quote:Originally posted by Scott R: I was on Hatrack before the switch to the current look, but only just; I wasn't around for AOL.
I was around as a lurker (maybe posted once) during the Big Mouth Lion days.
I was also on the original email list serv for what eventually became Virtual Battle School. I wonder if anyone else from that list is still around?
Posts: 7021 | Registered: Nov 1999
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Narnia forwarded your email to me. It was like...Rip Van Winkle. Or walking through Venice, which its gracious, faded glory. Or suddenly being confronted with an old boyfriend, after long enough that any bad memories have dissapeared and only the memory of laughter and kisses remain. I feel a bit like Killashandra Ree. Or Dorothy in Return to Oz, with the menace drawn out.
Hatrack was everything I said it was, and it is knit into my soul.
posted
Oh, wow. I am extremely, extremely glad to be demonstrably and specifically wrong in this case. Congrats, Pan.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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posted
Bokonon, Strider - The reason that thread is on the other side is because it was created by my (then) 13 year old sister who found Hatrack in my browser history and wanted to embarrass me by acting like a nut, and didn't exactly care about categorizing her thread properly. I told her the thread would die off in a day with no replies. So much for that!
Posts: 4292 | Registered: Jan 2001
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posted
Oh I know, I just wonder why it wasn't moved over here? Probably because the forum software can't do it... Also not a bad case of reforming a poster, eh? It turns out she became a Hatracker (of a sort) too!
I kinda love that the thread has lasted half her lifetime!
Posts: 7021 | Registered: Nov 1999
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posted
I didn't see the email originally (I'm hoping that's because my email wasn't visible at the time, not because I was left out), but it certainly made the rounds.
There was a time when Hatrack was an every day everyday thing for me. There were people here who helped shape me, shared in my achievements and were gracious with my failings. When I started (as Uncle Moose) I was newly married, as Papa Moose a new father, and wisdom oozed out of this place like a melting Zoo from Farrell's, with tons of different flavors mixing in unusual and unexpected ways, some delicious and some cringe-inducing.
Something changed, and I never saw a way to stem that particular change without making other changes I saw as still negative or even worse. I believed at the time (and still do) that the direction needs to be relational rather than programmatic, so only encouragement would work, not enforcement. Just what you're trying to do, really.
quote:Vision: Humans are odd. They think order and chaos are somehow opposites and try to control what won't be. But there is grace in their failings. I think you missed that. Ultron: They're doomed! Vision: Yes... but a thing isn't beautiful because it lasts. It is a privilege to be among them.
Hatrack doesn't need to be what it was before to be worthwhile, to be beautiful, to be a benefit and blessing to those who come. But I believe the people here need to desire that over other things (like being "right") for it to do so effectively.
Be the miracle, Panacea. Keep fanning the flame. But you don't need to resuscitate (or resurrect) Hatrack that was.
quote:Originally posted by Papa Moose: I didn't see the email originally. I'm hoping that's because my email wasn't visible at the time, not because I was left out.
I can't believe myself... I literally forgot to add you. Because you felt so present while I was reading that I was sure you were still active, convinced I had actually talked to you myself. I have checked and know now that I was wrong. Forgive me.
quote:Originally posted by Papa Moose:
quote:Vision: Humans are odd. They think order and chaos are somehow opposites and try to control what won't be. But there is grace in their failings. I think you missed that. Ultron: They're doomed! Vision: Yes... but a thing isn't beautiful because it lasts. It is a privilege to be among them.
I loved that when I first heard it. Thank you for quoting it here.
I really wanted to make sure all you wonderful people knew I was trying and had a chance to participate if you felt like it. The outcome has far surpassed my hopes, to be honest.
quote:Originally posted by Papa Moose: Keep fanning the flame. But you don't need to resuscitate (or resurrect) Hatrack that was.
That's what's amazing about fire: it can burn while constantly changing. The flame can be split, or conjoin with another, without dying, as long as there is fuel, and enough oxygen to breathe, and the wind is not too cruel. I will tend it for a while now, and see what I can do.
posted
Three years ago, I was recognized in the wild. During a trip to Philadelphia with a new friend I'd made in DC, someone else in the group mentioned Ender's Game, and I said that I'd loved it so much when I was younger that a big part of my early Internet experience was connected to it.
"That was when you were on Hatrack, right? As katharina?"
Someone had found Hatrack, lurked, never registered, read, connected the dots, and then completely flipped me out. We'd been party friends (aquaintances you see at the same parties so often you feel like you are friends even though you never talk one on one) for almost four years! We also never spoke of it again - we went back to being party friends, and it didn't come up again in conversation, and then I started going to different parties and we don't cross paths anymore.
I can never run for office.
-------
Added: Hey, Jake and CT and everyone. Life is fantastic. It's like the universe is making up for something and sending an embarrassing number of apology daisies. I will take it. Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
Hi. I came in a bit later than the magic days, but this was an important place to me for a few years. I didn't see the letter but heard about it and it's nice to see some old familiar "faces."
Posts: 3149 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Bob_Scopatz: Wouldn't it be hilarious is PS got all this going as part of a multi-level marketing scheme? Or a recruitment drive for a religion?
I'm not that brilliant. What would I be selling, anyway?
quote:Originally posted by katharina: Three years ago, I was recognized in the wild. "That was when you were on Hatrack, right? As katharina?"
I guess living in the same area gives you an advantage that way.^^ Be reassured that I would recognize almost none of you if I were ever to happen upon you by chance.
Posts: 366 | Registered: May 2016
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quote:Originally posted by katharina: Someone had found Hatrack, lurked, never registered, read, connected the dots, and then completely flipped me out.
Wow! That would be utterly bizarre. I don't think that I could help bringing it up with them, were I to find myself in that situation.
Kristy (now my wife; she and I were relatively newly dating when you left the hatrackosphere) lurked on Hatrack a bit back in the early aughts, and considered joining, but never did. It's weird to think how close I came to knowing her a lot earlier than I did.
quote:Life is fantastic. It's like the universe is making up for something and sending an embarrassing number of apology daisies. I will take it.
That is just fantastic. I'm really happy to hear it.
Posts: 1087 | Registered: Jul 1999
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quote:Originally posted by PanaceaSanans: You "heard" about it?
Oh sure. We're talking about you and your letter, PanaceaSanans, on all the other boards and places we frequent. We're still in touch with each other, although probably not as often as the old Hatrack days. Posts: 9538 | Registered: Aug 2003
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quote:Originally posted by PanaceaSanans: You "heard" about it?
Oh sure. We're talking about you and your letter, PanaceaSanans, on all the other boards and places we frequent.
I knew about some of that, but certainly not to the extent this makes it sound.
But by all means, do it. Whatever bad it might do to my personal "reputation", it can only further what I hope to achieve here. Posts: 366 | Registered: May 2016
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Hatrack was wonderful and formative for me, as it was for so many others in this thread. It's nice to see this bit of a reunion happening.
I had glanced at Hatrack well before I ever joined, but didn't see the attraction. Then I met Bob Scopatz and Chris Bridges and Orson Scott Card at a signing and Bob talked up the community here and I decided to check it out. For the first time, I found a place where virtually everybody was into the things I was into. I don't mean that to sound bitter about my real world experiences, but I was used to being a bit unusual as a reader, as a science fiction fan, as a science fiction reader, as an aspiring writer. I was used to having very few people to talk about those passions with, and I was used to what overlap I could find being very slight--people who were into Star Trek, say, but nothing else I was into. (I had met one person who shared virtually all my passions previous to Hatrack, and, reader, I married her.)
Beyond shared interests, I found peers who were insightful and witty and who inspired me and elevated my own discourse. I shared parts of my life--dark secrets, failed aspirations, fears, hopes, dreams--that I had never shared before, and I found kind listeners who made me believe that I was okay.
I used to call Hatrack my own personal Algonquin Round Table--a comparison, it occurs to me now--that seems even more apt as the years go by, with so many of us having gone on to do really cool things.
I was a failed aspiring writer when I came to Hatrack. Orson Scott Card was very gracious to me in this regard when I met him, telling me that if I write, I'm a writer, and that's that. Participation in Hatrack's fun side massaged my creativity. Watching folks like Scott Roberts have some success and reading David Bowles's breathtaking manuscripts inspired me to try selling my work again. Now I'm a regularly selling short story writer, and I have an agent who I am confident will someday succeed in selling one of my novels. I honestly believe that none of that would have happened without my time at Hatrack.
Meeting Hatrackers in person was a thrill to me every time I had the privilege. I was not fortunate enough to go to EnderCon, but I did go to BobAndDanaCon and to VegasCon, and I also got to hang out with many Hatrackers when I traveled to New Jersey and to Washington, and when Hatrackers traveled to my neck of the woods. Hatrack isn't a daily part of my life anymore, but many of the folks I met here still are, and they're as close to me as any friends I have.
It's true that my drifting off was made easier by a change in tenor with Hatrack conversations. But honestly, it was a choice I needed to make to take the next step as a writer--which is why I no longer post at the satellite fora either. I am neither a fast reader nor a fast writer, so if I was going to chase this dream, I had to sacrifice some things. In the pursuit of writing, I have given up video games, television, and yes, online fora. Kind of ironic that in inspiring me, Hatrack et al sowed the seeds of my leaving.
So for me I can only speak of Hatrack in the past tense. I won't be staying long, but thank you for reaching out to me and reminding me of a good time in my life. I wish you success in finding--or creating--your own version of what Hatrack was to me.
Everybody should be so lucky as to have one.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
Thank you for coming here to answer my message, Icarus. I do really appreciate that even those who don't intend to linger decide to come by here and, in the kindest way, explain their decision. Yours is different, but equally fascinating to read.
And I would love to have a look at some of those short stories. Will you tell me how to find them?
Posts: 366 | Registered: May 2016
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quote:Originally posted by Icarus: Meeting Hatrackers in person was a thrill to me every time I had the privilege. I was not fortunate enough to go to EnderCon, but I did go to BobAndDanaCon and to VegasCon,
Hi Icky!
Weren't you are KamaCon in Chicago, too? I thought you were. I remember you at BobAndDanaCon, but thought I had met you once before that..
You know one other thing that spending years of time on Hatrack taught me? To write out an entire post, review it, and then delete it without ever posting. Deciding whether something REALLY needed to be said or not. Does it help the conversation? Am I just trying to make myself sound important, or am I stirring up trouble that doesn't need to be?
Discernment. Hopefully I grew in my discernment about what is valuable to post, and when it is better to be silent.
(I post this because I just did that exact action - write and then delete - on another thread here tonight).
Posts: 9538 | Registered: Aug 2003
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No, I didn't make it to KamaCon. I did get to Chicago once for a Xena: Warrior Princess con, and had a meal with some Hatrackers.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
I wasn't privy to this email. I haven't even looked at hatrack in years. I accidentally hit the link in my favorites tonight while trying to go somewhere else and saw this thread.
I remember what a stupid young 18 year old I was when I hit this site, and I remember what fun it was to be here, despite my frequent mistakes and obvious naïveté.
In particular, I am thankful for the ridiculous amount of time I spent in the hatrackchat room on AIM in 2002-2003, and the people who made me laugh. I also am thankful for being introduced to Mafia over on grenme. I miss myrddin fyre and I'm glad ak let me stay at her house that one time when I was passing through.
Hatrack was here when I needed it. I'm pretty sure I don't any more. I doubt I'll come back in to the fold, but it was nice to reminisce tonight by virtue of an accidental click.
posted
I never posted regularly in the past, but checking in on the discussions, arguments, and general fun of Hatrack each day played a large role in helping shape the lens that I view the world with.
Great to see all of the old names pop up once again and to have the memories flood back!
Posts: 291 | Registered: Jun 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Parsimony: I wasn't privy to this email.
I want to expressly declare again that I did not mean to exclude anybody by the method I used to choose whom to contact. I'm glad that you came by anyway. And I love that chance seems to be working in my favor.^^
Posts: 366 | Registered: May 2016
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quote:Originally posted by Parsimony: In particular, I am thankful for the ridiculous amount of time I spent in the hatrackchat room on AIM in 2002-2003, and the people who made me laugh and made my depression bearable. I also am thankful for being introduced to Mafia over on grenme. I miss myrddin fyre and I'm glad ak let me stay at her house that one time when I was passing through.
quote:Originally posted by Parsimony: In particular, I am thankful for the ridiculous amount of time I spent in the hatrackchat room on AIM in 2002-2003, and the people who made me laugh and made my depression bearable. I also am thankful for being introduced to Mafia over on grenme. I miss myrddin fyre and I'm glad ak let me stay at her house that one time when I was passing through.
--ApostleRadio
Heya AR, loooong time no see (this is Feyd Baron).
posted
I have a large number of e-mails from people we used to write with in the Virtual Battle School. I don't know the status of their e-mails, nor have I contacted them in a while, but they would all be familiar.
I realize that this might not be something we can do anymore, but is there any chance of bringing back the Virtual Battle School?
Posts: 10 | Registered: May 2016
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posted
I never made a Con, too young I guess, not into crowds. I almost went to one of Papa/Mama's kid's football games when we both lived in the same county, but I'm basically anti social so :shrug:
It took years of me lurking to get me in, and by then the golden age was mostly done for.
I probably directly contributed to its decline, though I am very thankful to quite a few here for their heartfelt advice.
Posts: 6683 | Registered: Jun 2005
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