A Loss In The Extended Family...

[Jon Westfall]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.xda-developers.com/modules.php?name=News&file=showarticle&threadid=319252' target='_blank'>http://www.xda-developers.com/modul...threadid=319252</a><br /><br /></div><i>"I have the terribly sad news to report that our colleague and dear friend, ToFClock, passed away on Friday 13th, 2007. This shocking and unexpected news will hit the community, and the many many friends and admirers he has earned in his years with us, extremely hard.”</i><br /><br />Last week, XDA-Developers Moderator and Windows Mobile Guru Vijay555 posted that XDA-Developers member ToFClock had passed away. ToFClock was a prolific member of the XDA-Developers community and was also a member of the "extended family" of ours (after all, we're all enthusiasts brought together by a common interest, WM). It appears that ToFClock decided to end his own life, bringing more sorrow to a community that will deeply miss him. <br /><br />While we gather here as fans, enthusiasts, ravers, ranters, and posters of all sort, we are all people. Thoughts Media, and other sites including XDA-Developers are not just "tech sites", they are communities. Families not bound by blood but by interest. It is our intention in posting this that we all step back and realize that while online "lives" may not always be the best form of social interaction, they still can be powerful and leave a legacy. In ToFClock's case, it may well be that he did not realize how much of an impact his presence had on the communities he visited - and now those communities grieve and wish they had the chance to extend their support to him, if he had only let them know he needed it. <br /><br />More information can be found in the XDA-Developers thread, and thoughts may be extended through it. Remember folks - no matter how bad it may get, you have communities online that do care and are willing to listen.<br /><br />- The Thoughts Media Team

[Ron H. Martin]

Dear Jon,

Thank you for the thoughts &amp; reminding all of us that behind our user names are real people with real lives.

We are still dumbfounded on the demise of TofClock, a good "member of the family" who share our common interest in WM development.

It's a real shame for us to claim him as a member of the family when we were not there the time he needed us most. On the contrary, he was always willing to share his talent &amp; time with us on the forums we share.

Through forums like this we were able to break distance &amp; language barriers &amp; be able to talk a common language, unfortunately the "bond" is more technical not personal.

Ron H. Martin
buzzdev.net (http://buzzdev.net) (see TofClock's contributions to the WM community)

[Jason Dunn]

Very sad, very tragic. :(

[Jon Westfall]

It's a real shame for us to claim him as a member of the family when we were not there the time he needed us most.
A shame more so in that this is unfortuantely the norm when it comes to individuals in need. For every one person who reaches out, three do not. My hope in this post is to remind those three that reaching out can open a resource they hadn't thought of before.

[TOCA]

A shame more so in that this is unfortuantely the norm when it comes to individuals in need. For every one person who reaches out, three do not. My hope in this post is to remind those three that reaching out can open a resource they hadn't thought of before.

Totally second that.

Step one in getting help, is to realise, that you need it, and knowing it's there.

I have suffered from depression my self, and now I know the symptoms, so if it strikes again, I will be able to recognise it, and do something against it, before it gets out of controll. It can be realy hard, to realise, that there's something wrong in your head, that needs treatment, but depression is treatable today, eaven if it's not an easy state to get out of, and in the midle of one, there are no vissible exit signs.

How many knows, that just thinking about taking ones own life, is a clear sign, of a depression hitting your brain? And you don't need to have that kind of thoughts, actually it's not normal to have them, and if they are returning on a regular bacis, you need to se a doctor, in a hurry, and cry it out loud, to get the attention from everyone arround you.

Suicide is the #1 most egoistic action, one can do, and it allways hurts the wrong persons :!: