However it works, I showed up in late'98 like's been said and came along with kat and Rick at about the same time. We were running some strange threads back then. I think it showed the age of the group and the overall distrust veresus marvel at the technology since there was a great deal of banter which we did "secretly." I remember for instnce a thread asking "How Old is a Mudcatter" where no one gave their names, just sex and age. Another covered where we all lived in extremely general terms. Finally Art Thieme in gneral disgust for the whole silly concept started a thread as a joke asking what kind of condoms we all used and it was the first really loose and free flowing conversational thread of any note. Yeah, there had been others, but THAT one was a biggie and moved us all down the road.

When I got sick at the end of April in '99, it was at Mick said above.   The site became far more of a community as prayers and wishes for my recovery (or even the ones for death from our resident troll Gargoyle) began coming. I was out of it of course, my only contribution was offering up 2 near death experiences in a two week period. But for some reason this allowed many of the membership to realize just important and close to each other we had all become.

AS more folks came along I think the next events came on top of each other and the growth through them was by leaps and bounds.   Various arguments united and divided and we all got to know each other on a pretty intimate level. Leej started the Tavern threads which helped the healing after a serious conflict and then along came annamil with her first homespun gathering...................

I'd go on and on but I'm being called to the kitchen by son Tris for a rousing game of Aggravation!

Spaw