Hi andymon ;D
Stand down sir, it was good question
So here is my version of the evolution of this site.
Gossip or history....you decide ;D
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I was an old timer on Glenns site, and like ian says it just got a little frustrating watching the forum drift along.
I loved all the posting and being an active member, and just wanted ways to improve the Forum.
I think most will remember the posts in regard to trying to contact Glenn and how we agonised over what we could do to improve things regarding the Forum, without Glenn at the helm
At the time i think the consensus was that Glenn was NOT coming back, and we were on our own.
(In fact most of us started to have a sneaking suspicion, that Glenn had met a nasty accident...
)
Eventually a few of us decided to have a good look at other ideas and ways forward for the forum.
We first needed to answer a few simple questions.
*Should we just move the forum over to an alternative site but keep it the same?
*should we completely change the site to phb boards or something similar and start over again?
OR
*should we try to keep it as close to the original as possible so members felt familiar with it, but with a few improvements (:ie Moderation and admin etc), which would give us some alternatives that just weren't available on the old one.
The viewpoints put forward were lively and well argued.
But what won the day, was to keep it the same hosts and style so everyone would be ok using it from day one.
In the course of these discussions, it was nice to see people coming together with some really good ideas (and one or two bad ones..
) we didn't all win our arguments
but each one accepted the decision and moved on, and did what they thought was best for the whole group, not just themselves.
(all of a sudden we had a thriving democracy on the Forum.... ;D )
I was one of those who eventually took the plunge and had an active part in starting up the new Forum.
To be honest starting up the new site was exciting yet Blo0dy scary, what if we changed it, opened for business and No One came to post.....
Thankfully most came to look and many stayed to post, (Thumbs up, all.
) and slowly the trickle became a steady stream of posts and new members.
It was all so simple and we had a thriving Forum, with enough to interest old hands and new surfers into visiting, joining and posting away about the NTV.
The Glenn returned..(Hurray ;D )
He was well and we had the NTV Meister back with us.
Amongst others I welcomed glenn back and asked, ney begged him to come over and join us as an admin,
(after all he was the reason we were actually on here at all, If it hadn't of been for Glenn........ ;D)
Glenn very politely refused the offer, preferring to stay on at the old forum.
i have few pm chats with Glenn and we have argued the merits of staying where he is or moving over here.
i completely understand why Glenn would want to continue with the old forum, if she was my baby i'd probably feel the same.
unfortunately I don't think the NTV has such a broad membership that it can realistically sustain two sites dedicated to it without one of those site suffering
I have so far failed to get Glenn to come on board over here, and some may have seen me on the old forum as 'Admin' and 'logged' in, (usually to see if i have any pms from Glenn.)
To clear this up, glenn very kindly made me the offer of Admin, and despite me being totally honest and nailing my colours to the mast here, he still made me up.
It made me proud that he respected me enough to do this, as there is a measure of trust involved.
I know the trust involved because i have the same privileges here and have given and had the admin teams trust from day one and not been let down and have hopefully not let them down either..
.
I have advised Glenn that one or two members of the old forum would make much better admins then me as they would have the focus and time for that forum..
The only other real alternative for me, would have been for Glenn to make ALL the admin team on here Admins on the Old forum.
which in reality would simply have had us transform the old site into something similar to this one, which would be pretty pointless when we already have this version built here ..
In reality, we could all spend as long as we wanted doing the things we like best, but we all have to budget our time, and mine is taken up with work, family commitments and what little time
is left over: Riding the NTV, (althou' NOT through avalanche country ala' norfolk... ;D ) And catching up with friends and posts on the web and forum. Mainly through e-mails and on this forum.
I spend a lot of time on here and simply do not have enough of it to follow two forums intensely.
(maybe like me you belong to other forum sites were you visit and read the posts but very rarely post in yourself unless the post is that interesting you feel compelled to reply)..
I post and reply to a lot of the 'Posts' over here, (Like most of the admins do.
) as i want all who take the time to post, to get a friendly response ASAP, and have a positive experience so they want to come back again.
The forum Motto is Simple really, 'Be Nice, be friendly and be helpful.'
Just like in any Club in the real world we have ever joined, that is what encourages people to return.
And with the best will in the world I cant do that on both sites.
So is it a rift or has one evolved?
Have no problem regarding Glenn personally or the other members of the Old forum.
If i might just say as the MOST active NTV 'Meeter Upperer' (?) ;D
In the country..(the ace, gaydon, Boxhill and London..
)
I would be pleased to meet up with ANY NTV owner, from this forum or any other.
I just wish we were all under the same umbrella, so posts, thoughts and ideas would flow to all of us, without having to hunt through various posts and forums...
As McF so nicely put it,
Wise words and we all get something if everybody puts something in.
Can both forums thrive? I hope so but am doubtful,
I wish all the best to Glenn and the other forum members,
but i will be doing my best personally to ensure that this one meets the expectations of our members and will continue to explore new ways, along with the rest of the Admin team, to make the forum interesting, exciting and relevant for today and tomorrows NTV Owners who join us.
McF also said that this is OUR Forum...
Well this means YOU and ME.
We came together as a team to build it but it was the Contributions of EVERYBODY who posted that have made it what it is.
I have loved the admin side to the forum myself, it has given me great freedom to experiment and add to the forum ( for the better i hope
).
But as a point, i am willing to stand down and reapply for an admin position in say 2 months time
(admin terms last 2 months long? ) IF others want to nominate themselves.
With 4 other Admins to watch over and assist any new incumbant, their should be little to worry anyone interested in applying.
(Remember, If I can do it, anyone can...
)
Hope that clears up one or two points.
Sorry to take so long, but it is important to both forums that we know where we were and where we are going.
Ride safe all
and post often
jaz