# Hope I'm not being a cocky noob but....



## Sammyboy (Sep 7, 2006)

I hope I'm not being too presumptious or anything, I've been a member here for a while but a somewhat sporadic visitor, if I'm been a bit too cheeky I apologise!

Where is everyone? There must have been only a dozen or so replies in the last 24 hours, my last visit here was about 8-9 months ago, and there were more replies and threads then.

It would be a shame for this forum to stagnate or die, from what I've seen there are some fascinating and interesting characters here, and some lively (but not TOO lively!) discussions that have gone on.

If I could venture a point or two... One reason I haven't taken part in many of these threads is my comparative lack of knowledge of LoTR/Tolkien. I have only read LoTR now twice (seen the films many times, but don't think that counts!) and am just starting my third re-read of the Hobbit and then LoTR. As far as I believe most people on here have read and re-read these books many, many more times! I've only read the Sil once, and am yet to tackle Lost Tales and Unfinished Tales. As a result, a lot of the current or recent discussions on here are beyond me, as my knowledge and understanding of Middle Earth is far below the level of what many people here are is currently.

I would want to ask questions or have queries, but of course they would be ones that will have been discussed in the past in old threads, and for many here be very simple or straightforward questions, and indeed I could find the answers probably by doing a search. 

If I could venture a possible point, would it be worth it to allow people to ask relatively 'simple' questions, even though they may well have been asked before and answered before? This would stimulate more threads, more replies and more debates, even though they may have been gone through before. For example, I have a hobby of fixing damaged or faulty mobile phones, and am a member of a phone forum. I often come across the same or similar questions being asked about things like unlocking a phone to all networks, what to do when you've just dropped your phone in the bath, dealing with broken screens etc., but will answer each new thread and give the original poster similar or the same advice I have given others, rather than pointing them to an old thread or shouting 'use the search!' at them. I hope I've explained myself OK there!  

I hope I have not been rude, patronising or a bit of a jumpstart here, I apologise in advance if I have, and will remove this thread if it's offending anyone.


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## Alcuin (Sep 7, 2006)

Please ask! Fresh ideas, fresh minds, fresh threads applied to old questions is most healthy!

Besides, who wants to plow through old threads? (But don't forget them: you may want to mine them for arguments.)

Thus ever with mortal knowledge. It is the fate of the Younger Kindred to forget & discover anew, is it not?


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## Sammyboy (Sep 7, 2006)

Nice little saying there, Alcuin! I might well start a few new threads off then, but will have a quick search first in case it's something really obvioius!


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## Sammyboy (Sep 7, 2006)

I guess I've been put off posting a bit by the vast knowledge difference, the fact that many people here know a hell of a lot more than I do on Tolkien's books and the man himself. Bit worried about asking silly questions or something which is obvious to those who have more knowledge than I do. 

It could be that this is putting other people off posting too?

I hope though this board continues and doesn't stagnate too much, it would be a shame if this great mix of people, knowledge and experiences disperses.


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## Barliman Butterbur (Sep 7, 2006)

Sammyboy said:


> Where is everyone?



Aye, ya scared 'em all off, ya cocky noob! 

Seriously — the occupants hereabouts are tougher than they look. It'll take more than one cocky noob to knock TTF off the rails! And the only silly question is the one that isn't asked. And we never mind answering any question courteously asked, no matter how many times it's been asked before. Keeps us sharp and rust-free and gives us a chance to show off our awesomely deep and profound knowledge!  

Barley


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## Alcuin (Sep 7, 2006)

Barliman Butterbur said:


> Seriously — the occupants hereabouts are tougher than they look. It'll take more than one cocky noob to knock TTF off the rails! And the only silly question is the one that isn't asked. And we never mind answering any question courtiously asked, no matter how many times it's been asked before. Keeps us sharp and rust-free and gives us a chance to show off our awesomely deep and profound knowledge!


Barley’s telling you the truth, Sammyboy.


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## Sammyboy (Sep 7, 2006)

And I hope to be testing that knowledge, at least from my relatively inexperienced viewpoint anyway! 

For example, I might be asking questions like what does the word 'Attercop' mean in The Hobbit when Bilbo's taunting the spiders in Mirkwood? Though I'd probably do a quick search using the word 'attercop' first, as that would be a fairly simple answer I'd imagine and a question already posed or easily found out. May be a poor example that as it may not warrant a thread of it's own, but it's that kind of level of question I'd be asking given my current level of understanding.

I think I'll just dive in then, ask what questions I like (within reason, and politely, though I'm a polite person generally anyway  ) and see what happens!


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## Alcuin (Sep 8, 2006)

Here’s a wonderful resource: the Online Etymology Dictionary


> *attercop*
> “spider,” O.E. _attorcoppa_, lit. “poison-head,” from _ator_ “poison,” from P.Gmc. _*aitra-_ "poisonous ulcer" (cf. O.N. _eitr_, Ger. _eiter_) + _copp _“top,summit, round head,” probably also “spider” (cf. cobweb and Du. _spinne-cop_ “spider” ).


Tolkien loved this stuff. It begins to rub off onto you, doesn’t it?


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## Sammyboy (Sep 8, 2006)

Alcuin said:


> Here’s a wonderful resource: the Online Etymology Dictionary Tolkien loved this stuff. It begins to rub off onto you, doesn’t it?


 
It does indeed, I've got to sometimes resist the urge to use some of his terminology and phrases when writing patients' nursing notes up!

I can think of a few people I know that could be called 'attercop' after reading that description!  

Oops, I think I'm taking my own thread off-topic here!


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## DGoeij (Sep 8, 2006)

You are being cocky, but in a quite acceptable manner, IMHO. 

I just think it has been frantically busy here during the years the movies and later on the EE's came out. I personally joined when anticipating the first one. I already read some Tolkien, but the movies are what sparked my internet searches about the work, writer and fellow fans. I happened to like this place and still visit. less frequently than when it was, well frantic. But I'm reading a lot of Robin Hobb and Pratchett lately, so I'm somewhat less into Middle Earth these days. No doubt I will come back to it in time.

When I come up with questions after a reread, I tend to stroll around TTF to see any comment on it. But I don't see why anyone shouldn't simply ask. Genuine questions aren't stupid and the answer might be obvious to someone else, but I guess it wasn't for you, else, why ask the question in the first place? Questions are fun, to both the person who asked and the person who can provide the answer.

Apart from a variety of : DONT U GUYS TINK FRODO ROCKS 4 R33L?!?!!! Especially once you passed the age of say, 16, it's not funny anymore.

Funny thing. The sound of the word attercop, is just like an unfriendly remark in dutch, 'etterkop'. Meaning somehting like pushead (etter is referring to the yellow goo, coming from nasty wounds, pus and kop is a less friendly word for head). Not too far from the translation that has just been provided. Languages are fun.


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## Barliman Butterbur (Sep 8, 2006)

Well, here's a short definition to "tomnoddy" ("Old Tomnoddy, all big body") from the Free Dictionary online:

Tom´nod`dy
n.	1.	(Zool.) A sea bird, the puffin.
2.	A fool; a dunce; a noddy.

Barley


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## Sammyboy (Sep 8, 2006)

Don't worry, I'm not one of those 'Frodo roolz!' type of people, I'm getting on a bit at 28 anyway! 

Having read through a some of the older threads and posts, it does seem that a lot of people at the moment are 'Tolkiened out', after the release of the films, DVDs etc. I would imagine then that there are a lot of 'dormant' members at the moment, who like you DG are reading other books, doing other things, but not quite getting JRRT out of their minds and lives, just leaving the books on the bookshelf for a little while before revisiting them, and hopefully this board.

@barliman - that was going to be my next question, what does 'Tomnoddy' mean!  Another one I might use in day to day life!


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## Barliman Butterbur (Sep 8, 2006)

Sammyboy said:


> ...I would imagine then that there are a lot of 'dormant' members at the moment...
> 
> @barliman - that was going to be my next question, what does 'Tomnoddy' mean!  Another one I might use in day to day life!



Alas, many of the "heavy hitters" have left, gone into semiretirement, seclusion, etc. Many left when discussion of politics and religion were banned, but such discussion is now available at The Tolkien Gateway (headed by none other than our very own Morgoth), should anyone be so inclined. I am, but I haven't found anything building over there yet. God knows, there's enough to discuss!

Barley


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## Jesse (Sep 8, 2006)

Well I just came back to the forums, so I'll be posting up a storm here on TTF. I have noticed that the site is kind of dead, which is a shame. I remember TTF being so active you couldn't find one minute without someone but yourself online.


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## Sammyboy (Sep 8, 2006)

Yes, I'd like to be posting a bit more myself too, start a few threads off, try to get into what discussions I can without being out of my depth  

It's a shame many 'old hands' have left, political/religious threads can be a hot potato, that phone forum I'm a member of has recently banned those kinds of threads as it was causing flame wars, bad feeling amongst members, and a hell of a lot of trouble! It's probably a good thing they've been banned, some people (myself included) have some strong or alternative views on politics and religion and the do seem to be arguments with no real answer or conclusion so can go on forever with a lot of nastiness imho. Though I do like a good religious/political debate at times!


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## Barliman Butterbur (Sep 9, 2006)

Jesse said:


> ...I remember TTF being so active you couldn't find one minute without someone but yourself online.



Those were indeed the days, eh?  

Barley


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## Eledhwen (Sep 10, 2006)

Err... what does 'noob' mean?


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## Sammyboy (Sep 10, 2006)

Eledhwen said:


> Err... what does 'noob' mean?


 
Sorry, it's a common term for 'Newbie', or someone new to a forum. I've often seen it written as 'n00b' too, bit of that annoying 'l33t' style of typing! 

However, I looked at my profile today and had forgotten that I'd registered way back in Nov 2004 - I'm not a noob as such, just been a fairly infrequent visitor, and an even more infrequent poster! However I'm hoping to post a bit more as I've read JRRT's books a couple more times now, got a bit more knowledge (but still nowhere near as much as many of you people have!) and a bit more confidence in posting.

There seems to have been a few more posts this evening, is it just because it's Sunday? Not too familiar with the posting habits yet here!


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