Q1) How did you originally find Ten Forward (OTF)?:
Crikey. It's 17 years ago and I was only young at the time. This was before Google too, so it was probably a search engine like Altavista or Lycos at the time.

Q2) What did you like about the place back then?:
I liked its simplicity. The people were friendly. There was no sense of politics.

Q3) Do you still remember any of the people you met in the chat, or events held during that first year?:
Oh yes. Terrence and Andrew were logged in regularly back then. It was always good talking to the people who ran the site and just knowing that they were normal everyday people too. I have fond memories of RDMG, Sym and Teekay.

Q4) Do you still keep in contact with any of them?:
Sadly, not. 17 years is a long time. All of the above have moved on, myself included.

Q5) Why did you stop coming to the chat?:
Back then, I had a big ego. I wanted to climb the ranks and in those days getting to CL5 was pretty much impossible yet I managed it after a great deal of heartache. Despite my best efforts I never got higher and I stopped coming as I saw others pass me. People who had only been around a couple of years were getting up there quicker than me and after a while it was too much. Now that I am much older and wiser, I kinda laugh at that way of thinking now as perseverance is very much a key part of my daily working life.

Q6) Would you consider coming back at some point, and if so, what would make you want to come back?:
I actually did submit a proposal to the current leaders a while back but I never got a reply. That disappointed me and I check the site once in a blue moon now.

Q7) What have you done since you left the chat? What are you doing these days?:
I work as a full time primary school teacher, play worker and an assistant scout leader. Lots of work with kids!