Outpost 10F is a community of wonders, both socially and technically. Since we were able to purchase our own server last year, we have enjoyed major updates and redesigns to our old, worn out department websites, as well as a host of improvements to the behind-the-scenes aspects of the chat rooms. With sophisticated java applets, frames, and other such things (you can tell I'm not an Engineer!), we have moved beyond the seemingly prehistoric Geocities sites that Ten Forward, and later the Outpost, constructed many of their department pages on many, many years ago. We're continually advancing and refining our skills so that, in the future, we can provide a great many services that are currently not even in our imagination. However, even with these great strides we are taking in streamlining our operations, do any of us ever wonder where those old websites of yesteryear got to?

Many of the older members of the community can testify to the fact that I'm a snoop. If there's anything that I'm good at, it's a talent for digging up old "junk", and for a long time now, I've been fascinated with finding and bringing to the public the old department sites from long, long ago. Many of them aren't even around, mainly due to f2s shutting its doors, and as a result of random deletion on many web hosting clients, such as Tripod and Angelfire. While they are inadequate to the task of running a high-class department today, and even seem archaic in technical terms, I think that we can all appreciate what they meant back when they were operational, three, four, and even five years ago.

Before Ten Forward or the Outpost, the story has been told that the idea for Ten Forward was based on this really cool X-Files chat room, but do many of you know where it is? What, the place still exists?! Sure it does!

-- Spooky's Unexplained Mysteries and X-Files Chat Room So, without further ado, I present to you the departments of yesterday. If you ever had a question as to who ran what, or just wanted to see something that demonstrates how close-knit of a community we are, then take a look at this big catch.

-- Developmental Technologies, July 1998
-- Department of Security, 2000
-- Starfleet Weaponry Database, Date Unknown
-- Departmental Pages, October 1998
-- Ten Forward Administration, August 1998
-- Ten Forward Communications Roster, May 1998
-- Ten Forward Email Centre, Created 1997
-- Dakar's Personal Engineering Project List

All of these websites were so great for me to look at. Not only did I see a lot of familiar names, but I began to feel as if there was truly a history to 'all of this'. Back before we had the Outpost10f.com domain, Ten Forward was located at a ruefully long URL. I know from experience that there are a lot of officers around today that can still tell you that URL from memory. And while I wasn't fortunate enough to be around way back when, I can almost feel a part of it within me just by gazing upon these dusty old websites that have been long forgotten. How many more are out there? I don't really know. I'll keep looking, and if I do find some, then you guys will be the first to hear about it! Until then, when you're feeling adventurous, try to find some of these old pages. Share them with your friends at the Outpost, and feel yourself being wrapped up in history.

And, just in case you were interested, http://modena.intergate.ca/personal/danneff/tenforward/ is the URL to the original Ten Forward.

Signing off until next time,
Robert Griffith