Farkel, your memories expess my sentiments as well.
That was a sorta golden age in the young world wide web and I was lucky to to be a part of it.
I feel the same. It was an exciting time for exJWs on Internet. Some lifetime friends were made. It was a different era.
We old-timers cannot over estimate the immense impact H20 had on the JW movement. It literally had the WT leaders click into the super paranoid mode and they've been that way ever since.
My own opinion is that the shock waves of Internet "apostates" had them far more paranoid at that time, illustrated by their avid monitoring of H2O. They weren't used to that kind of exposé--they are now.
(And I hope you don't draw the wrath of some in here for referring to "old timers" )
All of the original anti-internet propaganda the WTS has published first started when H20 was raging, and I do mean "raging." It was one of the best times of my life.
I had a long phone discussion with AlanF a few days ago and we said the same thing, words to that effect. It was a different camaraderie.
And you mentioned Norm. How could I have forgotten to mention Norm. Thanks.
~Binadub (Ros)