Concerning regional forums

There has been a bit of concerns expressed lately about our recent addition of regional forums, so I wanted to bring the subject again and give our (or, at least, my) point of view.

DG is a massive site and continues to get larger each day. Since launching the Home Talk area of the site, we have seen around 20 new subscribers every single day. The site is growing, and new forums are to accomodate our new members and maybe also add extra fun places for our existing forums. The southwest forum, for example, has grown in leaps and bounds over the past few days, as folks come in and make DG their new home. I hope to repeat this success with other forums during this upcoming springtime season.

Will it fracture DG? Well, the question has been asked many many times over the past 6 years. We used to have just a "General Discussion" forum and quickly jumped to 4 forums within a few days. Every time we added a forum, I'd wonder if we would then dilute the site. On the contrary, however, what happened was that the site grew in capacity to serve additional people, and we have all gained.

Looking at DG today, I think we've made a lot of great decisions that have led to this site being the excellent site it is. It pays me a full time salary (after 6 years I'm actually planning for the day when I make what I used to make in corporate life), which is outstanding and motivates me to continue doing this for the next 20 years. I'd like to continue to grow the site and bring in new faces every day.

I expect some members will stay in certain forums and not be seen around elsewhere, but it's always been that way. We have members who almost exclusively post in 1 or 2 forums. Others run rampant across the whole site. :-)

So, I wholeheartedly embrace regional forums. Just like Coleus growers have their own corner, so do regional folks have their own corner to discuss the uniqueness of the subject matter.

Anyway, there's my thoughts. Call it section 7.1 of the Dave Doctrine. :-)

Dave

Dave, you rock! We appreciate all you do. You have some great people helping you out and a wonderful family that has to put up with all of us as well. Keep it up and don't forget...you are allowed to have the weekends off. ;)

Signed,
one who runs rampant across a lot of the site.

Guilty of running rampant too....

DG has grown so much, but it's like a family who keeps getting new members...you have to build a house big enough for everyone to live in comfortably...(Badseed can relate LOL)

Yes, there's names I rarely see anymore, but we are not all cut from the exact same mold, and Dave has been gracious to expand his garden for the giant family with diverse intrests and activities that has grown here.

Run rampant?
Driving rampant now!

Ric

i think the site is great and apreciate all who contribute large and small and being newer than a weeblow at a boyscout reunion when it comes to flower gardening its nice to see so many come to your aid, not like other sites where if you ask something stupid, if you get a response at all it isnt good...

This message was edited Jan 31, 2006 10:48 PM

Another rampant runner here....I do check in on the Texas gardening forum some, and it is nice to be able to ask questions, get information, and visit with people nearby with similar growing conditions, but I spend most of my time on other forums. Can't see that regional forums would be anything but good.

Dave, thanks for all you do!

:-) Sharon

Having a BLAST in the Southwest forum ;)
THANKS!!!!

Dave-I think you are doing great.
Unlike Badseed (hi, chele)-I only saunter rampant..running is too much effort:)
Thanks for the effort you put in and glad that you are doing the job..
A family of over 200,000!!?? Yikes-what a bunch to juggle..to say nothing of birthday cards etc. for all of us..:)

Bless you Dave!

I am new I joined in January.I think this site is wonderful. I love the California forum. Great job Dave!
Exit stage left as I go running rampantly through the forums

Angela

Welcome to DG Angela! Have a good time running rampant. LOL

I can't run rampant,,,,not enough hours in the day to do that,,,or enough energy,,,,,lol However I do lurk here and there even if I'm not posting in those Forums,,,,just soooo much info.

Although I do remember Dave saying in one of his posts that the 1st of April he would open the more time in a day forum,,,,LOL

Kelly

I am so grateful for the GA forum and I started a thread in there today that is perfectly suited there. It will be a wonderful way for us to keep up with local DG'ers.

I love Daves Garden.

Susan

At first I was a little concerned about losing touch with some of our gardening friends, when the regionals started popping up. Although I suspect that has happened there has been a lot of good come of it.

The Florida Gardening forum brought several of us together down in South Florida. That group has become so popular they've tagged themselves "Galloping Gardeners". They meet locally at least once a month to invade a nursery or public garden. Now their spouses are even getting involved in the outings. It is hard to make new friends in the big city and Dave's Garden and the Florida Forums helped make that possible. They are even making t-shirts now. I sure miss 'em all. http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=1968992

We'll have to get a North Central Florida Chapter of this going!

Thanks Dave!

Molly
:^))