# Fern's Cafe



## T_R_Oglodyte (Mar 23, 2011)

Just curious as to how many TUGgers have been around long enough to remember Fern's Cafe.  If you remember Fern's Cafe, please check in.


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## jackio (Mar 24, 2011)

I remember.  I first joined TUG when it was in the old format, with each thread posted and each post indented under the first one.  I certainly wasn't the first TUGGER, but I've been around a long time.


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## Fern Modena (Mar 24, 2011)

_::Raises Hand::_​
I just *know* I must have been there.  Otherwise the coincidence is just too, too weird to even think about.


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## pwrshift (Mar 24, 2011)

I remember it well...and the 'live' message board.

Brian


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## rickandcindy23 (Mar 24, 2011)

Fern Modena said:


> _::Raises Hand::_​
> I just *know* I must have been there.  Otherwise the coincidence is just too, too weird to even think about.



Fern, haven't seen you in a while.  I think you were probably there, but I wasn't.   I didn't join until right before the changeover to this BBS in June of 2005.  I think I joined mid-May.  

Believe it or not, a timeshare salesman for Wyndham, with an office in downtown Lahaina, told me about TUG.  I was a longtime Timesharing Today reader and contributor (still am), so finding TUG was perfect for my addiction.  So many people I recognize from my beginnings here, with Fern being one of them.  I am comfortable here.


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## Steve (Mar 24, 2011)

I remember the old days with Fern's Cafe and the software that indented the posts.  I remember feeling so new...but that was 11 years ago now.  Time marches on.

Steve


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## BevL (Mar 24, 2011)

I think I joined in about 1999 or 2000, yep, it was Fern's Cafe and the old indented posts.

In a way it seems like I've been coming here forever and in a way, it can be over 10 years.


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## nightnurse613 (Mar 24, 2011)

I remember Fern's Cafe (is it gone?).  Got a lot of good advice from FM over the years right here at TUG.


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## timeos2 (Mar 24, 2011)

Remember it very well. Even AOL was big back then.


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## "Roger" (Mar 24, 2011)

Yup, I was among the regulars.


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## anne1125 (Mar 24, 2011)

I remember Fern's cafe and always enjoyed reading and learning from her.

Thanks,
Anne


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## ttt (Mar 24, 2011)

Me too! I Remember!!


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## Mimi39 (Mar 24, 2011)

I remember!!!!!


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## DebBrown (Mar 24, 2011)

Most definitely!!  Ahhhhh.... the good old days when I was still discovering the joys of timesharing and making my first internet friends...  

Deb


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## Sylvia W (Mar 24, 2011)

I not only remember and enjoyed Fern's Cafe but it was Fern's excellent web site on Timesharing that directed me to Tug!


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## Nancy (Mar 24, 2011)

I remember.  Does that make me old?

Nancy

ps.  I am


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## cindi (Mar 24, 2011)

Me too.


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## MULTIZ321 (Mar 24, 2011)

I remember enjoying Fern's Cafe too - was sad to see it close shop.

I'm not sure, but were the Sunday night web chats part of the Cafe too?


Richard


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## Larry (Mar 24, 2011)

*Fern's Cafe is how I got here*

Yes and that's how I found TUG


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## AwayWeGo (Mar 24, 2011)

*Shux.  I Missed It.*

Around here, we did not get into timeshares & timesharing & TUG till 2002, so we missed the cafe & most of the indentations. 

I don't think we'll ever catch up. 

So it goes. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## Makai Guy (Mar 24, 2011)

nightnurse613 said:


> I remember Fern's Cafe (is it gone?).


Still here, renamed as TUG Lounge.  Longtimers will remember the very unpleasant period when the board was taken over by contentious political discussions that resulted in our current "no politics" rule in October 2003.  Things got so bad that Fern no longer wanted her name associated with that mess.   Can't say as I blame her, either.

Our original bbs was written by Laurence Chan, who used to be extremely active here.

I haven't been around as long as Fern, but I joined back when TUG only existed as a printed newsletter and the internet had not yet taken the world by storm.  Unfortunately, I lost a lot of my records in a hard disk crash several years ago so I don't have a lot of good reference dates.  I think I started helping Laurence out as Hawaii bbs co-moderator and Hawaii review co-manager around 1995, taking these over completely in 1997.

Laurence created a second version of his bbs several years later, which sounds like the "indented post" version some of you recall.   Then at some point he convinced Bill Rogers to spring for commercial bulletin board software that was available by then, going with Universal Bulletin Board (UBB).   Think this was around 1999 or 2000.  We were still running UBB in 2003 when the "no politics" policy went into effect.

Our UBB became hopelessly out of date and just could not handle the volume of messages we generated, resulting in a need to keep the board purged of older messages.   This caused us to lose a lot of valuable history.  We switched to vBulletin software in June 2005 to try to combat this.

We outgrew the shared server space we were renting almost immediately and moved the hosting of the bbs several times, attempting to find a host that could handle our high volume of traffic.   Finally, we bit the bullet and went to our own dedicated server which runs nothing but TUG in August 2006.   We're still there 5 years later.


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## RonB (Mar 24, 2011)

I have never been an extremely active poster, but I have been around for at least two iterations of the bbs, and I was more active in Fern's Cafe than now. I *thought* I found Tug shortly after buying the timeshare, but that was over 20 years ago. I do know the quality of our trades went waaaay up after finding Tug.
A big *THANK YOU* to Fern and all the other Tuggers so willing to share their knowledge, time, and efforts ~ Ron


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## Rose Pink (Mar 24, 2011)

Makai Guy said:


> ...Our UBB became hopelessly out of date and just could not handle the volume of messages we generated, resulting in a need to keep the board purged of older messages. *This caused us to lose a lot of valuable history*.


So that's what happened to the boiled pizza recipe!

I do remember there was a Fern's Cafe when I first joined and I remember having difficulty adjusting to the new BBS format after becoming acquainted with the older version.  But, I eventually adapted and Fern is still here giving good advice, comfort and cheer.


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## lvhmbh (Mar 24, 2011)

I remember as well!


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## shar (Mar 24, 2011)

I was here for Fern's Cafe and had the opportunity to be involved in the Sunday night chats. I also remember being able to chat directly with others who were on the site at the same time and I think it was anytime. I have learned so much from Tug over the years.  I knew that the software changed over the years, but had no idea so much was involved in the description given above. Thanks so much to those who have given so much of their time to make this successful.

I keep recommending Tug to everyone while on vacations and in just everyday social situations. When I joined there were less than 3,000 people and now up to 50,000. Glad we found Tug right after our 1st TS purchase in 1997.

Shar


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## pittle (Mar 24, 2011)

Sylvia W said:


> I not only remember and enjoyed Fern's Cafe but it was Fern's excellent web site on Timesharing that directed me to Tug!



Me too!     We bought our first timeshare in 1991, and by the time were were using internet at home (dial-up of course)  I started searching for timeshare information and found Fern's site, then TUG.  

I have learned a lot from Fern over the years.  Her website made us look forward to the opportunities that we were going to have by timesharing.  Thanks Fern!!!:whoopie:


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## Pat H (Mar 24, 2011)

I joined TUG in 1996 and remember Fern's Cafe very well.


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## Aussie girl (Mar 24, 2011)

Yes! I remember it well.


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## Kay H (Mar 24, 2011)

I remember Fern's Cafe.  I also remember a Mindy or Mandy or something like that.


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## May mom (Mar 24, 2011)

Can't believe around that long but I remember it too.  I think I've been around in some form since about 1994.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Mar 24, 2011)

Kay H said:


> I remember Fern's Cafe.  I also remember a Mindy or Mandy or something like that.



MNdee.  Dee was a glasswork artist who lived in the Twin Cities.  Later she and her husband relocated to Carlsbad, CA (after a timeshare visit there) and she became MNdeeCA.  She's still registered, and according to her profile (click on "Users List" in the blue bar at the top of the page) she last visited on March 4, 2009.


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## BevL (Mar 24, 2011)

This discussion was from a bit before my time but gives the format that was in play when I joined.  It's in the Advice section here.

Some of the names bring back a lot memories, that's for sure:


http://www.timeshare-users-group.com/tugdb/tradepwr/tradepwr.htm


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## Fern Modena (Mar 24, 2011)

Right you are, Kay.  Good memory.  Mindy97 was my chat name.

Fern



Kay H said:


> I remember Fern's Cafe.  I also remember a Mindy or Mandy or something like that.


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## rickandcindy23 (Mar 24, 2011)

Is that a nickname of yours, Fern?


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## TUGBrian (Mar 24, 2011)

Was way before my time for sure!  I enjoy reading the history of the site from people who have been here from the beginning and during certain milestones!


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## Elli (Mar 24, 2011)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> MNdee.  Dee was a glasswork artist who lived in the Twin Cities.  Later she and her husband relocated to Carlsbad, CA (after a timeshare visit there) and she became MNdeeCA.  She's still registered, and according to her profile (click on "Users List" in the blue bar at the top of the page) she last visited on March 4, 2009.



Steve, I remember Dee well, she used to post quite a bit.  I was also around when we had Fern's Cafe.  There are a lot of posters from that time period who don't post at all any more.  Some are missed, a lot of others I don't miss at all.


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## Jaybee (Mar 24, 2011)

LOL!  I remember it, too.  It was fun, and very informative.




Fern Modena said:


> _::Raises Hand::_​
> I just *know* I must have been there.  Otherwise the coincidence is just too, too weird to even think about.


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## RDB (Mar 24, 2011)

*Me Me Me*

Include me.


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## #1 Cowboys Fan (Mar 24, 2011)

Present, and accounted for.

Pat


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## geoand (Mar 24, 2011)

Present also.  However, DW would say that there is no accounting for me.


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## pedro47 (Mar 24, 2011)

Yes! I remember Fern Cafe.  Wow! Have Time Has Passed.

Fern Cafe is one of the reason, that I am a paying member of TUG's .


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## John Cummings (Mar 24, 2011)

I remember it well. I used to be the sole moderator of TUG back when we had that old clunky software. Probably many of you didn't realize how many times Lawrence and I had to keep fixing the BBS as it kept crashing. In those days, I not only had to delete, etc. inappropriate posts, but also had to delete many posts almost daily to make room on the BBS. If memory serves me, that was back in 1996-97.


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## Kaye (Mar 24, 2011)

I think I've been around since '96 - about 15 years now.  TUG definitely made my vacationing much more enjoyable, although I was a newbie owner at that time.  I remember when T/S 101 was written by you, and when you saved my bacon by providing me skiing clothing for a new foster child in my home.

I don't come here much at all anymore, but I really do miss the laughter that was part of Fern's cafe.  Who's boiled pizza was it?


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## KauaiMark (Mar 24, 2011)

*Yep...*

"...Just curious as to how many TUGgers have been around long enough to remember Fern's Cafe.  If you remember Fern's Cafe, please check in. "

...me too


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## DebBrown (Mar 24, 2011)

Fern Modena said:


> Right you are, Kay.  Good memory.  Mindy97 was my chat name.
> 
> Fern



I want to say that Mindy is your niece?  But maybe a granddaughter?


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## JanT (Mar 24, 2011)

Wow, hadn't thought about "Fern's Cafe" for a long time.  But, I found and joined TUG in 1995 (or 1996) and remember "Fern's Cafe" fondly.  I remember the old format, too.


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## carl2591 (Mar 24, 2011)

I was lucky enough to find TUG before i got into the owner ship side of timeshare.. I was in the selling and OPC side in MB during the mid 80's selling Beach House, Links, and Marritime Beach Club. 

I joined tug in the early 1998 time frame i seem to remember. Got my first SA timeshare from Condo Wholesales in Texas from one Rhonda Reynolds buying at DIK ..

Remember Fern Cafe and all the stuff that was going on there.. did not post a lot but did read everything..  remember the software change from the old BBS to new.. almost quite coming cause it was so different.  Now cant see every going back..

A hardy thanks to all that maintain the websites and all the tugers with all the knowledge i have tapped into. 

"We" have changed timeshare forever..


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## Ridewithme38 (Mar 24, 2011)

I wish i remembered fern's Cafe!


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## Cruiser Too (Mar 24, 2011)

Fern's Cafe ???

Yep, guilty as charged


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## rhonda (Mar 24, 2011)

+1 but I didn't participate.  I was too new and trying to soak up everything I could on the core topic, "Timeshare."


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## Bruce W (Mar 24, 2011)

*Sure do.*

What I remember most about Tug back in the day. Lots of good advice


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## Karen G (Mar 24, 2011)

I remember Fern's Cafe.


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## jackio (Mar 24, 2011)

BevL said:


> This discussion was from a bit before my time but gives the format that was in play when I joined.  It's in the Advice section here.
> 
> Some of the names bring back a lot memories, that's for sure:
> 
> ...



I joined in 1996 or 1997, but this was the thread that sparked my Dik purchase, from gentleman Herb.
DH thought I was a CRAZY person - "Hey honey I want to buy a timeshare in South Africa because my internet friends say it is a tiger!"  :hysterical:


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## Eli Mairs (Mar 24, 2011)

I remember it too!!


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## stmartinfan (Mar 24, 2011)

Another member who remembers Fern's Cafe.  Writing this from Divi Little Bay in St. Maarten as we're enjoying yet another wonderful trip to our timeshare.


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## Passepartout (Mar 24, 2011)

Gosh, I hardly remember anything anymore, but waaay back, sometime in the mid '90's when I first migrated from Prodigy (they dropped DOS support) to the 'real' internet on a 'real' Pentium II, I was even then researching timeshares. I discovered TUG, and by extention Fern's Cafe. I even joined and sent money, but left and came back in the current incarnation.

Jim Ricks


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## Fern Modena (Mar 24, 2011)

Good memory.  Granddaughter.

Fern



DebBrown said:


> I want to say that Mindy is your niece?  But maybe a granddaughter?


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## Bee (Mar 24, 2011)

I remeber Fern's Cafe. I found TUG when I was planning to purchase my timeshare. I found it on a resale site and made a low ball offer that was accepted. I was surprized my offer was accepted and ask if anyone on TUG was familiar with the agent, sure enought Fern was. I purchased and have been pleased with it.

Thanks again Fern.


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## chellej (Mar 24, 2011)

Me too but used a different screen name back then. 

I wonder how many people changed their screen name when the system switched over and we all went back to 0 posts.

Bought and then sold my South africa weeks because of TUG and also a Pelican week.

Thought about the Belize fiasco (was it Basil Jones resort or something like that)  but didn't take that one, fortunately.

I also remember Fern's Timeshare Guru website.  I think I found tug through her website.


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## JudyH (Mar 24, 2011)

Me too, 1997.  Dial-up days  ((


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## mrsstats (Mar 25, 2011)

I remember too!!!  Fern was (is) very helpful


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## Laurie (Mar 25, 2011)

JudyH said:


> Me too, 1997.  Dial-up days  ((


Same year, same connection.   

I found TUG a day after I came home from a developer purchase, when my mission was to quickly figure out whether the Fairfield sales rep at the presentation had lied or told the truth - since we'd just parted with a wad of cash. I used lycos or altavista search engines, and this was my first internet use for research. 

Searching on timeshares didn't bring up much yet, but within 24 hrs, I managed to find *one* reseller of Fairshare points. With a phone call, I ascertained that yes the sales person lied, so we hastened to rescind the purchase. 

Thru the same search I found Fern's Timeshare Guru site, with many helpful links, one of them being TUG. Once we'd taken care of business with our refund on its way, I had time to follow up with the other sites I'd found. I got hooked on both internet and timesharing at the same time!


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## JROBIN (Mar 25, 2011)

*I remember the cafe too*

I do not post very much, but I do remember the cafe. TUG has helped me a great deal since then.


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## MelBay (Mar 25, 2011)

I do - I remember it very fondly, along with Fern.


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## cali girl (Mar 25, 2011)

So do I. I've been around about 14 years and I didn't like it when it was changed to the Lounge.  Wonder what happened to Maz from Ariz  and his Blue Whale postings and Lisa from Truckee and of course, Fletch.   John Cummings was also a big poster then and always so helpful. I tell everyone that all I know about timeshare I learned on Tug.


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## 3kids4me (Mar 25, 2011)

Makai Guy said:


> Still here, renamed as TUG Lounge.  Longtimers will remember the very unpleasant period when the board was taken over by contentious political discussions that resulted in our current "no politics" rule in October 2003.  Things got so bad that Fern no longer wanted her name associated with that mess.   Can't say as I blame her, either.



Fern's cafe is where I learned that I should rescind my timeshare and buy resale.  In doing so, I got a much better deal.

I moderated the TUG Lounge for a few years during the time when political discussions were allowed.  It was a challenging time, but I definitely learned a lot about the art of staying neutral and fair.  It was a lot of work, though, and eventually I moved on as well.  The current "no politics" rule is an improvement.


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## Whirl (Mar 25, 2011)

I definitely do! I also remember the (sunday night?)  chat sessions. I used to be really intimidated about participating in those, for some reason...funny.

 I am kinda shocked at how many have been around for so long....even folks that I thought were newer to the scene. have all been around teh whole time.... But I also think that the boards you read change over time, so maybe the people you interact with and recognize change, too.


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## JoAnn (Mar 25, 2011)

I remember surfing the net for 'timeshares; and finding TUG...the old indented format.  And Yes I do remember Fern's Cafe.....and I'm so happy that I got to meet Fern and Jerry a couple of times.  Great memories....both.


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## rhonda (Mar 25, 2011)

chellej said:


> Thought about the Belize fiasco (was it Basil Jones resort or something like that)  but didn't take that one, fortunately.


Oh, I periodically think back on that "deal," too!  I was riveted watching that story unfold.  I wanted to join in but was equally afraid.  I dunno - something just didn't smell right even early on.  Glad I didn't take any action.


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## pjrose (Mar 25, 2011)

I remember the old format, but rarely if ever used it.  I don't remember Fern's Café.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Mar 25, 2011)

rhonda said:


> chellej said:
> 
> 
> > Thought about the Belize fiasco (was it Basil Jones resort or something like that)  but didn't take that one, fortunately.
> ...


Yeah - after seeing the Basil Jones saga unfold, the long saga of the Belair in Marina Vallarta has been "deja vu all over again".


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## Mel (Mar 25, 2011)

Elli said:


> Steve, I remember Dee well, she used to post quite a bit.  I was also around when we had Fern's Cafe.  There are a lot of posters from that time period who don't post at all any more.  Some are missed, a lot of others I don't miss at all.


Like you, I miss some but not others.  There were definitely some characters here.

I remember the original BBS software and its various iterations.  Doesn't seem like it could be that long ago, but then I realize we've owned our timeshare almost 19 years!


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## Dottie (Mar 25, 2011)

I am another who has been around since Fern's cafe.  I tried the Sunday night chat a couple of times but was very intimidated by everyting on the computer in those days.  I remember the old format of tug but also remember how horibly slow online RCI was in the early days.  You had to have some good reading material or something else to occupy your time while waiting for an rci response.


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## Ginny (Mar 25, 2011)

Hi all,
I remember the old bulletin board, as well, and have been here since 1997. Those early days were so amazing, when we had a virtual community for the first time. I miss many of the voices I 'heard' from then. Maybe they are still around, under new names. Others have passed, or gone somewhere else. Thank goodness for the people who still check in and help - TUGers are the greatest. 

Ginny


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## jlf58 (Mar 25, 2011)

Fern and I were young back then


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## Pat H (Mar 25, 2011)

It's nice to see some "old" posters chiming in for this thread. Come back more often.


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## #1 Cowboys Fan (Mar 25, 2011)

Fletch said:


> Fern and I were young back then



How young?

5/3/1   ??

:rofl: 

Pat


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## Fern Modena (Mar 26, 2011)

Well, I wasn't even thinking about retirement, and now I've been retired almost ten years, believe it or not.

Fern



#1 Cowboys Fan said:


> How young?
> 
> 5/3/1   ??
> 
> ...


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## Cruiser Too (Mar 26, 2011)

Fern Modena said:


> Well, I wasn't even thinking about retirement, and now I've been retired almost ten years, believe it or not.  Fern



And the SF Muni hasn't recovered from your departure !!!!


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## MuranoJo (Mar 26, 2011)

I first joined in '02 and do remember Fern's Sunday night chats.  I lurked a few times but was probably too intimidated to chime in as a newbie.

It is good to see some names from the past, and very intersting to see how long you've been around, John C., and what you were doing for the board back then.


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## John Cummings (Mar 26, 2011)

muranojo said:


> I first joined in '02 and do remember Fern's Sunday night chats.  I lurked a few times but was probably too intimidated to chime in as a newbie.
> 
> It is good to see some names from the past, and very intersting to see how long you've been around, John C., and what you were doing for the board back then.



I thought I said what I was doing in my earlier post. I was the moderator of all the forums but this was prior to 2002 around 1996 if memory serves me. It was a very time consuming job because of the software we were using. I had to drop it because I got too busy with work.


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## Dori (Mar 26, 2011)

We bought our first timeshare in 1992, and it was in the mid-nineties that I discovered Fern's Cafe, and subsequently TUG. Fern and so many otheres have given me such good advice and helpful tips over the years, and so many hours of enjoyment. Cheers!

Dori


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## Wonka (Mar 26, 2011)

*Where does the time go?*

I can't believe it was that long ago!  Fern, you're great!


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## MuranoJo (Mar 26, 2011)

John Cummings said:


> I thought I said what I was doing in my earlier post. I was the moderator of all the forums but this was prior to 2002 around 1996 if memory serves me. It was a very time consuming job because of the software we were using. I had to drop it because I got too busy with work.



I wasn't asking what you were doing, I was commenting on your previous post where you described what you were doing.


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## LynnW (Mar 26, 2011)

Wow I can't believe the number of posts! Haven't been online for a few days in fact since we had dinner with Fern on Monday. I remember Fern's Cafe. There are a lot of us that have been around for a long time.  

Lynn


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## luvgoldns (Mar 26, 2011)

Me too...seems quite a number of us from the class of June 2005.


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## mpizza (Mar 27, 2011)

Yes, I remember.  In fact, this is a great time to thank Fern, Fletch and everyone who invested so much time and energy to the boards.

Because of Fern and her fabulous advice and blogs of her trips to Eruope, I expanded my view of timesharing - Orlando and the Poconos weren't my only options (although I still love both and visit often).  I've been to various countries in Europe and Asia several times now.  As my company as gone global in the last 7 years, my timeshare travel experience has given me the confidence to volunteer for projects outside the US, so my career has benefitted as well!

Fletch's advice led me to buy a Marriott pre-construction, which my family and I are still enjoying.  No regrets, I received a ton of points and had several fabulous vacations before resales started showing-up.  Since then, I've added resales to my portfolio, which brings down the average costs of my weeks to the 5-2-1 range!

Maria


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## Makai Guy (Mar 27, 2011)

luvgoldns said:


> Me too...seems quite a number of us from the class of June 2005.


June 2005 was when we switched to Bulletin software to run our bbs.  It was incompatible with the UBB software it replaced, so old user records could not be carried over, forcing everyone to register as a new bbs user.  So nobody on the current board will show a registration date prior to June 2005, other than a handful of volunteers who may have registration dates a few weeks or months earlier as we were first getting things set up prior to the change-over date.


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## luvgoldns (Mar 27, 2011)

Makai Guy said:


> June 2005 was when we switched to Bulletin software to run our bbs. It was incompatible with the UBB software it replaced, so old user records could not be carried over, forcing everyone to register as a new bbs user. So nobody on the current board will show a registration date prior to June 2005, other than a handful of volunteers who may have registration dates a few weeks or months earlier as we were first getting things set up prior to the change-over date.


 
silly me.

old timers nevertheless


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## John Cummings (Mar 27, 2011)

muranojo said:


> I wasn't asking what you were doing, I was commenting on your previous post where you described what you were doing.



You sure could have fooled me. After rereading it a few times I now see what you were saying.


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## suzanne (Mar 27, 2011)

Count me in too. 

Suzanne


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## 3kids4me (Mar 27, 2011)

Makai Guy said:


> June 2005 was when we switched to Bulletin software to run our bbs.  It was incompatible with the UBB software it replaced, so old user records could not be carried over, forcing everyone to register as a new bbs user.  So nobody on the current board will show a registration date prior to June 2005, other than a handful of volunteers who may have registration dates a few weeks or months earlier as we were first getting things set up prior to the change-over date.




   (10 char)


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## shagnut (Mar 28, 2011)

I definitly remember. Was a regular on that thread. She has helped us all!! shaggy


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## M. Henley (Mar 28, 2011)

*Yes*

I do, though I had forgotten about it.


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## CatLovers (Mar 28, 2011)

I remember Fern's Cafe!  Fern, back then you used to work for a major transit company, in CA I think!  

I was a lurker in the early days, but I also remember Maz -- he and I both had SoCal July beach weeks that traded like gold in the trade tests that we did here.  Speaking of which, remember those trade tests!!  We all used to be up at a specific date and time in order to run the test in RCI!

When things got very political and dirty on TUG, I got so disgusted that I left for a while.  When I came back a few years later, the new rules were in effect and I've been here off and on, more as a poster than a lurker, since then.  But my post count will never be as high as some of the true veterans of TUG!


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## btoups (Mar 28, 2011)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Just curious as to how many TUGgers have been around long enough to remember Fern's Cafe.  If you remember Fern's Cafe, please check in.



Yep! Always looked forward to it and wndered how she knew so much goo info.  Been a member since 93 when Bill was doing it all with help from volunteers.


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## happymum (Mar 28, 2011)

I am not an old-timer, but really enjoyed reading this history.


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## tmbrit (Mar 28, 2011)

yep I remember all of it,  dial up, prodigy and ferns cafe.  Gosh it was so addictive  back then.   Tug is where I also learned about Sun City West retirement community.   We all talked of what or where we might go.  We have been here since 06 and love it.
Terri   still tmbrit too


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## KDD (Mar 29, 2011)

*So that's why...*



Makai Guy said:


> June 2005 was when we switched to Bulletin software to run our bbs.  It was incompatible with the UBB software it replaced, so old user records could not be carried over, forcing everyone to register as a new bbs user.  So nobody on the current board will show a registration date prior to June 2005, other than a handful of volunteers who may have registration dates a few weeks or months earlier as we were first getting things set up prior to the change-over date.



Aha! I thought I had joined TUG before 2005, but not sure when.  

Yes, I remember Fern's Cafe!   We had only just bought the timeshares pre construction from Marriott, heart in our throats.   I was up every night reading and printing out threads like crazy re bumping, getting better seats for my tall husband, maxing our exchanges and filing away great suggestions for wondrous destinations in the future.  I especially remember reading "Ride with Ray" - that REALLY caught my imagination.  TUG and the Tuggers have been a great resource for us.  What a lovely thread.  How nice to see poster names I havent seen for awhile.  Thank you for your contributions in the past.


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## summer718 (Mar 29, 2011)

Wasn't there for Fern's Cafe but thanks for the history. 
I like learning about Tug. Been a member for a while and recommend it to others. Have learned a lot from the site and BBS. Would love to meet some members in person sometime.


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## Ginny (Mar 29, 2011)

What about Fern's "Timeshare Guru" website? I spent many hours on the Timeshare Guru and TUG when I first 'got the bug.' The wealth of information about the resale market helped me overcome my skepticism of timeshares. I was sorry to see Fern take it down about the time that the points systems came into play. Thanks, Fern!


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## MuranoJo (Mar 29, 2011)

I know it would be a lot of work, but wouldn't it be neat to have a sort of permanent 'TUG History' with a timeline from TUG's pre-origination to where we are today?

Just would be a shame to lose the history from those who have been here from the start, early contributors, etc.


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## Rose (Mar 30, 2011)

Yep I remember Fen's Cafe I remeber some guy over there in Hawaii I think who used to fight and insult prople It's nicethat it isa nice site now bur I miss Fern Member  since 98 Rose


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## grupp (Mar 30, 2011)

Don't check in hear as much as I did before, but I do remember Fern's Cafe. 

Gary


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