It was the summer or fall of 1996 that I first discoverd BGOL. At that time it was mostly a picture board with a few animated GIFs. I was fresh out of grad school working for a company that was behind DirectTV so the concepts around video compression were a big deal. I noticed that BGOL's founder started posting little 1 or 2 minutes videos which led to me to ask how he was compressing those videos.
But from there, I just became a regular. I never posted much (definitely a lurker lol). I generally responded to topics about Tech, or Sci Fi / Fantasy shows and politics, but BGOL was always a DAILY mandatory check in. I'll never forget on 9/11, that I was headed to work (downtown DC) and before I could get on the train, the planes hit first building. I went back home and instantly got on BGOL to see what Brothers was saying. It was the primary source of my information from the Black community/perspective
I went full time remote in 2007 and for 15 years, I stayed with one eye on my work computer and my other eye on my personal computer logged into BGOL. I went back into an office in 2023 and after a few muscle memory aided blocked attempts at going to BGOL in the office, I found myself not checking in every day. A year ago when I re-upped my membership, I DM'ed V and said what did he think was going to happen with the site and he confided in me he thought the end was near
Today, it's youtube channels, podcasts, vlogs, etc that can give you the black perspective, but nothing like the direct real time interaction with brothers from all over the world that BGOL gave you.
So shout out to V, all the board mods, all the regular contributors that made this place great over the years. In the old days I know I would get clowned for posting this sentimental shite, but I'm over 50 now and don't give a fuck.
PEACE YALL BGOL FORVER
But from there, I just became a regular. I never posted much (definitely a lurker lol). I generally responded to topics about Tech, or Sci Fi / Fantasy shows and politics, but BGOL was always a DAILY mandatory check in. I'll never forget on 9/11, that I was headed to work (downtown DC) and before I could get on the train, the planes hit first building. I went back home and instantly got on BGOL to see what Brothers was saying. It was the primary source of my information from the Black community/perspective
I went full time remote in 2007 and for 15 years, I stayed with one eye on my work computer and my other eye on my personal computer logged into BGOL. I went back into an office in 2023 and after a few muscle memory aided blocked attempts at going to BGOL in the office, I found myself not checking in every day. A year ago when I re-upped my membership, I DM'ed V and said what did he think was going to happen with the site and he confided in me he thought the end was near
Today, it's youtube channels, podcasts, vlogs, etc that can give you the black perspective, but nothing like the direct real time interaction with brothers from all over the world that BGOL gave you.
So shout out to V, all the board mods, all the regular contributors that made this place great over the years. In the old days I know I would get clowned for posting this sentimental shite, but I'm over 50 now and don't give a fuck.
PEACE YALL BGOL FORVER
