Hi everyone, I just noticed I haven't seen Walminskipeasucker in a while, so just doing a shout out to make sure he's ok!!

I have missed him too!

Wo ist Wally?!!

(sprout) (can we lure him out with a brussel sprout?)

======= Date Modified 07 Feb 2010 15:28:08 =======
I was wondering the same, I really find it a bit strange.

I was thinking this too! He was sorting out a download for me, not that I'm worried about that, but he just suddenly hasn't been on at all - very odd. Hope he's ok!

======= Date Modified 07 Feb 2010 20:34:22 =======
I've also been wondering and sent a pm a couple of days ago - no response so far...

Come to think of it, haven't heard from Eska for a bit too - maybe they've eloped? :-x

I thought I saw Wally in the users online list today briefly, but I am may have been wrong, it may have been the star users list..

Hey, I am here, I haven't eloped with Wally, so can't tell you whre he is. I haven't been posting as much as usual because I've been caught up in the real world, so out of my laptop bubble. I started to feel a bit funny about the fact that I get so attached to you all, speaking every day, and feel I know you, but I don't really, like I talk to you more than I do with some of my friends. I started to think that was a bit weird I suppose it's the annonymity thing and the fact that people can just disappear whenever - which is a good thing about the forum too - but I started to feel weird about getting so attached to people who are so intrinsically distanced from me. Anyone esle feel the same way?

Hey Eska, yes I feel that too sometimes. Although I don't always post, I do read alot and keep up with what everyone's doing! I had a bit of a down fall this week, and bit of a teary mess. My partner got a bit harsh with me (he knows how to get me out of these things!), but he said something about the forum and it really hit home. He said that its silly to be spending time on the forum reading etc, instead of just getting on with my work!!! It's true I guess, I mean its fine to be on here, and I enjoy the anonymity of it all, and feeling like I have understanding companions out there that I can speak to and tell of my woes, (often things I don't tell my partner or sister)! But when i'm not even doing work, sometimes actively avoiding it, but still coming on here...well, maybe he's right!
Any how, i've at last had a productive weekend, i've just got final edits of second draft chapter 1 to do, and spent last 3 hours sorting out my data for Chapter 5. I like to be able to have some accountability, and seeing it on here really helps, so I'll be staying! :)

Anyway - where is Wally, I really hope he's ok! Come back Wally (gift) (maybe a present will lure him?)

Hey Eska and AL

Just hijacking this thread for a moment...yes, it is quite odd to feel attached to others in a virtual world - but nice too! Since I mostly work from home, I rarely have other students to talk to, so this forum is a saviour. AL, your partner is right to a degree - yes, we should be writing rather than being on this forum, but if it helps, good! Has your partner done a PhD? If not, I'd take what he's saying with a grain of salt - unless you've gone through the isolation, the maddening frustration of a PhD, I don't think a person can really understand.

Sorry to hear you've been having a hard time AL - it will pass, and you'll be on the up again.

Hello everyone. I haven't disappeared or owt and still intend to remain an active member of the PGF par-excellence! I had a meeting with my supervisory team on Monday and it was one of those really intensive meetings, where they say "right, what have you done and what do you need to do..." Anyway, we've basically agreed to have my PhD, my enormous, maze-like contribution to human knowledge about not very much, done and dusted by Chrimbo (better get started then). And guess what? They also want me to write a methodology book for my discipline and have been talking about getting in touch with Elsevier concerning getting some kind of publication arrangement in order. It sounds really amazing, the idea that little me, cheap-skate, Hollyoaks-watching, Coronation Street fanatic could actually write a book. I'm also in the process of trying to select a viva-examiner (we already have one sorted), so I've been busy, busy and busy on top. Contractual agreements with my uni also mean that I've had to start teaching again, so that has further snapped up my time.

Sneaks, I'm dead sorry that I've not yet got all of DNS uploaded, but whatever you do, save you pennies, because I have it, use it (not very much) and it works fine. Promise I'll sort it one way or the other for you this week.

Eska, I think I understand what you're saying, though you're often too profound and intellectual for me to completely understand (a compliment, by the way:$ don't expect any more (kidding)).

Not to begin one of my Oscar winning, And-I-never learnt-to-read performances (Waynes World 2 (1993), I agree with Sue2604 (2009), who postulates that a major advantage of the PGF is the great sense of community it creates amongst users, almost a virtual form a valium for the wayward and lost-at-sea amongst us. It's been really hard to try and stay away from this forum whilst I've tried to act on the recommendations from my meeting, but I think it's great because the way of the PhD student is often a lonely one (particularly those of us who are in the social sciences and health sciences) and it's just so nice to be a member of such a lovely and mature (Sneaks excluded) forum. I don't have the time to see my friends in the real world, so it's so nice to chat to like-minded (out of necessity) people in the virtual one. I could phone them up, cos as Bob Hoskins says "it's good to talk", but not at 35p a minute.

Well, I've got till the end of the year and it's not all bad, and I can see the light at the end of a very distant tunnel (I think it's a vacancy sign in my local McDonalds), so onwards and upwards.

Eska - I can totally see where you're coming from as I do sometimes share things on here when really I should be telling someone that can actually help me practically. I'm really pleased that I came across pgf though, because I am only at MSc level and desparately wanting to start a PhD in the near future; however I don't know anybody who has done/is doing a PhD apart from my university tutors, therefore I don't really have anybody to talk to, in a colloquial non-judgemental way, about the process. Its also difficult because none of my friends on my MSc course want to do a PhD and although they're brilliant listeners, I feel bad boring them with all my proposal/supervisor/funding related panicking.

Basically what I'm trying to say is that I speak to my friends and family more than I do to people on here, but when studying becomes lonely, worrying or frustrating; and when I'm worrying about my PhD applications, this place is invaluable as everybody understands!

Thanks for the citation Walminski, I knew my studies would make me famous somewhere. ;-)

I totally interact more with people here than in the real world. My 'friends' don't contact me for weeks, months on end, and yes, most of my friends are not 'good' friends. Just another casualty of this PhD. And living in this horrid town...oh, I'd better stop before I get too negative. I have another chapter to rewrite - joy!

aww thats so nice to get all those replies! glad to hear all's good on the work front wally, just keep swimming and you'll make it! (up) and i totally agree with the whole forum commnity thing, but i kind of like it! I can be as strange and random as I like and it's fine! :-)