I have not long been involved in the online world, but since the arrival of my lap top three years ago, I have increasingly become addicted to virtual socialising and sharing! Dating forums, debating forums to marketing forums; I love them!

For too long, however, I wasted time believing that as a woman ‘of a certain age’ living in the valleys of Wales, I was unlikely to meet a man in my day to day countryside lifestyle, so I’d take my pursuit of romance to online forums. He had to be out there, I thought… Let me just say to any younger readers here, I’m in the ‘more mature lady’ age bracket, so I don’t go clubbing and the pubs in my valley are pretty rubbish. It’s no fun to drive for at least half an hour to have one beer only to return home dissatisfied… it’s the forty-plus way in the countryside. (Be warned!)

The web encourages a ‘fast-food’ or ‘hit and run’ attitude to one of life’s most precious gifts. I eventually abandoned wasting my Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons, thinking I would leave a picky profile out there and if a fellow picky man was attracted to me, well then bonus….if not, hey, that’s OK too. Plenty else to do.

Meantime, there’s money to be made online. Having mastered the art of chatting to complete strangers on line, with no body language to read and having had far too much practice with time wasters, or people who just lacked learning in the communications skills department, I have discovered my virtual community in the many online forums out there.

Netlog is my latest online forum discovery and am looking forward to finding out how folk tick around here and to enjoying exchanging profound discoveries and complete rubbish in equal proportion. It’s a younger audience, but we all need to remain open to the influence of younger generations, right?

Here’s a few of my other favourite marketing forums:

  • BB (exclusive to my business),
  • Better Networker (LOADS to learn here about entrepreneurial skills and resources),
  • Connected Women (still finding my way around here; it’s a new online forum),
  • Yuwie(What! Get paid to socialise? I’m up for that!),
  • Twitter (laughter, tears, inspiration; Twitter has it all!), Secret Women’s Business Network,
  • LinkedIn (Women, Social Media and Green Group, amongst others!),
  • Warrior Forum (I like to hop around here – there’s so much to learn from fellow online entrepreneurs…and so much fun here!).
  • Direct Matches – Another money spinning and business building referral option is offered here.
  • Last but not least, there are some great Google groups too…(select those in the middle range of membership numbers or be lost!).I tend to hang out amongst business owners and entrepreneurs here, although sometimes I drop in on my sisters looking to get a balance of work and personal life here too

    • This year I’m going to make my Sundays my do digital visits with my virtual valley friends.

    Are there any other countryside dwellers out there who are on an online mission of any description? What are peoples’ favourite forums? Drop me a line and share your 2010 digital ambitions… Oh, by the way, my digital dating is on a back-boiler these days… making money online is much more fun for the foreseeable future!

    Which dating sites am I still signed up to? Oh, that would be asking for trouble! ; )

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