I wish I could be articulate. I wish there was a way to get it all across. Is there a way to speak of this without sorrow? I don't think so.
For those who do not know, Joanne was our 104th member. Her account dates from November 5th of 2002, before we started actively advertising on Google.
But she was actually here before even that. She posted as a guest a few times, before Craven tweaked the settings so that guests could not post. Here is a post from then,
http://www.able2know.com/forums//viewtopic.php?p=73#73 The date is September 15th of 2002. I am guessing that that is the only post that remains from her posting as a guest.
To give you an idea about A2K on September 15th of 2002, there were exactly 10 accounts. Two were administrative-type accounts (Administrator and Moderator), two were Craven and me, one was Craven's brother, one or two were students of Craven's in Brazil, and the remainder were ehBeth, Rae and Phoenix32890. Most of the first 100 or so posts were tests of the site's features. But there were also a few where we welcomed one another. And Joanne was there.
And there was before A2K, Abuzz, and she was there, too, in the thick of things, always with a kind word. I have known her since I opened my account on Abuzz; that was just before Halloween 2000. So I have known her for nearly 5 years. Others here have probably known her longer, as she was a veteran on Abuzz by the time I joined that site. Five years, maybe six? That's a lifetime, and not just online.
There's a big Joanne-shaped hole. And it can't be filled. So I think the thing to do is, it's the only thing to do. Throw your arms around the rest of A2K. Everyone. No exceptions. She was one of our own. That is all, I suppose, anyone can say, I wish there was more, I wish there was a better way to convey it, but maybe there isn't maybe that's enough.
She was one of our own. And in our hearts, she always will be.
Love and godspeed, click your heels three times. Good night, sweet princess.
