What keeps you coming back?

[West of the Rockies]

No, I don't mean what keeps you coming back to a woman (or man)...  I mean here, to BellGab?  Rather that forecast the site's doom and lament those who have moved on or been banned, I wanted to go in a more positive direction.  I'm not trying to create a hugfest, but to offer Michael a sense as to what especially does work here.

I come back for Agent Orange's clear and engaging comments on the Astrophysics thread.  He is an awesome addition to the forum.  That he takes such time to explain complex topics is great.

I value MV's fair and judicious forum moderation, the user-friendly layout here, and the overall content.

I dig Onan's sage perspective, his essential humanity and humor.

I enjoy the new addition of Pyewacket and her jokes thread -- it's  nice to come here and smile instead of leaving with a frown.

I love that I can toss out a random name from a 1960's baseball team roster, and FighttheFuture comes back with an anecdote or statistical fact about that player.

I don't want to list everybody here; I could easily go on with another dozen names.  Anyone else wanna take a stab at this thread? 

[McPhallus]

The fact that it's an eclectic bunch, with an unusual take on things (and I don't mean on paranormal or "alt" topics).

Sometimes there's a certain stench in the air that makes me leave.  But the winds are always changing, and the sheer randomness of what people discuss here--along with the humor--usually draws me back in.

[zeebo]

valdez's recaps, seraphim's musings, itsover's quips, paperboy's drawings, etc., etc. ......

[cweb]

I enjoy reading the witty, funny, honest discussion that goes on here. Having joined not too long ago, I've been sticking to certain threads but I feel like there's a lot more stuff under the surface I haven't gotten to yet. Like the Astrophysics thread, for instance.

Without Bellgab, I would not know about Dark Weekend or Jimmy Church. I'd also be missing out on recommendations for classic Art Bell shows. It's a great community with interesting knowledge from all over the place.

Also, George Noory SUCKS.

[Juan]

All the hot women.

[b_dubb]

MV's avatars

[area51drone]

All the hot women.

+1  Tons of hot women on bellgab.

Seriously though, for me it's the tech thread, the dead bigfoot thread, and the hope that one day there will be another spec sheet episode to listen to.   Screw Agent Orange, he doesn't know shit about cosmology. 

[Jackstar]

I am here to prepare to say "I told you so" a lot.

Believe it.

[The General]

I am here to prepare to say "I told you so" a lot.

Believe it.

You should start a thread called "Jackstar's Predictions" and we'll just see how accurate you are, bub.

[wr250]

You should start a thread called "Jackstar's Predictions" and we'll just see how accurate you are, bub.

maybe he took the ed dames remote viewing course

[Jackstar]

You should start a thread called "Jackstar's Predictions" and we'll just see how accurate you are, bub.

I have my own advertising revenue to focus on building, but thanks for your support, Chief.

maybe he took the ed dames remote viewing course

I actually have a copy of Mindazzle that I found at a used bookstore.

It cost five bucks, weighs about ten pounds, and I opened it once. Flight MH370 was not contained within.

[MV/Liberace!]

Sometimes there's a certain stench in the air that makes me leave.  But the winds are always changing, and the sheer randomness of what people discuss here--along with the humor--usually draws me back in.

that's exactly right.  bellgab is not the same forum if you walk away and come back in, say, two months.  it's constantly evolving/devolving/changing/morphing.

oh, and i'm sorry to report onan's been banned.  twice.

[Camazotz Automat]

The extra "level 2, possibly 3" attention from the NSA, which provides more cyber-cred on my gray hat private investigator resumé when I'm posing as a psychic who is posing as a hacker who is posing as an informant who is posing as an anti-Noory fan who is posing a question to another pos(t)er here.

What specifically brought me back after a long absence was the announcement of Art Bell's Dark Matter radio show followed by its quick particle decay.

I remember first reading Sardondi's comments about/against Art and thought he was being too hard on him. But over time, I became just as disappointed and cynical regarding the long wait for nothing. It just took longer for it to set in since I'm not as big of a talk radio fan as some of the others in the forum.

So... the NSA flags, the Dark Matter circus .... oh, and the free old stock red and yellow S.O.S. ® Tuffy scouring pads that S.O.S. discontinued and now sells in blue.

I prefer the red and yellow.

[attach=1]

[wr250]

The extra "level 2, possibly 3" attention from the NSA, which provides more cyber-cred on my gray hat private investigator resumé when I'm posing as a psychic who is posing as a hacker who is posing as an informant who is posing as a talk radio fan who is posing a question to another pos(t)er here.

so your real name is ed dames?

[Foodlion]

When I'm taking a break from my newbie Java programming course I come here and blow off my steam and ease my tiny mushy brain.

I suck so bad at Java that I sometimes keep the page open all the time. Great way to take a coffee break, kick back and imagine what the smell coming from the fat women on MV's avatar is like.

Mmmmmmmm.... I smell bacon thighs.

[b_dubb]

When I'm taking a break from my newbie Java programming course I come here and blow off my steam and ease my tiny mushy brain.

I suck so bad at Java that I sometimes keep the page open all the time. Great way to take a coffee break, kick back and imagine what the smell coming from the fat women on MV's avatar is like.

Mmmmmmmm.... I smell bacon thighs.

Java sucks.  Become a LAMP stack web developer instead.  Learn HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS.  If you learn high level JavaScript you can make low six figures. 

[Foodlion]

Java sucks.  Become a LAMP stack web developer instead.  Learn HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS.  If you learn high level JavaScript you can make low six figures.

Yup I agree 100%. Just working my way up slowly with Java before I move to the next. I was surprised to find that Youtube is programmed in HTML5. Very impressive what it can do.

[b_dubb]

Yup I agree 100%. Just working my way up slowly with Java before I move to the next. I was surprised to find that Youtube is programmed in HTML5. Very impressive what it can do.

JavaScript does most of the heavy lifting there.  HTML 5 is a markup language.  It really doesn't "do" anything.  There are several JavaScript libraries that are used these days: jQuery (this one is mandatory), Backbone, Underscore, etc.

[Camazotz Automat]

The extra "level 2, possibly 3" attention from the NSA, which provides more cyber-cred on my gray hat private investigator resumé ...

so your real name is ed dames?

Dames is an aluminum foil hat.

[zeebo]

Seriously though, for me it's the tech thread, the dead bigfoot thread ...

There's a dead bigfoot thread?  This place just keeps on giving.

[Mind Flayer Monk]

When I'm taking a break from my newbie Java programming course I come here and blow off my steam and ease my tiny mushy brain.

This is a good site for java and python newbies
http://codingbat.com/
and answers are google searchable...maybe this
http://codingbatanswers.wordpress.com/


Oh and why I come here:
Learn new stuff from other people through links and posts. Waiting for Art to come back as well.

[BobGrau]

Court order. Similar to anger management.

[jazmunda]

Court order. Similar to anger management.

OCD. I come back again and again and again so that the world doesn't implode. You're welcome. You're welcome. You're welcome.

[UnscreenedCaller]

WWJD, part of my religious observances -  What Would Jorchie Do?  Most likely something stupid, but I come here religiously every day to  find out what that is.

[UnscreenedCaller]

There's a dead bigfoot thread? 

Blimey! I didn't even know he was sick.

[onan]

Blimey! I didn't even know he was sick.

He wasn't... gun accident.

[area51drone]

The free booze.

[awake]

Honestly, probably habit.  After Art came back and I heard him interview that same people who had been on c2c, I knew I would never again listen to the nooron's pale imitation.  So, this place is habit and I hold out a small hope that dave will be fired or immolate himself in a pizza roll incident.  Without bellgab, I would never know when it was safe to go back into the c2c waters.

[cweb]

When I'm taking a break from my newbie Java programming course I come here and blow off my steam and ease my tiny mushy brain.

I suck so bad at Java that I sometimes keep the page open all the time. Great way to take a coffee break, kick back and imagine what the smell coming from the fat women on MV's avatar is like.

Mmmmmmmm.... I smell bacon thighs.

Back in a past life my friends and I would "modify" the blank keys on some Sun workstations. Just a little harmless scribble that would bring a chuckle or two to the frustration. Thus- the "Kill Java" button was born.

[bigchucka]

What brought me here was Art.  What keeps me here is the ability to tell someone something they didn't know, and the ability to learn something I didn't know.