It is great getting to know people that you may never have met in your daily life. People from different places, of differing ages and backgrounds.

If I am honest in 'real' life most of my friends are white, heterosexual, middle class and middle aged. None of them are religious.

I do work with people from all over the world, but I socialise mainly with people just like me.

I find soapboards a really interesting mix, and it is great to be able to interact with people without prejudice. Although over time you do learn a lot about posters, initially you are not biased by visual and audio assumptions.

I have found it really useful hearing how teenagers interact with their parents.
I have two teenage boys, and the elder, who is nearly 18 doesn't communicate with me very much and hearing other people describe their relationship with their parents has helped me to understand that this is a normal part of growing up.