Sometimes I hate the Internet.

[DoctorWatsOn]

It's great in helping to track down old mates you've lost contact with, but sometimes not so good.

I’ve just checked an old e-mail address I stopped using about 2 years ago, because it was just filling up with spam everyday, to find news an old friend died just before Christmas, from his partner, and inviting me to the funeral.

These two guys had been together for over 30 years and were very close friends with me and my ex-g/f for about 6 years, before me & her broke-up and these two guys moved away and I lost contact with them due to slackness on both sides.

I’ve been regretting the last year or so that we lost contact and tried to track them down, but no luck, and now this has hit me from out of the blue – gutted.

Don’t you just hate it when crap like this happens?

 

[CTXMedia]

Sad news indeed. Have you managed to speak your friend's partner and offer your condolences and apologies?

I'm sure he will both understand, and appreciate you making the effort to get in touch.

Cheers,
Shaun

 

[DoctorWatsOn]

Sad news indeed. Have you managed to speak your friend's partner and offer your condolences and apologies?

Not yet, there was no telephone number in the e-mail, I'll e-mail him tomorrow, too upset at the moment.

This comes on top of finding out an another old mate and serious drinking buddie I used to work with on the pirate radio stations in Ireland back in the 80s, who I had also lost contact with, also died towards the end of last year.

Will people please STOP dying on me.

That news I found out on a bloody pirate radio forum, posted by someone else I had also long since lost contact with.

Let this be a lesson to younger folk - always keep in contact with those that you get close to over the years, and don't be slack like me.

 

[James]

My condolences to you for the losses of two old friends. The lesson you posted above is one that should be heeded! Friends are friends for a reason.

 

[Floris]

Yep, unfortn. that's how it sometimes goes. The important thing is - is that you can contact your friend and visit them perhaps for a chat. They surely understand that your intentions were to go if you knew. Sorry to hear about his partner. Sad news.

 

[Peggy]

So sorry for your loss darlin.

 

[DoctorWatsOn]

Well I suppose, on reflection, the younger generation have better opportunities to keep in contact, what with mobile phones & the internet and in particular Facebook (feels sick) and twitter, etc.

Whereas we didn't have such things back in the 70s, 80s & early 90s, and whilst I've [to some degree] taken onboard this ‘new’ technology, others of my age (late 40s) and older didn’t or if they did, we had long since lost contact and therefore it hasn’t been that easy to track each other down again.

Part of the problem is that I, these two guys and others I’ve considered very close friends at various points over the years, have been ‘nomads’ – between us we have moved about a lot, living in various places all over the UK, Ireland, Europe and beyond – constantly on the move and the old fashion snail-mail addresses & landline numbers, combined with general slackness, made it hard to keep in contact.

God, I feel old, and sad.

I can't wait until my lovely lady gets home from work for a cuddle.

 

[Kim]

It's great in helping to track down old mates you've lost contact with, but sometimes not so good.

I’ve just checked an old e-mail address I stopped using about 2 years ago, because it was just filling up with spam everyday, to find news an old friend died just before Christmas, from his partner, and inviting me to the funeral.

These two guys had been together for over 30 years and were very close friends with me and my ex-g/f for about 6 years, before me & her broke-up and these two guys moved away and I lost contact with them due to slackness on both sides.

I’ve been regretting the last year or so that we lost contact and tried to track them down, but no luck, and now this has hit me from out of the blue – gutted.

Don’t you just hate it when crap like this happens?

So sorry to hear it Doctor, very sad news, and so much worse for it being delivered months late

I know I had something similar once, a woman I had been very close with at one stage, who's husband was friends with one of my brothers, we but had lost touch as you do over the years.

She died, my brother knew, but didn't bother telling me, and he went to the funeral, and only told me about it a few weeks later... I was gutted too

 

[Jo.]

I'm so sorry Doctor

 

[Digital Doctor]

Don’t you just hate it when crap like this happens?

Indeed.

 

[AnthonyCea]

Spam makes you hate the web because it wastes so much of your time and effort online, forum owners get the worst end of it because forums are targeted by Black Hat Spam-E-O morons, for that reason I hate the net too !!

Sorry to see spammers ruined your email address and sorry about your buddy !