Topic: how did this all get started?

[rdak]

Just been wondering what the history of this site is. Having looked at some of the member profiles, it seems that a lot of people all joined up at the beginning and there are lots of references to a BBC forum. Just wondering who decided to set up this site and how people found it.

[Mrs Ava]

I found it via another site - Gardenweb.  I posted that I had a new lottie and any help and advice would be appreciated, and Tracy emailed me passing on the addy of this site - I have been living here ever since!   ;D  I used to frequent the beeb boards, but I could either not get in, or I would post and never get a response, and for me, it just didn't seem friendly with the closing times.  What about you rdak, how did you find us?

[rdak]

hmm..think I came here after someone posted a link on the forum at http://www.kitchengarden.co.uk
Have tried to go back in to search, but that site is sooo slow.

[ina]

I would love to hear from Dan about how this site got born. Why did he start it, where did he get the idea, what were his expectations, how does he feel about it now etc. etc.

Come on Dan, pleeeeeze.

[Hugh_Jones]

I don`t know how or why this site was started, but I do know why I joined.  As a regular contributor to the BBC Gardening Boards I returned from holiday in late July to find that the "Aunties" had decided not to accept any postings after 10 pm (when I was usually still locking my shed). When I did manage to get on the boards before closing time they were usually working so slowly (if at all) that a posting started at 9.30 didn`t make it on to the board before closing and was promptly lost.  In about 4 weeks I think I just managed to get 3 or 4 postings on, and that is quite apart from the fact that the Beeb closed two of its best Boards and `lost` all the postings

Then oZzY (bless his little expatriot heart)  mentioned this site, I came and had a look and joined immediately, as did lots of other fed-up ex-Beebs (mainly under different names in case Aunty finds out).

It`s a much better run site than the Beeb, and with the rapidly increasing membership  it`s steadily becoming a much more interesting one. Hot topics stay at the top of the Board for all to see instead of being shunted over the page to get lost, and now we`ve got pictures as well. What more can a gardener want?

If you`re looking in Dan, can I please have another star now?

[campanula]

Emma Jane, I found this site from you - in gardenweb (which I have pretty much deserted) Never looked back!
Thanks a trillion

[campanula]

Don't be greedy Hugh - even Jean-Luc Picard only has four stars - and he is Captain of the Starship Enterprise.

[Mrs Ava]

hahaha Campanula!  I have also pretty much given up gardenweb now, what more could a girlie need that this site!  (and how sexy is Jean Luc!  :P)

[Hugh_Jones]

Yes Little Bellflower, but his permanent quest depends on a split infinitive - I never split mine so I should have more stars than him.

(Actually, I did split one quite recently, but I don`t think anyone noticed)

[teresa]

Oh Hugh, another star your a brave man ha ha,
I too started on the Beeb board aunty's but found that a lot of young gardeners were not getting answers to their questions and being talked down to.
Their  was DC who made me laugh he was some gardener.
But their was Eric, Hugh,Ina,Maggie, CG and AC and of course Ozzy who were good and a joy to read their replies.
The other board closed early and with posting problems  Ozzy posted this link on the site so came over to have a look and have enjoyed myself ever since as you can see by the stars I have collected.
Oh yes I got excomunicated for useing a naughty word I did not realised I had done. So with fingers slapped by AUNTY I left.
This is a lovely friendly board with a wider range of topics and bits like photos.
Teresa

[Hugh_Jones]

I forgot to mention the other great advantage of this site - namely that it DOESN`T have an "OOH, ISN`T HE LUVVERLY" Board devoted to the worship of MD, AT and whoever happens to be the latest heart throb on Beeb 2 - although I`m delighted to see that the current heated topic on that Board is as to whether James Alexander Sinclair of Small Town Gardens is or is not `a big girl`s blouse`. (yes- truly)

[Admin aka Dan]

Hi All,

I started the site because when myself and my partner got our first allotment earlier this year, we could not find much information about it.

So me being a techy geek decided to have a go at starting one !

I think it's going quite well - if you look at the number of hits each month ...

Nov 2003 210440
Oct 2003 256595
Sep 2003 207451
Aug 2003 83438
Jul 2003 33433
Jun 2003 9256

you can see that from a small start, we got about 250,000 hits last month, and it looks as though we'll get over 300,000 this month !

When Ozzy found the site, he brought people over to have a look from the BBC board - most of whom I think liked it and stayed, and now I think people find it and stay because it is quite a busy board.

So that's the story - hopefully you'll all stay around - and more people will join as they find us.

Thanks for all your contributions.

Dan

[busy_lizzie]

As You can see by the other comments, we are so glad you started this site - it seems to have everything. ;D  I too started on the Beeb site, and drifted over here with everyone else.

Somehow, apart from the techni problems everyone suffers with on the Beeb boards, people don't seem quite so friendly and their discussions can get quite argumentative.  >:( I don't know if its because the site somehow has an authoritarian air about it, but users don't seem half as good natured.  :D Well done Dan "you don good"!   :-* busy_lizzie

[ina]

And thank YOU for giving us a place to contribute to and receive advice from!
Keep up the good work Dan and give yourself an extra star.

[campanula]

Good Man! Just what we all needed.

[sister_sizzy]

Thank you Dan for starting this sight,  I'm one of the members who generally sits quietly in the background not saying an awful lot but when I get one of my insomia bouts I love to read all the postings and advice - even after nearly 50 years of gardening I am still learning.
All in all a very good informative site with some wonderful characters who with some of their postings have made me laugh, made me cry, made me think but most of all kept me interested.
Keep up the good work.  Sylvia (another beeber who got fed up with being locked out and having to change identity to get back in!)