I'm really sorry if I shouldn't be asking this, but I can't help it. While lost in space the last two days, I had many adventures trying to catch up to everyone. One place I landed for a while was at Hyatt's board. Did anyone else see the e-mail from Phil to Ludi? It sure sounded like he can't stand this forum or the people on it. Perhaps it was just (well deserved in my opinion) venting. Any insights? As for myself, I'm more than happy to donate to the cause. In fact, the checks in the mail. A wonderful New Year to all, I'll be watching and waiting here in Hawaii. Alohoa Nui Loa, grngrl

-- grngrl (jhandt@gte.net), December 30, 1999

Answers

I think he doesn't really HATE us... but was extremely pissed-off having to deal with the problems of the last couple of days. You know he was up late Tuesday night, probably didn't get enough sleep and was grouchy as heck... I know I would be...

Now he's cooled off and can respond reasonably...

Aloha to you as well, from Oahu - Hawaii... FR

-- Forum Refugee (formerly Forum Regular) (Here@y2k.comx), December 30, 1999.

Phil doesn't seem like that type of guy. I know from my own late night computer problems how frustrating the events of the last couple of days can be.

-- rc white (cw5410@netscape.net), December 30, 1999.

And this is mild! We probably haven't seen anything yet with problems and challenges computer-wise that we'll have to deal with.

-- Sheri (wncy2k@nccn.net), December 30, 1999.

We are a lot of work for him, and some of us are shall we say a little tempermental, like myself(now is that an understatement or what?). I fired off a nasty e-mail after hours of frustated attempts to get back on here... and he responded that I confirmed his opinion of TB2000 users...

I e-mailed off my apology, as soon as I got his e-mail. I hope he accepts that apology, as it was sincere. I'm a single parent, with no family for hundreds of miles... and worried about the unknown that is just around the corner now, whether I made the right choice for my son and myself to stay where I was. This forum, even when all I was doing was lurking, has been a huge emotional support to me. When that was yanked yesterday, it was, well, scary...

I don't know if you bother reading this stuff Phil, but again, my apology was sincere, and again, whether you realize it or not, this board of yours has meant A LOT to many people, and we are grateful, even if sometimes we act like spoiled children...

-- Carl (clilly@goentre.com), December 30, 1999.

I certainly would have contributed, if I could possess a credit card. But it has been a strange oddesy for me since I paid off my cards last Jan. I CAN'T GET ANY. They (AMX) base credit only on open credit, no matter how stellar your closed credit. I am 50+ with R1 and I1, and I requested closed accounts. I have been on a journey, not to believed to anyone who hears it. Just can't wait to see what tommorrow brings, to teach me.

-- Truth Seeker (forus@all.com), December 30, 1999.

Phil had just had it.

Ludi caught him at a maximum stress time. He was protecting his servers from repeat spider/robot attack, since several are down, and the one we were on was about full and on it's last legs.

It's been a "free" ride... for two whole years... and one no one expected to be this big... least of all Phil.

Showing we appreciate him, his MIT server farm, and what's important to him... having equipment to teach his students on... and being "hassle free" from service calls... goes a long way.

I can honestly say he was quite surprised at the outpouring of response to the donation he requested.

He reallocated resources last night after I talked with him, and mentioned that I already had pledges of $1,200.00. Then today, he called in back-up programers during a holiday week, and has done a marvelous job in supporting our 11th hour needs.

I hope we can top his Donation request... at https://db.photo.net/shoppe/

You should know, that any donations made directly to MIT, would likely have never gone to support his server farm.

By donating to his favored charity, he will match us and out of his own pocket buy the server he wants, and will then donate it to MIT and his area, by Feb.1st when his students get back for classes.

Thanks... for everyone who made it possible to show Phil this cybercommunity means something to us all! And for all those who contribute to this wild, wacky place.

Kudos.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 31, 1999.

If you "read the book," you would know that 'Philip' prefers not to be called 'Phil.'

-- PNG (png@gol.com), December 31, 1999.

PNG

Yes, it does seem he prefers to be called Philip... will I read the book? Probably not, I have no hope of ever being able to accomplish in this sector of IT what he has done. I enjoy and admire the results... my oldest son has tho... hope one day he does what Philip has done for all of us here... that would make me proud...

Myself, I burned out when Osborne shrank to insignificance, Apple and Lisa nose-dived, and Visicorp, Lotus, Wordperfect & Ashton-Tate fell to Microsoft (screw Wordstar, that DESERVED to die)... not to mention Compaq trying to imitate Dell...

-- Carl (clilly@goentre.com), December 31, 1999.

I think Philip was speaking from the "passion" of the moment. Yea, I was pisseed at him at first, but after thinking about it, I really can't blame him. He has put up with a bunch of crap, caused by this forum. He has had to "tweak" his software many times, just to keep up with our volume. He has put in a bunch of effort, to keep this site going for as long as it has. He may be a DGI, but I don't think that he really hates us. Besides, many of the problems that he cites were caused by the trolls here, not by us.

From one geek to another, thanks Mr. Greenspun.

Tick... Tock... <:00= ...

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), December 31, 1999.

Agree about the admiration part, Carl. Philip really doesn't have to do this...

And we really don't have to buy the lousy workmanship put into most of todays applications. Redmond reminds me of Detroit and the auto industry 25 years ago - ripe for some efficient, quality-built cars, I mean applications, to come along and knock them on their arrogant butts.

-- PNG (png@gol.com), December 31, 1999.