified by my writing style than I do worrying about how fucking stupid the post is. To add to the problem, I also have a hard time avoiding posting while I’m drunk. Oooooh Lord.

I wish I wouldn’t.

I’m unsure of why I do this to myself. Even now.

Torture me all you want. I’LL NEVER TELL!!!

13

[quote=“bob”]The reaction I get is “So, you’re bob?”

“Yup.”

“You don’t look anything like what I expected.”

“What did you expect?’”

“A skinny weasel sort of guy.”

“And what am I?”

“A fat bald bastard sort of guy”

It’s all very edifying as you can well imagine.[/quote]

Damn, I was hoping you wouldn’t take that the wrong way. That’s what you get for catching me offguard at a Subway.:wink:

Actually bob looks more like Patrick Stewart a la Star Trek: TNG. Kinda hoped he hadn’t read any of my posts where I confessed my crush on Captain Picard as a young, teenage geek.

Happy Hours outings are most like what bob says…the “Oh, you’re __________” variety. They are pretty friendly and I’d daresay fun. We try to stick to topics relating to real-life and flounder anyone who mentions something about forumosa. :laughing:

14

No Worries ImaniOU. In fact the more forumosans I meet by accident the more convinced I am that I should get out to a happy hour eventually. Seems like a pretty diverse, interesting, friendly bunch of people.

15

That’s real practical and I like that. OTOH, I must confess. I felt a rush of excitement in a voyeur-like way when I overheard those Alleycat patrons talk about Forumosa and sandman. I just perked my ears, drank my Hoegaarden, and pretended to focus on Alleycat make my calzone.

Those folks said they’ll show up at the next Happy Hour… which speaking of, er, where’s it going to be?

16

I’d say we are bob. Although I think I liked you more when you were one of our Village Idiots. Now you’re just another Sidewalk Geomancer, oh well… :wink: