The Book of Lost Threads [Basic Lore Archive Thread]

[KingODuckingham]

2015

The One Ring to rule them all -- Someone trying to figure out a lorish way to roleplay.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150517115 ... e-them-all


Aman including Tol Eressea? -- "it depends a bit of when you mean" is the summarized answer
https://web.archive.org/web/20150407111 ... ol-Eressea


Did Gandalf do the right thing? -- About giving Saruman a 2nd chance
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516020 ... ight-thing


The Istari -- "This is a thread to ask/answer anything and everything Istari." 4 responses. Is it fitting that a thread about all things Istari is 5 posts long?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150419110 ... The-Istari


The Blue Wizards -- Never seen this thread before (and I knoooooow it's a newbie, first time for them yada yada)
https://web.archive.org/web/20150414204 ... ue-Wizards


Whats your favourite weapon? -- Same poster from the previous thread.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150519031 ... ite-weapon


Who Loves Figwit? -- Same poster again, this one got moved to Movies, but in case it doesn't appear there I'm listing it now.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150315080 ... ves-Figwit


How is the 9 Men's Rings? -- FINALLY someone asking the question I suggested back up in the 2003 post. They're fine, thanks for asking.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150521085 ... en-s-Rings


Let's Have an Argument -- @Princess Gia giving people debate practice in a more open way
https://web.archive.org/web/20150519100 ... n-Argument


Secrets of Moria -- "it looks that you're asking quite simple questions and therefore answering to those would be simple" you said it Daywalker.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150317080 ... s-of-Moria


hobbits and humans -- Are hobbits like humans? Yes.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150419122 ... and-humans


Huffington Post's five facts -- @Troelsfo absolutely SHREDS HuffPo, you love to see it.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150306221 ... five-facts

On this next capture, someone went through and necro'd some REALLY old threads, so be prepared to see threads that started many years before, but whose most recent posts are 2015.

Pronunciation of "Gandalf" -- A neat little question.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150317084 ... ndalf-quot


Power: What is it? -- I don't remember posting this thread, but now that I see it I remember that it was my attempt at a revamp of a question I asked back in 2007ish. Too bad nobody was around to answer.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150317002 ... What-is-it


Dragons in the Grey Mountains? -- When is it NOT speculation time in lore?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150316180 ... -Mountains


Cure blindness -- Can Elrond?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150317075 ... -blindness


Elvish mathematics -- Really more asking about how Elves write numbers. Nobody is suggesting that 2+2 is 10 in Elvish.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150317080 ... athematics


Athelas and Basil -- This is a bumped 2012 thread. Not sure the OP was around to see the latest answer haha
https://web.archive.org/web/20150317081 ... -and-Basil


Aragorn has elvish blood in him -- Posted by IstariKing500 in 2011, only ever had 7 posts, he definitely didn't stick around to see the latest reply!
https://web.archive.org/web/20150317080 ... ood-in-him


Aragorn Knew Gandalf Wouldn't Make It -- Why was the necromancer choosing these particular threads to resurrect? Someone find the pattern! (originally 2009)
https://web.archive.org/web/20150316233 ... 7t-Make-It


Legolas would have been a better choice... -- a 2010 thread suggesting Leggy should have been the Ringbearer. (lol yeah right)
https://web.archive.org/web/20150317095 ... ter-choice


Could Shelob talk? -- Another 2009 thread, so old halfir was around to respond to the topic.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150317081 ... helob-talk


Dwarven magic: runes of power? -- Back to actual 2015 threads. You can tell because it's three posts.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150317093 ... s-of-power


History Student - LOTR in the Sixties -- A request for scholarly sources!
https://web.archive.org/web/20150317081 ... he-Sixties


Gil Galad death -- Dude, spoilers, Gil-galad dies?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150317004 ... alad-death


Mixing in society: Dwarves -- No responses recorded. Might be because the capture is only six days later than the posting of the thread.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150317082 ... ty-Dwarves

I see at least one more person responded to my question, and I see a thread titled "An interesting (and probably wrong) theory about Gandalf and the Fellowship" by @Androthelm but they don't load.

Least Favourite Characters -- Yeah, what's with all the positive surveys! Channel the hate!
https://web.archive.org/web/20150927062 ... Characters


sub-creation -- Hard to read this thread, some posts are missing, either they were deleted or something even stranger happened.
https://web.archive.org/web/20160330163 ... b-creation


Orcs and Goblins? -- They're different words for the same thing.
https://web.archive.org/web/20160330162 ... nd-Goblins


Who (or what) is the watcher in the water? -- "a mysterious and horrific beast" the rest of the thread meanders pointlessly
https://web.archive.org/web/20150928000 ... -the-water


Favorite age? -- Another person with only one post.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150928000 ... vorite-age


Was Gandalf right not to accept Sauron terms (and "free" Frodo)? -- This person answered their own question, and that's like the whole thread.
https://web.archive.org/web/20151002051 ... uot-Frodo)


The Balrog vs. Smaug -- A classic! Fight fight fight!
https://web.archive.org/web/20150921134 ... g-vs-Smaug


Entwives in the Shire? -- Another classic question, to which we still won't know the answer no matter how many times someone asks.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150919160 ... -the-Shire


Who send Faramir and Boromir the dream? -- "it is a non-issue" oh ok /thread
https://web.archive.org/web/20150928000 ... -the-dream


Favorite Race and character? -- It's super annoying to me that this ended up right above a necro'd thread with almost exactly the same title (that I've linked above, actually).
https://web.archive.org/web/20150920064 ... -character


Who (or what) is the oldest living creature in Middle Earth? -- what is "oldest" and "living" and "creature" yeah this is exactly what I would be asking my students too LOL and they'd hate it
https://web.archive.org/web/20150928000 ... ddle-Earth


Mechanical devices in Middle-Earth -- What about Bilbo's clock though? ITS A FAIRY FAIL
https://web.archive.org/web/20150919143 ... ddle-Earth


Are the Dwarves in The Hobbit really poorly developed or is my impression? -- Yeah, your impression is really poorly developed. Nah just kidding, this was someone's question after starting/reading The Hobbit
https://web.archive.org/web/20150921135 ... impression


Why didn't Souron place an orc at the head of Samathnar? -- Ah yes, good old Sour Ron, younger brother of Ankh-Morpork beggar Foul Ole Ron. What did he not put on Samantha's head?
https://web.archive.org/web/20151016101 ... -Samathnar


who is older, Bombadil or Treebeard? -- Ummm, this thread only sort of loads. It's weird.
https://web.archive.org/web/20151114002 ... -Treebeard


Entwives -- Same deal. Maybe someone can confirm it's not just me or just the wayback being weird at this moment? Like it's readable but it looks all wrong.
https://web.archive.org/web/20151113224 ... 0-Entwives

I guess unsurprisingly, since the threads are visually disintegrating, nothing else loads from 2015. I did see a thread posted by @merSILess called Voice of the ring, and one by Gia called lotr/wwi. Almost everything else was surveys, kind of sad given what the forum used to have been.

[Eldy Dunami]

Thank you for finding so many preserved threads, @KingODuckingham! (Even though I came across some cringeworthy posts by 14-year-old me ... hopefully some of my more mature posts from my Lore revival in 2016 were preserved. )

And someone who was around would know better than I, but I think geordie and Dorwiniondil have like lore Maiar icons or something?

@geordie, @Troelsfo, @Saranna, and @Dorwiniondil all served as "Lore Stewards" in the final years of the Old Plaza. There had previously been mods in Lore (as you've noted in this thread), but the Stewards were more like Cottage Maiar. Actually, I'm not sure there were "regular" mods left anywhere on the Plaza by the time the Lore Steward system was set up. I know as early as my tenure as Movies Mod in 2010–11, the former private mod forum (I think it was called Tol Eressëa) was defunct.

[Wamba_the_Fool]

"I tole her, I tole her..."
"Yes, my lord Souron?"
"Millennium hand, bugrit."
"But my lord, what of the-"
"Millennium hand and shrimp! I tole her!"
"It... It shall be done."
"... Bugrit."

[Androthelm]

Oh, it's too bad that thread didn't load. I'd love to know what my interesting (and probably wrong) theory was. Maybe something about Gandalf foreknowing he was going to die? I'm scratching my brain but I cannot remember what I might have posted.

[Androthelm]

Also, that thread with the missing posts is so strange @KingODuckingham. @Saranna ends up talking in an empty room.
And I am really not enjoying that very small font + italics in the Entwives in the Shire? thread

[KingODuckingham]

It is SUPER annoying that if I go to the main forum any time after 2013 and click on Basic Lore, it just doesn't load, making one think there was nothing to see, but if you go in through 2013, you can find (as I have been doing) pages for days. But I have to click over and over now to advance to forum back up through the 2010's to get back up to 2016, where we are now. SO TEDIOUS.
2016

Saruman Ring-maker -- Some discussion over Saruman's personal claims about his fame.
https://web.archive.org/web/20160309183 ... Ring-maker

At this capture in March, there's a new banner for fundraising at the top. It kept track in pounds, according to wayback at least. Maybe it looked different depending on where you logged in? They also finally got the icons for Stewards at the four corners of the header.

One Ring to Rule Them All - Who? -- "Them" is the who in question (I note @Tarawen for the first time in Lore, though no doubt she had been in earlier invisible threads)
https://web.archive.org/web/20160309225 ... em-All-Who


Tolkien Trivia Time! -- And now Tara has her Varda icon! Spiffy I also spot @Dwarrow Elf aka Rivvy and @drifa a ways down the thread. Only the first page loads.
https://web.archive.org/web/20160330161 ... ivia-Time!


Power of the one ring -- Similar to the question I posed, in a way. Sil made multiple posts in this thread.
https://web.archive.org/web/20160406192 ... e-one-ring


Cirith Ungol or Dimholt -- "Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk" lol
https://web.archive.org/web/20160427163 ... or-Dimholt

At this point nothing more loads, period. I will try to approach from another angle if I can and see if I can snag anything more modern, but the last capture I see from this perspective is December 2017, and nothing loaded on any 2017 captures.
Edit: Getting an angle from 2017 does not work in this case. Sad days.

[Zôrzimril]

HA! I completely forgot that I ran a trivia thread at one point

I did poke around in (basic) lore a bit throughout the years - I'm in the "Have you made a Tolkien pilgrimage?" thread you found as Larien Falassion. I also distinctly remember being a dumb teen and accidentally citing something out of context in lore once (on a different account to which I forgot the password at like age 16, sshhhhh) and getting pounced on so yeah, I was definitely intimidated by it

[KingODuckingham]

No joke, I went back and checked the 2nd page captures, but an oddity of the wayback means that as far as I can tell I would have to manually readjust the link name to see if the thread actually loads, and that's not worth my time. That said, I do have a few other miscellaneous BL threads I found through some sneak around ways, like:

1) Newest Topics captures

2) Most Recent Forum Post captures

3) The archives in the "archives"

and so on. So have a few more threads!

Female orcs??? -- Maiarian man as Bilbo the Librarian in here. The rest of the thread is a mess. 2003
https://web.archive.org/web/20030720120 ... Position=1

2004

wear did the orc armor go? -- PG somehow knows what will be in the extended edition *thonking*
https://web.archive.org/web/20040310084 ... Position=1


The Sea vs. Evil forces -- A thread about the symbolism of water, I suppose it's fair to say
https://web.archive.org/web/20040310085 ... Position=1


A questian of being Half-elven -- 2004 spelling is murder on my eyes.
https://web.archive.org/web/20040310085 ... Position=1


ME -- not a Narcissus thread, but also not intentionally about Middle-earth
https://web.archive.org/web/20040405164 ... Position=1


Gollum/Sleep -- Does he sleep? Yeah, yeah he does.
https://web.archive.org/web/20040405162 ... Position=1


Gimli????? -- Uhhh somehow this is both a movies and a languages question, and not really lore.
https://web.archive.org/web/20040405163 ... Position=1


Tom Bombadil -- I know this looks like a duplicate thread, but I promise it's not.
https://web.archive.org/web/20040405164 ... Position=1


The Real Hero=Not Sam, but GOLLUM! -- Posted by RadicalRadagast.
https://web.archive.org/web/20050501034 ... Position=1


What happens to hobbits and Dwarves -- After they die, not after the book.
https://web.archive.org/web/20040803221 ... Position=1


Luthy’s Trivia Thread 124 -- I know you were all so sad this didn't appear earlier, so I went and dug it out just for you.
https://web.archive.org/web/20040803221 ... Position=1


Moria -- Hi, it's me, punctuation. Can I introduce myself and then never leave your side again, Boromir V?
https://web.archive.org/web/20040824061 ... Position=1


Southrons/Easterlings -- Well, people.
https://web.archive.org/web/20040830095 ... Position=1


how did he know? -- he being Saruman. And this being a movie question.
https://web.archive.org/web/20040830095 ... Position=1


Luthy’s Trivia Thread 126 -- Haha, Mo posting a because it's copied from a Luthy post.
https://web.archive.org/web/20040830095 ... Position=1


orcs would be better if -- uhhh the post doesn't finish the sentence started in the title and maybe I'm just tired but that post is actually, literally incoherent.
https://web.archive.org/web/20040830095 ... Position=1


Radagast the Brown a.k.a Tom Bombadil -- "this is a conspiracy thread, but well founded" hmmmmmmmm
https://web.archive.org/web/20040906074 ... Position=1


Better of the two archers -- LOL just go read it, it's short
https://web.archive.org/web/20040906074 ... Position=1


Asking for brother -- Aw, it's not really lore, but I'll be your brother! Also, @Narv actually made a post in lore?!
https://web.archive.org/web/20040906074 ... Position=1


Why would it do that? -- This is a decent question about the One Ring. Also Narv posted here too.
https://web.archive.org/web/20040903232 ... Position=1


Why did the Eagles not destroy the Ring -- Omg, a legendary question. Was it already beaten to death back in 2004? halfir offers a timeless response.
https://web.archive.org/web/20040919105 ... Position=1


The effects of the one ring -- Another question similar to the one above. I suspect it's movie driven.
https://web.archive.org/web/20040919105 ... Position=1


nazgul -- At least this one pluralizes correctly, though capitalization is too much to ask.
https://web.archive.org/web/20040919105 ... Position=1

It doesn't load, but I do have to pause here to shout out the thread "Melkor - creator of capitalism". I'm guessing it doesn't load because it was banhammered LOL

pointless? -- The silmarils, they were asking about. @Elenhir points out that they are very pretty.
https://web.archive.org/web/20050501140 ... Position=1


rings of power -- At least this person didn't open 6 threads for these 6 questions.
https://web.archive.org/web/20050501140 ... Position=1


Gandalf.......an angel??? -- In the arms offfffff a Gandalf (also halfir is grouchy)
https://web.archive.org/web/20050501143 ... Position=1


He WAS evil -- Posted by Jealous Stone, hmm, think it might be biased. This is about Gollum.
https://web.archive.org/web/20050501140 ... Position=1


Legolas -- "Who is this wonderful, kind creature?" ugh it reads like satire
https://web.archive.org/web/20050501140 ... Position=1


Religion -- In which Morgoth threatens everyone with deat---errr, deletion.
https://web.archive.org/web/20050501140 ... Position=1


Melkor’ power -- Elenhir's sig here is interesting.
https://web.archive.org/web/20050501140 ... Position=1


Silmarillion -- "Signed, A Confused Son of Middle Earth" How formal
https://web.archive.org/web/20050501034 ... Position=1


Luthy’s Trivia Thread 140 -- Woo more trivia threads yay my favorite
https://web.archive.org/web/20050501140 ... Position=1


Where Are The Entwives? -- Turin arguing against Entwives being around the Shire. A brief appearance by @Oak
https://web.archive.org/web/20050531055 ... Position=1

Silly Dwarves - DON’T poke the sleeping Balrog... -- A thread actually started by Turin. Shivased appears.
https://web.archive.org/web/20050513184 ... Position=1

This same day (I think) december 16 2004, Protoguy posts a thread or in a thread written in enormous red font titled "This is going to stop now." but it doesn't open and I am intensely curious what it said.

gandalf reborn -- We're into 2005. smaugslayer's smileys look weird.
https://web.archive.org/web/20050413081 ... Position=1

Somewhere in 2005 (edit: looks to have been June 9th) the points for posting were boosted to two for many of the fora, but not BL, so it starts appearing asterisk'd.

can lazer go thruogh mithril? -- I'm so happy this one opened, it was everything I dreamed it would be. Plus, pretty Anarion and Tilion icons!
https://web.archive.org/web/20060510204 ... position=1

[KingODuckingham]

This last bunch of threads will look weird because they are from the archives in the "archives". They are all the final-ish threads pre-2007 archive (I guess obviously?)

The 4th age... and beyond! -- Really short thread
https://web.archive.org/web/20150405090 ... TID=211611


Endangered species? -- Some pretty early posts of mine starting in this thread, I was only about 4 months plaza old. Hopefully not TOO embarrassing.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150409205 ... TID=211522


Do elves wear pyjamas? -- Great question haha
https://web.archive.org/web/20150405141 ... TID=210977


Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli’s orc-hunt run -- Highlighting how AWESOME Aragorn is at running.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150405051 ... TID=211642


Drśedain or the Pśkelmen --I can't tell if this is a typo or intentional, given the rest of the spelling.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150405051 ... TID=211694


Dagor Dagorath-PROPHECY -- This thread wouldn't load from the main page capture, but it was saved here. Turns out it was full of angry people.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150410033 ... TID=211467


Morgoth’s and Sauron’s sole hope... -- There I go, "quoting" again
https://web.archive.org/web/20150409180 ... TID=211657


"Dark Lord" -- Some neat but not fully explored linguistic history.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150409201 ... TID=211748

pirced Poiny Ears -- Short thread
https://web.archive.org/web/20150406104 ... TID=211647


Question on Canon -- Hey I asked a similar question on nuplaza when I could have just read geordie's answer from back then.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150409205 ... TID=211816


Deus ex machina - Tolkien’s flaw? -- @Boromir88 comments here
https://web.archive.org/web/20150513205 ... TID=211656


To be or not to be -- Only two posts
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516213 ... TID=211860


The Eye -- Peter "The Butcher of Middle-earth" Jackson (I love the creative flame PJ got, even if I don't always agree)
https://web.archive.org/web/20150417030 ... TID=211669


Feanor -- I was first to this thread, big shock
https://web.archive.org/web/20150515104 ... TID=211814


Hobbit class system -- I was also first to this thread, on Christmas day. I really was a no-lifer.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150513205 ... TID=211896


recently informed -- What a weird title when the thread is about Moria.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150409205 ... TID=211907


Elves and their aging process -- "They probably don’t even have to go to the bathroom." uhhhh what?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150406104 ... TID=211541


The Love of Faery -- halfir shower-thoughting us with a fun connection
https://web.archive.org/web/20150513205 ... TID=211769


Morgoth -- This thread starts off on the wrong foot, and never rights itself.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150515103 ... TID=211692


Tom B - does he have a chance to become a hero? -- Boromir88 (assisted by halfir) again coming to the rescue
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516225 ... TID=211830


Gandalf’s Size -- People very often misquoted my name as KingofDuckingham
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516220 ... TID=210990


Elrond and the Ring -- Why didn't he MURDER ISILDUR THAT WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF EVIL AMIRITE
https://web.archive.org/web/20150405092 ... TID=211560


Learned his letters? -- A question about hobbit literacy
https://web.archive.org/web/20150409153 ... TID=211928


The Blue Wizards -- I was posting too much in lore for being on Christmas break and not having books with me to, you know, fact check.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150409180 ... TID=212043


Sting -- Is Sting's light just a light or something more?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150406194 ... TID=211607


how does aragorn live so long -- A surprisingly long thread to just say "he ate his wheaties"
https://web.archive.org/web/20150409195 ... TID=211304


Wars in Middle-earth -- Just tell me about EVERY WAR
https://web.archive.org/web/20150406094 ... TID=211963


Nazgul and their Rings -- A thread by @Reikon Suchi-ru
https://web.archive.org/web/20150410035 ... TID=211799


Tolkien and Plato -- A thread about the Ring of Gyges
https://web.archive.org/web/20150409180 ... TID=212021


Of Marriage -- The title hides the real topic again, which is about bastard children
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516222 ... TID=211929


Gandalf and the Balrog -- Another long thread, as it tends to be when speculation meets book quotes.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150406194 ... TID=211672


Battle of Dagorlad - Where were the Nazgūl? -- Presumably there?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150410035 ... TID=211941


Sauron:why did he need the Ring? -- Threads like this are why I wonder about 'power'.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150406193 ... TID=211839


Fav battle -- What's a little survey between friends?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150417030 ... TID=212053


Ring-verse -- Someone actually checked to see if their question had been answered before posting a thread?!
https://web.archive.org/web/20150513205 ... TID=212128


The Character of Radagast -- Nav wonders why Radagast is left unused and underdeveloped. Clearly he wanted a longer trilogy.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150409204 ... TID=211936


VT: Identity - TIME TO JUDGE -- The name changes are constant and confusing but this is a Roh thread.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150515103 ... TID=211759


Greatest city in Middle Earth? -- "in power,in size,in beauty and in its population" at least we get some guidelines. Doesn't stop the thread from becoming "this is my fav city el oh el"
https://web.archive.org/web/20150513144 ... TID=211271


The watcher in the water -- "we don't know"
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516211 ... TID=212176


Evil or not -- Were nazgul punished by Mandos???
https://web.archive.org/web/20150406193 ... TID=212144


Legolas’ bow -- This is actually a movie question
https://web.archive.org/web/20150514165 ... TID=211608


The Fifth Battle. -- When do you sleep in a five day battle? (in between days)
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516213 ... TID=212141


orc freedom? -- Imagine William Wallorc
https://web.archive.org/web/20150515104 ... TID=212092


Gandalf in Dol Guldur -- Is Gandalf taking levels in rogue?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516211 ... TID=212191


An English Mythology? -- How successful was Tolkien at creating this?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150515104 ... TID=212134


Balin’s Return -- Why go to Moria lol it's only the greatest of the dwarven halls lel Balin so dumb he get killed by balrog lawl [this is a very unfair summary]
https://web.archive.org/web/20150515104 ... TID=212072


Battle Strategy IX: The Battle For Esgaroth -- Remember the thread I linked way up above called Battle strtgy 3? Well it was still going, and they fixed the title too! It's like they're playing warhammer by post, almost.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150409150 ... TID=211273


Could Sam have done it? -- All these "personal beliefs" when Tolkien literally answered this question.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150406194 ... TID=212045


Silvans = Moriquendi? -- Another thread by Reikon.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516214 ... TID=212203


Tom Bombadil = Eru? -- The OP of this thread has "Banned" as his rank, after only 13 posts. Wew.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150406110 ... TID=211878

All these threads fit on one page of the archive archives, so efficient!

[Lirimaer]

Drśedain or the Pśkelmen --I can't tell if this is a typo or intentional, given the rest of the spelling.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150405051 ... TID=211694

I think the Unicode used to make those letters did a dance in the WBM, because they are often saved wrong - even in people's names. So for accented letters I give a pass. The rest of the post is fair game for lazy spelling criticism though.

Speaking of spelling - in that Do Elves wear pyjamas? thread, geordie asks if she means a chaise-longue (which is the correct French spelling, meaning long chair) and is corrected to say chaise-lounge (presumably misnamed for what you do on it - a chair for lounging about!) I did laugh.

Incidentally, I did pass through Duckingham the other day. The overgrown tree dripping over the sign made me do a double take, but unfortunately on closer inspection it said Puckington. I was very sad.

[KingODuckingham]

My comment on "chaise lounge" had I believe, though the image no longer loads, so I may have been trying to make a joke rather than correct spelling, but it's hard to say, which makes it a bad joke.

And why do you have to get my hopes up about Duckingham

[Boromir88]

Very glad for this thread. I especially enjoyed @Troelsfo dismantling the Huffington Post article.

It reminds me of one of my pet peeves when a writer tries to make broad generalizations or write for mass consumption. I think you see it far to often in media nowadays. I've seen pro-movie writers make exaggerations to defend every PJ decision as if he was the greatest filmmaker on the planet. But I've also seen the other end where a "purist" writer tries to tout their Tolkien expertise to slam the films and well...it didn't turn out so good. I think that's my general issue with both sides, because they might be experts but their primary motive is to write for mass consumption (get as many 'clicks' as possible) so their writing sound pompous and exaggerated.

[Lirimaer]

I am sorry! But I was gonna stop and take a photo if it was Duckingham!

Oops, just mistyped that with an F. o_O

[Wamba_the_Fool]

I hear Fredegaringham is gorgeous this time of year.

[Lirimaer]

[Troelsfo]

What a magnificent idea and what a magnificent resource!!

Special thanks to @KingODuckingham for all this work. Truly excellent!

As explained by @Eldy Dunami, we were four “lore stewards” at the old plaza, @Saranna, @Dorwiniondil, @geordie, and myself. @Lord of the Rings was our mentor and supervisor (he won't like me calling it so and really it was more like having a five-person team trying to set a course for the lore fora). He was the Lore Vala with the title of “Mandos”. The general admin set-up of the plaza at that point was to have Valar (admins) in charge of each “realm” (top level of the fora) supported by moderators (we were “lore stewards”, and I am not sure what they were called in the RP realms).

Very glad for this thread. I especially enjoyed @Troelsfo dismantling the Huffington Post article.

I had completely forgotten all about that post
I'm glad you liked it – I have to admit that my frustrations with these things have not really had cause to diminish since 2015 (oh my ... is it really that long?) ... these days we see posts that mix up Jackson, Day, and MERP with a touch of Tolkien to create on-line contents for, as you say, mass consumption.

It reminds me of one of my pet peeves when a writer tries to make broad generalizations or write for mass consumption. I think you see it far to often in media nowadays. [...] I think that's my general issue with both sides, because they might be experts but their primary motive is to write for mass consumption (get as many 'clicks' as possible) so their writing sound pompous and exaggerated.

I agree entirely!
I don't care what people like or dislike in terms of adaptations of Tolkien (and Tolkien himself), but I do care whether people consistently make the distinction between the very different worlds sub-created by J.R.R. Tolkien and, for instance, Ralph Bakshi or David Day or Peter Jackson.

[Almaren]

Wow, these links are a fascinating journey into the Plaza's past. Why were there two Lore forums and how do you decide which aspects of it are advanced? I think I may have just answered my own question, though, as a lot of questions have been put by people who've seen the movies but not read the books. I remember recommending the books to several friends when the movies came out, and explaining to them how the story was changed to make it more movie-friendly.

@KingODuckingham Thanks for bringing these ancient threads to the surface.

[Androthelm]

@Almaren my understanding was always that Basic was for questions -- what is this, who is this and so on -- whereas Advanced was for discussions, issues that might not have a clear answer / which continue to puzzle Tolkien scholars today. That being said, this was also an era in which the Plaza was quite a bit larger than it is now (it was the heyday of the internet forum, after all!) so the distinction may have been slightly arbitrary, for the sake of filtering a sheer quantity of content

[Eldy Dunami]

Advanced Lore was (at least from 2008 onward, but I'm pretty sure earlier as well) a showcase forum of sorts. Ordinary members were not supposed to start threads there, but particularly insightful or informative threads would be periodically moved from the other lore fora to AL in order to highlight some of the best discussions the Plaza had to offer. That said, you could find plenty of involved and thorough discussions in the other lore fora, including Basic Lore, though threads were often moved from BL to People & Races, Locations, etc if mods/admins thought they fit better into those forums' more specific remits.

[Almaren]

@Androthelm Thanks for the explanation, which makes good sense.
There’s definitely plenty of material for Tolkienistas to mull over, argue about and discuss, that’s for sure, and the fact that there’s often no definitive answer makes things all the more interesting!

@Eldy Dunami Id imagine that some threads could be suitable for more than one forum, it’s not difficult to see how a topic about People and Races could become a discussion about Locations, and vice versatile, especially when talking about people moving from one place to another. Fascinating stuff.

[Androthelm]

Oh, sorry to have been so mistaken about Advanced! I suppose my memories aren't exactly flawless going on a decade in a forum I was rarely active in.

It's always surprising to me to remember how much the OldPlaza was not only a forum but a library and archive. I'm really glad to see a lot of that carry on into today -- in places like the halfir thread as well as the literal OldPlaza archives Ducky has been doing.

[KingODuckingham]

One more post, with the threads accessible through what the late plaza called the 2nd archive, meaning these were the final threads before the archiving of 2010. Like the other archive, they all load, but I may as well provide all links individually because the present should be like the past.

The eye -- halfir confuses Pippin and Merry, literally unreadable.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516020 ... TID=236460


Expanding the Legendarium? -- "Was it Tolkien's wish for others to continue his legendarium?" NO (probably)
https://web.archive.org/web/20150404115 ... TID=236290


Gandalf's ring -- Could Sauron control Gandalf through the Ring?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150405211 ... TID=236495


The mallorns of Lorien -- Did Galadriel use Nenya to help mallorns grow in her realm?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150404115 ... TID=236288


what about the other 6 fingers? -- "im gonna sound like such a window-licker" is window-licker a common expression somewhere in the world?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516020 ... TID=236707


Fall of Sauron -- Really a thread about Sauron's motivations
https://web.archive.org/web/20150518083 ... TID=236728


Minas Morgul After Sauron? -- Better than Minas Morgul After Dark, probably
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516144 ... TID=235305


What does Sauron look like under the armor -- Well, naked, for starters.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150415081 ... TID=211030


The Firstborn Decrease -- A short thread about Elves not rabbit-multiplying
https://web.archive.org/web/20150405202 ... TID=236766


The Awakening -- There has been an awakening. Have you felt it? (wait wrong franchise)
https://web.archive.org/web/20150405211 ... TID=236765


Money/Currency -- halfir gives the closest thing to an answer we will ever get
https://web.archive.org/web/20150404120 ... TID=236724


Gandalf=Jesus? -- 'Thus Gandalf faced and suffered death; and came back or was sent back, as he says, with enhanced power. But though one may be reminded of the Gospels, it is not really the same thing at all. The Incarnation of God is an infinitely greater thing than anything I would dare to write.'
-Letter 181
https://web.archive.org/web/20150518075 ... TID=235520


Withdrawing of Gifts? -- of the gifts to Numenorians, that is
https://web.archive.org/web/20150404120 ... TID=236602


Did The Light Go Out? -- Nice question!
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516020 ... TID=236791


Was Numenor in M-E? -- Just read the book.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150404120 ... TID=236590


The Nine's Names -- Dancer and Prancer, to start with.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150405211 ... TID=236770


tolkiens legendarium and philosophy. -- @Aerlinn is here!
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516020 ... TID=236583


Elves and Dwarves -- why do they gotta fight so much?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150404115 ... TID=236757


Balrogs great and small -- Elenhir's On Balrog's thread in AL (which I will make a thread for next) is the only thing that really comes out of this question.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516144 ... TID=236847


Frodo and Valinor -- Frodo's gonna stay on Tol Eressea rather than going to Aman, it seems.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516144 ... TID=235744


Ho Hum (Ents) -- One of those "tell me everything" threads that end up with nothing because the poster doesn't know how to phrase a question.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516144 ... TID=236848


Magic? -- halfir's links NEVER WORKASDGHASDGH
https://web.archive.org/web/20150405202 ... TID=236869


Talking to Eru -- I just don't know what to say to him on a first date, ya know?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150409030 ... TID=236882


Sauron in Numenor -- Two opposite responses in the first two posts, classic internet.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516144 ... TID=236888


Lost in some mountains -- An example of Galadriel's backstory being confusing.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150409030 ... TID=236781


The blue wizards... -- I refer you to my comments on the Ho Hum thread, only more so.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150518051 ... TID=232864


Musings on Canon III - Balrogs -- I give you three guesses who shows up to this thread, and none of the guesses count because we all know the answer already.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150415081 ... TID=236929


Colors in ME -- I like this question but there isn't much discussion.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516020 ... TID=236966


So . . . where exactly did Hobbits come from? -- Well when a mommy Hobbit and a daddy Hobbit love each other very much...
https://web.archive.org/web/20150409030 ... TID=236998


High-Kingship - Why bother? -- I rolled my eyes at the title of this thread but on reflection it was a worthy question.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150405211 ... TID=237002


Love, Sex and Family on Middle Earth -- "I have some questions regarding these issues" I didn't realize any of them were "issues"
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516020 ... TID=237045


Past, always better... -- Angst, angst, angst (wrong franchise again FRIG)
https://web.archive.org/web/20150518084 ... TID=237019


Lond Daer -- Really short thread for clarification's sake.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150404115 ... TID=237097


Galadriel: Defeating the Stereotype -- of women, that is
https://web.archive.org/web/20150518085 ... TID=237145


The Ring's ability to make you invisible -- Why didn't Sauron add LAZER BEAMS instead of invisibility?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150404115 ... TID=237068


The rings of power -- wat (sic) do they stand for?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150409030 ... TID=237056


what would happe to gollum if he didn’t die -- "why are you people not posting" 14 minutes after his first post, Chris the swift asks. I guess that's why they call him the swift. Maybe if he had slowed down he would remember how to spell "happen". Also he posted it in AL.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516224 ... TID=211043


Eru -- Is he omnipotent?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150405202 ... TID=237075


Frodo's Mortality? -- Does it exist?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150518083 ... TID=236918


The Hobbits -- Actually just a question about Sam, sooooo 1/10 title
https://web.archive.org/web/20150515030 ... TID=223235


Crayons? -- "Tolkien edited one of his Qenya wordlists in blue crayon."
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516020 ... TID=237274


your first time on LotR... -- A survey thread
https://web.archive.org/web/20150415081 ... TID=237103


Some newbie questions about LOTR Lore -- 10/10 title this time, props
https://web.archive.org/web/20150404133 ... TID=237063


Your Fellowship -- Another survey, build-a-fellowship
https://web.archive.org/web/20150415082 ... TID=233122


What would Orcs do in their free time? -- "Or, more specifically, what would they do once Sauron had taken over Middle-Earth" yeah that's a pretty different question mate
https://web.archive.org/web/20150518075 ... TID=233952


Did the Fellowship GAIN from loosing Gandalf? -- @Dimcairien Luiniel made the last post here. :)
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516144 ... TID=237133

There might be a double-post in this particular set somewhere, my spider senses are tingling that way but I haven't checked the way I've been doing up to this point. If there is, I'm sorry. That concludes (as far as I am aware) all the BL threads that are readily (and some not so readily) findable. I'll get around to Advanced Lore next, most likely. Looking forward to it, hopefully it'll be less work!

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

Oh boy, you found a lore post of mine.

As an FYI, I've gone through some of the Advanced Lore threads looking for halfir dominated ones, which are listed in the the halfir library thread just in case you want to take a look at some of them.

[Elenhir]

I remember that gollum thread. It's one of the examples I think back to when I'm met with absurdly stupendous impatience.

Ad Lore will probably have a more complete selection, but you'll encounter the difficulty we actually had when using it: so many threads chopped into pieces by OldPlaza's archiving process.

[Boromir88]

How the heck did the Gollum thread go on for 4 years?

[KingODuckingham]

It didn't, some newbie went and necro-d the thread on their 2nd week of plaza membership just to say " anyway Gollum would have died in the end." LOL

[Aerlinn]

Ahahaha possibly my one and only 100+ word foray into Lore, thanks @KingODuckingham! Though I'm a little afraid to read it and discover exactly how unbearably pretentious I was as a high school kid taking a philosophy class.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Sauron in Numenor -- Two opposite responses in the first two posts, classic internet.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516144 ... TID=236888

Indeed. The pure magic :) The debate is staked in posts #2 and #3, the opposition drawn between Miskin Comte, Craftsman of Minas Tirith, and Alcarináro, Banned. lol. A title of Fairy. The Banned Alcarináro contends:

Sauron is not one of the Incarnates. He is quite capable of influencing and interacting with the physical world even when stripped of his created physical form. The One Ring was with him when he went to Numenor and returned with him when he came back from the drowned island as a spirit.

Miskin Comte replies:

Sauron would indeed have left the Ring behind. He goes with knowledge that he is to be taken away. In fact he receives it gladly (Silm., Akallabeth). He, I don't think, would bring his greatest weapon, that which keeps him alive if his physical form is destroyed, into the hands of his enemy. The liklihood is he planned the entirity of that event from start to finish, and would be a fool to bring the Ring with him.

That seems reasonable, does it not?

Classic!

[Drífa]

Excellent work @KingODuckingham!

Can this thread be pinned? I believe it should be after the effort put into creating it, and then everyone can see it when entering the Lore Forum, right?

@Arnyn @Pele Alarion @Rivvy Elf

[Rivvy Elf]

Done

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Oh boy, you found a lore post of mine.

As an FYI, I've gone through some of the Advanced Lore threads looking for halfir dominated ones, which are listed in the the halfir library thread just in case you want to take a look at some of them.

Wow. I feel that 4 years later the halfir archive that sits above Lore might actually garner respect, as opposed to a nuke and an armed uprising from the true community of old.

Thanks @Drifa!

@Arnyn, you are very, very ancient!
@Karis Ziranphel, the Lore forum is not like that anymore. We read the posts above and we have a post office of our own.

@Saranna

[Arnyn]

@Chrysophylax Dives Those ancient posts make me cringe more often than not!