Lord of the Rings Fanatics Plaza

@Lail If I can dig it out and scan it, I can send it over. Plaza was only part of my study though so it isn’t mentioned a lot, but it may still be an interesting read for people involved in online communities. And yes, a First is the highest grade you can get at UK universities.

My youngest son told his friends that his mother was a dwarf and that she lived in a place called KD. And my older son still calls me kimli from time to time. I used the Plaza as a quit smoking aid at first. I would hold the mouse instead of a cigarette. It really helped. I have been free from it since. I was 40 years old when I joined. I had no problem telling people where I spent my time. But I can understand a teenager being reluctant to do so.
If my children would have been interested, I would have highly encourage them to take part. I think the Plaza was and is a wonderful place to learn and grow - even if some of that knowledge and growth involves beards, hair on your feet or branches instead of fingers and toes.

as it is, I currently call this a "Tolkien writing club" that is a mix of improv and story telling. and I just leave it at that. Everyone knows I'm a nerd. My nerd flag flies high at work.

@Allacan ob Burzum oh please don't go to that much effort for me! I figured it was already electronically available. Whoo way to go on the First!!

@Tyrion Lannister - completely agree with you on that! I've said before that as a young person the Plaza allowed me to connect with people from diverse backgrounds I otherwise would not have experienced until later in life. I am sure this had a positive impact on me.

@Lail Its on my old laptop, which I could coax into life, but I'm holding off doing so until I have time to download everything before it disappears into the void forever.

Yeah no hurry. I'm not going anywhere and I have stacks and stacks of reading to do at the moment. But it would be interesting