OSNN Newsletter

[Electronic Punk]

I have spent a lot of time working on OSNN.net in the background recently, moving to a new faster (albeit cheaper) host (shared sites have come a long way since we got booted off XP-erience and it feels faster than my terrible efforts to go with the latest dedicated VPS), upgrading software, refreshing spam protection (which seems to be holding up, but I have said that many times the last twenty years), fixing redirects (from as many old locations as I could think of) which I should have done years ago and redoing some of the shaggier areas of the site.

It was quite fascinating going over my old posts and attachments, twenty years is a long time - half my life – and recent events have had me feeling very nostalgic. The site has made me what I am today for better or worse, got me my place in the tech industry and ultimately my wife and daughter!

It was quite bizarre updating old reviews we did to fit the forum BBcode, but you never know there might still be someone out there still on the fence about buying Unreal Tournament 2003, well now they can do it without sixteen year old typos.

Sadly, the other main reason I have been feeling nostalgic is that I use to play Counter-strike, Left4Dead and Team Fortress with one of our old team members but suddenly he disappeared. I scoured the web, other forums for details on Sazar and a few weeks ago I discovered he had taken his own life and I can’t stop thinking about it.

He was always the happiest and most helpful person, but life obviously took a dark turn and I don’t know if there is anything I could have done to stop it. So leads me on to the main point of this ramble – we all invested a great deal of time in this site and I hope you are all fit and well in this age of pandemics and crazy politicians.

I would just love to hear what other old members have been up to and are okay, so if you feel the same as me, be sure to stop by OSNN or add me on social media:

https://twitter.com/electronicpunk
https://www.facebook.com/electronicpunk

If you do stop by the site, I promise you will see a lovely picture of my daughter and if I have time what I have been up to over the last few years! It has been strange fixed issues which many of our members won’t see, but has been a thrilling few days reading through as much as I can.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading!

Kind regards,
Patrick aka Electronic Punk
https://www.osnn.net

 

[Electronic Punk]

As promised here is a picture of my daughter Emma, aged two and a half!



She is amazing and my entire life now!

 

[kcnychief]

Quite the eye opener to see this email filter into my inbox. Pop in here and there, was quite the experience back in the day. That is horribly sad news about Sazar- I appreciate you sharing, and hope it enlightens others to ensure they are keeping tabs on themselves as well as others, during these crazy times.
Hope everyone is well and stays safe!

 

[Electronic Punk]

Hey KC, thanks for stopping by - got you on Facebook but been a while since I saw you here!
Hopefully the mail won't upset too many people, not like I send them out a lot.

Been trying to track down the bounces so far, found 2 of 3 which isn't bad with just a few details.

As I said, been looking at lots of old stuff lately, even found this one:

I got ENGAGED!

Since I got so much love for starting my own birthday thread, I figured I would post pictures of my "moment" to share with my OSNN people since I'm so proud :) Yes, I actually got down on a knee....

www.osnn.net

 

[SPeedY_B]

Thanks for the email, was both nice and sad. Definitely a nice reminder to check in on others and yourself!

Also, Waddy is still an arsehole.

 

[Electronic Punk]

Very sad, I was going to message you on Twitter to see if you knew, but didn't get around to it.
Or distracted by your live stream 😀

 

[kcnychief]

Hey KC, thanks for stopping by - got you on Facebook but been a while since I saw you here!
Hopefully the mail won't upset too many people, not like I send them out a lot.

Been trying to track down the bounces so far, found 2 of 3 which isn't bad with just a few details.

As I said, been looking at lots of old stuff lately, even found this one:

I got ENGAGED!

Since I got so much love for starting my own birthday thread, I figured I would post pictures of my "moment" to share with my OSNN people since I'm so proud :) Yes, I actually got down on a knee....

www.osnn.net

Holy CRAP!

 

[Evil Marge]

Awww shes a little cutie.
Wow hasn’t time flown, everyone's all grown up now 🙂

What terrible news regarding Sazar, I was shocked right to the pit of my stomach when I read the email. I cant imagine what he was going through & I really feel for his poor family 🙁

Its nice to see a few old faces up there ^^, I often wonder what happened to the old gang from back in the xp-erience days. *waves*

(EDIT..Just noticed the bottom of Speedys post 😀)

 

[SPeedY_B]

Just providing the facts 😀

 

[Evil Marge]

Just providing the facts 😀

Facts are good

 

[madmatt]

Long time my friends. I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe during these uncertain times.

I appreciate the email last night.

The news of Satish is heartbreaking. He and I kept in touch over the years while he was working for Dell. I remember emailing him and not hearing back. I assumed, like many, he was no longer working for Dell. Such a great guy. Unfortunately I didn't know until EP's email. I feel horrible.

 

[Electronic Punk]

Hello everyone! So very nice to see you posting!

madmatt, I saw you had each other on Twitter and did speak now and then, did think you knew - I only found his Twitter account shortly before I found the news...

But yeah I must have spent hours trying to find any activity from him over the last few years! Even asking other forums for a newer email address which I never got - there had to be some reason he hadn't been on Steam, he loves his games!

 

[Electronic Punk]

I have been doing some, I guess, snooping:

jimi_81 found on Reddit, over here: jimi_81 (u/jimi_81) - Reddit seems to be the same person from Stoney Creek

Grandmaster had an @osnn.net email address, so sadly couldn't mail, but found him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/omarganai
He also still uses www.ganai.com

Geffy and zeke_mo added me to Facebook! May drop by some time?

I am sure Perris or dealer as you may remember him will be around at some point too along with users like chastity and American Zombie who have never been far away 😉

fitz and ray_gillespie the two remaining mods appears to have been around in the last 6 months too!

NetRyder is doing well at Netflix, he was in Copenhagen a few years ago presenting on things I don't understand! Small place, so shame I missed him really as I have been living in Denmark a few years now.

Are there any long terms members we have other details on?
Would love to know where xsivforce got to?

I was trying to find Son Goku as my email got a bounce, but when you put your name as a fictional character in a fictional place with an EDU email address, its tough to track down!

 

[SPeedY_B]

I still talk to Geffy (Edit: I mean Feggy 😛 ) on twitter now and then, also LordOfLA.

 

[Electronic Punk]

Yeah I actually met LordOfLA a few times, once at a mutual friends many years ago and then most recently when he got a job in Salisbury - I think that was just before I moved to London. Got Mainframeguy on Twitter too although hasn't Tweeted since 2011!

 

[albybum]

Great to see so many familiar faces usernames from my younger days. 😛

 

[Electronic Punk]

Great to see so many familiar faces usernames from my younger days. 😛

Hey albybum good to see you!

 

[madmatt]

Fitz is doing well. I talk to him from time to time. I'll shoot him a message.

 

[Evil Marge]

Thanks for the update EP. I’d love to know how Xsiv, Benny, Funky, Nick are doing these days.
We all used to have some laughs back in the day didnt we? This is the first forum I became a member of and stay because everyone was so kind and helpful 😎

 

[Electronic Punk]

For sure, but it has been many years!

2009 - Tabula Rasa
2009 - Tabula Rasa
2007 - Nick M
2013 - xsivforce

Would also love to hear from @gonaads and used some form to bug @xie that may or may not work!