AUGUST 11, 1996 : Where were you on that day? (hint: H20)

by reporter 9 Replies latest jw friends

  • reporter
    reporter

    Welcome!


    [ HOURGLASS2 OUTPOST ] [ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ FAQ ]

    Posted by Sandman on August 11, 1996 at 19:40:31:

    Nice to have you on board. This board is for JW's and
    those interested in learning about our faith. The
    board i s a safe haven for those who are on the outs
    with the society, as well. All I ask as a criteria
    for participatio n here, is everyone to treat one
    another with respect, no matter how strange or
    different they seem. Who knows w hat physical, mental,
    emotional or spiritual troubles they endure? This
    place should be a healing for them too.< p>Please try to make your topics as specific and brief
    if at all possible, to make it easy to cull through
    the t opics as the board expands. It is also important
    not to use language unsuitable for a wide range of
    visitors. Al though free speech is encouraged, abuse of
    it will cause a post's removal. Removal of posts is
    at the discretion of the System Administrator.

    The FAQ will evolve over time, ch eck it regularly for
    new information and updates. Again, welcome! :-)

    Sandman

    Who got to "break in" this new board, like a new car's leather seats? That's a good trivia question, if you want to stump somebody sometime Here it is...

    Posted by Jennifer on August 11, 1996 at 21:33:32:

    In Reply to: Welcome! posted by Sandman on August 11, 1996 at 19:40:31:

    Hello there Sandman!

    Finally worked up the courage to post! This means unless someone is posting right at this very m inute, I'm the first one to break in your brand new board. Feels like getting into a new car, the leather (sniff), snel ls wonnnderful! :)

    Don't have an email address, I will post one of my favorite links below! So you have an Image URL field, cool. (Same as Option link except you point to the location of a gif or jpg file on the web, like http://www.islandnet.com/~jensal/acppg4.jpg, isn't that so cool! Very nice board, I heard through the "grapevine" and sooo glad to visit! By the way I'm in the truth, fact you know me, hehehe. I'll make you sweat a while, you'll remember! The brother who told me is a friend of yours (hint hint!). ;D

    Better ru n, I'll be back to visit again!

    mcl,
    Jennifer

    In these intervening seven years, it's with great fascination that a tool called the "internet" where you could type "Jehovah" into a search engine would prove to be such a powerful force in so many of our lives.

    Back at a time where nobody had Windows 98 yet, and many were still running 3.1...

    There have been certainly highs and lows, laughter and bitterness, discovery and denial, introductions and departures, and such a wide range of experiences, facts, theories, opinions and a spectrum of emotions here. Not everybody, of course, agreed with everything said and done, as many have disputes with Simon, so many people don't care for Rick either, and other personal disputes erupted, yet overall, these forums for me have served well, despite the imperfections...

    With Simon and capable ones today, so many of us would be astounded at the evolution to what this worldwide discussion board has become today, when you compare it with the humble beginnings of Rick's board down-under seven years ago. Believe it or not, it seems like aeons ago, because I've passed through many of life's stages vis-a-vis the WT organization, all through that time. Attempts were made at "reform" in those earlier beginnings, from within the WT organization, and a lot of us grew out of that thinking, and changed our life's paths.

    Certainly, people have had all their share of heartaches dealing with the many problems with board administration back then, as it is today, but, for me, it is the whole package; the mix of personalities which has ultimately fascinated me.

    I cannnot but stand in awe when I look back from today's vantage point, and I cannot express in words how proud I am to have had known these various posters, old-time and now new, that daily flock here in great number!

    I do salute all of you who have had parts and participation in these years of searching and intelligent discussion, and for all those who work hard to make it all possible. Between JWD today and H2O in the past, these international forums are the pinnacle display of the potentials of the online community, and as Rick said seven years ago, and confidently into the future, provide a safe place to all gather together, read, post, and cogitate on so much knowledge and so many perspectives. Thank you.

    P.S. If somebody has copies of zip files of more of Osarsif's H20 archives, I'd be very interested, as I'm trying to track some posts...his links to many archives are broken. Perhaps somebody has some copies of zip files...thanks

  • cat1759
    cat1759

    Sorry Reporter,

    My computer was stolen with all the good stuff on it.

    Good luck!

    Cathy

  • reporter
    reporter

    Apparently, from what I can gather in previous requests some time ago for these, Osarsif had over 4GB of posts from 1996-2001, and probably some of the most complete archives anywhere.

    Too bad all that got lost with your machine .

    Nowadays, I have DVD rewriteable backup, extra HDs, i guess we all live and learn!

  • wasasister
    wasasister

    That's an easy question.

    In August of 1996, I had just completed the last District Convention which would ever mean anything to me. My sister, a soon-to-be ex-Dub, had been staying at my home. She purchased, as a surprise to me, a computer system with internet access. Although I had used computers for work, even doing a little Usenet stuff when the boss wasn't looking, I had not had a computer in my home until then. She also thought to buy a subscription to AOL, and that was the beginning of the end.

    I was fascinated by the internet and soon AOL became too limiting for me. Before long, I read Randy's site, then found H2O, and it was a slippery slope after that.

    Information truly IS the enemy of cults and high-control cultures.

    Thanks again, Sisowuzzy.

    Wasa

  • Thirdson
    Thirdson

    I discovered H2O not long after that date. I typed WTB&TS into a search engine sometime in September/October of '96 and was blown away by the amount of stuff that I found. I had been living in the US for a little over a year and was doing as little as possible with JWs. That summer was the last JW convention I ever attended. I spent a huge amount of time reading and lurked over at H2O. The last meeting I attended was the memorial of 1997. After that I moved house and slipped away quietly.

    There are a number of people I owe a great deal to. The "heavy" posters on H2O being among them.

    Thirdson

    PS Does anybody know what became of "Pioneer for life" or how he is doing?

  • qwerty
    qwerty

    Yep, I was on the old H20 site.

    I wished I had taken time to back the archives up, as advised. Shame the archives were not attached to the new H20.

    I love to get some of my qwerty post back. It was great the help and support I was shown with post like "I thought I had the truth".

    Anyone got the archives!!!!!!!

    Sounds like a disease!

    Qwerty

  • qwerty
    qwerty

    Edited - Double post.

  • Carmel
    Carmel

    I recall finding H20 back in 97 while living in Israel. Logged on and took the moniker, "MTZION" and stayed until it got too contencious. Discovered Simon's board, I beleive in 99 or 2000 and gave up drinking bitter water every since.

    caveman of mt carmel

  • ozziepost
    ozziepost

    Ah, 'tis great to reminisce! Such memories! Such a time! Ahhhh!!!

    Thx for the memories, eh?

    Cheers, Ozzie

  • Jourles
    Jourles

    Some of my first memories of H2O were:

    Wandering onto the discussion board with severe butterflies knowing full well I shouldn't be there. Seeing handles such as The Liberal Elder and The LiberalExMS and thinking, "My God, these can't be brothers!" Getting an uneasy feeling seeing some of the pictures on the website like large houses, nice cars, and other "materialistic" things. "A real witness wouldn't post these pictures on a website for jw's!" Reading posts by "witnesses in good standing" which went against everything the Society taught.

    And then eventually after getting shot down on just about every doctrine possible, I became a lurker and only read. It was in this time frame where I started to miss giving talks and slowed down in field service. I also missed a few meetings here and there because I had to work late, but in reality, I was reading the board remotely while "at work." And all of this occured smack dab in the middle of my engagement to my wife. If the board had started a year sooner, I probably would not be married to my wife today. I would also likely be df'd or da'd by now too. It is amazing the power the Society wields over you in the form of family and friends.

    Once I heard H20 was going to be shut down, Simon's board opened up and I think I was one of the first to sign up. That was over three years ago. Time flies when you're having fun!

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