Jeff (aka FlamingoJeff) was in town this week, for a few days of classes. He met up earlier with Matt (aka Tha.Riddla) and Will (aka rogue_designer) last weekend.
Since I was unable to attend the get-together, me, Jeff and Liz decided to get together for dinner over at Piece (a good gathering spot for us forum folks).
I know Jeff mostly through online forums. We first “met” while hanging around on Were-Here, a now-defunct Flash site way back in the day. Later on, a bunch of us moved over to Twelvestone, and set up shop there.
Looking back now, I first met Jeff (and a few other online friends) way way back in 2002. I can’t believe we’ve known each other for five years. Five PLUS years. Crazy.
On top of all that, Jeff and Michele were kind enough to give Harmony a new home, after she could no longer stay with us. I got some nice updates from Jeff about her outdoor adventures, and I remain convinced – she’s living a much fuller life out with the two of them. I think they’ve given her a nickame of sorts, “Thunder Paws,” for that thing she does whenever she gets super excited and just starts running at breakneck speed. Heh.
Of course, Jeff and I geeked out a lot about our mutual imaginary online friends. We reminisced about the WH Gathering from 2002 and the Twelvestone Gathering from 2003. And, briefly, joked about having another Chicago-based get-together at some point.
He and I also talked some about group collaborations. On the forum we both belong to, there are a wide array of incredibly talented folks, with talents that span a wide number of disciplines. We have designers, programmers, artists, writers, you name it. Jeff and I were wondering about how to gather all those energies, and organize them under some common project or cause.
We’ve sort of done things, as a site/forum collectively, in the past. But it’s mostly been raising money, etc. The idea of collaboration, across so many continents and people, is intriguing to me. While I don’t think something like software development is possible… maybe something a little smaller, a little more in reach might be. Idea for the future, I guess.
Good seeing Jeff again tonight, and it’s made me realize how out of the online loop I’ve been, these past few years. I’m still lurking around, but no longer chatting as much with folks as I used to. Tonight was a good reminder that those friends are still around, and haven’t gone very far away at all.
