A heartfelt thanks to all DUers.

[democrank]

I guess old dogs can learn new tricks. After many decades of doing everything by hand and feeling intimidated by anything more complicated than a toaster, a ten dollar yard sale computer and a nagging addiction to politics led me to DU. I was scared half to death but once I ventured in I was intrigued with what I found. So many bright people, such good ideas and a "community" complete with lively, colorful characters.

I`m slow to learn computer lingo...it took me a long time to figure out what "url" stood for and what this "mouse" thing was, but I`m plodding along with a click here and a click there.

Why post this? Just to say thank you. I`ve learned a lot from you.
Your research is stunning, your ideas energizing and your commitment to making things better just warms my heart. From the woods of Vermont to wherever you are....thanks.

[mzmolly]

1. The woods of Vermont.

Sounds so very lovely.

From the Woods of Minnesota :hi: thanks for the post.

[SoCalDem]

5. and from the sands of SoCal

:)

[MiniMandaRuth]

2. Thanks!

one from me... :hug:

One from all of us ... :grouphug:

[ClassWarrior]

3. Thanks for being here!!

We're all patches in the crazy quilt that's DU.

NGU.

[medeak]

4. from one old dog to another

ditto!

[shenmue]

6. You're welcome

:loveya:

:grouphug:

It is always a relief to be around a community like this.

I like it here too.

Nice to know you.

[Rowdyboy]

7. The fertile Mississippi delta returns your thanks.....

DU has been a bit of a lifesaver for me since I discovered it in 2002. At least in Vermont you're surrounded by many like-minded people. I'm drowning here in the reddest of red states.

Without DU , my partner and my dog, I'd be lost among the heathen.

[OhioBlue]

8. thanks for such a nice post.

:grouphug:

[UrbScotty]

9. I have felt the same way over the past three years plus.

;-)

[jody]

10. DU has participants from teen agers to Septuagenarians and Octogenarians.

You're probably a mere child! :hi:

[ET Awful]

11. The woods of Vermont is a very nice place to be.

It's gonna be a really white winter in those woods if this weather keeps up :).

I'll just keep coming up there on weekends once in a while :)

[mntleo2]

12. Old IT Professional Here At Your Service

Any time. Just PM me with any questions and I would be thrilled to help. I too love DU and find the community wonderful.

As for finding a 10.00 computer, wrestling with it has probably made you into an expert already. Anyone can operate a new computer, but those old ones can be a challenge and it is to your tribute that you began there. It says alot. I have old geek friends who began with punch cards, but I have only been messing with computers since the early 90's when a 486 with a 3.11 and a 14k modem was the cat's meow. I learned Unix, then Dos, then Windows, then Linux in that order. I was on bulletin boards then list-servs, and now forums. I chatted by direct connect, the Undernet, then Tribal Voice, then AIM and now Jabber. They are all the same with a little fancier code is all, lol. So I know that that if you found a computer for 10 bucks and then mastered it, you are amazing!

Cat In Seattle

[pacalo]

13. I hear ya!

I know the feeling well about being afraid to touch a computer -- afraid that touching the wrong key would have dire consequences.

Clinton's impeachment inspired me to sit down & figure it out for myself, & there was no turning back. Amazing what one can do when sufficiently motivated.

Just curious: What inspired you to warm up to the computer, democrank?

[democrank]

19. To your just curious question....

What inspired me? Curiosity and a love for learning. What I had to overcome was my lifelong discomfort with newfangled inventions. My kids kept goading me (with sweet intentions) about trying to join the real world...Get with the program, Mom. When I finally realized that using a computer wasn`t a sellout of my back-to-basics lifestyle, I accepted it and the rest is history.

I still haven`t grasped how my daughter can send messages on her cellphone, but I`ll simply know she can and still enjoy my old rotary phone.

It`s important to me to be true to myself no matter what everyone else is doing.

[pacalo]

21. I can relate.

When the computer was new to me & I ran into one problem after another, my oldest son morphed into the computer guy character on SNL. One example: I took those official-looking pop-up's that warn you that "your computer may be at risk" literally until I finally asked my son why I was getting so many pop-up's. :crazy:

[wtmusic]

14. Imagine a Bush presidency without the internets/DU

Would the free exchange of ideas be extinct?

Just in time... :scared:

[catmother]

15. i joined DU 3 weeks ago

and my husband said i seem much happier -- and i am. it's really great to converse (wrong word for computer) with people who think the way i do. i'm still trying to figure out some of your terminology i.e., what does n/t mean? and also what are the votes that follow the reply column on the threads?

[Orangepeel]

16. what a sweet message, democrank! and Welcome catmother!

:toast: to you both!

(n/t stands for "no text" and it used in the subject line to mean "don't bother to click on this message, this is all there is". The number of votes is a new feature that indicates how many people have recommended a thread for "the greatest page" -- also a new feature -- which is accessible by clicking on the word "Greatest" in the grey bar at the top of the page (it says Lobby/Latest/Greatest). This is a measure of which threads DUers think that everyone should read).

[catmother]

17. well thank you. n/t

[deadparrot]

24. Welcome to DU, catmother!

n/t (interchangeable with eom--end of message) stands for "no text," ie, you don't have to bother clicking on the link because there's nothing to see in the body of the message.

The votes you see are for the "Greatest" page. If there's a particularly important/inspirational topic that you or other DUers want to place on a pedestal, they click the link at the bottom of each topic saying "Nominate for the Greatest page." If it has five or more votes, it'll get placed on the Greatest page, so you can read these important messages. You can find it at the top of each page, where it says "Lobby/Latest/Greatest." Obviously, click on The "Greatest" link. :)

[StClone]

18. Just when I thought things couldn't get any better

You offer frosting...thanks for making the world less jaded!

[applegrove]

20. Yes I agree. Though I am a little faster to learn with computers -

point & click. But a great world when you can find community and like thinking people. Little villages here & there on the net!

[faithnotgreed]

22. beautiful post

heres to community
when you find it you know youre home.....

[OneBlueSky]

23. they got computers in Vermont???? . . .

who'da thunk it! . . .

seriously, though, welcome to DU . . . glad you find it as inviting and useful as most of us do . . . :)