[This is the site you have been waiting for. With over 100,000 hits in six months, you will stop wondering why...once you click on Darin's webpage. It has "tutorials on everything," games, wav's, karaoke, 31 drop down menus, an image sizer, and all beginners and advanced users could wish for in a site. But there is a kicker to this story that has to do with a gun and being paralyzed for the rest of his life. Be sure to click on the last link in this story. A miracle to be sure!--ck]

Strength and endurance! Where does it come from and how do you show yours? Some people go day after day wishing they could learn how to build bigger and better websites. Other people use whatever HTML knowledge they possess and "just do it." It takes a lot of strength and perseverance to master building webpages, making tables (gradtables or basic), making tutorials, and just plain becoming a master builder. More and more people are building their pages so that they are compatible with both WebTV and personal computers. Those who take the art of HTML seriously can help those who are just starting out and willing to learn. Just remember, you have to practice in order to succeed.

I want you to meet Darin, aka "The Kid." He is from Fargo, North Dakota and "forever 18 years" young. Darin is paralyzed from the waist down and is handicapable of doing most anything he sets his mind to. He "works part time in electronics" doing television and VCR repairs. When he isn't repairing things, he spends his time, or most of it anyway, "learning more of what WebTV can do." "The Kid's" pages are full of fascinating and useful toys. One can tell he has spent a lot of time fine tuning his pages and a lot of time and energy keeping them up-to-date and useful. He has an enormous compilation of exciting toys; stick around for a few more paragraphs and we'll go play with some of them.

"The Kid" purchased a WebTV Classic back in May of 1999. He immediately started learning what WebTV had to offer and what building webpages was all about.. Darin .wanted to get on "the Internet but couldn't afford a computer." He wanted to "surf the web and e-mail his friends." He stated that because he is "handicapped," it gave him something to do "besides work." "The Kid" said that it didn't take long to find out that much more could be accomplished with his "LBB (little black box) than just e-mail and surfing." He discovered the WebTV User's Discussion Group and learned about the exciting world of HTML. He was "hooked" from that day on.

"The Kid" likes the "easy access that WebTV" has to offer and the "ease of running the unit." He really enjoys being able to sit across the room and "see it on a big screen rather than looking at a 15 or 17 inch computer monitor".

There are a few things that "The Kid" would like to see WebTV improve on. He would like to see some improvements in how fast WebTV connects to the Internet, and once connected, he would like to remain connected. He would like to see G2 audio that "can be transloaded," and better help from the "WebTV help" group.

As far as access to discussion groups aimed at the WebTV user, he believes they should be monitored. Those that aren't allow some users to flame or slam other users. "The Kid" said he had been a victim of slamming, but tried to "post positive" things back only to be slammed again. This is one of the reasons why he does not frequent many discussion groups. Another is the foul language. This is not true in all groups, but there are those out there that one has to be careful in. He does wish that "everybody" would just try and "get along."

There are a few newsgroups that "The Kid" does feel is worth others looking into. One of these is the WebTV User's Discussion Group, the group he "fondly calls home." He found it "right after getting his unit." He said he "learned most of what he knows" from the posts that were filled with useful information and from visiting recommended sites. According to "The Kid", the ADWH MALLRATS Gnubee group is another fine group to belong to. He happened upon this group last summer and has since become a "regular." He confidently recommends them both "to anybody starting out." There are "great people" in these groups and "they know their stuff." He went on to say that there are not "many posts that go unanswered there."

Darin said "WebTV has opened a new world" to him. When he opened his site, his goal was to reach 100,000 hits. It seems he managed to get that in six months. He admits he is "still amazed about that!" He has an array of useful tutorials, graphics, linkable midis, and many other wonderful toys. Not only has he achieved his goal, but he has bypassed it as well. Click on The Club House, and you will find toys to keep you busy for a very long time. He goes on to say that his site is home to over 31 pages of drop down menus. Once you start checking them out, you may be there awhile. Some of these pages include the linkable midis mentioned before, a color picker that you can use to get the HEX numbers for your background, link, vlink, and alink, and a lot more. He also has a tutorial for cut, copy, and paste. It is an easy one that can be understood by nearly everyone. Once you feel confident in how to CC&P, you can use this new found knowledge to cut, copy, and paste most forwards so you can leave off all those annoying e-mail addresses that seem to plague our e-mail inboxes. Once you have entered the world of CC&P, you will use it for everything. So go enjoy your lessons.

When you click on The Club House link, you are allowing "The Kid" to give back to the WebTV Community some of what he has gotten out of it. He loves to help out whenever he can. His health does not always allow him to help, but he gives it his best shot. He has been known to get between 20 to 80 e-mails a day asking for help. The biggest reward is reading e-mail from those who have created their first e-mail signature or that first webpage with his help.

Many have influenced "The Kid" in his journey through cyberspace. Draac's HTML School was one of the first sites that caught "The Kid's" attention and tempted him to learn. WebTV 4 HTML was another influential site. An 18-year-old by the name of Cyberhog III taught him the basics of HTML and Frogy Lady was another. He believes both are off the web now, but appreciates all they have done.

Darin has a whole list of people who have touched his heart or had a hand in kindling the fire that kept him going. There was Draac, Lady Oh, Web Wizard Jerry, Lasher, Ultra, Webgizmo, Poingo, Paulie, Kent Kyle and Mrs. K, Barbie, Clayz, Hoedog, and Larry of WTV-Zone.

There is one other that "The Kid" would like to mention. I am putting this address in another paragraph due to the nature of its content.

"The Kid's" friend, Irishiz has included, on her site, the story of how "The Kid" became paralyzed. It is located under Darin's Story. One young man, one gun, one shot. If not for "The Kid's" faith in God, he might not have had the strength and endurance to come as far as he has. Do you have that kind of strength and endurance?

E-mail: The Kid

[Community Editor's Notes: Ah gee, Darin, after reading your story, it is amazing you have such a love of life. Your family is special, too! They were there when you needed them most by sending that angel with you on the airplane! And you just give in return - toys galore for everyone to play with, learn with, and to just live with alongside you with your WebTV box! God bless!--ck]