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Posted by: Gina (Staten-Island@usa.net) on 2/11/1998@15:46hrs:
Where did it all begin? On the Internet by requests/suggestions/brain storming via many, many e-mails from me to Anthony Busa the Webmaster of the Staten Island Web. Anthony was purrrrfect in understanding what would work to make this a great posting site for Staten Islanders past & present (& the wanAbees too). "The Gathering" web site made it's debut on the Internet January 22, 1996 & I din't know how to post to it :( LOL
Finally on February 11, 1996 I made my first successful posting thanking the Webmaster for such a great web site. HO HUMMMM it seemed to take months before people really started finding this web site. WOW!!! people actually started posting all kinds of great things. Today by the l^oo^ks of it "The Gathering" & "NosTrivia - which arrived later" they are 2 of the BEST overall posting sites on the Internet. It has become a web site that offers information / history / laughter / caring / opinions pro or con/ and so much more. This web site has created new friendships & best of all it has become a "cyber conduit" to reuniting old friends & neighbors that once called Staten Island home. Especially this past few weeks there have been the MOST WONDERFUL & EXCITING REUNIONS on the "Live Chat" channel. It's great to be on channel when all of a sudden a new person joins and the screen may l^oo^k something like this:
(newbie)hi
(oldster chatter)hi r U from Staten Island?
(newbie)well I used to live in Staten Island but I live in "Somewhere Town" now
(oldster)well used to live on Staten Island and grew uP in "name that town" and went to "name that high school"
(newbie) WOW!!! I went there too and I lived on "name that street" and hung out at "name that corner candy store"
(oldster) do u know so & so and so & so and do U remember "this teacher & that teacher"
(newbie) I sure do & I'm trying to place you too
(oldster) well I used to be on the "name that team" or "name that whatever"
(newbie) OH MY GAWD! I remember U didn't U hang out with "name those poeple"
(oldster) I sure did, what a small world & I know U too
It is the greatest thing to see happening on screen U can actually almost hear the laughter and by the text entered (including the cyber history typos) you can see the memories just popping out all over the place and see the BIG SMILES of the people who are in the reuniting process via the Internet.
I had no idea that when I made my first attempt to contact the Webmaster via e-mail that this web site would be to popular and that so many people from all over the world would post & be connected or reunited by this crazy 90's technology called "computers & the internet"
Thank "U" Webmaster at Chadmarc for giving us such a great gift.
Gina (Coiro) Lettieri