IN MEMORY OF OUR BELOVED Go2Net
As most of you know, later this morning (in about 10 hours) votes will be taken at two different "special" shareholders meetings at 9:00 AM (PT), in both Seattle and Bellevue (across the lake) Washington...and the Go2Net many of us have come to love, will be swallowed up into a company called InfoSpace. We already know, it's a done deal.
Many of us who have posted on this thread over the years fell in love with this wonderful little company called Go2Net because of its incredible management team, and their vision for the future. We've watched this "little engine that could" grow from virtually nothing, into one of the top most visited family of Internet websites in the history of the world.
Personally, thanks to this thread, I've met an incredible group of wonderfully diverse (often slightly eccentric) and highly intelligent people, some of whom have become not only 2D cyberspace acquaintances, but also personal friends in 3D (real life). We all stumbled onto this company by many various paths, but all ended up together in sort of a common cause "investing" in something we either believed represented not only the future, but a swell way to make a buck or two in something we really believed in. A group of us became so committed to this company, we formed what we believe is the World's First Stock Fan Club, known as the Go2Netrillionaires. In fact, a few of us truly believed in the long-term vision and future of this company so much, we have never sold a single share, despite the fact that we'll soon be finishing the worst stock market since 1994. We've even sat by painfully watching the stock's value drop over 50% this year alone. A few of us "Trillionaires" have steadfastly maintained our faith in Russ and his incredible team, and sort of went into hibernation this year, believing they will eventually make it turn out profitably for us all in the end, if we just have patience.
Many of us were invested when YAHOO (and other "major" companies) tried to buy this company, and when Paul Allen tried to buy controlling interest (through his Vulcan Ventures), but only ending up owning about 1/3 of the shares, and finally tomorrow morning when our GNET will finally end up being "merged" with InfoSpace. Some have said that a true "yahoo" will now be in charge of a new "merged" company, as CEO. I intend to reserve my personal judgment for the moment, however always believing in the "show me, don't tell me" form of management philosophy, as opposed to "hype" and the "pumping" of a company, artificially driving it's price up WAY beyond its true market value, often leaving many long-term "investors" in total disillusionment. In other words, cut out all the bullsh*t, and actually DO something important...and BTW, make a PROFIT along the way! Or..."Show me the MONEY" the company is making! All I will say for now, is that as long as Russell Horowitz has major involvement in the new "merged" company, I will stay invested. Many of us who have personally come to meet and watch Russ in action over the years trust him implicitly, and believe he will do right by us as investors. He's a relatively young man of incredible intelligence, wisdom, vision, and integrity way beyond his years. The moment Russ leaves, is the moment I am gone. Please take VERY careful note Jain. Not to mention Mr. Allen.
Some of us have the T-shirts, the bumper stickers, the very rare buttons, and for some reason I ended up with a ton of the infamous "shark" posters that Quigley (perhaps he already knew something we didn't <g>) gave us last year (even though I thought I'd sent them all home with Sarkie). And some of us have some terrific memories from the "get-togethers" we had before, during and after the shareholder's meeting last year, including presenting Russ with a special award. I'll never forget the expression on his face, his near speechlessness (he said for the first time in his life), and the teary look in his eyes, and the eyes of his wonderful proud family. Meeting Sarkie, KLP, Sy, LRNLATN, Carolyn, and other "longs" for the first time is a very special memory for me...not to mention almost the entire BOD and management team of Go2Net. Others will have lifetime memories of the "Go2Netrillionaires" First Annual (week-long) Meeting, held in Maui, Hawaii last year.
As a sentimental fool (some say just a "fool," period), I dedicate this post as a small tribute to the wonderful team of people that was (until today) known ONLY as "Go2Net," and to the many fine dedicated old (rhetorically speaking...except for Sy our resident sage, of subtle wisdom and gentle humor) "long" investor friends I've met through this thread over the years.
So please...all you GNET "longs" around the world, join me for a few brief moments of remembrance for the "Old Long Ago" (the good old days, or Auld Lang Syne) of our beloved company, which (as of today) will begin it's passing into the mists of time, being swallowed-up (I mean "merged") Into...(friggin)...Space.
For some reason the words to the following song kept popping into my head the past few days. Although I've been attempting to sing the words (once a year), for all of my adult life (usually after way too much champagne), I've never had the faintest ideas what the h*1ll many of the words meant...until today, when I finally did a "search" on MetaCrawler. Somehow it seemed appropriate for the moment. In many ways, something "new" is about to begin.
Now please all you "longs" that are still around, please join me, and all sing (or just quietly "hum," if you sing like me) in cyberspace unison (even you levy), or join in whenever you can (as no one will ever notice if you're slightly out of synch with the rest of us):
............................................
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne? (literally "old long ago")
And days of auld lang syne, my dear (don't take that wrong levy)
And days of auld lang syne.
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne?
We twa (two) hae (have) run about the braes (hills),
And pou'd (pulled) the gowans (daisys) fine.
We've wander'd monie (many) a weary fitt (foot),
Since auld lang syne.
Since auld lang syne, my dear,
Since auld lang syne.
We've wander'd many a weary fitt (foot),
Since auld lang syne.
We twa (two) hae (have) paidl'd (paddled) in the burn (stream),
Frae (from) morning sun til dine (dinner).
But seas between us braid (broad) hae (have) roared,
Since auld lang syne.
And there's a hand, my trusty fiere (friend),
And gies (give) a hand o' thine (yours).
We'll tak (take) a cup (tankard, or huge drink'g mug) o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne my fiere (friend),
For auld lang syne.
We'll drink a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
.......................................................
With special thanks to Robert Burns,
and a few other unknown Scottish poets...
also long lost in the mists of time.
.......................................................
Cheers, and bottoms-up to all you GNET "longs"
(you know who you are)...
That's all I have to say about that. :)
Roger #49 (an "old long" still)
PS. NOW...lets get this (expletive censored) new "merged" (expletive censored) show on the (expletive censored) road, and make some (expletive censored) money for us incredibly patient and dedicated long-time (expletive censored) shareholders!!! Okay (expletive censored)??? What's left of the World's First Stock Fan Club (the Go2Netrillionaires), never dreamed they might possibly end up owning a (expletive censored) penny stock!!! It's a brand new ball game! So Russ, John, Bryan, Eric, Steve, Paul, Bill, et al, (including you Jain & Arun)...dammit (expletive not-deleted), enough diddling around with all these mergers and stuff, just design us a cool new logo, take this thing to the next level (Go2 that cyberSpaceNET way up there in the sky), and....................
LETS PLAY BALL!!! |
