Author Topic: Twenty Years.  (Read 3829 times)

Aaron

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Twenty Years.
« on: April 10, 2015, 05:24:12 PM »
Can't believe it's been 20 years since I first posted a U2 page.  A list of the singles from "Desire" through to "Stay".  With the B-Sides listed. 

Wanted to take a minute and thank everyone who uses the forum here.  I appreciate that you stick with us through the leaner times when we aren't as active on updates, and keep coming back for the conversation and so on.  And a big thank you to everyone who's ever sent a note of encouragement or something for the site.  Really happy today that U2.Com took the time to take notice of us as well:

http://zootopia.u2.com/articles.html/_/zoonews/five-things-i%E2%80%99ve-learned-running-a-u2-site-for-r28

morgan1098

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Re: Twenty Years.
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2015, 05:54:56 PM »
That is fantastic! Congratulations.

dagobah

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Re: Twenty Years.
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2015, 03:26:07 AM »
Interesting post on Zootopia.  And now I know what you look like, Aaron.    :)

Aaron

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Re: Twenty Years.
« Reply #3 on: April 12, 2015, 07:49:47 AM »
LOL.  Well you know how I looked a few years ago.  I still don't know where they dug that up.  I know I've used that photos in a few places.  It wasn't one of the ones I provided for them to use.

miryclay

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Re: Twenty Years.
« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2015, 02:04:17 PM »
Congratulations on 20 Years!

Here is a great pic from the humble U2W beginnings:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/IBM_650_at_Texas_A%26M.jpg

Aaron

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Re: Twenty Years.
« Reply #5 on: April 12, 2015, 07:22:46 PM »
LOL.  You've given me an idea though.  I'm sure I have a picture of the machine I did post the original version from.  My grandfather gave me $1000 and I bought my first PC in 1994.  I was overjoyed to be on the internet and finally not have to drag myself to a computer lab on campus to do my homework.  I'm sure it's in a picture somewhere...

Brad

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Re: Twenty Years.
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2015, 02:47:59 AM »
I also want to thank Aaron for keeping U2Wanderer going all these years. It's been an honor to contribute when I can, but I have gotten far more out of the site than I could ever give back.

I don't remember exactly when I stumbled upon the site; sometime in the late 90s. I moved to the Bay Area in 1998 for my first real job and my first real paycheck. The release of Best Of 1980-1990 inspired me to fill in the holes in my singles collection. There were tons of record shops in the Bay Area at the time: Amoeba, Virgin Mega, Tower, Rasputin, Wherehouse. Armed with printouts from U2Wanderer, I bought a lot of records and CDs in a short amount of time. Aaron has been lightening my wallet ever since.

I think my first contact with Aaron was in late 2000 or early 2001, when I sent an email to alert him that Canadian online retailers were showing a release date for the Walk On single, which at the time was a Canadian exclusive. I'm pretty sure U2Wanderer scooped everyone in announcing that release. My personal favorite Wanderer moment was our April Fools post about the 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of The Joshua Tree, which many fan sites reposted as actual release news. Never mind the fact that most of it turned out to be true.

So thanks Aaron for the wonderful site and resource. Thanks for the opportunity to contribute in a small way. And thanks for your great sense of humor and for never once complaining about the sarcasm, cynicism, irreverence, and poor attempts at humor that I sometimes exhibit while representing U2Wanderer. I couldn't ask for a better boss.

I hope to see many of you in Vancouver next month. Here's to the next 20 years.  ;D

Brad

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Re: Twenty Years.
« Reply #7 on: April 16, 2015, 10:58:22 AM »
Well, I'd just like to take a moment to give rapturous thanks to all of you on the U2Wanderer crew! This site has provided me untold volumes more than I have or ever will be able to give it in return (in fact, beyond photos of the Japanese Band Aid Special CD I once submitted, I struggle to think of anything else I've been able to bring to the site's attention before it already knew about it); please know that it has really mattered. So much more than any other U2 site--more than the official one, more than Zootopia, more than @U2, more than Interference, this site towers above them all because, as a fan, I value nothing more than U2's music and, by God, this is where you find the music. Literally around 80% of my personal collection might not even exist had it not been for the keen and comprehensive research housed here. This site remains, at least to my eyes, the sole source for learning about some of the more obscure tracks and albums still being released by the band and its individual members. If I had to lose every website of worth to me on the internet, this one and Blu-ray.com would be the two I'd beg, plead and soil myself to keep. I have to assume, after a 20 year investment, there have been times where you guys weren't "feeling it" anymore, where the responsibility of it began to surmount the pleasure, where it seemed like a marriage that had devolved into nothing but a ball-and-chain. But please know that it's all had, and continues to have, tremendous value to me and I have to assume others. If you ever begin to doubt the worth of your "marriage" to maintaining this site, just think of the fans like me as your children. Keep it together for the children! 

George

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Re: Twenty Years.
« Reply #8 on: April 16, 2015, 04:21:05 PM »
Really, really well said, GP2.  Of the handful of sites that I click on daily, this is one of them, and has been for many years.  Like you said, it's all about the music, and this is the place where I've learned the most about the music.  On the few occasions that I have been able to contribute something myself, I've felt very proud - it's not easy to be ahead of some of the experts here!

Aaron

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Re: Twenty Years.
« Reply #9 on: April 16, 2015, 05:42:36 PM »
So thanks Aaron for the wonderful site and resource. Thanks for the opportunity to contribute in a small way. And thanks for your great sense of humor and for never once complaining about the sarcasm, cynicism, irreverence, and poor attempts at humor that I sometimes exhibit while representing U2Wanderer. I couldn't ask for a better boss.

That's part of our charm isn't it?  I'm happy we don't take ourselves too seriously all the time.  Although I have to admit even I did a double take when that Song for Someone cover popped up.  :)

Aaron

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Re: Twenty Years.
« Reply #10 on: April 16, 2015, 05:45:50 PM »
Well, I'd just like to take a moment to give rapturous thanks to all of you on the U2Wanderer crew! This site has provided me untold volumes more than I have or ever will be able to give it in return (in fact, beyond photos of the Japanese Band Aid Special CD I once submitted, I struggle to think of anything else I've been able to bring to the site's attention before it already knew about it); please know that it has really mattered. So much more than any other U2 site--more than the official one, more than Zootopia, more than @U2, more than Interference, this site towers above them all because, as a fan, I value nothing more than U2's music and, by God, this is where you find the music. Literally around 80% of my personal collection might not even exist had it not been for the keen and comprehensive research housed here. This site remains, at least to my eyes, the sole source for learning about some of the more obscure tracks and albums still being released by the band and its individual members. If I had to lose every website of worth to me on the internet, this one and Blu-ray.com would be the two I'd beg, plead and soil myself to keep. I have to assume, after a 20 year investment, there have been times where you guys weren't "feeling it" anymore, where the responsibility of it began to surmount the pleasure, where it seemed like a marriage that had devolved into nothing but a ball-and-chain. But please know that it's all had, and continues to have, tremendous value to me and I have to assume others. If you ever begin to doubt the worth of your "marriage" to maintaining this site, just think of the fans like me as your children. Keep it together for the children!

I like making lists.  I like making lists about U2.  And that's what this is.  My biggest list ever.

I'm happy to hear all these lovely comments, and I'm happy to know that soon we get to show you what we have been up to behind the scenes.  It's leaps and bounds ahead of what came before.  I have poured every spare moment of my time into the site these last two years and although it'll always be a work in progress I'm proud of what's coming. 

There are times I've contemplated walking away.  But I always come back to it.  I like making lists.  And it helps to hear others have found them useful. 

Aaron

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Re: Twenty Years.
« Reply #11 on: April 16, 2015, 05:47:07 PM »
(in fact, beyond photos of the Japanese Band Aid Special CD I once submitted, I struggle to think of anything else I've been able to bring to the site's attention before it already knew about it

PS.  It's there in the reboot :)  And there's two versions of it.