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Ten years of X404 
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I haven't seen my friends in so long
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Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:55 am
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Looking at the members list, saspro joined on the 23rd April 2009, which means that today is probably X404's 10th birthday, so I thought I'd start this thread to celebrate the fact, and maybe give people a chance to catch up with what everyone else has been up to for the past ten years.

I will post something later on today, as I am currently catching up on emails, (I've been on leave for a week) but for now... Happy birthday X404! :)

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Tue Apr 23, 2019 6:57 am
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I was thinking about this forum and how active it used to be. I remember the old boards on dennis website that was all linked from different magazines. I used to access it from "Computer Buyer". Then the boards were shut down and some people migrated here. A few new people joined but slowly people have dropped out. Presumably they've moved on with their lives. Or maybe they've moved on to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc - something I've noticed across several forums now. I recall JJW009 and still miss his presence.

In the last ten years, what's happened to me? I started and completed my GP training. I've bought a house and settled down with my partner. I lost several stone in weight (and then gained some of it back!). The free time I used to have is now consumed by either spending time with my partner, or with jobs needing to be done around the house. My interest in IT has significantly waned.

I guess life moves on for all of us. I wonder if we will still all be here in another ten years.

Happy birthday X404!

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Tue Apr 23, 2019 7:35 am
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Ten years ago I was on the verge of going self-employed. I'd been made redundant in February and had been working off-and-on on my ex-boss's book on the 156 Parachute Battalion which kept me going while I sorted out how to be able to make a living as a freelance artworker.

I was also on the verge of joining the band that would ultimately become Dick Venom & The Terrortones which would turn out to be the most successful and most fun musical project I have ever been involved with.

I had been a member of the Dennis forums through the MacUser site, and spent most of my time in the graphic design and print sections. In a way I miss the design and print based discussions and problem solving, although it might be for the best these days as the graphics programs get more sophisticated, it is mostly my knowledge of specialist packaging printing processes and how to create artwork that will work successfully for these processes that keeps me solvent, and I can't be giving all the trade secrets away now can I?

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Tue Apr 23, 2019 12:21 pm
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Happy Birthday X404. i still keep my hand in with computers, build a few repair a few. but the very busy days when PCPRO forums were going have gone but its good to see some of the ex pcpro forum users are still about on X404. to say the least its been very interesting ...

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Tue Apr 23, 2019 7:04 pm
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So what’s happened since 2009

I had only been in my job a couple of years in 2009 and I am still here in the same company, & still doing project work
Gained a few Gray hairs
Still play with PCs (although don’t do nearly as much gaming on them as I used to) and provide Tech support to the family and neighbours
SWMBO has gone through 3 jobs in the same period
1 Cat died and 1 new cat and lost a few good friends and family members but also seen nieces & nephews growing up

So here is to another 10 years if its still running

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Wed Apr 24, 2019 7:39 am
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OK, so what has happened since 2009...?

I have switched career, and no longer work in I.T. I am now a teacher, and as you probably know I teach English, maths and ICT to students at The Manchester College.
My dad died.
I have become a grandparent. Twice.
I have released several video games, on Android and Windows/OSX.
I am now in my 50's
I am still not a millionaire.

Still feeling a bit annoyed about how the Dennis forums ended, as I really enjoyed the interaction between the various magazine readers, especially the Windows/mac fanboy spats, but that was then and this is now, and although I'm not here as often as I once was, I am still a regular visitor, and like having this place to hang out in.

Happy birthday, X404, and thanks to saspro and the mods for doing a great job. :)

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okenobi wrote:
John's hot. No denying it. But he's hardly Karen now, is he ;)

John Vella BSc (Hons), PGCE - Still the official forum prankster and crude remarker :P
Sorry :roll:
I'll behave now.
Promise ;)


Wed Apr 24, 2019 8:32 am
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Happy Birthday.

I find it a shame that the forums aren't as active as they used to be. I guess most people have migrated to Facebook/Instagram* or Twitter.

I was employed as a programmer and I am now a sys admin. Still living in Germany and I am now a German citizen (well, dual nationality, as I managed to get it through before May managed to get Brexit in gear.


* I recently installed a Pihole, Rasberrry Pi with DNS software, for my local network. It seems to be working, my daughter visited at the weekend and promptly announced that my Internet wasn't working, because she couldn't log onto Instagrab. I told her, that it was working as intended, all tracking and invasive websites are blocked, including Facebook. "But this is Instagram!" Yes, but Instagrab is also Facebook!!

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Wed Apr 24, 2019 9:35 am
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Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2009 12:30 pm
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Ten years! :shock:


Still in the same job and the last few years have treated me very well, long may they continue.

Finally had an 'altercation' with my father, actually the best thing we've ever done. Or I've ever done :twisted:

Bought a house and a dog. Both require constant attention!

My weight yo-yos because doggie loves his walks but I remain a creature of habit.

Starting to go bald at the back and I just want it all to fall out instead of having to continually shave it!

My geeky collecting has seen me put up more shelves than Nick Knowles' team.


Long live x404! :geek:

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Wed Apr 24, 2019 11:54 am
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Wow. Ten years. I used to use the forum through the MacUser site. That magazine has gone too, along with Macworld which also ceased publishing in the country a few years back.

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Wed Apr 24, 2019 1:31 pm
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big_D wrote:
find it a shame that the forums aren't as active as they used to be. I guess most people have migrated to Facebook/Instagram* or Twitter.


I do't find Facebook etc. any substitute for old-style forums like this.

I'm an active member of the recording/music tech forum run by SOS magazine and Basschat, a UK based forum for bass guitar players both of which are extremely busy and whose functions could not be reproduced by the "newer" social media platforms.

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Wed Apr 24, 2019 4:46 pm
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I guess there's no real way to get new people to replace ones that leave.

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Thu Apr 25, 2019 6:26 am
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l3v1ck wrote:
I guess there's no real way to get new people to replace ones that leave.

Completely true. The old Dennis forums had people coming from the website of the respective magazine. I originally joined because I had a computer issue and posted it. I had some helpful responses. Whilst browsing around, I found the old meeting place forum and started posting there.

We did have a spate of new users dropping in but I'm not sure how they found this place.

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Thu Apr 25, 2019 6:41 am
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10 years! Eeep.

I was originally on the MacUser forums so when that shut I came here and a big thank you to Saspro for setting this all up and keeping it running (as well as the odd beer when we've met up in that there London :D )

So, in the last 10 years...
I've change departments in the same company a number of times and gone from being a lab monkey to a health and safety bod.
Still don't own my home (but have been renting the same house for what will be 10 years this year).
Switched from a Mac to a PC and aside from Windows 8 borking itself once, haven't really looked back.
Became an uncle last year

So yeah, 10 years.

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Thu Apr 25, 2019 9:03 am
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I am not as regular here as I used to be. Back in the days when I was vainly trying to earn a crust by pushing pixels about, places like X404 kept me sane while chained to my desk and screen.

Now, it’s five years since a complete volte face in my world - I turned a hobby into a small business. I build model railway kits for money. That means I rarely spend a lot of time at a computer, with most of my internet world being email and Twitter via a tablet. I’ve killed my Facebook account for a second time, as my mental health needed to be rid of it.

I’ll never be rich, and although I have quite a few ups and downs, I’m reasonably happy. It could be a lot worse.

Happy birthday X404! :D

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Mon Apr 29, 2019 6:33 am
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10 years is crazy.

I think I came over from Custom PC IIRC.

In the last 10 years I:

Had a child
Bought my 1st iMac
Got married
Bought a lizard
Had another child
Bought a house
Made sure I can't have any more children
Bought a cat
Went back to Windows
Turned 40

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Tue Apr 30, 2019 10:37 am
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