by Elladora Podmore

Created on: May 16, 2010   Last Updated: May 18, 2010

I joined AOL in January 1998; I had always been fascinated by computer technology and began using an Amstrad 64K when I was seven years old. I often thought that it would be amazing to chat with people on a computer, so I was bowled over by the internet on my discovery.

I started out on AOL 2.5 which on reflection was absolute rot, you couldn’t view HTML websites and essentially it was there to support Email and Instant Messenger as well as AOL’s own chat and message boards. Although at the time to be able to chat with others over a computer was mind blowing.

Following a four year AOL membership, I applied to be a Host with AOL, my good friend Rob was already a Host and Guide and he put in a good word for me. I was accepted onto the programme and had to undergo stringent preparation on how to moderate message boards and chat rooms effectively. Training however was great fun; I met a number of lovely people who are still my friends to this day.

I was the regular AOL Host for the Premiership Football message boards, on occasions I would have 1000 postings to read through in one session and it could be hard work. Our motto was ‘Smile from the Wrists Down’ yet, the abuse we experienced as Hosts could be unpleasant at times. Still the good overshadowed the bad and for every PITA (Pain in the arse) there were 10 first-class contributors to the chat rooms and message boards.

Sadly in the late Ninies, AOL discontinued their message boards and chat rooms, I guess the internet was evolving once again, we now had Facebook, MySapce and Bebo, which were becoming increasingly popular with every passing day.

I still enjoyed forums though despite the fact that they were not as popular as they once were and I soon became a regular poster on BabyCentre when I was pregnant with my second daughter. The opportunity arose to moderate a couple of forums for the company and I jumped at the chance. At times BabyCentre was volatile, more so than the AOL Football Community. We had women pretending to have lost their children either by crib death or premature birth and when that took place all hell would break loose. I don’t know what possessed them to act in such a bizarre manner and why  they would waste their time.  Perhaps it was a cry for help, a need to feel wanted and at the centre of attention? Whatever it was it was a sickening thing to do.

I made some lovely friends on BabyCentre from my own birth board that I am in touch with today

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