People often wonder why I waste time on message boards but the fact of the matter is that it is the only place where I get to really discuss things that I'm interested. It's a place where people can go and rant about the intricacies of basketball, the many ways Tony Allen is terrible, the problems with The Dark Knight, wonder aloud if there was a worse film than Max Payne last year, etc. Usually bringing these things up in conversation will get you nothing more than an eye roll so it's always nice to find some place where you can discuss things that most people don't care about. Not only does it let you discuss your interests but it also is open for creativity.

One of the best posts of the last year on my main message board @ okayplayer.com was from a guy who goes by the name Stylez Dainty. The post was called: My ideas for indie movies that have never been done before. The post was a list of cliche-breaking ideas like 

-In a prank gone wrong, a group of friends accidentally kill someone. They immediately confess to the authorities.

-A college professor is a good husband and father with a happy home life.

-A group of lovable losers decide not to commit a crime.

-A road trip goes according to plan.

This post inspired many others on the board to chine in with their own ideas. One of mine was "A white teacher an inner city school is just in it for the paycheck."

It's not groundbreaking but it's a good way to get the brain working whether you're at home bored or falling asleep at work. While most message board posts are discussions over films, sports, what have you, the creative ones often pop up to spice things up. The OKSports board has a post that pops up every so often called "The Shortest Books in the World". It's a clever way to complain about things. Some of the shortest books have been: "Clock Management" by Andy Reid, "Run Blocking" by Steve Smith (foreword by Randy Moss), or "Clutch" by Alex Rodriguez.

Does this make me any less of a loser for wasting time on these boards? No. Should I still cut down the time I waste on them? Definitely. But the knee-jerk dismissal of the boards is misguided. Long live the message board!