- Joined
- Apr 11, 2009
- Messages
- 49,358
- Reaction score
- 7,249
- Points
- 2,244
- Location
- Greensboro, NC
- Military Branch
- Alma Mater
I love this crazy world wide web we 'live' in. We meet some pretend people, some personas, and once in awhile, make real friends and forge bonds that transcend the anonymity of the internet. This place has brought many of us together for over a decade. It's an incredible thing really.
But there's one aspect of the web that I hate. It makes me sad. And I don't think there's anything that can be done about it.
People disappear. We've lost two folks in the past year who were long-timer members to BGO, as loyal to the site as they come, and prolific posters and participants. It's the nature of the web that when folks 'vanish', it may go unnoticed for an extended period. Folks chalk it up to real-life getting in the way, someone 'taking a break', or it just goes unnoticed.
Suddenly, after months of no posts from guys who, previously, posted every day or every couple of days for a decade. They aren't 'taking a break' - they're 'gone' with a capital G.
Unless a member really has gone out of their way to reveal themselves on the site, who they are, what their real name is, where they live, etc... there is literally no way to track someone down, determine what happened to them, confirm they have passed away, or to officially say goodbye. It's as if their association with this community never happened. And although some might find it trivial, I think for most of us, discovering we will never again hear from a good friend we made here, it stings.
Of course, some of us have pursued real life friendship and connection with members. Certainly, if for example Boone heads to that great 5 O'Clock Club in the sky, I'm fully confident one of my surviving buddies here will alert the masses, and probably start a 'Boone - hot or not?' poll in my honor. But man, for those guys that maintain the veil of member anonymity (which of course is absolutely a personal choice), it's truly a bummer that we will never know what happened, or even if something DID happen. We will just have to assume.
So. Two things. For God's sake, if you love this place, remember that it's highly likely this place loves YOU. Let your family know that, should something happen to you, there's this little internet site full of passionate WFT fans who would want to know what became of their beloved friend. And secondly, take care of yourselves people. We want to cheer, bitch, moan, and pontificate with you for as long as fate allows
I won't call this a 'Memorial' thread - but I did want to provide a place to remember the fallen, the missing, and the vanished.
But there's one aspect of the web that I hate. It makes me sad. And I don't think there's anything that can be done about it.
People disappear. We've lost two folks in the past year who were long-timer members to BGO, as loyal to the site as they come, and prolific posters and participants. It's the nature of the web that when folks 'vanish', it may go unnoticed for an extended period. Folks chalk it up to real-life getting in the way, someone 'taking a break', or it just goes unnoticed.
Suddenly, after months of no posts from guys who, previously, posted every day or every couple of days for a decade. They aren't 'taking a break' - they're 'gone' with a capital G.
Unless a member really has gone out of their way to reveal themselves on the site, who they are, what their real name is, where they live, etc... there is literally no way to track someone down, determine what happened to them, confirm they have passed away, or to officially say goodbye. It's as if their association with this community never happened. And although some might find it trivial, I think for most of us, discovering we will never again hear from a good friend we made here, it stings.
Of course, some of us have pursued real life friendship and connection with members. Certainly, if for example Boone heads to that great 5 O'Clock Club in the sky, I'm fully confident one of my surviving buddies here will alert the masses, and probably start a 'Boone - hot or not?' poll in my honor. But man, for those guys that maintain the veil of member anonymity (which of course is absolutely a personal choice), it's truly a bummer that we will never know what happened, or even if something DID happen. We will just have to assume.
So. Two things. For God's sake, if you love this place, remember that it's highly likely this place loves YOU. Let your family know that, should something happen to you, there's this little internet site full of passionate WFT fans who would want to know what became of their beloved friend. And secondly, take care of yourselves people. We want to cheer, bitch, moan, and pontificate with you for as long as fate allows
I won't call this a 'Memorial' thread - but I did want to provide a place to remember the fallen, the missing, and the vanished.