Are there any famous message board posters?
 

Not meaning do famous people post on message boards - a few do and some of us have conversed with them.

I mean, has anyone become famous (or achieved a degree of notoriety across many boards or perhaps even moved into other media) as a result of posting on boards and chat rooms?

Is it possible? I've certainly seen some prolific and opinionated posters gain substantial followings on boards...

I don't quite understand your question? You mean like Tucker Max?

Who is Tucker Max?

Message boards and chat rooms are hugely popular media today, with millions of participants around the world. It stands to reason that at some point, someone will gain fame for their words on a board (or boards, more likely) that extends beyond a small community.

Has anyone successfully converted a "message board career" or posting history into some degree of fame? Or, alternatively, are there message board posters so well known that if you said "Toaster126" you might have 10s of thousands or more people recognize the handle as "The Famous Poster Toaster126"?

The only thing I can think of is that 'fataility' guy who's a gamer. I don't know of anyone of great fame who gained the fame through boards or forums.

Fame is relative. If you mean house hold name, I'd have to say no.

The only two people that come to mind are Maddox and Tucker Max.

But even then, they are only well known to people who frequent message boards.

Ya mean I'm not famous?

hey im famous!!!

how about are there any famous or infamous tfp posters?

hall of famers?


mal... you are definitely in the hall of fame.

halx?
spectre?
hanxster?

who all is in the famous/infamous hall of fame?

Most of the infamous people are no longer around, it's what makes them infamous and known as "Those Who Shall Remain Nameless".

BNL, you are not famous, just your name is. Unless you're in BNL, then you're famous AND, can I have some free tix next time you come to Boston or Manchester, NH

Certainly to us you are. :icare:

Just as I am certain that your face is plastered on more that a few posters in the "Employee Only" areas of a few major airlines. ;)

I'm not sure if he's famous or infamous, but I vaguely remember William Hung posting on here...

is it me, or is this the not brightest thread in the lining?

If there were someone "famous" posting here, don't you think they would like to remain as anonymous as possible.

If you were famous wouldn't you just want to lay back and enjoy being anonymous? For fear people would hound you on the boards to the point you couldn't post anything without people either telling you how much they love/hate you?

I have a feeling there maybe one or 2 famous people one here.

But look at it like this if say Howard Stern, or Rush Limbaugh, or George Carlin, or anyone with a name were to say they posted here wouldn't that perhaps affect the board with publicity seekers trying to say things just to get quoted by these people, or noticed in some way. Then think of all the people flooding in here just to try to meet whoever.

I do think we have a famous name or 2 posting on here. Just a guess.....

The great thing about this is you can be as anonymous and volunteer only what you want. Plus, you can say anything you want and not fear any true retribution.

Let's say a famous movie star who speaks out in the press as a true liberal, posts his/her true views on politics and is pretty right winged. They can be themselves.... and perhaps that would be the attraction to this place. OR you are an actor/producer/director/writer etc. and you want to know what people think..... this is a pretty good place to get a great cross section and find out what would sell and to whom.

BTW if there is anyone famous on here ..... I have this investment in my sober house available.... call me....... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: see what would happen.

Even the sanest of some of us may go overboard if we found out who truly posts on here.

pan6467, I think we're talking about someone who is famous because of their online persona, such as Halx. We are not talking about Ben Afleck posting as Ustwo, although that's quite thought provoking.

I am famous only in that I consistantly have the same screen name everywhere online. I am Willravel on myspace, james bond and beyond, AIM (feel free to message me), e-mail, automotive forums, and a slew of other places. Some people I see evey day call me Willravel on occasion.

Likewise, willravel, I'm 'ratbastid' most everywhere. I used to go by Yossarian, back when I was an undergrad English major and thought I was the only one to have read Heller... I learned otherwise when that handle was taken on almost every site I joined! ratbastid doesn't seem to get taken, so if you see a ratbastid somewhere other than here, it's likely me.

Does that make me famous? Uh, no. That's a negative.

Oh well in that case, every where I have ever posted I am pan6467 or pan64672000 and am known in a few places, e mail, etc.

I guess I just don't get a nick "being famous". Are there conventions and parties for famous nicked people? A newsletter?

And yes, it is thought provoking. Like what if Host were really Bill O'Reilly.... sorry Host just teasing ya.... you know I love ya bro.

I'm pretty sure the "Tron" guy posts here.

Is that what you mean?

Jeff Bridges?! or even better Bruce Boxleitner?!

Awhile back there was a supposed A list celebrity male who created a blog about his dealings in the business....the man remained a mystery, but the fanbase grew and grew until it caught the attention of a magazine and also CNN.com, which is where I found out about it. The blog was actually kind of interesting, if the person wasn't really a celeb, he sure knew a lot of interesting things about it. I don't remember the name, but it started with R...anyway, he developed a pretty big fanbase. Not exactly the same thing, I guess.

No, he gained his fame by gaming.

The first thing that came to mind for somebody gaining fame by boards is Drew Curtis. Fark is kinda like a small message board.

Well, back in the day, when the World Wide Web was a mere gleam in the eye of Tim Berners-Lee and Usenet was the only game in the town, everybody knew who the Wharf Rat was. And I mean _everybody._ I swear he posted in all 5000-odd newsgroups.

There was another guy -- John De Armond, I think his name was -- who was the first major ultra-conservative gadfly on Usenet. H also was everywhere, flaming everything and everybody, until somebody took one of his death-threat-tinged flames seriously and called the FBI. Who actually showed up at his place to ask questions. It made the national press, and this was in the early '90s. In the aftermath, he moved to the new town and vowed he was giving up the 'net forever, because it was too silly to understand him.

Ding, ding, ding! I think that's about the closest answer given to the original intent of this thread :D

[threadjack]

highthief, have you ever read the Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card? Ender's brother and sister use internet forums as voices on the world stage in the first book. In addition, OSC is one of my favorite authors because of the believability of his future earth scenarios... almost all of his books are recommended reads.

[/threadjack]

I think that Feelgood probably hit the nail on the head with Drew Curtis...I might also point out Harry Knowles (Ain't It Cool News), whom I've seen on TV a number of times.

For the true geek crowd, Slashdot's Cowboy Neil also comes to mind.

And I know for a fact that Wil Wheaton prowls Fark, Neil Gaiman has been known to prowl some of the discussion boards related to his work, and Douglas Adams used to post to his newsgroup.

Yeah, that's sort of what I was thinking. Thanks.

Message boards are just another media - people here do what Rush Limbaugh or other talk radio guys do, they just do it in cyberspace. Someone would have to eventually gain some degree of fame from doing so.

Lots of famous people are on boards - at least, famous within their fields. I've talked to a number of writers and athletes via message boards.

If it had not been for the internet Drudge would not be where he is.

As I noted in a previous post elsewhere, Maleficent is an internationally famous supermodel who relaxes here anonymously by masquerading as an IT worker. I just haven't figured out which one she is.

What about that comedian? He toured and stuff, but he also built a major fan base just through his online dealings.

I have no doubt of the royalty of Maleficent, by the way. (I stay respectful so she doesn't squish me!)
:)

william hung... ha

wow... theres a name that crawled out from under the rock of obscurity...

i almost forgot about that guy..

SHE BANGS SHE BANGS!!! hahaha good stuff

was he really a member here before?

Nah, it was some numbnuts pretending to be him.

Or...was it? :hmm:

yes, how does one REALLY know?

I'm no expert, and it was a long time ago, so forgive me if it was incorrect, but I believe that it actually was him - although I searched for it and didn't find it, I believe the name he used was "William Hung" and the only post he ever posted was to watch a special he was going to be in on Fox on a particular date/time...

ha... so an obscure american idol contestant came to tfp ONCE... to plug a show he was gonna be on...


thats too funny.

View Profile: williamhung. "Loser". I think he might have been 'bones'.

it says 1 post but it looks like 5 posts... funny funny shit.

why would he get banned for those posts?

thats what the loser tag means right?

Because it was most likely not just 5 posts, rather it was just one of many personas that Bones took on after he was banned for other things.

We all loved Bones until he became an ass...

Just in case a few of you don't know who Fatal1ty is that willravel mentioned, here is a little info. I saw Fatal1ty play at quakecon 2001 in Dallas. Zero4 beat his ass.

Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel started professional gaming in 1999 by entering the CPL (Cyberathlete Professional League) tournament in Dallas and won $4,000 for placing third. Emerging as one of the top players in the United States, he then flew to Sweden where he competed in a tournament against the top 12 players in the world. By winning 18 straight games and losing none he took first place, becoming the number one ranked Quake III player in the world. Two months later he followed that success in Dallas by successfully defending his title as the world's best Quake III player and winning the $40,000 grand prize.

Since then Fatal1ty has traveled the globe to compete against the best in the world, winning prizes and acclaim, including the first DOOM 3 Inaugural Deathmatch Championship at QuakeCon 2004 for a $25,000 grand prize. He presently reigns as the only 3 time CPL Champion of the Year, winning each, annual title in a different game, a feat never before accomplished.

"Because it was most likely not just 5 posts, rather it was just one of many personas that Bones took on after he was banned for other things.

We all loved Bones until he became an ass..."



ive seen bones's name mentioned before on this board once or twice,,,
shit 3 people thought I WAS HIM in when i first started posting...

anyways..


its quite conflicting actually, id want to say it sounds like people loved him or hated him
but that doesnt seem to be true, its almost like people really liked him but then hated one thing that he did at the end ( according to halx's post about him)

i just wish i was around here when he was here so i could make my own informed decision.

what do you think hes doing now?
ha... that could be a thread topic.