The Outsider Posted June 1, 2008 Posted June 1, 2008 Yes, I've realized I am getting old - the muscles don't hold their own during squash matches and have trouble recalling names of old friends. Astrophysics is fading to a lovely memory, slowly but surely. Jobs, cars, and apartments have changed in the last few years on ICF, yet something keeps bringing me back here. Even being one of the later recruits to the gang, it's not difficult to look at the difference in my life from when I joined the forum and now - from a single post doctoral researcher in Astrophysics to a married man going through the chores of the corporate world so that there is enough bread for the family. It's been a wonderful experience over the years - have formed friendships and bonds thanks to the forum which are going to last for a long, long time. Many have come, many have gone, some have stayed on with me during the journey. Many have got married, some have had breakups, and some have got kids in the ensuing time. ICF made me witness one of most accurate predictions made by goose about the mortgage crisis globally and specifically in the US, it also has made me witness one of the worst predictions by Bumper that Yuvraj will one day blossom into a great test batsman. Words cannot describe the journey - it really needs to be experienced for the understanding. From ICF junkies, people like Aditi, Dal, and Varsha have moved on to spend their times at more worthwhile place and many like fineleg, Hari, and desidownunder have joined in to experience the addiction of ICF. A lot has changed like my thoughts on whether Ganguly has it in him for a comeback and a lot has remained the same like dada_rocks' liking for Islam and anything related to it. From an exclusive discussion forum, we have added gizmos and gadgets like Betting and Superselector to bring aboard more people, but the soul remains the regulars and not so regulars who post words, sentences, paragraphs, and thoughts making this place what it is - an addictive one. People like vroom and Salil have grown up from excitable undergrads into mature individuals considering their career paths as they venture into graduate school while some like Ravi and Bumper have taken out time from their busy lives of jobs and families to keep on pursuing education while contributing cricket to many around here. Many a sagas have happened on these forums, none more spectacular than Bossbhai and CC with dada_rocks, Lurker, kumble_rocks, and I figuring in some mini battles. What an adrenaline rush some of the stuff has been, where reading research papers and solving a partial differential equation to figure out how dark matter forms the structures that it does have taken a backseat to getting the point across on an online forum. It's only an anonymous forum after all as some would say, but it stops being that once you become a part of it and realize a lot many posting here have real lives and real feeling. It's not anonymous after that and it's not just a forum after that. It's been wonderful to discuss the scotches with Rahul and the nimbu paani with Gai Ka Dood. Varun and Gambit still remain the girl predators in their lives, while the online Predator boasts about it. Rajeev and Lurker can fill you up with so much nostalgia to wonder what the hell was wrong with the world in the first place that people are talking about improving things. It's been a truly wonderful journey, one that I am proud and happy to have embarked upon for it changed the very basis of my thoughts before I became a part of this amorphous, growing, and all encompassing community - the thought that it's only an online forum and relationships and friendships cannot be forged in the online world. That's rubbish and I am glad I realized it with a good many years left to spend time with you folks!
Gambit Posted June 1, 2008 Posted June 1, 2008 What a wonderful post shwetabh! I can identify with each and every word (except the love for physics :P). Even though I'm 24, I've been on cricket forums since 2002 and for the past 6 years, I've seen some real characters. These people made sure that I visited these forums not just for the love of the game but also to read their dynamic posts. But there was no sense of belonging or ownership on those forums. But ever since we launched ICF in Oct 2006, it has truly become something to cherish. We've seen wave after wave of posters come in and get absorbed into the ICF fabric making it richer and fresher by their presence. People will come and go, priorities in life will change but as long as ICF holds a little significance in one's life, all will be well. And for long may it continue!
Cricketics Posted June 1, 2008 Posted June 1, 2008 Fantastic stuff shwetabh, and good following post Gambit. ICF, a cricket forum i have been regularly visiting since i first came here, even though when there is something not to post, i definately get something to read here.. some fantastic folkz here and if u don't visit it once a day atleast, u feel like something is missing from ur daily routine. even though the site happens to be on my favorites, i end up typing the name indiancricketfans.com in the address bar when i have to type some other site's name. thats addiction i reckon.
Bumper Posted June 1, 2008 Posted June 1, 2008 Excellent articulation of some very nostalgic stuff there, Prof. My picks for highlights of ICF are: -> The day we all talked of an alternate forum -> Association with Ravi. -> The birth of indiancricketfans.com -> The overwhelming support, we received from ex-ICFers. -> The ICF humous moments. -> The hacker episode & the bounce back. -> Boss vs CC -> The 1000 member milestone -> And the wonderful journey we've all experienced together.
Lurker Posted June 1, 2008 Posted June 1, 2008 I was thinking similar sentiments couple of weeks back. It was basically an Azharuddin post that triggered it. I was responding to it when it dawned on me that I had written an article on Azhar about 4 years back. Around that time I used to write very frequently and never saved any of my article, a rather arrogant thought laced with a - There is plenty more where that came from - and so now when I looked for it I couldnt find it anywhere. And so I looked online, searched for it aplenty but couldnt find it. Then sometime later I did find the article on a website, only the article was "claimed" to be written by someone else. And funny thing it did sound someone else. Yes it was written by me, and being claimed by someone else, but the fact remains that if I had to write that article today it would turn out very different. I would say those of us who have been online for 5-6 years would probably check some of their posts in say 2003 and would out very surprised as to how they, or their thinking process, have been affected. I definitely agree with the notion that online world is quite concrete and is not something that you just do in fun time. Or atleast that holds true for anyone who takes it seriously enough. Personally I have seen my daily life affect my cyberlife and vice versa. Many a times a bad day at a board reflects that at work with fellow people(in office) wondering - Are you okay? And then there are days when my online behaviour is that of a girl in PMS, thanks mainly to a *****ty day at work.
Dhondy Posted June 1, 2008 Posted June 1, 2008 Unlike Shwetabh, I am not ageing at all. Still run 5 miles a day, haven't lost a day to sickness in 12 years, have a pulse rate of 60, and sleep through the night without having to wake up to pass water, as Hari does (that blessed prostate!) The dissimilarities don't end there. Unlike him, I am not at all kindly disposed to you idle lot who post here. I have cottoned on that the reason there's a lot more of you here on weekdays is because you are skiving from work. No wonder, bloody US and UK are in recession! On the weekends, you are either shagging your partners or too sozzled to post, and it's just me and Observer here to escape the housework, as our wives bleed us to death with their weekly facelift. Pred's still around of course, because he can shag that bloody snake only so often. Even snakes get headache sometimes. I agree with Prof though that time flies on this place. How can you tell? That fella Cricaddict, still smarting from his flunk in political science in his college days, starts a monthly thread on the ills of the healthcare system in the US, Hillary's non-existent chances (as if the rest of the world didn't know already), and another entirely predictable thread on political correctness. Look at the day, folks. It must be the twenty-eighth and he's feeling grumpy because he's out of money. And no maudlin messages either for those who have pis.sed off this board. Boss, Dada and you other scumbags, that was a neat excuse you came up with for nicking off without contributing to the server fees, wasn't it? Where are Cricketics and Desi Downunder gonna live now?
ludhianvi Posted June 1, 2008 Posted June 1, 2008 Very interesting posts here. I've been forumeering for about a year and some of the personalities I've got to meet here are exceptional. There's a diverse group of posters here from the rutherfords to the SRK to the einsteins to the johny walkers to the Haris and Joes to the Tendulkars and dada's or just internet junkies like me. But all of them have a passion for cricket that binds them together
Desi Cartman Posted June 1, 2008 Posted June 1, 2008 Awesome posts ! I'm so glad that in just a few months I have been able to fit in and have been able to share few laughs and some bad times with everybody here.I had so many emotions inside me regarding cricket , life , racism , religion etc and ICF was a way to let it all out. I think one of the major reasons for all of us being on this website is that we need to share our emotions with someone since some of us are overseas , in colleges , single and alone and some just wanna get away from daily life. There is one thing common amongst us and that is our love for cricket and the desire to enjoy each delivery , shot and wicket with people who have the same love for the sport as we do. I started posting since I was incredibly bored at work & felt a little unheard when people at work discussed cricket. Living in Aussie land and dealing with fans of the #1 Ranked team can be a bit tough. Its a constant struggle to prove that the Indian Team is at par with the Aussies and one day it be ranked #1. If I was to sum up what ICF is in short then it would be "a group of Indian fans who still believe that very soon the Indian cricket team will be # 1, The World cups and world Test championships are just around the corner. We hope and believe in the Desi team" :icflove:
Guest HariSampath Posted June 2, 2008 Posted June 2, 2008 If I was to sum up what ICF is in short then it would be "a group of Indian fans who still believe that very soon the Indian cricket team will be # 1, Plus Fineleg
fineleg Posted June 2, 2008 Posted June 2, 2008 Well I want the Indian cricket team to be #1 - so yes, the "believe we will very soon be" should be "want" Hopefully the team can convert it into belief for the fans...To just say "We believe we will be #1 soon" is not reality. In reality, Aus are still very dominant, and we need to do a lot more to be #1 "soon"
Brainfade Posted June 2, 2008 Posted June 2, 2008 Excellent post, Shwetabh. :hatsoff: As a relative newcomer still trying to fit in, I really appreciate your perspective. I am more a lurker (not THE Lurker) than a poster, and look forward to many years of lurking and reading a lot, and posting some.
theguyinallblue Posted June 2, 2008 Posted June 2, 2008 lagta hai..tumhari "khunnas" abhi baki hai..isliye post nahi kar rahe ho....:haha:
Brainfade Posted June 2, 2008 Posted June 2, 2008 lagta hai..tumhari "khunnas" abhi baki hai..isliye post nahi kar rahe ho....:haha: Oh ... that! I picked that during the famous Sydney spat, followed by the Perth win!! Seems like a long time ago now.
flamy Posted June 2, 2008 Posted June 2, 2008 Excellent thread. I've enjoyed my short time here immensely. So much so, that I've now become a computer addict hitting refresh every 2 seconds :(( There goes my life.
Gambit Posted June 2, 2008 Posted June 2, 2008 I was thinking similar sentiments couple of weeks back. It was basically an Azharuddin post that triggered it. I was responding to it when it dawned on me that I had written an article on Azhar about 4 years back. Around that time I used to write very frequently and never saved any of my article' date=' a rather arrogant thought laced with a - [i']There is plenty more where that came from - and so now when I looked for it I couldnt find it anywhere. And so I looked online, searched for it aplenty but couldnt find it. Then sometime later I did find the article on a website, only the article was "claimed" to be written by someone else. And funny thing it did sound someone else. Yes it was written by me, and being claimed by someone else, but the fact remains that if I had to write that article today it would turn out very different. I would say those of us who have been online for 5-6 years would probably check some of their posts in say 2003 and would out very surprised as to how they, or their thinking process, have been affected. I definitely agree with the notion that online world is quite concrete and is not something that you just do in fun time. Or atleast that holds true for anyone who takes it seriously enough. Personally I have seen my daily life affect my cyberlife and vice versa. Many a times a bad day at a board reflects that at work with fellow people(in office) wondering - Are you okay? And then there are days when my online behaviour is that of a girl in PMS, thanks mainly to a *****ty day at work. I know what you mean by not recognising your own articles or posts from 3-4 years ago. I looked up a few of my posts from 2003 and 2004 and I was thinking - "Who the hell is this pretentious dweeb? God I'd like to smack him." :D
The Outsider Posted January 11, 2013 Author Posted January 11, 2013 With my son making a grand entry in my life and missing him sitting at the Chicago airport in dreary weather reminded me of this thread. It's been 4-5 years since this thread on ICF and a lot has changed again. How has been the getting old together experience for you on ICF?
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