I don't want to talk about the server right now. It's bad. Would you like to talk about something else? Nice weather we've having, eh? 105, smoggy, overcast. Oh, wait, that's just more smog.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Answers

Just testing here to see if Greenspun takes replies...

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

All I know is I miss everyone. Huge withdrawal symptoms, so even though we're not talking about it, if you need anything at all Beth, just give a shout and I'll do everything I can and if I can't, I hold the people who can at gunpoint.

Meanwhile, wishing you terrific peace of mind to be able to proceed on the Supreme Court brief and I hope you have tremendous success with it.

But mostly, I just hope you have a really great day -- geez, you deserve a few headed your way for all the good days you've given me.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

The air is so unhealthy they warned us to keep are pets inside. I love the valley.

I'll have ya'll know that the board thingy is single-handedly responsible for my increase in production. If this goes on I may get a promotion. Then I'll have tons of work to do, I'll get more and more stressed and then I'll drop dead from a heart attack. Do you want to be responsible for leaving her fatherless?

That is to say, if there is anything we can do to help you know where to find us.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Damn, I miss y'all. After trying to get on tis board for the last half hour, I almost cried when I actually got in.

Beth, I sent you an e-mail, but since you're probably swamped with them by now, good luck with your brief tomorrow. Many positive thoughts headed your way.

We're in the middle of a heat wave here in Manhattan. Thankfully, I'm in my igloo of an office. When I get home to my working hard but barely working A/C, I'll be thankful for freezing my butt off like I am now.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Chiming in with another round of "will help if needed," Beth. I'm all twitchy today - turns out I'm a board addict and didn't even know it. Man.

The weather? Here, our smog is masked by fog. That way we can pretend it doesn't exist.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Yay, this seems to be working.

I realized this morning that I place too much faith in forum-based relationships. I miss everyone! But, if the forum stays down, I suppose I might actually get more work done.

Hiddeously hot and humid here too. But my weekend at the beach was lovely, even if I seem to have a permanently clogged/itchy/painful ear now. And I can't make a doctor's appointment at least for a few days because my health insurance provider is, surprise everyone!, changing tomorrow.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

It's probably the hottest day this year where I am. And it does seem pretty pathetic that I miss reading about all the fabulous outfits everyone is wearing.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

I got so much work done earlier, I have next to nothing to do for the rest of the afternoon. Who knew I spent that much time on the forum? Good luck with your brief, Beth. I'm sure it will be brilliant. Let us know where to send the money for the new server, if that's what is necessary and what you decide to do.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Man, I miss you guys.

On the plus side, I'm having a really hellish work day, and it's shaping up to be a really hellish work week. If there were a forum, y'all would probably be totally inundated with my whining. So perhaps you can consider this an Act of God, intended to save you guys from my bitching.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Oh, and Dawn? Wanting to hear about people's clothes is not pathetic. What's pathetic is that I'm wondering whether I should go start up a TUS Buffy Spoiler yahoo group or something, so just in case any good spoilers come out I'll be all prepared to continue my job as the dutiful spoiler whore.

Truly pathetic. But now, I must go scavenge empty boxes so I can pack up my office. It's almost the end of my last day of sharing an office with Loony and the Doomed Fetus! She's making a mix tape for the baby and I've heard Billy Joel singing "When You Wish Upon A Star" ten times today already.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Hey, you guys. Good to see you. Glad you got in.

I've totally forgotten how to use this system, too.

If I failed to mention this before, I am totally sick. I think. I have a sore throat and I feel all woozy and crappy and phlegmy, but Jeremy thinks it's stress and bad air rather than actual germs. Whichever, it's awful.

Feel free to play here as long as you want. I thought we should have a backup spot to discuss what we're going to do. The latest message from the tech is that he's "not optimistic" about recovering any data, and he's not responding to questions about backups. My feeling is, if I'm going to have to ask you guys to start from scratch as new users, I'm not going to make you do it twice -- we'll do it on a new server.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Woo... you opened this in the nick of time - the withdrawal symptoms were giving me flashbacks, and it was post or take up smoking again! It was SOOO bad (how bad was it??) that I even did a journal update.

(no worries, in the tradition of TUS, I didn't actually say anything in the entry, I just used up some words)

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Phew.

Know what, though? I wrote a new resume today with all my extra time.

And it's hot and it's humid, but I'm playing golf in a bit, and that's good.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Oh, and I forgot to add . . . Lynda, the problem is that without TUS and your profile page, some of us can't get to any damned update. Damn the crash, I don't go directly to ANYone's page.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Hey folks. Glad to see this thing is working. I apparently forgot to renew my domain registration, so for the next few days, my main email is at evilbunnies.com.

I was going to do a new entry to help alleviate the boredom, but I guess that will have to wait.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Damn the man, Beth. Damn the man. And here I had a dream about rudeboy that I was all excited to tell y'all about. Stupid Westhost. Which is to say-- I miss you guys. Especially Syrup after that email notification. How very poetic. Make sure you let us know somehow if you're ready to look into the server idea, Beth. And until then, take care of yourself. Worse comes to worse, you and Jeremy can always come up here for a nice Alaskan end of summer vacation. I assure you we will not have 105 degree weather.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

I bet you would, if we came up there. Every place has a heat wave when I visit.

As for the server: I just sent Jeremy an e-mail asking whether it would be harder to rebuild the forum as it currently stands than to start from scratch. I think I already know the answer, but right now I'm kind of inclined to say that if we have to start over, why not do it on a new server, you know? We were going to have to move eventually anyway.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

I am dyin', here. I'm reduced to posting my work email address just to be able to tell you guys so. Where do I send the check, Beth? Seriously. Catherine

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Can I ask you to visit in the middle of a cold spell in February, then, Beth?

I figured out that I can't blame TUS for my lazy ass. Because all I got done today was putting up some experiment signup sheets, ordering some clothes and shoes, realizing that Beth was absolutely right about how the Benefit creaseless eyeshadows rock (no creasing even in 90 degree heat and humidity), and getting some beer and lemonade to make shandys out of when I go to a colleague's house for dinner. I'm in perpetual summer vacation mode.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

You're definitely welcome to come visit me in February, Beth! Even after 12 years here, cold weather wears me out. Hopefully this will be my last winter in the Northeast, anyway, and this time next year I'll be griping about how I can't watch the seasons change anymore.

I was making such great progress on the project I've been working on today when I couldn't get into this forum. But you know what? I work better under a deadline anyway. I'm just happy to see all the familiar names every time I check back.

Okay, enough with the sap, back to work (for a few minutes, anyway).

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Heh, I totally can blame TUS for my lack of productivity. I got more stuff done today than I did almost all last week. I've fixed stuff, gotten other people to fix stuff, gotten a client to do anything (a major accomplishment!), set up instant messaging on someone's computer, acted as a guinea pig for the new virus software, and fixed even more stuff. And now I'm going to try and ignore the fact that I've found this board, and go fix some other stuff. Or maybe add stuff to fix later.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Beth, I would second Catherine's post. If there is anything that I can do, let me know.

Today has been a terrible day. Not only is my favorite URL away, I am majorly cranky and depressed (for no reason). My crankiness caused me to yell at Mike this morning, which makes me feel guilty. I then went to work where I learned of a coworker's very sudden death. Tomorrow, there will be on-site counselling for everyone. I just delivered my part of the project but I have this feeling that, because of all the questions still floating around, I delivered it only half-complete. It's wicked hot and muggy, compounding my headache. Sigh.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Like Lynda, I also updated my journal (the regular one, not the LiveJournal) for the first time since March. If TUS doesn't come back soon, I'm going to finish my Ph.D. and win the Nobel Prize.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Oh, thank god this is here. Yeah, yeah, very slefish of me and all, but I thought I'd die when I saw the page this morning. Beth, I'll echo what someone else said further up: I sent you an e- mail, first to wish you good luck and second to let you know that if you need anything for the server rebuild effort, I'm here. I have to say, I did have a very productive day at work, though. Although people could not figure out why I kept saying I was NOT having a bad hair day and I was pissed off about it. It's sad when the only person in on your in-joke is...well, you.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

BTW: you don't have to use your real address. You can use anon@xeney.com if you want. I don't care. Just use a name that let's us know who you are.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

And 'cause we all need a little humor today:

Acme Heart Maker

Share and enjoy!

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

But, but, I'll NEVER reach 500 posts now!

Beth, I'm sure you'll do fabulously tomorrow. Knock 'em dead, or break a leg whichever is appropriate.

I too had a productive day but I'm not sure lack of TUS or kick in rear was the cause...

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

I don't miss a damb one of you. In fact, it is refeshing NOT to succumb to the undeniable urges I have to talk to you people. It is so, so nice. It's not like I have to post. I can quit anytime I want. It's just, well, you grew on me. Ok, I do miss you. There I said it. I'm crying now. I can't help it. Like my nipples after a day spent on the beach holding a midget in a wet suit (don't ask), I'm just so damb sensitive.

Your boyfriend's a techie right? Buy him his own blade server rack to host xeney.net on. Get him started with his own hosting business.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Hooray for emergency backup boards! I saw the message this morning and thought, "Shit, I'll have to actually get something done at work!" Silly me, I knew Beth would come through. Now I can tell everyone that the whole Running Boyfriend Thing has been discussed and concluded with much less drama than I had envisioned. 'Cause I know you were all just DYING to know.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Hooray for emergency backup boards! I saw the message this morning and thought, "Shit, I'll have to actually get something done at work!" Silly me, I should have known Beth would come through. Now I can tell everyone that the whole Running Boyfriend Thing has been discussed and concluded with much less drama than I had envisioned. 'Cause I know you were all just DYING to know.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

This is like methadone.

I want to thank whoever posted the link to www.fitday.com -- I now compulsively track everything I eat. And I love how it lets you log every last activity: "housekeeping, light"; "sexual activity, passive", "standing housework such as cooking"; "flossing".

I'm wearing a calf-length khaki shirt with a lime green ribbed sleeveless top, and "raspberry glace" lipstick, I had (bad) leftover fried rice for lunch, I'm not listening to anything, and I'm looking forward (again) to American Idol -- I hope RJ gets canned this week.

I think that about covers it. Nice to see everyone!

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

I've been hosting sites on West Host for going on three years now, and I just found out for the first time today that they use a co- location service. They don't know if the data was backed up because they don't have physical control over the server. Jesus christ.

They are being awfully nice about it, though.

Oh, I got a two-week extension on my brief. Everything I've written for the last two days has been stilted gibberish. Have you ever seen stilted gibberish? It's hard to achieve, but it's ugly.

I'm going home and taking a nap. Rudeboy, come give me a backrub or I'll kick your ass.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Hah! I would now like to openly mock my husband by pointing out that of the recently generated hearts he made "latte.ca", "amiable", "I *heart* Amy" and "I *heart* Python". He's schmaltzy, and he's a geek. How'd I get so lucky?

Oh, I made "Go Home". Which I'm going to, now.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

I was dying to know, austenclaire! For real. I'm glad that everything went all right.

I miss y'all, too.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Okay, so I'm schmaltzy. But I'm not responsible for the Pinky reference , honest. I only wish I was.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Whew. So glad you all are here, and so glad you got an extension, Beth! (Or does that just mean 2 more weeks of hell?)

Umm, here it's NOT too hot (for once) because it's trying to rain. I don't think we've had any actual rain though; it's just overcast and muggy.

And I have on a new top: blue-on-blue print, 3/4-sleeves, extremely stretchy. So much so that it's kind of bugging me. Chambray pants, and now my usual black flats. I started out with new brown ones but they're trying to rub blisters on one heel so they got abandoned very fast.

(Weather report: check. Clothes report: check. OK, I can go home happy now.)

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

It sort of means two more weeks of hell, but in this case it's necessary. This is my second supreme court brief since July 23, and I had another brief from hell in between there. This one is almost done but I'm so sick and loopy-headed right now that I don't want to file it until I can go over it again with a non-feverish brain. I assume the court appreciates lucidity.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Ooh, and the whole thing disappears right after I've been gone for a week and a half. And after I talked the damn forum up to a bunch of cool and interesting friends in Boston, all of whom said they'd check it out and possibly join, despite a kind of collective wariness wrt online-community type things.

Feh. I'm back from Away, though, and I'm mopey as all get-out, and the internet is seriously failing to keep me entertained today. Bastards, the lot of you. WestHost most of all.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Hee! Thanks, Squeaky. Sorry about the double-post, though. Silly no- delete-button-having Greenspun forum.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Now I have somewhere to go when the girlies are busy. I spent all last night feeling like I needed to do something -- the something I needed to do was catch up with TUS.

It's Burt Bachrach night on American Idol? Oh, my. I may have to settle in with a potent beverage.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

I may have to actually go put up those old journal archives like I said I would. Or else Jen Wade will beat me up and kick me out of the journalcon. I hear she's a real bruiser.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Weather is hot, I'm missing the hell out of the message board and reading about guppy playing golf and I'm glad that someone mentioned American Idol! I almost forgot!

But hey! I got an "A" on my Spanish test tonight. Yay!

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Cocksuckers! So good to find you!

And a big "me too" to all TUS related exclamations and offers of help. I'm a spinster - I have no life - I've got all kinds of time.

I also had to lift 30 motherfucking pounds today in my fitness program thing at the gym and my poor little arms are worn out. It's getting a little easier, but not fast enough for my liking.

And I don't want to ever have to deal with another jackass, insecure print designer who dabbles in web design, ever ever EVER again.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

My God, I leave town on various assorted vacations and this is what happens. And I just finished reading Pale Fire so I could actually discuss it with you people! This is very very sad.

And now I'm scared of Gabby because I'm a former print designer who dabbles in Web design. But not a jackass. I promise.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Just updating you guys again -- right now it really looks like all the data is there except for the users. Your data is still there with your posts -- pictures, user titles, sig lines, etc. -- but your profiles are gone. The search function will still let me do a search by a user name even if that user name has been hosed.

I'm still hoping this means the data is there but the tech doesn't think so. Even if it's not I think I might be able to add it in manually, although that's going to be a bitch of a process -- and I'm only doing it for active users in that case. But Jeremy determined that dragging the whole forum to a new server is not particularly hard, and obviously we'd like to go to the new server with as much of our stuff intact as possible.

Even if we have to start over, everyone who currently has a user name gets to keep it. And in fact, because so many of you would have lost posts just before you hit 500, I might make some wacky rule like the first 100 people to sign up get a user title right off the bat.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Woo. I didn't want to say anything, but I was mourning the loss of my shmancy user title and all the ones that make me laugh. Not as much as I'm mourning the loss of the whole dang board though. I'm happy that it seems like the prognosis gets better every time you post, Beth. (Did you get a nap yet?)

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Oh yeah, and I meant to ask-- do you have some teeny tiny bandwidth capacity here? Should we be shutting up?

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Nah, talk as much as you want here. Not my server. But Greenspun goes down all the time.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Oh, thank goodness this is up. I had a day from blahsville today. The airconditioning at work was broken (95 degrees, hello), my boss returned from vacation (why?), there are rumors of a salary freeze (right before my annual review is due) and I couldn't get my TUS fix. I'm glad I checked in again tonight. Maybe now I can stop using all these parentheti

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

When I saw the board gone, I thought that is bloody typical. The way things have be going for me, that is just what I could expect. Thank god for plan Bs. On the other hand, yesterday I got to ride in a steam locomotive. A big 10 wheel Pacific type, converted to oil, privately owned. We went from St. Thomas, where it was restored to London and back, a total of 50 miles. we couldn't go over 40 mph because without a train to drag it back, it doesn't stop very well. I got to blow the whistle, ring the bell, and pretend to be in control behind the throttle, leaning out the window. I was so excited I forgot to get any pictures, but I managed not to pee my pants. Its for sale. 2$million CAD. After we get the server, can we invest in the locomotive? We can run dinner trains on the TUS commune. Please? I will polish it, oil it, carry oily rags in my overalls, and wear a striped hat. Please, pretty please......

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Just chiming in to say that my day hasn't been the same without y'all. Hopefully everything will be back to normal soon. I'm wearing blue jeans and a grey Eddie Bauer scoop neck tee, and it's currently 83 degrees here in New Orleans, if anyone is wondering....

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

1) chiming in on the offer of help-- whatever's beeded 2) it's grey, overcast, and cool in my part of SF, but apparently it's sunny at my husband's office. (38 microclimates and counting) 3)I'm wearing grey leggings and a black frog tee-shirt and birks cause I'm working from home.... I usually do this on Thursdays, but my office moved this weekend, and the email server is hosed and I still don't have a phone-- I'm getting work and recreational server withdrawal... this is serious! :)

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Greetings, all! Beth, congratulations on the extension, thanks for all your efforts to get us back together, and take care of yourself. Bless Jeremy for all the work he's putting in on getting us reestablished. And for that matter, bless Greenspun for introducing me to forums in the first place and continuing to be around.

Don, yes, we can help you with the train thing, but in exchange for my donation, I want to blow the whistle, please.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Heck, I've been so cranky that my husband is offering to host the board or send money, and he's not even a member!

Damn it's hot in Philly. 105 on my car thermometer on my drive down.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

I miss you all SO much. It's really weird. I was looking forward to telling everyone about my messed up holiday, but this takes the cake.

Beth, I hope you are feeling better soon. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

Everyone else - I need entertainment when I start work on Thursday!

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Argh, I meant needed, not beeded. Welcome to my typo hell.

Lisa, I hope you managed to get some of your family stuff resolved since you're back from Texas? I have to confess that in general I avoid your diary-- I like your writing, but then I get sucked into readign some of the other journals on your board, and some of those people are whacked-- but it's like watching a car wreck and I can't help myself. For some reason I thought kink postive peopel might be more secure in their sexuality and/or relationships. Maybe I'm naive, or maybe I'm reading the wrong journals!

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Some of them are really whacked. We used to have about 10 of us who thought we were all sane, but then our journals got popular and now there are all sorts of train wrecks out there. I read them too. But the ones who refuse to capitalize or spell ... and ... must use too many dots ... make me want to kill them. I'm very cranky today.

I'm back from Texas. I put an update in my journal with the latest soap opera on my new domain with my big red warning. The short story is we got the cousin and her stuff safely out, looks like my parents have spent about 50K that they shouldn't have.

So she gripes about me working, and she steals money from an orphan. Lovely, eh?

Did I mention my period from hell with fibroids started today? I'm very cranky. It's something about this hotel in Philly, I think, that makes the pain meds not work.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Wow, this without-TUS thing is awful. I was so bored today that we went and bought a new car! I am now blaming WestHost for the fact that we're now $25,000 poorer, give or take.

(Okay, we needed to do it, and we were going to do it anyway, and it was coincidence that it was today, but don't bore me with the facts, man!)

The good? My lack of productivity was maintained. And now I can post here, which is at least twice as time-consuming when allowing for greenspun downages and trying to figure out how this works again.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Also, I'm really glad to hear that it sounds like the posts, at least, may be recoverable. TUS is one of my number-one resources for all those random things I suddenly realize I need to know (a quick recipe for whatever, a book suggestion when I'm bored, and other crucially important things). I was really starting to stress about what I'd make for dinner the rest of the week that's cheap and quick (since we're now poor, of course, but will be spending all of our time riding around aimlessly).

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

I miss you all so much I wrote a journal entry about it! I had no idea I felt this way or that I thought about the board so much.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

Whee! I barely post and I was going into board withdrawals. I had to stop myself from repeatedly entering the url just to see if it had come back.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2002

I'm available for any help needed. Sorry everything seems to be hitting at once.

For me, it seems money stuff is hitting at once. Our water bill was $600 because apparently we have a small toilet leak (who knew?). And we got our last few things out of storage this weekend and were hit up with an $800 bill because they accidentally weren't charging us enough each month (wtf?). Also, the car's in the shop and that's adding another $500. It's just a banner week.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

I was quite suprised at how sad I was without the board today. Congratulations on the extension Beth. You deserve it.

I work in the hosting business - so if there is anything I can do to help please let me know. I'll divert my entire tech support team if needed!

Sasha (astrokitty)

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

I was surprised about my sadness too. Even though I don't post as often as I should, I'm reading the board every day. And I was depressed over the possibility of never "seeing" you guys again. I sadly checked the board tonight to see if maybe a small miracle had happened, maybe somehow it was back up, and was so happy to find this forum. Whew! A little too much stock in forum based relationships that I barely participate in in the first place?

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Wow. Even though I've sort of totally devolved from Post-Frantically Girl to Lurkergirl, I hadn't realized, at all, how often I was reading the board. I stop in the middle of emails to go look at posts! Except now there aren't any posts. And it breaks my heart into tiny little pieces. It's nice to see everyone again, even though you all look weird in this setting (I think it's the florescent lighting. Or maybe you've lost weight. Have you done something to your hair? You look great!).

And hey, I'm also Brokegirl, but Beth -- you've got the bucks I can give, if you want to try the dedicated server thing. Also, I can send brownies.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Yikes - I'm stuck in deepest Warwickshire, filming a bunch of hyperactive teenagers and in a moment of desperation, I have commandeered our producer's laptop in the hope of having my sanity restored by you guys. I've just gone through shock, horror, anger (at myself for putting so much stock in forum based relationships), denial, resignation and relief. I think I'll have myself a strong cup of tea and a sit-down in a shady area.

I miss you all!

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

At first, I was in denial. "These things happen," I thought. "Maybe it's just a sign you need to avoid distraction at the moment." I checked back occasionally, and the little stone of dread in my gut grew a little each time, but I determined not to think about it.

Then another day went by.

I read solarsister's entry, in which she referred to the forum in the past tense. I got mourning e-mails from a couple of other regulars. Some of my favorite journals updated for the first time in months. I saw still more familiar names posting on 3WA and MATH+1, and I knew they felt as lost and bewildered as I did.

And another day went by, and the forum was still down.

Beth sent e-mail explaining that things are grim, and the little stone grew into a boulder. I actually sobbed this morning when I finally told Dario that the forum was gone. It was the first time I'd said it out loud, and it was just too much. Do I need to describe the relief I felt when I discovered this forum was back up? I think I've said enough already.

Do I win the Official TUS "Needs a Life" award? God, I miss you cocksuckers.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Methadone - heh.

Hey. Nobody sent me any e-mails, mourning or otherwise. Cocksuckers.

Renee, I played like crap. Shot a frickin' 55 on the front nine. For those of you who don't play golf, that's really not good, but you know, I'm a beginner. I'm driving pretty well (okay, so I did lose two balls in water, but what the heck) and chipping like a champ, mostly, but I have GOT to do something about my putting. Thing is, putting isn't fun. Mph.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

gosh, nobody sent me emails either...

i missed all y'all too. i thought i broke the board. or had been banned for life. or that you all were just part of a really long dream.

i would like to chime in that, like everyone, i'm here to help.

i can send money. i can tap dance. i can auction off art to help fund a new server. i can tell jokes. i can shut up (to save bandwidth). just don't ask me to do anything technical, because the truth is, i don't even really know what bandwidth is.

i hope you feel better sooner than soon, beth.

i hope everyone continues to put too much faith in forum based relationships.

i hope you guys are all here when i get home.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

I'm more of a lurker than a poster, but dude, I miss you guys. My filing is done, though. And my desk is clean for the first time in months. Withdrawal - it's a motivator.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

I'm so happy to see all the posts from familiar faces, um, I mean names! This is pathetic, I know, but I was becoming depressed about losing the forum. I wandered over to 3WA and Math+1 but it just wasn't the same.

Thanks, Beth, for all your hard work and time on this.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

How in the fuck does Syrup make the cut in the remains of the boards, but not all the fantabulous regulars? Color me confused. I guess the Internet does have some strange sense of humor...

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Dudes. This sucks ass.

I did, however, go to my university library yesterday and talk to them about the $150 fines I have for late fees a book that was supposedly "lost." The book wasn't lost. Their computers suck ass. I paid a $26 fine and went on my merry way.

So that was a bonus.

Also: I found the cassette single of Wilson Phillips' "Hold On" for 25 cents in a bargain bin yesterday and have been blasting that in the convertible since. Lovely.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Ah, I'm starting to feel the glow of my forum-based relationships returning. Now, if you could all post your URL's, or start a TUS journals ring so I could add them to my favorites like I should have done in the first place instead of relying on your user profiles, I'd be much obliged. (I'm http://karen.diary-x.com/).

I read the reviews of Possession in Newsweek and Glamour yesterday and my first thought was "hey, I need to go post about this on TUS". My second thought was "Wah! I can't!".

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

As of this very moment, I am entirely moved out of Loony's office into my new office. With daylight! And plants! And a coworker who so far is not insane!

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Whew. Methadone, heh. That is so right.

I was so bummed to find the sad news among my 185 unread mails this morning. This helps. I'm just back from vacation and I'll be entirely swamped at work so I probably wouldn't be posting much anyway, but still.

Echoing the "anything I can do" sentiment. Money... bribery... you name it, Beth.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

I miss you guys! I'm so glad this is up! I don't know what I would have done without a place to bitch and moan!

I didn't notice that greenspun was up yesterday because I was in too much pain. I did some stupid thing to my shoulder and was in so much pain that I was sick to my stomach. Went to the doctor and he prescribed GOOD DRUGS and massage therapy. So, I had a massage yesterday which felt great (though painful) while I was on the table and then in the steam room, but last night was a drag of even more pain. So, I took two muscle relaxants and went to bed.

Today the pain is a little better, but the medication has me in a bit of a fog. I'm not used to moving in such slow motion....

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

"Today the pain is a little better, but the medication has me in a bit of a fog. I'm not used to moving in such slow motion...."

I skimmed from the top of viv's post to the end of yours, Julie, and thought these sentences referred to the methadone/forum situation. I was all nodding my head and thinking "So true."

(Sorry to hear about your actual, physical, non-forum-related pain, though.)

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Damn. I took Thursday & Friday off work last week, and so Monday morning was a desperate attempt to get caught up on 4 days' worth of posts. Before I had even come close, internet access at work went down (router problems) and it looked like it'd be a week before it came back. I was remarkably productive Monday & Tuesday. (And bored out of my mind.) I come into work today to find the internet access is back but TUS is gone. I missed you all horribly, but in a way I'm kind of relieved that I don't have another few days' worth of posts to catch up on. Thank God for methadone, though.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Would that be Bethadone?

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Whew! Hey guys, this means we can stop worrying about Philip finding out about that conversation we started... you know the one.... shhh...

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Gup, I would have emailed you, but it felt kind of weird to be sifting through profiles on 3WA desperately looking for email addresses, just so I could reassure myself that everyone was still out there, and to get a different kind of fix. Methodone indeed. But I'd rather have the regular work-sucking high.

It is too damn hot, my ear is still clogged and painful and I still can't see a doctor, and I have to revise a book chapter and send it out today. Blah.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Gripe: thing is, I really NEED the forum today. I need to solicit opinions about headhunters (the employment kind, not the desert- island kind). I seem to have launched a bit of a job search and was contacted by one. I know they're no-fee, but I still can't decide whether to get mixed up in all that. I have The Amway Response to the word "headhunter", but I can't put my finger on why. Anyone have a quick opinion on the subject? Surely it doesn't merit a whole thread . . .

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Just chiming in with a very belated "will help if needed" offer and to say hi. How can I put off this hateful task at work if I don't have the boards? I tried substitutions but they didn't work out.

I am on the train right now on my way in, so if this works that means I can at least post wirelessly, which is cool (the other board lets me read but not post, for some reason).

I am extra sad about the boards because I had the best thing to post in the Overheard thread, too, and I never hear anything good!

Anyway, uh, hi everyone. I've missed you guys and totally in a nonfawning nonmushy way.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

There's an easy answer to the Syrup question. Clearly the board went down because Syrup hacked the servers in retaliation for our mean- mean-mean treatment of her. You can picture her, can't you? Hunched over the keyboard at the public library, giggling to herself, saying "thatll show them to call me stupid and then there all going to be sorry."

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

I do believe we've just witnessed the closest pinkstinky comes to sentimentality!

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Guppy, here's my take on headhunters: they're tools.

Heh, I just said that for the pun. Seriously, they can be helpful, but in my experience they're only good for matching a resume to a job description -- they'll match up buzzwords to identify positions they think you'll be good in, so if you're looking for a job which pretty much matches the experience you have now, using a headhunter (or several) probably wouldn't hurt. They have access to lots of companies and lots of jobs which you might not find out about yourself.

If you're trying to break out into a different field, though, headhunters won't be able to help you -- (in my experience) they don't bother to get to know you as a person or the company well enough to be able to tell if you would fit into a position which doesn't exactly match your resume buzzwords. So if you're trying to go from, say, software testing to technical support, or from tech support to marketing, or something, the poor headhunters will explode from confusion.

This is, of course, my experience as a grunt-level software worker in Toronto. Your mileage may vary.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

I discovered last night that one of the other seven users who survived the crash was that guy I renamed "The FuckFuckFuck Police." So I like the conspiracy theories.

I am amazingly grateful that the board decided to keep me and Jeremy, though. It did wipe out the other admins (Lynda and God), so it was pretty random.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

I dance the dance of joy for Greenspun! I'm more attached to the Suspects than even I suspected. I knew I wasn't the only one pining!

My geekery skills are limited - sigh. I can send good vibes, though. And respond to any hollers for help.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Gup, headhunters are just kind of an entity. Another resource. They get paid by the hiring company, they don't really give a crap about you, but they may very well be able to get you an interview somewhere that you couldn't get one on your own. Hear them out, but don't let them get pushy.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Guppy, speaking as an employer, headhunters are a royal pain in the ass. We get better applicants from ads in the newspaper, and we don't have to pay the headhunters fees. In fact, the worst people I've ever seen hired have come from headhunters.

Speaking as an employee, headhunters are a royal pain in the ass. They are continuously offering me jobs in remote parts of Mississauga or Brampton, even though I explicitly state that I do not own a car, and am only looking for jobs in downtown Toronto. They complain when I don't give them my resume in Word format (so sue me for not running Windows!), even though it's in HTML, which is usable on more platforms. And they always seem to call me after I've already got a job, which is extra-bonus-annoying.

Now, to be fair, I've got a lot of contacts in the industry, so I haven't needed to use a headhunter in either capacity. I know some people who don't have as many contacts in their industries, and in that case, apart from cold-calling every company in the phone book (which I did to get my first and second jobs. It's not as bad as it sounds), I'm not sure what the other options are.

Or, to sum up: Uh, what Amy said.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

I just want to gripe about the fact that there is a thread I won't read even though it's got my name in the damn title.
Of course, that's my own fault for wanting to be unspoiled, but I'm feeling petty.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Westhost wiped out God? Is anyone else afraid?

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Thanks, guys. I actually am looking to make a bit of a career change. Or something like that. In any case, it sounds like a headhunter won't make my life any more difficult, so maybe I'll let them do their thing . . . which may well be nothing . . . just in case.

Minigripe (gripelet?): Dr. Pepper Red Fusion is boring.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Guppy -- find a good head hunter and love her and send her presents.

I've known mine for 12 years. Have used her to hire people, and when I'm ready to jump ship, she knows my industry and everyone in it. She never has to check references because we all use her.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

I'm the dumbest girl ever...I am posting as Julie, when I should be posting as Imp...I told y'all I'm slow today.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

We know it's the drugs you're on, Imp. We'd mock you, but we're too jealous.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

See, I've come to realize that whenever I get attached to an online community of any kind, it will vanish. So I think this is my fault. Sorry about that.

So what is the difference between Red Fusion and regular Dr. Pepper? I couldn't figure it out. Maybe a little fruitier, but yeah. Boring. Tasty in a "tastes just like Dr. Pepper" way, though.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

I just did the same thing in another thread imp. When I saw full name, I posted my real name.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

I miss you guys! I didn't realize how much time I spend on the boards until now. Er, that's all I really have to say. I guess I'm just jumping on the "me too" bandwagon.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

I want Lisa to be my headhunter. Or maybe I want to be hers. I don't know, but I definitely want it to involve love and presents.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Dude! I go away for two hours to do some actual work, and there are 11 new topics and a million posts.

How can I be expected to keep up?

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Did you request permission to go do some work? No? I didn't think so. Don't let it happen again.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

That was beautiful. All this time I've been slamming myself for being a hideously lazy worker, and now I can just think "Why am I not working? Because Beth says it's wrong."

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

And if you're boss complains, you can say "Well, Beth told me not to. She even gave me a note. See? It's notarized."

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

That's a great idea. "Hey -- I have to stop working and hang out on the forum. My lawyer says so."

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

I think this is my fault, actually. I left Michigan for a visit to New York on Monday, and apparently the karmic balance had to be restored somehow. I'm sorry, guys. I'll be back home on Sunday afternoon, though, so maybe that'll do it.

Oh, and I'm wearing white sneakers, black jeans, a dark blue T-shirt with a red-white-and-blue peace symbol (which I love, as it defuses the misconceptions that might come with either a peace symbol or the American flag per se), and a black velvet yarmulke. And squinting at the almost illegible print on my brother's mostly-dead monitor.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002