Subject:
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Very Long super ramble...
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Thu, 18 Nov 1999 18:49:03 GMT
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Viewed:
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611 times
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Hello.........
Wow....this is weird.
Where to start...
I'll start by introducing myself. My name is Tim Culberson, living in
Saint John NB, Canada. I'm 18 years old.
... Funny thing, this, Lugnet.
At this point in time you should either be thinking one of three things:
A. This guy is a nut....at which point you'll probably stop reading
here.
B. If you're still reading, you maybe recognize my name a little bit
C. You're asking yourself why you are still reading this post.
Let me tell ya something....I'm actually an old timer around here...but
most people would disagree at first. I've been part of the online lego
community since sometime in 1995 or 1996....I'm not exactly sure. But
anyway, what seems to happen with me is that I tend to stick around for
a while, and then lapse into temporary dark ages for a bit, and then
return, like I'm doing right now with this post. The last time that I
probably posted on Lugnet was probably sometime in early 1999. For some
odd reason, every year around this time I begin to become re-interested
in Lego....it's that season.
For you other old timers out there (some of which, of course, are much
older than I am)...I thought I'd bring up some past memories that have
crossed my mind (the happening of the crossing of my mind I will explain
later).........Consider this a look back at the past few years of the
online Lego community....this dates back to the days when there was no
lugnet, web pages were grey with black text, RTL was the online LEGO
community's way of communicating, and TLG......well....they had just a
little bit more respect from me. I figure every other aspect of life in
this world is having some sort of "memories as we approach the new
millenium" thing....why can't I. In no particular order...here they
are...
...I remember my first thought to look up Lego on the internet....using
the infoseek search engine I typed in the greatest word in
history....L-E-G-O. To my great surprise it turned up an exceptionally
large number of results for the internet as it was at that
time....probably 20-30 hits at least! I eventually looked for a Lego
newsgroup....and came across alt.lego. There were very few posts each
day in the group...so then I found what is now known as RTL....standing
for rec.toys.lego. It was great...almost 100 posts most days....very
good for newsgroups at that time. Hence, my life as a member of the
unofficial online Lego community began.
...By the time a few weeks had past, I'm sure I had looked at every
lego-related we page that there was to find....a task that would take
months of 8 hour days to complete now. The LEGO faq I had read over
probably a couple times.
...Some really interesting things happened as time went on...
LEGO erected an official web site....and it was garbage to say the
least. The largest portion of content was a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo
which warned that if lego fans who had lego related web pages didn't
soon place disclaimers on their pages they would send the hired goons
after them. It's interesting to think of all the things RTL readers
were mad at TLG for concerning their web page. How dare they not give
any e-mail address at which someone could write them, why didn't they
have an online catalog. Why didn't they pay attention to what "adult"
lego users wanted. This latter argument, I'm sure, continues to flare
up around here by times.
Some of the interesting suggestions that were posted over and over again
on RTL still have me convinced to this day that TLG was "watching" us.
Probably the most posted suggestion/complaint was that TLG should make
Star Wars LEGO sets, and many vowed that if they ever did that they'd
buy all of them a hundred each. Of course, myself being a great
pessimist, thought that it would not happen in a million years. I, like
many, were shocked and amazed when the announcement came forward that
TLG had teamed up with Lucas Films to release star wars LEGO sets.
I also remember a particular group of threads that focused on an
Egyptian-type LEGO theme. Interestingly enough, I never thought
anything of it when TLG released adventurers....until I was searching
dejanews.com one day and came across the threads of which I am
speaking. My jaw dropped as I put a + b together.
...There was great sadness the day that news spread all across the
internet that James Jessiman, the one and only original creator of
L-Draw...a progam most current online LEGO users are more than familiar
with, had passed away. It was interesting when one day James happened
to e-mail me in response to a post I had made in RTL with a little tip
about his L-Draw program. He told me how he didn't like to post it too
publicly because of a fear that TLG would track him down and threaten a
sue. Thankfully, his memory lives on in the ongoing project at
ldraw.org. Thanks to Tim Courtney.
...What ever happened to that "send the minifigs on a trip all aournd
the world" "minifig world tour" project anyhow.....?
...I remember a particular time on RTL when some jerk purposely flooded
the newsgoup with excessive posts all supposed "want" ads. His username
started with an M...but I forget what it was now...
...Lou Zucaro...and Pause Magazine's Lego reference guide...and his
announcement that he was discontinuing it's development...
...The growth of the internet Lego auctions...
...And finally, the evolution of the internet Lego Super Hero who's been
here through it all.....Mr. Todd lehman's official announcement and
long-term plan for what we now have as a common household term, the one
and only Lugnet. Lugnet shook the online Lego commnity like a giant
quake. Our hobby was brought to an entirely new level, and now we are
seeing it emerge as never before. (pretty dramatic eh? Hey Todd, if I
get my nose any browner can I have a free membership? :) (the membership
announcement I will later discuss)).
After mentioning some of the names of people past and present who are
and were involved in the online LEGO community, I think I'd like to now
make a list of old timers that I remember from quite a way back, and
mention their achievements. Sorry if you're reading this and I forgot
you...these are just the people that I remember as long time Internet
LEGO geeks. Thanks goes out to you guys, wherever you are (and if
you're reading this (surely you're not STILL reading this whole thing),
drop me a note and feel proud).
Lou Zucaro - for the Pause Magazine lego reference guide. For many
years it served us well. I'd like to have a nickel for every time I
visited that site.
Jacob Sparre Anderson - you've just been around for a long time. And I
almost got your name mixed up with James Jessiman - but I realize that
you're alive and well, even though you probably don't know who I am.
Ed Boxer - what can I say oh what can I say. You're LEGO castle
inspired us all to tears. We drooled and we cheered. This was a record
LEGO creation. And then all of your amazing creations to follow...WOW
Tim Courtney - as mentioned earlier, thanks for the ldraw.org.
David A. Karr - I'm not sure if you're still around here, but I think
that you're web page was the first ever internet LEGO-related web page
that I ever visited. Make me feel all mushy inside.
James Jessiman - I've said it all
Suzanne Rich - Legopolis has always inspired me immensly.
Calum Tsang - another one from the old school - you know you definately
have an eye for the town theme.
Gail Meagher - my Maritime Lego friend - You're the only other canadian
on the east coast that I know who is into those special plastic bricks.
And Todd Lehman - your dedication to this Internet LEGO community, both
past and present, thank you Todd.
...Again, sorry if I missed you...but these are all people who have
inspired or affected me as it relates to LEGO in some way.
Well well well well well.....Alrighty then. You're not seriously still
reading this are you?
Well, just in case....I shall now explain my madness.
See, the other day, I emerged from one of my temporary dark ages. Alot
of things have been happening in my life since about last June. I
graduated from High School...I worked all summer, I lost my time to look
at a single piece of Lego...I moved away from home to go to
college....I've been swamped with college so much that I haven't had
time to look at a LEGO piece - even as I write this useless piece of
binary bandwidth waste I should be doing homework. When I moved away
from home I left it all behind - all my LEGO I mean. I wasn't sure if
I'd ever bother to touch a piece again. But just the other day, a week
or two ago maybe, I was watching TV....and there was a segment on some
cheesy talk show (Oprah Winfrey I believe), on the founder of
Amazon.com. this founder, I don't know his name and I'm too lazy to
look it up, mentioned on Oprah that he and his wife were avid LEGO
fans. I began to get that jittery feeling all over my body. I was
feeling the urge to LEGO it up....just to swim in a bucket of LEGO
again....but how? I have no LEGO, and I'm too much of a starving
student as it is to go out and buy new LEGO...
I fired up the computer and went straight to Lugnet.com. The feeling
was getting worse.
Every day for the past week or two I've had this feeling. I would break
out in cold sweat for no apparent reason. I was unable to concentrate
properly. I was in serious need of a fix.
The oddest thing then happened to me. After ignoring LEGO for some
time, and then finally just "happening" to read some Lugnet groups, I
get that e-mail announcement from Todd. Coincedence or sign from above?
I fixed it...
I got home from school today, and walked down the street to the bus
stop. I got on a bus and traveled east....I was getting shaky. I got
off the bus and spent a good hour or so just looking at
LEGO...everywhere.
Do you know how long it's been since I've bought a LEGO set....AGES!
I bought the 7414 Star Wars Naboo Fighter at a 20% discount at Zellers.
I got home and didn't even build it right away. I put away the
groceries, cooked a good meal and washed my dishes. And finally I
couldn't put it off any longer. I built the set.
I was simply amazed. I've seen nothing but garbage sets from TLG for at
least the past 2-3 years. They've come out with such poop as Town Jr.,
Ninjas, and Time Cruisers in all that time.
I don't know what it was, but the Naboo Fighter had an impressivly nice
and amazing design. The set was actually a decent size. I realize that
Star Wars was the best thing that TLG ever did for itself. They
couldn't be cheap a$$e$ on the parts, and they didn't make any
unneccesarily large fartatious pieces because the ship had to resemble
to some degree that of the real star wars one. The battle droids (which
are also my favorite Episode 1 Star Wars machine & technology)
The set has given me hope.
Unfortunately now I can't eat for a couple weeks...but I have LEGO in my
possesion again.
I did something tonight which I have never given any LEGO of any kind
the honour of. I gave it the honour of sitting on top of my computer
case. Something has to be a pretty special object to hold a position
there.
So anyway, that's the story of me and my LEGO. I now have Green Day's
"time of your life" and Sarah Maclachlan's "Memories" running through my
head and I'm about to cry....but I've said it, and now I'm through.
Thank you for listening.
-Timothy Culberson
t_c_c@yahoo.com
Are you STILL reading this??
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Message has 4 Replies:
 | | Re: Very Long super ramble...
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| Timothy Culberson wrote in message <38344A1F.DE3FC4A5@y...oo.com>... (...) That would be M*ndroid, in late 96. His "want ads" were the least of his efforts to disrupt r.t.l. His more inventive efforts included posting what were taken to be death (...) (25 years ago, 18-Nov-99, to lugnet.general)
| | | Re: Very Long super ramble...
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| [X-post lugnet.people Please f-up accordingly ] (...) Same here, but I didn't participate much in the beginning. (...) Heh, I'm an "old-timer" younger than you :) (...) I found RTL overwhelming when I first saw it. I guess I was kind of impatient... (...) (25 years ago, 19-Nov-99, to lugnet.general, lugnet.people)
| | | Re: Very Long super ramble...
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| (...) tim ~ thanks for this post. as a newcomer (rtl since march 99, lugnet since aug) i have been curious about the history of the on-line lego community. thanks for filling in the gaps, and welcome home from someone who moved in while you were (...) (25 years ago, 19-Nov-99, to lugnet.general)
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