Remember That Time You Taught Me What "Less Than Three" Meant?: A Totally Platonic <3 Letter to @thisisjendoll

Oh, Jen. It seems like just yesterday you were starting at the Voice. You had just been another unemployed daughter living in the East Village. We listened with rapt attention over the cubicle wall as Foster tried to coach you on how to get 100 twitter followers. And look at you now, @thisisjendoll: two years later you have 2,455 tweeps, not to mention your name on 3,433 blog posts, on three cover stories in the paper, and on a 30-year mortgage (in Brooklyn, no less)!

Along the way you've taught us about the Plight of the Single Lady, and you've given us insight into the stories of the day, from the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords to Occupy Wall Street.

From subway porn to helpful tips on avoiding death by falling air conditioner or surviving a hurricane here, you have helped us (and countless Gothamites) to understand our town in new and fascinating ways. We are grateful not just for your instructions on how to be a New Yorker, but for your 50 reasons why we should be damn happy that we are.

We first collaborated together on some awesome New York signage:

In the best tradition of the Voice's writers, you have generously given your time in training the upcoming generation of journalists. Your skill for working with interns and developing their talents speaks for itself when you look at what they've gone on to do since working with you (even before they graduate from college). Take Esther Zuckerman, for example: just months after your summer intern went viral for, er, exposing the laws that let ladies go topless, she has not only become the new Runnin' Scared weekend blogger, but she's one of only 14 people Rupert Murdoch follows on twitter. Similarly, your 2010 summer intern Rosie Gray has gone, in just a year and a half, from blogging about dating Brian of DatingBrian.com to relentlessly pursuing journalism to the point that she's been roughed up by cops from Zuccotti Park to the Citadel.

And, of course, you and your interns took on the thankless task of educating the most clueless of your colleagues (that would be yours truly) on the fact that a less-than character ("<") followed by the number "3" in a tweet is not a mathematical equation. (Equally importantly, you also taught us the difference between Ryan Gosling and Ryan Reynolds.)

You represented the best of the Village Voice, @thisisjendoll. Never forget that no matter where you work, and no matter how far you move away (even across the river to Brooklyn), you will always be a "Village voice."

Remember, we'll always have the Jersey Couture Tuna Cheddar Melt.

And we will less than three you always.

@steven_thrasher :-(