Quality thread. I've been lurking on these forums since 2007, and posting since 2008, but in threads like this I still feel like a newbie. I'm definitely aware of the history of the forums(Including the Old Phorum. Back in 2009 I managed to access parts of it via the Wayback Machine. It was fascinating, a lot of main pages from different dates between late 2000 and early 2002 were accessible, and even some threads. I never came across the Blue Whale's Tongue thread though.) I tried my hardest to research everything to give myself the best possible understanding of the community, since I'd immediately liked it and felt at home here when I joined.
It bothers me that it's gone so quiet here(Anyone else who's regular will know I go on like a stuck record complaining about how quiet it is!) but it's really because I care about the place and want it to stay healthy and busy. (And I know there still is plenty of activity in the GP3 and GP4 forums too, which is great to see.) But I hope we'll have another 15 years ahead at least, if not more, and maybe we can draw in more new users and get more old regulars back here too, and have another golden era. I'm open to that possibility anyway, being an optimist and all that.
gav Wrote:
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> Dave Ellis just disappeared from the face of the
> earth. His Facebook wall hasn't had anything
> since August and he's not been on the Vader Trophy
> forums since last May either. I still consider
> him a good friend even though we've not met up for
> years. I hope he's OK.
Plus his Twitter has no activity at all since December 2014 and his Google+ page has no activity since 2011. (And looking back, 2011 was when he started to go quiet.) I don't think he's even on Instagram. He was posting about the Le Mans 24H last year, apparently he was at the circuit, and that's the last time I personally witnessed any activity from him on Facebook. Maybe this year's Le Mans might bring him back out of hiding.
I really miss Dave a hell of a lot. It's funny, we went to school together in Dundee and immediately bonded over F1, and he watched a few Grands Prix at my house back in 2002-2003(I specifically remember the United States GP in 2002, he came to watch the race dressed for work because he was going to be working a night shift which started an hour or so after the GP finished, and he was wearing a woman's shirt because his work had no mens' ones left at that particular point in time.)
The last time I actually saw him in person was when he came to watch the 2003 Malaysian GP at mine. We gradually lost touch after that and didn't have any contact again till 2009, when we had a reunion on these forums after I became a regular here. We've been in touch on Twitter and Facebook too, but we still haven't seen each other in person since that morning in March 2003, despite just living about 15 miles apart(He lives in Arbroath, which is technically a distant suburb of Dundee, and I live in the city itself). I've tried organising a catch-up with him a couple of times but nothing has materialised so far... I still hope we can sort something out eventually though.
I miss his posts on here, particularly the sheer bluntness and acerbic humour of them(I've nearly hurt myself laughing when I came across some of his replies to Bruninho and Red 5). So knowledgeable too, and so skilled at debating - for all his bluntness, I don't think I've come across a single post of his that flamed or criticised another user unfairly. I know he used to be a mod back in the day too, but still... That's a talent, right there. I definitely hope he comes back. I know from personal experience that quietness on things like forums can be symptomatic of difficult personal times, so I admit that for such a prolific poster to go so quiet bothers me a bit, as I too hope things are all good with him. Hopefully we'll get back in touch soon.
gav Wrote:
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> Gui's on Facebook still, still posting pictures of
> himself
Gui is awesome. I don't think I've ever come across a guy who's so into selfies. Back in 2009 he Facebooked me a recipe for homemade pizza, which I still have somewhere in my old Inbox, and which I'm still waiting to use, but I'm determined I'll get round to it. Also, it was through having Gui as a mutual friend that I managed to finally find Dave and add him on Facebook first time round, as his profile wasn't showing up in normal search results.
Another user who I really miss who completely disappeared was mikef1. He was a regular poster when I first lurked and then posted on the forums, and I remember having a few positive interactions with him in threads when I first started posting - we always seemed to agree on stuff, and he seemed like a nice guy somehow, even through that minimal contact. Then his posts just seemed to die down and stop, and he never even logged in on his account again. I tried PMing him to invite him back for the start of the 2010 season, but there was still no response at all. He seemed to just vanish.