Well done YBW !

[TTotal]

Just a little word of congratulations for a site that has certainly come on leaps and bounds since a few of us were there at the launch years ago. Nice one .



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[AndrewB]

Just over 6 years now? There has only been one big change, towards the end of 2000 when a new system was brought in following some problems with identity theft and DOS attempts. The main recent change has been the addition of extra boards.

Has the real improvement in the site been due to YBW or to the contributers? Full marks to YBW for making efforts to encourage people to join. Whether there is significant payoff in terms of advertising revenue or extra subscriptions would be interesting to know, but I'd be surprised if the forum does more than pay for itself.

The volume and quality of contributions has indeed improved by leaps and bounds. The tenor of postings has changed and become more sophisticated, though it has not become cliquey so as to deter newbies. A number of contributers who were here at the outset are still regulars.

One happy result has been periodic meetings by contributers, and new friendships.

Who did you post as originally, TTotal, and where have you been in the mean time?

 

[TTotal]

Well, way back then a few of the the guys here were at PBO, now we are at a similar place shall we say...

I help run a forum for a bunch of TT (Audi) owners, which was formed mainly as the "leading " TT forum turned into a windging moaning platform that was full of negatives. The norm with forums is you tend to get a regular bunch , who seem to treat the place as their own "club" and subsequently treat any newbies as upstarts and lightweights and they are written off before they are given a chance to show the quality of their contribution to the forum. Yes a lot has happened in the 6 years, the hardcore of pirates seems to have disappeared, IPC have got some good people on the case and the place looks a lot more inviting , useful and professional.

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[kimhollamby]

Andrew,

Actually, with due respect there has been a little more to it than you suggest. For starters it wasn't a DOS attack that caused problems at the start of 2001 (not 2000) but a user adopting other users' IDs; something that was possible because we were still using the same free-to-post system since launch in 1997. One of the first jobs I found myself facing after taking over ybw.com was to close one of its popular sections for a brief period although, to put that in context, we had 300 recognisable posters then and in excess of 8,000 registered users now (it would be greater but I've started the process of ditching inactive accounts).

In terms of tasks, we firstly added registration to the old system; then we switched to this one. Then we added a series of code changes to accommodate users' wishes. Plus, in the background we changed our hosting arrangement (twice) in order to accommodate increased activity and we also put a lot more hands-on input into forums (and other parts of the website) from 2001 onwards.

None of that is to devalue the input of users which, as always, is valued. But I would like to think there is a greater reason for my worry lines than one code change in six years!

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[kimhollamby]

Thanks, appreciate the comment.

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[BrendanS]

Credit where credit is due

This forum(s) functions as well as it does because of the light handed moderators touch, which becomes steel fisted only on the odd occasion it's required.

I know only too well how difficult how hard that balance is.

Well done Kim, for a job very well done

Brendan

PS,. after that creeping, do I get a free mag or two

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[TTotal]

Kim, nice to see you working so late, must be with the help of your

"and threatre lighting .............."


Threatre ??? Is that acting with menace ???? ;-)

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[AndrewB]

Thanks, Kim.

Sorry if I seemed unappreciative. It is characteristic of the best run enterprises that all the effort that goes into making them that way should seem so smooth to the users.

I can only say what the troubles that developed in late 2000 looked like from a user's viewpoint, having had to cope with similar problems myself. No point in raking over dead coals.

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