In what kind of place can politics, sex, and religion truly and unabatedly be discussed without tempers flaring, voices being raised and feelings getting hurt? Certainly not at the dinner table, with the in-laws, or in schools – these settings only enhance the stigma that some subjects are taboo and shouldn’t be openly debated. But with the dawn of the internet and the popularity of online forums, hot-button issues and red-band topics have long since found a home. I suppose those of you who’ve never ventured into the Off Topic section of PocketFives.com won’t really know what I’m talking about, but that’s okay – read on and I’ll ease you into the wacky world of OT. <READMORE>

Before I get into OT, though, I’d like to pay my respects not only to the game we hate to love and love to hate, but also to the game that brings us together. After all, P5's is a poker forum, and the majority of us ended up here to discuss, argue and ultimately learn about poker. But at some point, everybody who plays poker gets sick of poker and needs something else to take their minds off the ups and downs of the game, and therein lies the genius of the Off Topic forum. OT is right there, a click away from Poker Discussion, or the Bad Beats section, and if that’s where you’re mired, the words Off Topic should blaze brighter on your screen than the Beacons of Gondor do against the shadows of The White Mountains (okay yes, that’s an obscure LotR reference – you’ll find a fair amount of us nerds in OT, we hope that’s okay). But in all seriousness, if you’re looking for somewhere to vent your frustrations by talking about everything but poker, then look no further than OT – it’s worked wonders for many of us.

First and foremost, OT is a place where you can discuss anything, and I don’t just mean things that are taboo and touchy-feely – I literally mean anything. OT has its share of craziness, that’s for sure, but it’s not just a haven for the insane – we talk about normal things, too. When I first found OT, I just lurked and read the forum (as is the case with most people), but then I noticed there were a lot of posts about movies. Being a huge fan of movies myself, I latched onto what I knew, gathered the confidence to submit my opinions to the masses, and jumped headlong into the fray of Off Topic. I posted minimally and cautiously for a while, but then as I got more comfortable and friendly with the posters themselves, it became easier and easier, and OT became a very relaxed and enjoyable community to be a part of. However, it doesn’t have to be movies. It can be sports, books, music, video games, astronomy or even Llamas – yes, we’ve got a llama lover in our midst. Whatever it is that you love, whatever it is that you’re passionate about, I can guarantee you’ll find somebody in OT who shares the same zeal for it as you do. And that’s the remarkable thing about OT – you’ll come across many kinds of people from all the varying walks of life, and it will utterly amaze you how quickly you run into people who you immediately connect with.

When it comes down to it, the single most intriguing aspect of OT is the people – from the regulars, to the long-time lurkers but only part-time posters and the newcomers. I’ve met people who think exactly like me, almost to the point that it’s scary how much we have in common. I’ve met an infinite number of extremely interesting folks, heard their great stories and learned countless things from them. I’ve met many people who I now talk to (via instant messenger programs) on an almost daily basis and not only do I even consider them real friends, they garner my utmost respect and I’d truly love to meet them in person one day. And that’s yet another exceptional dynamic of OT – even though it hasn’t happened for me yet, there have been real friends made within the confines of our community, more than a few trips to Vegas that originated in OT, and we even have our own married couple. Yes, you heard right – two people who met in OT are now married! Who says OT doesn’t affect people’s lives?

Of course, for all the friends I’ve made in OT, I’ve also come across a fair share of individuals who I clash and don’t get along with. But you know what? That’s life. I don’t love every person I meet in real life, and since we all spend so much time together in OT, it makes sense that there are not-so-friendly feuds here and there. But as long as it remains civil, it’s usually resolved with only a few feelings hurt and most egos left intact. However, when you consider that OT takes on the most controversial subjects and has such a populated community, you begin to realize that sometimes it’s just going to get out of hand. And when it inevitably does get out of hand, the necessary measures are taken to diffuse the situation, the culprits are sent to sit in their respective corners, and all is back to normal by morning. This rarely happens, though, and for the most part, OTers have a certain respect for each other – a respect that touches your friends and your arch-rivals alike. We all get caught up in the moment and post things we shouldn’t post, but overall, OT is a good place; a fun place; and more often than not, a place where everybody seems to get along in spite of themselves.

So by now, I hope I’ve conveyed that OT’s got something special and meaningful for everyone, because that’s really the allure of the community. At any time you can post your thoughts, questions or feelings, and interact with hundreds of people almost instantly. Where else is something like that possible? And even further, where else is something like that possible whilst making dinner for your family? Where else can you discuss the next night’s NFL playoff game, or the weekend’s biggest new movie release, while at the same time studying for that huge mid-term test you’ve got? Most importantly, where else can you do all of these things without getting up from your chair and leaving the comfort of your office or your home? If you consider it for a long period of time, I’m sure you can come up with a few places where some of the above scenarios are possible, but the fact is, OT transcends so many restrictions and is so easily accessible that it’s a combination of awesome locales all in one. OT functions like that great “hang-out” bar you frequented in your twenties, that mall arcade you loitered around as a teen, and those family parties you attended when you were all grown up. It remains absolutely indefinable by any single attribute or characteristic, which is a big part of why it’s so special.

At the end of the day, when I take a step back from OT and gaze upon it from afar, I begin to realize that it isn’t just a place where I go to discuss my interests and hobbies, because, well... it is the hobby – it is the ritual. Posting, reading, or at the very least visiting OT is now a part of my everyday life – just like eating or sleeping. And I don’t just come to OT to “kill” or “waste” time, I come to have fun, to laugh, and to be stimulated. Every day in OT I learn something new, I see the world from another person’s perspective, I laugh at a joke, or I meet somebody interesting. Ultimately, I participate in a life that, although separate from my real-world existence, my true family and my actual friends, is as much a part of me as anything else I do. And it can be for you, too.

J.D. "BubbaKGB" McNamara is a 4th-year student at the University of Toronto majoring in English. He plays online poker and posts on the P5's forums in his spare time.
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