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GogglesnTeeth

Remember when... Bonfire before Myspace/Facebook/Etc...

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Bob_Church

***I remember the days of rec.Skydiving.org



Remember the ongoing argument over kiss passes? There were people actually arguing that putting your tongue down a student's throat was part of the sport and they shouldn't go to a DZ if they didn't like it. My suggestion was that if that was the case then they should have to do it with *every* female student. That didn't go over well.

Probably went over better than had you said kiss pass *every* student. :P
Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

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The original plan was to attach a silent audio file (so noone could hear it) :P to the groupme chat but Jerry didn’t know how.

So ya got white noise instead, ass-trumpet. :)

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

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Bolas

******I remember the days of rec.Skydiving.org



Remember the ongoing argument over kiss passes? There were people actually arguing that putting your tongue down a student's throat was part of the sport and they shouldn't go to a DZ if they didn't like it. My suggestion was that if that was the case then they should have to do it with *every* female student. That didn't go over well.

Probably went over better than had you said kiss pass *every* student. :P

It occurred to me but those were different times.

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Yo!! Checking in. Been a couple years, I reckon.

Glad to see some familiar names on here still.

Yeah, I'm friends with a lot of you around the early-2000 timeframe in FB. I think right after my second kid was born, I slowed down jumping a bit, and last year moved up to Oregon. I went and said goodbye to my (almost 16 yr old) rig at the dropzone. Been a few years since I've jumped - maybe 5. Still think about the sport occasionally and maybe I'll jump back in to get my POPs badge in a few years before it's too late.

And YES! looking at preview - even though my profile still shows no profile picture, it looks like @sangiro has kept I think the only animated profile icon on the system. Go Beavis!

Butthead: Whoa! Burritos for breakfast!
Beavis: Yeah! Yeah! Cool!
bellyflier on the dz.com hybrid record jump

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Um... if you’re over 40, it won’t ever be too late to get your POPS number. It’s not like you’re getting younger, after all :P
Hi there.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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wmw999

Um... if you’re over 40, it won’t ever be too late to get your POPS number. It’s not like you’re getting younger, after all :P
Hi there.

Wendy P.



I was surprised when they gave me a card to fill out to join POPS. It was the first thing about turning 40 that was optional.

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keithbar

I remember the days of rec.Skydiving.org


Me too, rude fuckers:D:D:D:D
Not on here much at all, check the incidents occasionally hope to not see an names i know.
You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

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ryoder

******Where's Aggie Dave these days?



I believe he decided to stay on the ground for a while. So he took a break from here too.

IIRC, kids were taking up enough time that he couldn't stay current enough to be safe (smart move IMO).

He was also busy writing his books, among other things.

Life happens.

A bit of googling turned up his website.
He now lists himself as an ex-skydiver, and ex-cop, who is now a writer and photographer.
I'm really curious how well that torn muscle in his arm recovered.
I still chat with Dave on FB he's doing well. I visited him a couple of years ago whilst doing one of my cross country jaunts. I'll see him again at years end, when I'm in North America for 12 months
You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

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I'm an ORIGINAL member of these forums and I used to moderate FIVE of them. I sort of feel like a prick that i'm barely on here anymore. Some of my BEST, life-long friendships were forged on this site.

I was present the very-first time Willem Groebler (Sangiro) showed his face at a US boogie.

I love and miss all of you "OG" members.

Chuck Blue
D-12501

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I recognize every name in this thread, and all that were mentioned (and MANY that were not mentioned). I was on this site everyday for about 7 years after I first logged in. I looked back and read a lot of the older threads during that time. To understand the culture, people, and how it was growing and changing.
I didn't get involved with you like I wanted to, but I miss it. So many of you are so amazing, wonderful, and beautiful people. With great humor and a fresh outlook on life. There is a lot of history in these threads and I'm happy that I feel like I have been a part of that. You have all had a great impact on my life. Thank You.

People come and go. I'm glad you're still here. I'm still excited to read about your experiences.
Much Love, Take Care.

Jesse

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wolfriverjoe

C'mon. How about the fun people.

AggieDave was mentioned.

How about Lucky McSwervy?
DSquared?
ILuv2Fly?

The "three Smutskateers"?

How about Gonzala?
I haven't heard the Greenskeepers in a long time.

Turtle? Bolas? VanillaSkyGirl?

Lots more that I can't think of right now.



Thanks for thinking of me! I'm doing great, and I hope that you (and everyone else) are also doing very well! :)
In December 2016, I finally stopped skydiving/sold my gear. Before that, I was skydiving for several years, and it was wonderful to achieve goals (bigway formation records) in the sport. More importantly than any of that, I've made lifelong friends on almost all continents. I cannot imagine my life without the impact that skydiving and my sky family has had on it.

It seems like a lifetime ago that we were all on DZ.com discussing life on Bonfire, but I truly feel that this helped me to discover more about myself and to expand my horizons by meeting such diverse people. I've always been attracted to friends with strikingly different lifestyles, points of view, etc. As a person who is shy/introverted by nature, Bonfire helped me to use my written words as way to tackle that. Bonfire created a whole new world for many of us. For that, I am thankful.

When I think of Bonfire, I think of all of us about 10-15 years ago, before other forms of social media were big. That was a special time. I miss all of you.

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Guest
I have recently come back to DZ.com after abandoning social media.

I am hopeful that others will follow my lead and return as well. When I quit Facebook I wrote an essay about exactly why I was leaving (I found it more corrosive than DZ.com in the pre-SC days). It (fb) is a wonderful platform, but the lack of filtering coupled with the lack of critical thinking makes for a lot of knee-jerk flaming. Not my idea of a fun time.

mh
.
"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

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markharju

I have recently come back to DZ.com after abandoning social media.

I am hopeful that others will follow my lead and return as well. When I quit Facebook I wrote an essay about exactly why I was leaving (I found it more corrosive than DZ.com in the pre-SC days). It (fb) is a wonderful platform, but the lack of filtering coupled with the lack of critical thinking makes for a lot of knee-jerk flaming. Not my idea of a fun time.


mh
.



I had exactly the opposite experience but with the same conclusion. I tried Facebook for about a month early this spring. I found a lot of great people in the old skydivers section and great discussions. But it was still Facebook. I felt like I needed a shower every time I used it. Not that forum, but just Facebook. So I bailed. But I miss the people on there.
What I'd like to do is get some or all (dream big) of those folks over here, but their arguments against coming are pretty much the opposite of why you left there. I try to convince them that a forum can be what its users make it, but they aren't interested in coming back. And it's a real shame.

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Bob_Church

***I have recently come back to DZ.com after abandoning social media.

I am hopeful that others will follow my lead and return as well. When I quit Facebook I wrote an essay about exactly why I was leaving (I found it more corrosive than DZ.com in the pre-SC days). It (fb) is a wonderful platform, but the lack of filtering coupled with the lack of critical thinking makes for a lot of knee-jerk flaming. Not my idea of a fun time.


mh
.



I had exactly the opposite experience but with the same conclusion. I tried Facebook for about a month early this spring. I found a lot of great people in the old skydivers section and great discussions. But it was still Facebook. I felt like I needed a shower every time I used it. Not that forum, but just Facebook. So I bailed. But I miss the people on there.
What I'd like to do is get some or all (dream big) of those folks over here, but their arguments against coming are pretty much the opposite of why you left there. I try to convince them that a forum can be what its users make it, but they aren't interested in coming back. And it's a real shame.

It is. However, I wish to revise my earlier statement. I obviously did not quit social media, or I would not be on DZ.com (duh). What I meant to say is that I had withdrawn from Facebook after ten years of increasingly vitriolic hot air and rhetoric. If Facebook was moderated the way DZ.com is, it would be a very different platform; however, I cannot fathom how fb can be toned down in the absence of millions of volunteers who are willing to be moderators, not just of topic forums/Groups but of individuals. Not seeing a solution. Zuck's trying high-tech approaches but AI just isn't there and probably never will be.

I'm going to predict that as I have, many others who once embraced Facebook as the Next Big Thing (with all of its [credit where due] gosh-wow razzle-dazzle) will grow weary of the endless navel-gazing, funhouse mirror stuff, and just pure bile that exists on an unfiltered, unmoderated platform and also do as I did; that is, pull the loud handle.

It appears obvious that in the absence of moderation, such sites quickly descend into politicized chaos. I remember what it was like here on DZ.com before Speaker's Corner was set up. Unless Zuckerberg gets some moderators in his reactor, it's going to have a meltdown. And by then it will be too late.

In a way it's a shame, but perhaps it's for the best. Besides, fb is a huge timesuck anyway. Better to have a platform that is narrower in scope if not always 100% on-topic. I like the one-stop shopping here on DZ. A question about rigging? There's a forum for that. Mishaps? Check. Boogies? Check. On Facebook I'd have to sift through scads of Groups to find what I was looking for, apply for membership, wait, post a remark or question, wait, and wait...I'm pleased to say that after allowing myself to be wooed away from DZ.com, I'm back, and I hope others who went away as I did will also return. There are good reasons to do so.

mh
.
"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

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Personally, I like the format of a platform like dz.com for discussions. Mainly because they can continue, leading to (well, sometimes :P) more insight. Instead of it dropping off the face of the earth if it’s not hot-hot-hot, you can go find it. Which means taking the time to think and then post.

I’m still on FB, but I probably spend roughly equal amounts of (decreasing) time on them.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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wmw999

Personally, I like the format of a platform like dz.com for discussions. Mainly because they can continue, leading to (well, sometimes :P) more insight. Instead of it dropping off the face of the earth if it’s not hot-hot-hot, you can go find it. Which means taking the time to think and then post.

I’m still on FB, but I probably spend roughly equal amounts of (decreasing) time on them.

Wendy P.



I've seen on Alexa where the number of site visits to dropzone.com has increased a great deal over the past year. Perhaps others are getting the same idea. Fun to be avant garde for a change, instead of following up the rear :S

edit for grammar

mh
.
"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

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rec.skydiving's glory days were also a time of users with dialups and Ohio University had very limited storage. So every time someone would post a photo two things would happen. Those of us on dialup using newsreader would find out that instead of reading rec.skydiving before we go to work in the morning we'd be lucky if it finishes downloading before we get home that evening. The software we had then didn't let you see the individual posts on the server side, it just downloaded everything. Then I'd get to work and the phone would be ringing. IT was threatening to stop accepting rec.skydiving because of the amount of storage. These were the days when the zip drive and its 100meg storage disks was a mammoth breakthrough in storage.
So I got a reputation with OU IT for being a wasteful jerk and on rec.skydiving for being a complaining jerk for nagging people not to post pictures.
Oh, and the endless crap because I don't wear a helmet.
But I really really miss it. I think it's like when we get nostalgic for rounds. We don't really miss those canopies, we miss being 25.

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I think it's like when we get nostalgic for rounds. We don't really miss those canopies, we miss being 25.

Oh, that’s perfect!

Wendy P.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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In the late '90s, while looking for some skydiving clipart, I came across a website called "Sangiro's Synergy." There was other stuff there too, so I bookmarked it and made it a regular stop in those early "surfing days." Soon after, along came a link to "Dropzone.com." IIRC, I joined the forums in late 2000 - I was among those whose join date rolled back after a software update. I immediately enjoyed the camaraderie, the international footprint, and the information I was able to both gain and offer in this new-to-me online gathering.

Amazingly, I made good friends despite having never met them in person. I connected in ways I had never experienced before. I tried to contribute while respecting the rules of the "house." I guess that worked, because Willem asked if he could turn my username green in 2004.

At PIA Symposium 2005, invited to a Moderators' dinner by HH himself, I met or reunited with many other "Greenies." That would happen over and over again during my travels and theirs, and would include "dotcommers" other than green as well. Soon I discovered that peoples' online persona is either a 2-dimensional representation of their real selves, or an excuse to hide behind a keyboard to unleash whatever cobweb-covered bullshit they cared to unleash. Having several conversations with Willem that weekend and after, I (like many others) understood his vision for an online community. I did my best to support that dynamic for ten years.

It was not an easy road, but I thought it was worth it. I still believe that.

After retiring from my Army gig in 2008, my jumping ramped up significantly - both on the work and personal side. Those were wonderful years, but I realized later that skydiving was providing an external sense of joy that masked other things that were beginning to fade for me. I stepped down from moderation in 2014 when I took a job at Alti-2 in DeLand, FL - to prevent conflict of interest. I continued to visit regularly, as I still do, thus my response to this thread.

It was during that time that my life changed. After 30 years, I was no longer a government employee; my kids were grown; I no longer had a North Carolina address; and I gave 50 a high-five on the way by. Most importantly, I found my Soul Mate.

I haven't jumped in 4 years, but stay connected to both the sport and military communities through my new job at Strong Enterprises and visits to Skydive DeLand and the occasional event. I rarely travel anymore, happy to enjoy the beach (or the pool when a walk wins over a drive), the porch, and the birds who come by to pay us a visit.

I have stayed in contact with many friends from here, and lost contact with others. Regardless, I am confident that our next meeting will show no change in friendship, and result in a quietly raised glass to those who we loved who left us too soon.

Gone are Cornolio's Wednesday night MIRC chats, the auction site, post counts, and the like, but as social media becomes more of a flock of mosquitos, I think these forums may welcome back many who we have not seen in a while.

Love and respect.
Arrive Safely

John

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Hi there! I was just talking about our Christmas dinner at Eloy the other day! How've ya been?

Wendy P.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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