Goodbye, But Not Gone

Hey all,

If you haven't seen Andy's member center post, click over there and read it.

It's true. I'm leaving Epinions as the Community Liaison to a new start-up company that will allow me to further develop and enhance my community skills. It's not a competing website. I wouldn't have taken the job if it was.

I'm not going to be leaving the site though. I'll still consider this place one of my online homes. I'll write, rate, comment, contribute to message board threads, and try to keep an honest, even, and friendly tone wherever I go. I enjoy this site, this community, and the concept of writing reviews way too much to leave.

I will stick around officially as a message board moderator for the time being, helping out Meagan, EC Mark, and Bob. I can definitely help with some things, but I simply won't have time to be the go to guy when it comes to all things Epinions. For now, Andy is that guy. Please be patient with him. He's juggling two roles until my replacement is hired. But you're in great hands. Andy loves you just as much as I do. And Almar as well. He understands community like no other and truly gets "it". Pehr, Andy, and Almar are a great leadership team. Whoever my replacement is will just strengthen the core.

The engineers truly work their tails off. They are a small team, but everyone in that group is an all-star. Joel, Damon, Mariano, Vincent, and Diana (QA) really enjoy doing what they do for this website. I think Damon said it at the Meet and Greet. He simply wants to give you all the best site possible.

Please keep in touch. You know my e-mail address (it's on my profile). And let's continue making this site great, together as a community.

Thanks,

GG

It is going to take a while to digest this information. It is truly hard to believe. While you'll still be around, since I have started this site you were the go to guy. I hope you didn't warn Andy about me. :)

I wish you luck and good fortune in anything and everything you do.

Julie

Announced on my birthday too.

Garrett, I know you won't go far from us, but I'm possessive nonetheless. This is bittersweet for me. I know you'll be happy, but I also know you're impossible to replace.

Best wishes at your new job and thank you for your tireless dedication to the site. I hope the staff throws a huge good-bye party for you on behalf of the membership.

Meagan

Wow.

How sad for us. But how happy for you - pursuing other adventures. I wish you the best!!

Mona

I'm glad you're going to be sticking around on the site. We'll miss you being the "go to" guy, though. Congratulations on the new job. I wish you the very best!

Hey - you can finally earn IS and enter sweepstakes!! (right?)


Mona

I know I'm gonna miss you! Thanks for all the help over the years.

Best of luck in your new position!

Jeff

mods - I have unpinned this thread for the moment at Garrett's request. There will be a lot of activity here for the next few days so pinning should not be necessary, and might actually lead some folks to scroll right past the thread in the short term. We'll pin it once it dies down so that it doesn't fall off the page. Cool? Thanks.

I'm thrilled you are still sticking around the site. I would absolutely miss you if you completely disappeared.

But I am going to miss having you around as the go to guy. I have really loved knowing who to shoot an e-mail to if there was a problem. And your quick, friendly responses, even if it was "We know. Please be patient" were always welcome.

Plus there's the fact that we got to hang out three times in 9 months or so. Those were all a blast.

You've help me weather some tricky stuff here, and I appreciate it. I probably should have told you sooner.

Andy has no clue what he's in for until they hire your replace, does he? :)

Anyway, good luck. Fortunately, not goodbye.

Mark

Wow, this was pretty shocking. I'm glad you'll still be here with us, though. After all, you've been here for at least forever!

Good luck in your new endeavor!

Kris

I'll get my pinning satisfaction later, as you suggest.

Good luck, Garrett! See you around the site! ;>

Garrett,

You will be sorely missed. You sure did help me go from scared, unsure, easily hurt member to someone who has more confidence and is not scared to speak my mind. And there is so much more. You truly inspired me in so very many ways and constantly were there when I needed you. Your calm demeanor when I was "spazzing" really made me realize I needed to chill. (I'm working on it. lol.)

I will miss you being here to lean on but I know you will still be here as a friend.

Best of luck in the future. You'll do great!

Hugs,
Patty

Congrats on the new gig, GG!

Wow! Garrett, you and Andy have been very responsive (often beyond the call of duty) to member needs. I'm glad you're sticking around and I know Andy will do very well with his additional duties until your replacement arrives.

Good luck to you and Andy both.

Don :)

Oh my.

Someone sent me an email about this today, and at first I assumed it was a poorly timed April Fool's joke. I'm just stunned, and sad to see you go. I'm also really happy that you're off to something even more exciting for you, and wish you the very best of luck. And as long as you keep blogging AI, I promise not to pout!
;)

Thanks for all your hard work over the years. It surely didnt go unnoticed. I'm sure your experiences and hard work ethic will take you to new heights with your new career path. Best wishes,

~Ace aka Drew

In just the short time I've gotten know Garrett, I already know I will also miss him. Which is why I'll make every excuse I can to leave the office and go have lunch with him. =)

Good luck, Garrett! I wish you the best.

-Almar

That hat will look fashionable on you! I'm wishing you all the best and am glad you'll still be a valued contributor to the Epinions site.

~~ Dawn

Congrats on the new gig, and best wishes! We'll have to continue to discuss American Idol. :)

Congratulations on your new job :)

I'm happy to hear you'll be around, still.

Thanks for all your hard work and dedication... we've all noticed it :)

Laura

Wow! Big news! They are really gaining a valuable employee at your new job!

GG -

You'll obviously be missed, but hopefully we'll still see you at the occasional Meet & Greet, yes?

Best wishes on your new endeavors. Keep us posted on every little detail (ok... maybe just the big ones...)

Goodbye, Garrett. It is a sad occasion, but trying new things and going to new places helps one grow. Best of luck to you. :-)

I hope your new job title includes the word "Shaman" or "Tzar".

You're one of the best friends I've ever had. I'll always be grateful to this website for introducing me to somebody so thoroughly governed by integrity and kindness. Enjoy your awesome new job! Mwah!

GG - I am so excited for your new adventure, but will definitely miss you as my go to guy at Eps - I wish you all the luck and want to hear more about what you will be doing!
Courtney

Because I feel this needs to be said publicly.

I am very, very happy for you and proud of you. You did the right thing.

You, more than anyone else on this site, has been responsible for my development here, not to mention the simple fact that I've stuck around for the better part of six years.

I've thanked you privately for talking me off the ledge and having my back (most of the time anyway...smile...), now I'm thanking you publicly for tirelessly pushing the concept of community on this site, for your endless patience, good humor, and for leading by example.

You will be missed as a stabilizing force on this site, but it's not like I'm gonna talk to you any less!!!

Congrats again, my friend.

Mike

Thank you Garrett for your help in the past, If I could rate you I'd give you 5 Stars! Good luck and success in your new venture.

Pat

Garrett,

I'll echo the opinions of many of the previous posts and say I'll miss your presence behind the scenes but I'm glad you're moving on and I wish you the best. I hope you'll still be able to show up at a Meet & Greet or two in the future where we can rub elbows like regular members. :)

Oh yeah, I don't know about a TR hat, you'll have to prove yourself as a member before they'll let you have one! :)

All joking aside, thanks so much for your advice, encouragement, and the enthusiasm you've shown for the site. It made a huge difference in my early days and I know it has for many other members since then.

Best wishes and Godspeed,
Abraham

GG, thank you for all of your assistance and encouragement. Best of luck in the new job.

This place just isn't going to be the same...

Good luck with the new job, Garrett! Thanks for staying around on the boards, too. :o)

Cheers,
Smorg

Garrett,

Thanks so much for all of your help in the past. Here's wishing you a brilliant future at whatever position you take at this new start up company. If you are as attentive and hard-working there as you have been here, you should be a millionaire in no time.

A bittersweet moment. Bitter, because it's never easy to leave. But sweet because you get to move on to the new adventure. I've always believed that life should be a series of adventures rather than one continuing epic. I envy you this new move.

At the same time I want to thank you for all the encouragement, support and confidence you've shown in me in my 2 1/2 years on the site.

Your contributions to the site are going to be missed, but it's good to know you're not completely leaving us.

Best of luck on your next adventure.

Warmest regards,
Rudi

best of luck Garrett!!




~MT

Wherever you are going they better appreciate you. Cause, you know, we didn't, but then it's our job to make sure no one else abuses you the way we did ... sort of a sibling thing ;-)

Best of luck. You have been a Most Helpful person around here.

Garrett - just wanted to wish you all the best wherever you're going. You've been a great source of good and rightousness for us all while you've been here. (Okay, so I'm overdoing it a little... :-D)

See you around buddy,


CaptainD

I'm sad to see you go, but happy to know that you're moving forward in your career.

I hope you aren't tired of reading all these good wishes by now and I hope you see this one! GOOD LUCK! You have been the backbone of eps and these boards for a long time and I don't know if it will be the same.

And what OTHER two kids in costume are gonna be as cute as those two????

Deena

Garrett,

Good Luck, and you will surely be missed. I almost feel sorry for your replacement, they have really big shoes to fill.

Cindi

Hi Garrett

Just wanted to add that I appreciate what you have done for Epinions over the years.

I know your job will have been a whole heap of juggling balls and trying to keep folk with different opinions and priorities happy.

It can't have been an easy task, and that we are so quickly onto page 4 of a list of comments, give tribute to how successfully you helped create and sustain an e-community.

I'm pleased you will continue to be part of the "epinions family".

Best of luck for your future career my friend.

Chris

I never came to the message boards before my recent Dec. 07 return, so I have only gotten to know you recently but I have been impressed by the patience and support you've provided to the community. Hope the next chapter of your career is just as fulfilling!

Good luck in your new endeavors, Garrett. It's been a pleasure knowing you over the past 8 years (amazing that it's actually been that long...time flies).

You will certainly be missed.

Mke B.

Good grief! You've been around here since God wore diapers - how the heck are we gonna manage without you?

I hope your new job gives you plenty of opportunity for growth and fun. Please know that you'll be missed in your official role here, but at least you'll be around as a member.

And don't forget to hat yourself before you go!

All the best,
Margaret

Best of luck at the new job, GG. They're incredibly lucky to have you. I'll miss you, and as a community we owe you a huge debt of gratitude.

Good luck and I'm glad we'll still get to see you around!

Sue

Best of luck Garrett...you'll be sorely missed as our 'go to' guy.

I am glad to read that you'll be around on the boards and of course reading and writing too.

I'm thinking you must be the last of those who were there at the very beginning...am I correct in that assumption? Anyway...best of luck and make it a great new job.....kath

I wanted to thank Garrett for all that he has done for Epinions – and to say how thankful I am that he will continue to be an active member of the community. We are lucky to have benefited from Garrett’s deep expertise, balanced demeanor, and good judgment over the last years.



Garrett, best of luck in your new adventure, and we’ll see lots of you on the boards!



And to the rest of you, thank you for your continued participation and engagement in this great community!

Good luck with your new venture and I am glad you will be sticking around the community.

Wow! I didn't expect this announcement. This is 5 pages I just read. Goes to show you, you WILL be missed with our problems that you helped us all with. I'll always remember your positive outlook and encouragement to all.

Best wishes in your new job.

You did a wonderful job here and will definitely be missed.

I'm glad to hear you plan on sticking around as a member.

Best of luck in your new venture I'm glad you're sticking around Epinions though.

And now you can actually earn IS and enter the contests now that you won't be an employee. :)

Kathy

Dearest GG:

If anyone has been the heart and soul of Epinions it's you. We can only hope your new employers know how fortunate they are to have such a talented, caring and honest individual taking over the Community Manager role.

Andy is great. Almar is a gem. While they may have some idea of what you seem to effortlessly accomplish any given day, I wonder if one person can ever fill your shoes here on the mother site.

You've been my rock for so long and a very dear friend. Now that I'm over the shock of the announcement, I'm so happy for you. I won't miss you because I refuse to allow us to lose touch.

With love from your future stalker,
HG

...
I only got one question Garrett...

.

.

.

Where was this thread when I was trying to hit my 100,000 replies guess..?!?


. . . ...:competitivesmiliemoment:...



...tom...
.

Oh my....what a shock! I am very happy for you in you new job, Garrett. I feel like you are an old friend at this point since we've met at four M&G's! Thanks for always being such a big help to me (and everyone).

Gotta add that I am very glad you will still be writing at Epinions.

All the best to you!

~gael

Hey GG,

I'm all choked up and feeling shocked, sad but ultimately happy for you in your decision to try something a bit different and adventurous but along the Community lines you helped foster so mightily here at Epinions.com.

You were 50% of the reason we drove 800 miles round trip with gas more than $3.60 a gallon last month, just 2 days after I started double antibiotics for a particularly bad dental situation.

You and Andy are the last of the originals/near originals from Brisbane, and I will both look forward to your new endeavors and continued success at whatever you make your Life's work, as well as continuing American Idol Saga & Dish a la your civilian self.

Oh, and will surely try for an open mind for the Newbie. Guess I'll have to be 'nice' to dearest Andyman in the interim. Sigh.

Your hugest fan,


Casey la reynosa

Garrett, I am so glad that you are going to remain a member of the community even though you will be working somewhere else.

I really liked your management style, you were so easy to approach and you made each of us feel equally important. I was always so impressed that no matter how upset the members may have become over site changes, you never took it personally and always remained calm and willing to answer our questions and help us in any way you could.

Thank you, Garrett.

It sure has been fun working with you man. Glad we had a chance to chat over a beer at the Atlanta Meet and Greet, too. Hate to see you move out of your official capacity, but I am glad to see you'll still be posing reviews and sticking around Epinions.

Bets wishes in your new endeavors!

John

Garrett,

We haven't always seen eye-to-eye, but you don't remember a man for agreeing with you. You remember him for standing by his principles. You were good.

I sincerely wish you all the best in your future endeavours. And it's good to know roheblius will stay back :o).

-Vasilis

Congratulations big guy and best wishes for great success in your new adventure. I've had to say goodbye to some very special epinions folks over the years - Alexis, Nirav, Ron, and several others, but you amigo I will miss most of all.

I'm glad you'll be staying around the community - epinions just wouldn't be the same without YOU. I really appreciate everything you done over the many years we've known each other - for me, for my category, for epinions, and for the community.


Howard

All I can say is..

:(


Best of luck with your new endeavor!

Summer

I'm a little late to the going-away party, but thanks for everything you've done for Epinions, Garrett. You have been the public face of Epinions for most of the time I've been here, and that has been a kind and welcoming face. Good luck with your future endeavors and I look forward to modding with you.

--Bob

I am sure this was a terribly hard decision! I wanted to send you the best wishes for a wonderful adventure!

You certainly will be missed (in your capacity as it was), but I am glad to hear you will still be present as a member!

Kim

I was getting ready to be sad there until I read down to the part that says you'll still be around, glad you're sticking with the site! Considering how many people have your e-mail as the guy that'll get things done, though, you might want to consider changing it :P

Good luck and I'm glad I had a chance to not only meet you but surprise you. It's always fun to shock someone. We'll certainly watch for you.

Patsy

If you catch Freak, I'm gonna quit too! :))

(You were also one of the first people I added to my WOT back in early 2000.)

~gael

It's not goodbye - it's Until Next Time. Good luck and we'll watch for your future reviews of Rocky films (Rocky XLVII?)

I still have had several occasions to be grateful to Garrett. He not only knows answers, but delivers them class.

...If I had some Epidolls to send you, I would. Cuz I know you'd love to have them around forever and ever.

Hehehehehe.

Jeez, I get way busy at the new job, and you drop this new job when I swing by. Great. Just great.

Ah well. All good things must end, and I hope your new endeavors bring you great joy. You've been a huge asset here, and Epinions has some mighty big shoes to fill.

Metaphorically, anyway.

Best wishes in your new venture - you were one of the few old-timers left. (I'm still hanging onto my Epinions fleece jacket though!!)

Regards

John

I know that "in real life" Garrett is more than Epinions.

I just got so used to seeing you here, in that capacity -- but everything changes and I wanted to chime in with the well wishes.

Hope to see you around the site. Thanks for all the times you took the time to answer me personally.

Kimm

Good luck and best wishes in your new endeavor! Thank you for making epinions a wonderful place to be. I'm glad we'll still see you around here.

Sorry to see you leave Garrett. You have made so many improvements on this website, and made it possible for us to increase our earnings, especially over the past year. Good luck in the future. I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet in in Atlanta. Cheers! Sheila

Best of luck with your new job and glad to hear you'll be sticking around!

~Jamilynn

Much success with this transition in your career. I'm sure your horizon and future is very bright with lots of prospects and adventure for a man of your talents.

WOW!! Late to this party and tough news to arrive to.

I'm sorry for us here at Epinions to lose you, Garrett. You have been a true gem to us through your dedication, hard work, even-handed demeanor, and most especially for the love you have shown toward this fine community that you both nurtured and allowed to become. It's a community of diverse people and attitudes that can have strong differences of opinion and yet still play well together. For that I give you kudos.

I celebrate the start of your new future, Garrett!

Do well and I'll be catching up on Idol talk soon.

Best to you, the Lucadors and family always!

pops

I have not been happy with the course Epinions has taken, but my best wishes to you in your future work.

Alex -- Macresarf1

Garrett, I wish you the best in your new endeavor and hope that the new company knows how lucky they are to have gotten you to help them succeed like your all your help with Epinions.

Kathy

Garrett, I first met you at the first ever Meet and Greet in Orlando, Florida. I liked you then and I like you now!

I hope that what ever adventures in life that you actually take on that you are happy and truly doing what is in your heart to do.

You are a wonderful person!

God Bless you and your family,

Leah

I wish you the best, Garrett. I have always admired your fair, honest and diplomatic style.

Oh, and thanks to you, Ladyconsumer and I now own matching Epinions T-shirts!

Take care,
Diana

I hate when my people go away. Now, who am I going to give a hard time? (send email for new person ASAP - thanks).

Kidding aside, I hated to see that you're not going to be with EP though happy about the new job. I hope the new one is less stressy and takes less time. I know it's hard to juggle jobs and kids.

If you lived closer I'd cook you up some ribs and get some company beer to send you off full and humming some Jimmy Buffett.

All the best Garrett,
Cyndi

I'm pretty close Charlotte - an hour or so. Kids always welcome too. They'd love the huge magnolia - super climbing tree.

Well Garrett, you know we will all miss you, and are glad you will still be in the community.

On another topic however, WHAT does that sign mean that the man is holding up to you?