[JiF][AARP]Tissueman wrote:... I’ve hung around even though I took about a 2 year hiatus from playing just because this is a great place. Thanks to all of you for making this a great community.
Tissue
Tissue, this community exists because a group of guys took the time to build it. They set the tone and established the value system which resonates to this day. They should be proud of what they accomplished, in fact; Tissue, you should be proud of what you've accomplished. You have been here from the beginning - helping to guide and shape the community. The fact that it shares your values is simply a reflection of the efforts you have made. You should know that you have been a gentle master only providing guidance when necessary and the calm voice of reason when required. I've even seen you in the role of "the decider" once or twice. A role I know you do not enjoy but you play well and I know my fellow Jiffers respect you for it. In some ways you have become JiF's Jiminy Cricket.
You have been the one consistent thread that winds through the fabric of the (our) community and - If I can extend the metaphor, the weft and weave of your presence has given the community its strength and like real fabric, the community has proven itself to be flexible - able to reshape itself to meet the needs of changing times.
The Web is not always a friendly place, through the mask of avatars some people can become the powerful monsters they always wanted to be. Anonymous and mean. Many sites and forums are littered with the corpses of those slain in flame wars. JiF may not change the world or cure cancer but it can certainly help maintain mental sanity. It is a place of respite. I've hung out here since I first joined - not for the gaming, although I love to play - but for the consistency of companionship and the camaraderie. Members have come and gone but the commonality of values has been consistent and reassuring. The fact that I allow my son to play online when I’m not present (only if the Jif guys are there!) is a sign of the faith and respect I have for JiF and its intuitive vetting system.
You and the founders should take a well deserved bow. This is exactly the kind of community that many people envisioned when the Web was created. Porn free versus ‘Free Porn’, inviting instead of invasive. Where the anonymous internet avatars can become friends; not fiends, only to be feared on the field of battle. JiF has become the online home where we can feel safe laying about in our PJs, contentedly eating a PB&J sandwich, despite knowing we forgot to lock the door.
Thank you,
Glen
