News about Wayne AKA Steppen from WoW...

[Hoofhurr]

I've wondered from time to time what the latest was and I'm incredibly sorry to hear this news. I did know he had a condition that kept him from playing now and again over the last 10 or so years that we've gamed together but was never privy to the details. If you see him again please tell him he will be remembered well for his caring character and easy nature.

I've always pondered how the internet culture of today would adapt to these inevitables of life. Gaming communities are very transient in nature, often superficial and quite often exclusively focused on gaming itself. They seem ill-equipped to deal with, or even patently uninterested in dealing with, the lives of their members outside of the gaming medium. I'm not sure where this thinking will ultimately lead but it seems almost essential that some real world physical contact be attempted to reinforce and reaffirm online friendships. That's a tough gap to bridge and many would probably choose to go without the attempt but as online friendships begin to form in the absence of physical ones it may become more pertinent to the fabric of society as a whole.

I'm very glad to see you reaching out for Steppen and I, for one, appreciate being informed about his condition. Say hello from Blhurr to him for me.

Cheers.