Candlelight vigil for Techman.

This is truly sad news.

My condolences, Wordforge.

[yt=Damn, Damn, DAMN!]xKUwcCp7LPE[/yt]

Just a lurker but still sad to see him pass. My thoughts and prayers for his family and friends.

No.

Damn.

God speed Techman.

I don't frequent here much, but I liked the guy. He always had a certain insight that made me smile.

I'll second that rather than try to come up with something useless.

The Iron Room thread about our late Techman is kind of haunting now.

Silly old bugger

As he said himself, as stubborn as a John Wayne part, and while it might have lead to his premature passing, it was a trait that made him who he was, which is meant to be a compliment.

"" will never be the same again.

We went from the Mother-Of-All-Shitstorms over a thread title change to...this. Isn't it interesting how people who have never met face-to-face form a bond like we did with Techman?

Look around folks; this is what rock bottom looks like. We're all hurting. It's a helluva shock and a helluva hurt.

But the lows like this will make us appreciate the highs much more, and perhaps each other a bit more.

We are a community. We are Wordforge.

The denizens of Heaven are already groaning as the new movie they're talking about gets a lukewarm reception by Techangel as he announces he'll wait for the DVD.

Take her easy, Tech. I know you will.

Reading through this thread again, I'm reminded of just how long I've "known" Tech. You see, back in 2001 I was rooming with Tex up in Lubbock, Tx. Tex was a new poster at TBBS and I was an avid lurker. Around that time I was fairly unhappy with where I was in life and was looking for a change. When I made the decision to join the Army, I noticed that old Tech had some posts about his own experiences. I read through every post the man ever made on the subject, and it helped put my mind at ease over the decision I had made. There were times in basic training when I would think about some of the experiences shared by posters like Tech and Storm at TBBS and compare them with my own. It's funny how people can have an impact on your life, even if only a minor one, without having met them.

Dammit....

I'd been out of the country for a good while on business and came back a few days ago. Stopped by here and saw the latest pair (or was it trio) of shitstorms, thought about tossing out some sort of thread bomb, then decided it wasn't worth the time and walked away.

Surfed by this morning when I got into the office while having my morning coffee and saw this. I welled up a few times reading through this thread. Amazing what impact a guy you've never met and only crossed paths in passing with can have on you.

I glanced around and saw Tech's post in the Iron Room. That got me thinking. See, I HATE doctors. I literally have to be dragged to one. I will not go voluntarily. Well, while I was in London, I noticed a little bump on my leg. I was concerned for about 10 seconds, but then remembered my extensive family history of cysts and blew it off. After seeing this though, I started thinking about how my family would feel if something suddenly happened to me.

I called up my doctor. He was a bit shocked, since the only time I ever call is to set up a racquetball game. Went to see him after a morning meeting. Took him about five minutes to remove it. He took one look and said it looked like something wasn't right.... Its at the lab right now.

Bottom line, whether this thing turns out to have been a problem or not, I for one learned an invaluable lesson, and for that, I and my family owe Tech a serious debt of gratitude. And if this turns out to be something that I caught in time because of this, I owe the man my life.

God speed soldier, and thanks.

This is stunning, horrible news. Techman has been on the boards for as long as I can remember. Although I didn't agree with some of his opinions, I enjoyed his humor, his cussedness and the real person who seemed to come through the screen.

Condolences to his grieving friends and family.

RIP

Batboy's gotta point. I'm now being much more careful about taking my meds.

Ash summed up pretty well how long I've "known" Techman. I'm definately sad, we lost a big part of WF and we will never get him back. His posts at TBBS definately had some influence on my joining the Army. I guess you never know when you're gonna go.

I do know one thing though, there is a library somewhere in Indiana that is missing a several books and movies.

I'm not really good with these types of things but I would like to say that I'll miss his honesty, he was a straight shooter who stuck to his guns even when what he said was extremely unpopular and I'll always admire that.

R.I.P.

I have resurrected my old WF account to send my condolences for the *very* untimely loss of Techman.

I knew him very well when he posted in TNZ some years ago. We *never* got along, but he was a good man and he will be missed.

I debated for a long while whether or not I should post this story, but I wanted to say something.

I started seriously lurking Trekbbs in 2002, just before the TNZ stuff was going down. Unfortunately for me, that was the same time my mother threw our family into chaos by embroiling my sister, me and our father in an awful and messy divorce. Now this isn't a very unique story except for the fact that catalyst for the divorce was that my mom also came out of the closet at exactly the same time. I was just thirteen or fourteen years old and had to come to the realization that not only was my mom completely different from what I had always known, but a lot of things I both don't want to go into and expect you already have figured out.

Anyway, that was when I first noticed Techman's posting, especially about gays and the way he thought of them. And I hated him. The man behind the name, I thought I could not hate a man more than I did when I saw him say such things about gays. About my mom.

But time passed and I grew up a bit. Things changed and I read more of his posts when I moved over to Wordforge and decided to start posting after registering over a year before.

And I saw him still posting, and I was okay with it. Yeah, I disagreed with some of it, but I saw him posting just like I used to, but I also saw something new. He was just a regular man. He had his beliefs and I had mine, though most of them were still woefully uninformed. He had his convictions about life, his stories, his attitudes and his humor, and I realized how wrong I had been as a hurt teenager. I never said a word to him at any time in the years I knew of the poster named Techman. He was a father, a friend and a cool guy who had experiences I could barely fathom. And even though I never told him or anybody, it was a lot of his posts that let me see the light of my own situation and exactly what had happened to my family in 2002. (in an extremely roundabout way that involved much soul searching, but his posts were a part of my thought processes)

And now he's gone and I can't tell him.

[YT="Amazing Grace"]kvUs9engjL0[/YT]


I wish I could chop this video at about 7:05 on, it's what I thought of right when I found out Techman was really gone, the Soldiers singing at first, then that version of Amazing Grace by bagpipes.

I feel bad now for not taking more time to post around here in recent weeks. I didn't always agree with Techman, but I had tremendous respect for the man and considered him a poster of great integrity and logic. It is especially difficult when I learn that someone from the service passes at such a young age. For Techman, I offer the soldier's prayer: I know, it's geared for a young person, but Techman was ageless!

Will there be a place in heaven
For a person such as me
Who, through youth and the love for life
Isn't all you'd have me be?

I've been a man but a short time now
And I'll ask you this, if I might
Isn't fighting for freedom's cause
A fight that's always right?

The men I've killed, some things I've done
Are not things I've wanted to do
But a job I believe had to be done
By we who believe in you

I had those thoughts upon my mind
When I heard that deadly sound
Then, all around me, one by one
My friends fell to the ground

Somehow I knew before it hit
Fear ran up my spine
I felt the blast tearing my side
I knew this one was mine

There'll be much grief for loved ones at home
when they learn that I am dead
Please ease their pain and let them know
These things that I have said

Time's run out, I can feel death's sting
Oh, God, please hear my plea
Let there be a place in heaven
For a person such as me

The job of a soldier is suited for a very special person, and I pray that Techman has found a home with the Lord.

Having just lurked, I never interacted with Techman. But given his history here and on TBBS, I think this picture is strangly appropriate.

shit.

Usually I don't check wordforge until after work, on a whim I checked in this morning and saw the new banner. Didn't really put it together until I clicked on the thread.

Day has been just awful since. My sincere condolences mm.

Out of rep, but

I hope you'll become a regular here.

I was online last night when the news broke and was shocked.

I logged in this morning from my office and that's when it really hit me. Had to shut the office door for a few minutes.

Word just filtered back to me and I immediately came out of self imposed exile.

I'm absolutely gutted.

I never met the guy yet as I type this tears are dripping on the keyboard.

I cannot believe it. Cannot.

Well, shit.

I happened to leave work early today (yes, I got a job) and popped on to WF for the first time since who knows when...and this is what I find.

I won't sit here and pretend Tech and I were best pals. In fact, if I'm going to be perfectly honest, most of the time I couldn't stand the guy. He held opinions that were polar opposite of mine and a lot of the time he seemed to have no rational reason why he felt the way he did, other than the fact that he simply did. He held negative viewpoints on a lot of things and people I hold dear. We got into a lot of arguments about a lot of things. Gays, weed, California, you name it. I even got warned for calling him an ignorant slut in the GR. So saying I had a "chilly" relationship with him would be a bit of an understatement.

But going at 53? That's not right. That's seven years younger than my dad. That only 24 years older than I am, and I'll be damned if I only have 24 years left in me. 53 isn't even close to enough time to see and do everything that's out there to be seen and done. And he hadn't even married mm yet. Working your way through life, and putting that life on the line twice only to be robbed of the reward is more than unfair. It's cruel. And nobody deserves it.

So here's respect for an honest man who went before his time.

RIP, Techman.

I read the news today, and posted my condolences. I went back to my day, but my mind came back to Techman. Again, I then went about my day, but my mind continues to bring me back to this place.

I think the reason this news has touched me so profoundly is because you never expect it to happen. You talk to people on the board, you take for granted that they'll be there for another day. Whether it be for conversation, or just to continue an irrelevant yet ongoing grudge, you always think "there's always tomorrow".

I always respected the man Techman was, beyond the petty board bickering. I can't believe there will never be a "tomorrow" to tell him that.

Wordforge *is* a community, albeit a dysfunctional one. Find strength in each other thru this difficult time.

Perhaps Techman's legacy here could be the re-inforcing of the bonds that made this board last for so long. That would be a fitting tribute to a retired soldier, I think.

And don't worry. I won't post anymore.

Well you can't spell dysfunctional without fun.

And while Techman and I didn't share a lot of the same viewpoints, I always had fun talking with him, whether it was disagreement or agreement; and that fun with him will be forever gone.

He was a brave man, and from how he always spoke of his daughter, I felt he was a loving father, and a member of this community, and he will always be remembered.

Rest In Peace Techman, you deserve nothing less.

Didn't talk to him too much, and called him out one time for saying something about my wife, but whatever.

From what I've collected about him, from being here for as long (little) as I have, he seemed to be a truly great guy. Stood by what he believed in and everything in between.

He'll be missed.

I just realized my last post to Techman was joke-advising him to eat copious amounts of butter when he complained of chest pains.

Huh.

I can't fault you if you don't come back anymore, but if there's anything to be learned from this is that life's far too short for holding on to stupid shit--I envy anyone on this board who's biggest concern is about your return or the shit that went down two years ago, because they lead a pretty charmed life and are not feeling the pain the rest of us are.

Muad Dib said it best, and I would have replied to this post earlier, if I hadn't been on my way out the house when I saw it:

We may all whine and bitch and sling shit with one another over politics and religion and how the board should be run. But at the end of the day, we would still be deeply saddened if most posters left. Somehow, people like markb and Tex could bury the hatchet with Nick and Listy. People who never hesitate to neg Face posrepped him for what is easily his best post in the whole two years I've known him. Even Tasvir has aksed for his account to be opened to post his well-wishes with the rest of WF, who knew Techman the best.

Liberal or Conservative, atheist or religious, black or white or yellow or red, rich or poor--I think I speak for everyone when I say any Wordforger's death diminishes us all.

So please, I hope that some of us can bury the hatchet about issues long gone and look at life a bit differently from all this. If nothing else, I won't be too quick to go on sprees to run people off the board anymore, since everyone adds a bit to the board that no one else can.

edit- To Ramen:
I'm not sure what mine was, but I think it was a complaint about his over use of the "I'll wait for the DVD" line.