[Here is a story about two ladies who met as pen pals and struck up a lifetime friendship. Meet Bobbie and Janet of "B & J's Many Sites." Some of you may be aware that Bobbie is keeping an online diary on her husband's battle with prostate cancer, which another contributing writer has written about in a previous issue. Bobbie is teaming with strength and has teamed up with Janet on building webpages containing an F-Key with graphics and such gif sites with a "Fantasy," Western," "Medieval" and "Victorian" theme and more. Looking for gifs and sites on music, angels, Native American, cats, dogs, flowers, or children sites to name a few? Stop here and enjoy!--ck]
Back in June of 1998, Bobbie, aka Cloneice, purchased her WebTV terminal. She was intrigued by what she had seen in a TV commercial - a device that gave the ability to surf the web and do e-mail along with a few things she never heard of; and it used a TV!
After purchasing WebTV, Bobbie read the book provided with it and learned how to use the search feature. Then one day, for some unexplainable reason, she went to community and found what was called "newsgroups." Like a thief in the night, "I 'lurked' as they say and read all the posts, but never posted."
"I don't remember how I found it, but I found a pen pal site. After reading it, I found a post from a lady who was also looking for a pen pal." So being about the same age, she wrote her. A few days later, she wrote back "with the neatest e-mail I had ever seen - colors and a jumping dolphin. Well, I had to know how to do that and was introduced to Draacs!" (Now who has not heard of Draac's???).
After corresponding for awhile, Bobbie decided to try her hand at building a website herself!
It was right around this time, June or July of 1998, when Janet, aka Ladybug639, got her WebTV. Her son persuaded her that she might like it. "I thought I might like it and thought it would be something to play games on. Boy was I wrong!"
Janet does not remember whom she first wrote to on the web, but she too found that the person had some "things in her e-mail sig. I asked her how she did that and was sent to Draacs to find some things to add to my sig. It took me forever to get things in there. What a mess I had. But I managed it."
Not knowing where to turn or even where to look for help, Janet found a site where she could look for a pen pal. "I posted there and the next thing I knew, I had a letter from someone named Bobbie."
Well, the friendship took off, and Bobbie tried her hand at building a webpage at Talkcity and was not satisfied. Janet tried also and she was also not satisfied with the results. Bobbie had discovered the WebTV newsgroups and had found the ADH-HH (alt.discuss.homepage). She enlisted their help making a webpage. A group of the ADH-HH have gotten together to help people build webpages and e-mails and to learn about their WebTV terminals in general. They are called The Construction Crew. Having been very pleased by the webpage that was done by them, Bobbie persuaded Janet to go to them also.
After both got help from the Construction Crew, they used these sites to guide them in making their very own pages. Both Janet and Bobbie had no idea how far they would go.
It was then that Bobbie suggested that they make webpages together. This is when "B & J's Many Sites" was born. They combined their talents. Bobbie is a great image researcher and is a master uploader/transloader, while Janet designs the pages and builds them using the images from Bobbie. Janet is usually up late while Bobbie is an early riser - perfect!
Since the first e-mail, Janet and Bobbie have become like sisters - as in cyber sisters. Even being on opposite sides of the country has not kept them apart. Janet has twice gone to visit Bobbie and her husband, Jim, both times on her birthday!
They have become the best of friends in a short time, too. Janet has her original webpage, Ladybug's Nut House, and has done some remodeling since the early days.
As of late, Bobbie has concentrated on The Beginning, a diary of how her husband, Jim, has become ill from prostrate cancer and is dying from it. Bobbie and her husband, Jim, want to help spread information on the seriousness of this illness to prevent other people from suffering as Jim has.
Another great site by both of them is B & J's Awards and Banners. Here they showcase their talents for us all to see. Most of the sites listed at "B & J's Many Sites," are graphics.
WebTV has brought many people together for many reasons. Where a person lives and what they do has no bearing on the world of the internet. Had it not been for WebTV, these two wonderful, talented women would not have met. What A Wonderful World!!
God bless them both and their families, too.
E-mail BobbieE-mail Janet[Community Editor's Notes: What a beautiful relationship to have online and then to combine your efforts in helping others build their webpages and for other users entertainment. We admire your forbearance and strength at this time!--ck]
