Page 1 of 3
An extremely short history of the Austin Improv Forums
Posted: August 22nd, 2012, 10:56 am
by Mo Daviau
Happy Everybody Post Day.
A short history of the forums:
Back in 2005, a guy named Bob Apthorpe (aka arclight) decided the Austin Improv community needed an online forum for the exchange of information, lore, goods, services, friendly and unfriendly jabs, verbal fisticuffs, and Maestro sign-ups.
With his technical acumen, he made it so.
I think he still pays for hosting out of his own pocket.
Reader: I married him. (That's how I know all of this, since we were living together at the time. Sort of like how the First Lady knows all the nuclear codes...)
Seven years later, Bob's dream is a bigger reality than he imagined. And he very rarely visits these vaunted forums anymore.
With love from Ann Arbor, MI, which FINALLY has a decent taqueria,
Mo
A few of my favorite epic threads:
Ladies of AIC menstruation:
http://forum.austinimprov.com/viewtopic ... nstruation
UCB TourCo Comes to Austin-->shitstorm-->Mailer/Vidal:
http://forum.austinimprov.com/viewtopic ... gore+vidal
Posted: August 22nd, 2012, 10:59 am
by Spots
Is.. is.. that the thread where improvisers very publicly gave notes to out-of-town troupes?
Posted: August 22nd, 2012, 11:19 am
by Pdyx
Interestingly, that's the show that inspired me to formally get into doing live improv in Austin.
Posted: August 22nd, 2012, 11:23 am
by CarlZ
Well, bless his(Bob Apthorpe) heart. Thanks Bob, for a wonderful forum!
Re: An extremely short history of the Austin Improv Forums
Posted: August 22nd, 2012, 11:34 am
by shando
Hahaha, I had totally forgotten that thread. Epic. I just read through the whole damn thing all over again.
Posted: August 22nd, 2012, 12:22 pm
by Spots
Pdyx wrote:Interestingly, that's the show that inspired me to formally get into doing live improv in Austin.
I love Aden's posts all through that thread. And Tami's. I'd never read through it before. I'd just heard about it.
4 stars. Out of stars.
Posted: August 22nd, 2012, 12:32 pm
by shando
Looking back I stand by everything I wrote in that thread, although 41 year old me might have not been as quick to post or be as inclined to try to draw blood. The thought that some people were 'giving notes' to out of town troupes makes me laugh and laugh and laugh, or that anyone could look back at that conversation and think that's what people were doing makes me despair of people's ability to read. Laughing laughing laughing. Let's keep it going!
Posted: August 22nd, 2012, 12:38 pm
by Spots
Although someone actually DID email UCBTourCo unsolicited notes for that show. So paired with the thread there's that.
Posted: August 22nd, 2012, 12:40 pm
by shando
Spots wrote:Although someone actually DID email UCBTourCo notes from that show. So paired with the thread there's that.
Oh that's, right! I totally forgot about that. Man, people were filled with fire and stupidity five years ago......
Posted: August 22nd, 2012, 12:41 pm
by Pdyx
shando wrote:41 year old me might have not been as quick to post or be as inclined to try to draw blood
The older I get, the more time I spend online, the more hesitant I am to post. I'm sure that's not true for everyone, but as being online has become less and less anonymous, and I've grown more and more discerning, I'm less interested in sharing online, and more interested in face-time. However, I still spend a great deal of time on forums, Facebook, etc. I think it's because I have a job in front of a computer. I notice I rarely get online on the weekends. Anyone else have this experience, this increased hesitancy?
Posted: August 22nd, 2012, 1:00 pm
by shando
Pdyx wrote:shando wrote:41 year old me might have not been as quick to post or be as inclined to try to draw blood
The older I get, the more time I spend online, the more hesitant I am to post. I'm sure that's not true for everyone, but as being online has become less and less anonymous, and I've grown more and more discerning, I'm less interested in sharing online, and more interested in face-time. However, I still spend a great deal of time on forums, Facebook, etc. I think it's because I have a job in front of a computer. I notice I rarely get online on the weekends. Anyone else have this experience, this increased hesitancy?
For me I just give less of a shit about being 'right' about anything and realizing we all agree more often than not about this stuff. See Ratliff's
recent theory post for much more civilized conduct.
Posted: August 22nd, 2012, 1:34 pm
by mcnichol
Pdyx wrote:shando wrote:41 year old me might have not been as quick to post or be as inclined to try to draw blood
The older I get, the more time I spend online, the more hesitant I am to post. I'm sure that's not true for everyone, but as being online has become less and less anonymous, and I've grown more and more discerning, I'm less interested in sharing online, and more interested in face-time. However, I still spend a great deal of time on forums, Facebook, etc. I think it's because I have a job in front of a computer. I notice I rarely get online on the weekends. Anyone else have this experience, this increased hesitancy?
Yep. And that thread (and maybe a few others) are why I've stopped myself from posting about things other than music (or bits) on here.
Posted: August 22nd, 2012, 4:14 pm
by kaci_beeler
I stand by what I said.
Posted: August 22nd, 2012, 4:49 pm
by kbadr
kaci_beeler wrote:I stand by what I said.
So do I.
kbadr wrote:I applaud anyone who can be a touring improviser. Must be an amazing experience.
Posted: August 22nd, 2012, 5:03 pm
by Aden
Spots wrote:Pdyx wrote:Interestingly, that's the show that inspired me to formally get into doing live improv in Austin.
I love Aden's posts all through that thread. And Tami's. I'd never read through it before. I'd just heard about it.
4 stars. Out of stars.
Yay! Also uh oh... now I have to go back and read it all too, to see if I like what I wrote too.
