Happy Birthday Bitmob!!!

I just finished reading Toby Davis' retrospective about the first year of Bitmob and, after going through a whole box of tissues, I decided to write my own retrospective/happy birthday post. I have not been as active on Bitmob as I once was, but in the beginning I was logged onto Bitmob whenever my computer was on. Suffice to say, I worked from home a year ago and my computer was on a lot!

I first heard about Bitmob on a 1up post. I had a lot of respect for Demian and Shoe and, after a quick visit to the site and a glance at the about us/about you section, I felt I had found my video game Mecca. The site was amazing because unlike sites like 1up and Giantbomb where user created material is an afterthought, Bitmob allowed the very users who visit the site to help create and shape it! Who could not be attracted to a video game website like that?

As you may have read in Toby's retrospective, he and I read everything posted on the site and tried to comment on each and every blog. I kept up this marathon of commenting for at least 2 months. It got to the point that when Toby would email me saying he was going to be away from the site I would actually give him shit and tell him I need his help! Why was I reading and commenting on everything? Well, Rich McGrath said it best when he told me that "Bitmob owns my ass!" For the summer and fall of 2009, it really, really did.

In the early winter of last year I changed jobs a couple times, and since then I have bought a house, got married, and nearly suffered 19 nervous breakdowns. With all of this going on I simply could not put the hours into Bitmob that I once did.

When I look back to last May and ponder what I have gotten out of Bitmob the one and only thing that comes to mind, besides great reading material, is the people: Toby (you hornball!), Tommy Ingallinera, Community Manager Andrew Hiscock, Jazz "Mr. PAX" English, Jon Shults, Mark Whitney, Christopher Quach, Patrick "Superghost" Bonk, Cosmo, Intern Jasmine "Maleficent" Rea, the amazing Brian Shirk, podcaster extraordinaire and Editor James DeRosa, Editor Brett Bates (who is one of my favorite writers), Brian Petro-Roy, Davneet Minhas (where are you?), James Thornhill (where are you too?), Editor and Gamemaker extraordinaire Jay Henningsen, Trevor Hinkle, David Matos, Omar (congrats on the intern position), Juan Letona, Chris the Casual Alcoholic, Lyndsey Mosley, Joe Donato (where are you?), Alex Martin, Evan "king of the one-liner" Killham, Tim King, Rob Thomas, Editor Rob Savillo (get on Twitter!!!), Pete Davison, Matt Giguere, Tom H., Michael Rousseau, Nick, Cody Winn, Frank Anderson, Jeffrey "Mi" Sandlin (Hi Jeff!!!), Jon Porter, M.H. Mason, Harold Burnett, Justin Dennis (really, where in the hell are you?!), the talented Suriel Vazquez, Jake Johnson, Daniel Feit, Jonathan Cole, Eric King (best facebook updates ever)......

....this is the point where I realize I should not have mentioned everyone individually.....

.....Jeff Grubb, Derek Lavigne (thanks for Pixel Revolt!), the Brothers Minotti, Cameron Pershall, Evan Campbell, Travis McReynolds (welcome back!!!), Ultan, Aaron Rivers and many more I am forgetting, but it's late so cut me some slack. One person I would like to single out Is the Great Alex R. Cronk-Young. This guy is a damn workhorse, a loyal friend to many and one of the most dedicated Bitmobbers. He doesn't get enough thanks for all he does for the site, so thanks Alex!

I would like to especially and eternally thank Demian, Shoe, Rich, Jason, Greg, Michael (who along with James DeRosa has increased my vocabulary by 50%), and ALL of the staff for creating and nurturing this amazing website that I am proud to consider myself a member of. When I visit the site recently I am blown away by the quality of work and the dedication of the staff and community members. I would like to think that Bitmob has made me a better writer, or at least a more conscious writer, and I believe many other Bitmobbers would feel the same. Bitmob is truly an amazing thing.

Happy Birthday Bitmob and congratulations to everyone involved!!!!

(10)

Jeffrey Sandlin

May 05, 2010

Congrats to you as well, sah. The site wouldn't have been the same without your obsessive compulsive commenting habit.

Jazz English

Read this right before bed. You put a smile on my face for the night, Lance.

Hornball!

Toby Davis

Thank you Lance and I am still surprised it has been a year.

Alex R. Cronk-Young

If it were not for your constant commenting I might have been discouraged and stopped posting. Thanks for being the always unbelievably excited and happy person you are, Lance!!!!!! Those extra exclamation marks were for you, for helping boost up all the people around you at every opportunity. You are the most selfless person I've ever fake met.

Travis McReynolds

Second on ARC-Y, you keep a lot of new bitmobbers motivated. I know it definitiely helped when I got started. Happy B-day, Bitmob.

Harold Burnett

I just wanted to join in on the lovefest. Bitmob has become my favorite video game community over the past year. The thing that won my over was the comment section. Most websites have people just calling each other names and exchanging Memes all day. Only on Bitmob have I found a place where the comment section is not only safe,but helpfully and productive.

Also

Alex Martin

I've only been here since November (I don't know -- that's when I first wrote something, but I might've commented before then) so this doesn't feel like a milestone to me. But my last 6 months of internet-usage have been pretty cool thanks mostly to Bitmobbers here and on Twitter. ^__________^

*Internet Hug*

Mark T. Whitney

Awww, that's so sweet. Happy Birfday Youse Guys!

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Chase Koeneke

I'm in Alex's boat, only having been writing here since February (though I'd been reading for a long time before.) Bitmob is the only site where I've ever cared about reading the comments, not just on my own stories, but all stories. It's so refreshing to have a community that not only wants to have in depth discussions about games and culture, but wants to help raise the quality of its members' writing.

In a Internet filled with put downs and name calling, Bitmob is a safe haven for constructive criticism and that's why I love it so much.

Thanks Lance for adding to that construction.