over the past few days I've been wanting to jump online and start a thread to thank everyone for such a wonderful year!

just about a year ago... I was going through my email and found a bit of spam

instead of deleting it or going through the 'remove me from list' process, I followed the link to Were-Here.com that was the beginning of my online experience. sure, I had used the internet for some job search tools, email and an occasional google search. but I was clueless about online forums and interaction with folks online. I found the Battle Dome! and as my art director said, a niche of creative people very much like me, something that was right up my alley [as they say]

thanks to Aaron, Elrick, Knevel... for encouraging me, explaining the process of hosting and uploading images... in humoring a clueless noobie.

thanks Flak! stacey and the folks who contributed to Unmondo.com's success and the Unmondo Photoshop Contest thread were just what I needed to get started... and get hooked.

thanks to JERKSTORE, ari, moh, dtgrafx and audrey for those first great bits of inspiration! you guys rock!

thanks to all of the people who have been so generous in their time for collaborations and personal contact over the year. all of you have a special place in my heart and memories... chelle, Riddla, sonus and theInvisible are at the front of a long list of very creative and inspirational co-conspirators.

and thanks to all of the folks who just dropped in to peek and encourage... TenPlus comes to mind as an example... just dropping in with encouraging words... this has meant so very much.

thanks to Stinky and everyone here! never could I have imagined the sense of community
or that I would have such a widespread, international, group of friends and acquaintences.

the next year prooves to be just as exciting and filled with change. just got my layoff notice from my job of almost four years. I have been so fortunate to have been encouraged by my art director here to participate and collaborate. who knows what the future will bring, eh?

Thanks Everyone!

sorry to hear about your job, and best of luck with the future

I agree with everything you said!! :grumpy:

The layoff sucks, Walt! Best wishes to you!

While we're on this thanking thing....I think that you need to turn and look in the mirror Walt.

You have provided endless help and inspiration in the Dome, Design, the old Raster/Vector forums, and countless links/tutorials for many of us.

I am truly sorry to hear about your job. I'll keep my eye out, and I just linked sonus...I am sure that he has some connections in the area.

Sorry to hear about that. Best of luck to you in your job hunt!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What kinda fools would fire someone of your caliber???

It's like a wookie on endor... that does not make sense.

I'll re-put-out the feelers to see what I can find in SF proper.

Good things happen to good people... at least eventually, try to be patient and keep up the creative efforts to keep the edge sharp and all that

We're here for ya!

that sucks dude...

good luck

I had really wanted to post just this one year online thing for the past week. then, I started to write my post with the layoff in mind and said, nah!

I needed to say all that was said, and the process has brought yesterdays news out and is letting it soak in. at least I've got a month. the budget cuts to the community college system in California are huge... my job and department are but a small thing the community college provided me with such a great opportunity and education, it is really a shame to imagine the losses in the comming months.

with my wife having been laid off before the holidays, now this news just before tax time and given the current job market... who knows?

gotta be thankful for whatch got... and whatch get

_Originally posted by sonus _ **I'll re-put-out the feelers to see what I can find in SF proper.

We're here for ya! **

thanks sonus

Aw heck! Sucks about the work situation, and I hope it worls out for you soon. Thank YOU for being around and being such a booster -your enthusiasm is infectious - I know you've unslumped me a couple of times.

_Originally posted by Tha.Riddla _ **While we're on this thanking thing....I think that you need to turn and look in the mirror Walt.

You have provided endless help and inspiration in the Dome, Design, the old Raster/Vector forums, and countless links/tutorials for many of us.

**

very well said

and sorry to hear about the layoffs, though I am sure someone of your talent and character will be able to find plenty of opportunities despite this crappy economy

cheers!

thanks to you too Walt. you nudged me along at wh and i'm sure many more as well.

sorry about your work situation. wish i had a brilliant idea...

:thumbsup:

well Walt, I'm sorry to hear about your job situation. that sucks. I hope it doesn't mean that you are no longer part of this community 'because yeah, you have been and are one of the few people that are constantly motivating the heads in the battledome, and your insight on print matters in the design forum (both here and on WH) were valuable to me in the past. so here is my thanks to you.

about the rest of the post, I'm flattered to be named in a row of people I respect on artistic grounds. personally I feel I don't belong in there but thats beside the point. I'm glad I have inspired you on some level and I hope I can continue to do so.

take good care of you and yours, Walt, best of luck to you.

we'll miss ya!

wait a minute, so you lose your internet access as well?

telvestone doesn't have an employment requirement.

*pouts until Walt comes back.

_Originally posted by persist _ **

pouts until Walt comes back. *

*joins in pouting

well, let me explain

this gig hasn't been the greatest with regard to income, but I have been able to manage it has been wonderful for experience to go from the classroom, to student intern and then to continue on as an employee... albeit a 'temporary' for the past three years. the job has been part-time with additional teaching hours though I have been part-time, I have been allowed to hang out and use the equipment [and internet connection] all I want

I hang out here about 50 hours a week, always getting in about 30 on the clock. I've been here when shit needed to be taken care of so that has made me more and more valuable.

so the time I have spent online this past year hasn't been company time, well not all of it the rest of the time which was, was encouraged by my art director who has seen what confidence the last year has given me

so, when the gig here ends, I'll prolly be relegated to early morning and some evenings on my dial-up

thanks little girl...

at the risk of leaving so many off, I didn't want to even start a list but you will always be on the top of my list of online personalities

:thumbsup:

_Originally posted by Walt _ **well, let me explain

I'll prolly be relegated to early morning and some evenings on my dial-up **

well, as long as you'll still be here! :cool: i would be very distressed if you were not!!

:notworthy

you need to move out here to grand junction CO and help me sell/develop websites!! i've been in business for about a year and with a little help we could own this town.. cost of living is sooper cheap, mildest climate on the planet - and there's tons of orchards around so you get killer fresh fruit in the summer

i spoke with the biggest designer in town this morning.. i told here i was looking to do some networking and if she had any php/mysql work that i'd be much appreciated if she'd send it my way...

she asked me what php was.. :rolleyes:

i'd offer some sort of wisdom for ya, but i'm just lucky. i lost a dotcom job in the crash a few years ago, sat around for a few months just goofing off and the phone just rang one day, my dotcom boss with a job at a medical software company.

thanks chelle... me too belive me

Mac8myPC... that sounds tempting, this is pretty much a non-market for design, here in the Sacramento area... we've been rooted with my son in college here, which is a great thing... a move and a sales gig sure is a nice thought though

yeah little girl, there's some wisdom in what you said anyhow... things have a way of falling into place... as I'm sure they will

at least I have a month, could have been much worse with regard to timeframe, and my manager told me to bill all my job search hours... along with all I can get in for the month. lotsa folks don't get that leeway

That sucks Walt, but like everyones said it won't be hard for someone with your skill to find a job

and let me reverse the thank you for all the inspiration in the Battle Dome and Design Forums.

Walt :grumpy: :grumpy: :grumpy:

That's a bunch of shite, Walt. :trout: Best of luck to you.