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How about the fact most of you are intolerable vermin? My life's being going pretty good recently for the first time in quite a few years.
And you know what I've found I don't need the internet.

The internet's done more to hinder me making progress in life than it has been a companion.
For a long time, it was my go to. I'd spend whole days pointlessly letting hours fly by being occupied with brainless chatter with people I'd never meet in real life and if I did would find I probably had little in common with.

This site as well. The more I used it, the more I got friendly with everyone here, I realized my real life friends had moved on. Real life had moved on. This is the only place that stays stagnant wallowing in its own self pity.

When your life starts going pretty well, you realize well...this isn't all that. It's actually a place I associate with depression and discontent.
Of all those who post regularly, the people on here who post everyday; how many of you are happy, truly happy in your own lives? This place has provided somewhere for me to go when the real world didn't seem so appealing and I'll never forget that.

But I've got my life back on track, Friday I leave home and strike out on my own and I'm looking forward to it. I'm going to try and chase my dream and become something better than I am currently.
If I fail, I can come back here knowing I tried and I know I can slink back into internet life and let the real world pass me by.

I'm not going to leave completely because I have grown attached to this place, to some of the people and Music Banter has opened up the world of music for me, listening to music is a big part of who I am now and I can't thank the people of this site enough for brining that to my life, but I'm ready to go out and face the real world again. I don't need to spend most of my life on the internet killing time and making excuses for why I wasn't accomplishing anything.
I'm sick of not accomplishing anything. It's time to get a grip of myself while I'm still young. I turn 20 on Sunday and that's the point in my life where I really need to give my self a kick up the arse and make moves. This forum and the internet won't allow me to do that.

As I say, I will be around, just not as regularly. I don't hate any of you. I do pity some of you. Until recently, I was one of you. Stuck in a rut, convinced life on the internet could provide a vicarious replacement to life out there. Out in the real world. But I've realized life's too short not to live it. I'm making changes and one day I hope to be truly happy. I know some of you will never get there because you don't allow yourself the chance.

So, in relation to this thread, why is Music Banter so quiet?* I hope that some members have opted to get on with their real lives and take this place and the internet in small doses because it can get addictive. I know the internet can get addictive. And instead of vowing to a life of sobriety, I'm going to take small doses of the internet.

Call that sad, call it pathetic whatever. It's 2013 the world has changed people take their dogs for manicures, men can get pregnant and people can get addicted to absolutely anything, there are enough neurological, psychological and illogical diagnostics to make any case a possibility.

Now I know this forum and I know how insecure many of you are, so either this post will get read and other earlier posts will be replied to with inane bantering, gifs or one word responses, maybe this post will garner some. But that's because I'm pretty sure there are members who heed this and just can't bring themselves to admit their own sad, sorry lives.

I know this doesn't apply to everyone and those who are happy are also the members who use this site and the internet in general in moderation. They are using it for a spot of recreation, to chill out to have a good time. Just like people down the pub. They're not alcoholics, they're not dependent on it. But there are alcoholics, there are those who swig cheap own brand whiskey out of bags on the street. That metaphor extends to those that are posting long into the night. Hoping the internet, their addiction can fill the gaping hole in their lives.

It won't. It'll only acerbate the situation. But, I for one am going to start taking the internet in moderation. Wish me luck. I will try to drastically cut my time. And with that enhance my real life. Get a girlfriend, get a car, meet new friends, have children, live my dream and be happy. That is my aim.

*The way I see it there are two possible scenarios. Now I don't want to step out of line here but take Howard the Duck's case. We know little of his personal life so it's not fair to speculate but he dedicated A LOT of time to his internet pursuits and ultimately something was causing him stress on his heart. I know there was the break-up with his wife but I also know that guy like me was using the internet as a way of making up for areas missing in his life. An addiction. I hope this is not the case, but I have to say it has crossed my mind.
This is the internet, and this is obviously an opinion. Not even a fully formed one, it's just a potential point so please believe I am not trying to offend. Merely make a point. But what's the point, for those that are happy, you don't need to read this.
For those that aren't, you probably won't pay attention anyway.

Okay, one last quick point. All the members who have left over the years. The majority were teens, early 20's when they were posting, most likely students. Want to know why they stopped posting? They got lives!
They got kids, they got jobs, families, responsibilities, homes; they didn't need internet forums any more. I hope soon, neither will I. As I said I'm thankful for everyone I've met on the site and the times we've shared, but I'd rather be out creating relationships with real people. Not avatars. Henceforth, I will be cutting my time on Music Banter and the internet in general, it won't be easy but I will overcome my addiction.

Thanks.