Public Disclaimer: THis is an old post from TTZ and should not be looked upon as a call to return!!!

I happened to be bored one day last September and did a google on Tech sites, after perusing through a bunch of them my eyes lit on "The Tech Zone"... hm, let's scope it. So I did, not much to look at on the front page - is this a Tech Site or what? Let's check out the Forums. "The Lobby"??? WTF is that? *Click*, "Word Association" game - I love those things! Okay let's register, I probably won't stay long so I'll use "wdoll".

After a couple of go arounds the word to follow was Dunvegan (please awa - it's just part of the story!!!) and I believe that t_B answered "Blarney" and the rest is history - some of it unfortunate and deeply regretted. From there I started to post in other threads and started getting PMs from a crazy Canuck that kept referring to himself as the Demented Lawn Gnome of Greater Winnipeg. Taken aback at first I started to answer him and finally to feel I had found a true friend.

Then I started to get e-mails from the loon and one day answered him from work, with my office telephone number in the sig yet... Well, boys and girls it was no more than 5 minutes later that my phone rang and a very guttural voice asked "Is this William Doll?" At first I thought it was one of my college friends playing a joke on me and then the runty wee bastard identified himself and I thought "Uh-oh!" But within seconds (and those of you that have spoken to him now this) he had me laughing. I think I called him back or he called me at home after that but soon this on-line friendship was real.

Then he called once and spoke to my wife, and now we had a friend! Very rarely do we like the same people but we both liked Bart so when his birthday rolled around HK never even blinked when I told her we sent him a gift. Next thing I know I have a blubbering loony Canadian for a friend and a bunch of home-made CDs that have become my favorites as a birthday present come my turn.

I worried about him when he had a wart removed, when he turned morose around 9k posts and leaned on him when I needed support. He was always there to listen and advise even though I might have tweaked him once or twice. We went into "Business" together in da_Bar thread and ended up trying to outpost one another on a monthly basis (damn you Gaz for not cutting that connection!).

I sit back and watch him near 15k and wonder if I'll make it, I think back to all the good advice and nose-tweaking posts he's made. I know that there are some of us who love him and other's that don't. I know some of you think he's a spammer and others think he's a contributor. He's been insightful, irreverent, sarcastic, supportive, brash, rude, abrasive, condescending (sorry, B - truthful ), friendly, morally outraged and completely composed. What he's never been is short for words and yet I see an impending silence coming, a void to the every day flow of the board and I wonder.

Is TTZ going to die because Bart wants to spend more time trying to get some? No way, it will go on and on. His friends will miss him, those who don't like him will think "good riddance" and someone else will become the lightning rod. I spoke to him on the phone tonight and this is the right thing to do, no doubt. I can only hope that like other members who have taken a break and come back, even as just an occasional poster, that he does the same. Especially if I start to inch toward his post count and he feels threatened and a post-whore war breaks out.

So, that's about the longest post I've ever made on this board and I made it for a good reason. Unlike another member who recently irrevocably left us, and I never had a chance to know, I hope t_B chooses to remain a part of this community and never forgets where his family is...

Please contribute your memories of first meeting the wee fellow.

The moral of this story is friends are thicker than the location of the conversing...

Good insight, young one.

Ummm - confused.

First of all, touching story. Mine's very similar, including the part where he's talked to my wife and made a friend there as well. Speaks volumes on the kind of character and charisma the man has.

But here's where the confusion falls in: When the whole situation surrounding the piss-poor manner in the handling of marcus's dismissal came about, someone was a big proponent of leaving TTZ and staking out a new 'home.' And that someone even resorted to 'recruiting' other members to 'pack up and migrate' to the new place - here at 4peeps, under the pretext of 'Screw them - we're here now and liking it better.' And now after a few short weeks, I'm led to believe that we're being asked to return to the place that we 'left?' (I'm assuming 'us' because of the public posting rather than a PM, e-mail, or teleconversation with the man who's the subject of the thread)

I don't get it. Humor me with an explanation, if you don't mind. And please don't mistake my confusion with irritation - I'm just not tracking you here.

No, no, no, no!!!!!! Nostalgia Eric!!!!! I wanted to bring my post here and not leave it threr to slip into the bowels of TTZ!

I've got to know t_b a little better recently and look forward to a lasting friendship. I have learned friends do not have to have matching personalities or always agree on things. Just need some common ground to share. I also look forward to getting to know they rest of the people here. New faces and old faces from TTZ. I am hoping that wdoll puts his pants back on though before I get to know him any better.

:wink:

I dug up my ramblings, updated a little to reflect later events:

I found out about TTZ from my brother Baz, and signed up way back in July 2002. I read occasionally for months but didn’t post at all. When I had a week off in February I took the plunge and started posting. I was immediately impressed with the quality of the folk on the board and the fun to be had. One person stood out though, always ready with wit and a well thought post. After a couple of weeks I received a PM from Bart, welcoming me to the forum and complimenting me on my style. His kind words to a newbie encouraged me and as they say ‘the rest is history’.

Although we haven’t met in the real world, I consider Bart a true friend. If ever there was a person who could be held up as a role model it would be him. He displays compassion, wit, concern, insight, irreverence and a self deprecating sense of humour. The word would truly be a better place if more people had his qualities. Even when he’s not pleased with you it’s hard to spot because of his good nature, and easy to put right.

He has shared much of his thoughts and feelings with us, the highs like an old friend offering him a job and the lows such as the anniversary of his father’s death. He gives of himself unstintingly and should be proud of his contribution to the life of the forum.

I recall the day he and I went on a posting spree, hitting 300 and 200 in 24 hours respectively. Despite my best efforts I couldn’t keep up with him yet still he hadn’t descended to spamming, keeping up a constant flow of pithy contributions. By the time I retired to bed my knees ached from sitting at the PC for endless hours, I’m sure Bart was still as fit as a fiddle.

When I read that he was thinking of dropping out of forum life I had to go outside and have a quiet ten minutes on my own. I knew we'd keep in touch but I would have missed the cut and thrust of his banter on the board. I'm very happy that he has found a new home with us and is back to his vintage performance. Ciggie is very right, it's the people that make a place, not the place.

Gotcha... I'm tracking now. Looked a little odd to me, that's all.

Yep. I remembered the general maliase that had set upon me when I found out that I wouldn't be able to "see him" on a regular basis anymore.

WTF? All of this sentimental slop all in one place? Is this a trick of some kind?

I was wondering the same thing. Is this a testimonial to T_B thread? (not that he doesn't deserve it)

I hesitate to even post this, because I'm afraid it'll be taken the wrong way. I'm not speaking as a moderator of TTZ, I'm speaking as myself, just a person, just a member of this board. I hope that makes it clear enough.

It just struck me funny that the post in question by Wdoll was the last time the_burner decided he was leaving TTZ. What did that last, all of a week at most, B? Now, I totally realize this was a completely different situation, but it made me giggle. I'm sorry if that offends anyone.

My favourite part is this, because it was said months ago, and not by me, but it reflects what I've tried to say and apparently failed miserably at several times through this whole mess:


I hope you all know you still have a place at TTZ, even if you don't like it right now. And if you don't want to come back ever, that's fine, too.

As for memories of Bart...lord, where does one start? At first I remember thinking, 'ohmygoodgodalmighty, WTF is UP with this guy, posting a reply to virtually every thread in the forums???????" And then I got to know him a bit <although unlike some of you, we've never gotten to the point where it would have occurred to either one of us to talk on the phone or even more than a couple of random times on ICQ>, and I thought... "ohmygoodgodalmighty, WTF is UP with this guy?"

You're a unique guy, B. We've had our ups and downs, I'm sure we'll continue. But things wouldn't be the same without you.

And again, I feel I have to add this, given how things have gone recently with various things I've said or not said. I did NOT mean anything bad by the first part, just my observations.

Strange is my tale, as I do not recall the_burner appearing at ttz, i think he registerd about a month or so before me, but didnt really post much till later on in the year.

All of a sudden, i must have had a break from the forums, and i come back and this guy is posting, as Felix said, in almost every thread.

A lot of people can post a lot, but none of it as quality as Bart, the guy is one of a kind (thank F**K!! )

hope to meet him some day..

That's how I read it, a testimonial to a great guy.

Just trying to let the peeps know why we rib him and how much we think of him. I also was reluctant to cull any of the verbage so yesh Felix, it is ironic.

Having said that, the post would not be the same taking out the part about him leaving TTZ. I also think it's time that we let the TTZ topic drop.

No doubt about it,he's a great guy & so is the one who did the testimonial.Let's face it folks,we found our paradise without wandering through the desert for 40 years & a bunch of the good ones came along.

I didn't even glance at this 'til this morning and when I read it, whoa, deja vu. I am "almost" without words. Thank-you brothers and sisters. I truly do have tears in my eyes. What a way to start a day. Proud and pleased at all the great people I've become friends with thru a "little" posting and having tears slide down my face at how touched I am that wdoll thinks enough of me to post this here also. It is very humbling.

Glad you got what I meant, WD.

As for letting the subject drop...You started it!

What can I say - I Pm'd him once and he started stalking me!

I can't shake him!

Seriously!!

Why are you all laughing?

G

D'oh!!!!!!!!

Sounds like you guys had one hell of a friendship going on and still do. I sure hope you all can one day patch things up at TTZ. But if not, get the crowd here, we need to keep this place kicking for a long time

Laughing? I believe ya!

He just wants to see ye've on 'neath yer kilt... and he's the right size without stoopin'.

<Crosses out wdoll's name from Christmas list.>
<Crosses out wdoll's name from Birthday list.>
<Crosses wdoll's name on friend's list.>
<Put wdoll's name on $h!t list.>
lol. You are a sick and very twizted monkey however I still luv ya and you're still my brother.

ROFLMGDFAO!!!!!!!!



I'm still on the lists - right?