User:ThomCollins

Thom Collins
 TheThomCollins

This is my longest and oldest account with Google. Taking on the role or wanting to believe I could be considered a pioneer even though I haven't created anything, yet. My point is I owned the Atari 4600 in 1982, joined AOL in 1995, friends built my first personal website in 1995 with an address to long to repeat, then paid for hosting upon the purchase of ThomCollins.com in 1997. Why is this relevant? I love technology even though it takes me time to learn coding, design, and most important my way around a computer. The Sims in 2000 got me more involved in my computer and how to upload/download files, unzipping, defragging, disk cleanup, task managers, etc. the list goes on. What I didn't take into serious consideration was just because I knew my way around and understood how to FTP files to my servers for my .com doesn't make me a web designer. I found out the hard way and dismantled my Mac using friends who so kindly built me a high tech and beautiful,high traffic, and at it's peak a source of income by the year 2000 it was obvious I was over my head. My site stayed up and I paid for the hosting and had over the years other talented artists contribute and give their talents and time to bring my once popular site into today's world. From 1995 up until 2002 I loved playing, building, and learning. The realization of my lack of "skills" either coding, or design by now only frustrated me and I abandoned all things tech loosing my online status, a service offered in sharing my personal story which I would later learned really helped more people than once thought. Finally watching my first space title in all search engines slowly being demoted to Internet oblivion caused me to get back into the game. This time reading more and asking allot of questions first. Who am I? ThomCollins is an alter ego from years past known in the GLBT community and at a point mainstream USA the International Male Playgirl Centerfold Model/Dancer/Entertainer had been exposed to HIV in 1983 at 16, confirming my fears December 15, 1985 when the HIV virus was identified and a test soon followed. I still have the damn virus but I along with my partner of 26 years live with AIDS. So I have only "time" on my hands. Unable to work and struggling to survive live today with my partner on disability. If not for medicare I know I would not be typing this update today. Sorry getting sidetracked is a habit but now I have a fresh start with two domains thomcollins.com and thomcollins.mobi both of which are in the process of being reorganized and with the habit of signing, register, and/or join every single new Web ware 2.0 apps out there I feel the first place to announce my return is the always informative, hip never trendy Wikipedia. I hope to learn much from this community.

--ThomCollins (talk) 17:49, 24 August 2009 (UTC)Thom Collins

"It is better to have LIVED like a TIGER than to DIE like a Pussy"