brewmaster15
01-09-2014, 11:21 AM
Hi all,
Yes its true, Brewmaster15, aka Al, aka the forum's owner does really exist. I kid you not. I know that many new members signing up here the last 6 months or so probably think that I am myth or an imaginary character made up by the owners of some massive Discus Corporation to act as a figure head for this forum, but I assure that I am a real person.:o Just one thats been gone for a long sabatical and well needed rest after too many years of being plugged into the hobby and Forum.
So to all the new members that don't know me , pleasure to meet you! and I hope that I can get to know some of you in 2014
and to the old members that vaguely remember me ;) as you read this your are probably either lovin it or dreading...I'm back! Batteries are fully charged. I do have a bit of catching up to do with everyone....and apologizing.
Funny all these years I watched people come and go in the hobby, family matters,sickness, job loss, burn out took their toll on so many., and finally did me in too. Took experiencing all those things at once to take me out, but it did. Not going to bore anyone with the details , we all deal with things from time to time.
So here I am....what comes next?
1) A Big Thank you!!! I really appreciate those of you that have stood by me, checked on me, participated in fund raisers and tried to be mindful of maintaining the kind of forum I have always tried to maintain. They say you learn who your friends are when you need them most....never paid much attention to the name masses refered to as "they"..but "they" are right on there with that one.
2)The Apologies... Though I could not honestly do anything about it, I left alot of people to deal with alot of issues, particularly my Mod Staff and fellow admins. Thank you for holding things together so well and taking some weight off me!
3)And another apology... I came up with a brilliant ( at least I thought so at the time!) Idea for a Discus Contest...It had the potential to be a really great thing and I was really excited about it... and then the unthinkable happened to me...actually alot of them happened. The result is I was not able to really be part of the whole contest as I had envisioned. Life Throws you curves. I am back and will be involved in the final stages of the Contest Judging and awards. I need to get some one on one time with the team here and get caught up.... review a years worth of discussions,problems, issues, and promises etc....so though I know many have been very patient already a little more patience on everyones part would be very helpful and appreciated. Give me a few a days and I will be intouch with everyone involved, and we can get to the fun part. I give you all my word on that.
4)I am really looking forward to reconnecting with everyone. I will not be taking the reins here completely though, while I was gone the Mods and Admins did a great job overall of running the place which can be a challenge to say the least! Part of the reason I needed a break was I took too much on all the time. Not anymore...I need to have a bit of time to be a hobbyist and interact as one. You may have noticed the new rules and conditions for using the forum here...they were instituted with my direction and input to make it easier for the staff here to help me run the place...I will be deferring often to them in day to day things. I really am looking forward to get back into the hobby aspects of discus keeping.
5)You hopefully noticed no changes in my Freeze Dried Blackworm business, AquaticSuppliers.com . It was not always easy to do going thru all I was dealing with, but I made sure that nothing changed in how I do business...and nothing will. :)
Lastly....Once I get myself caught up and we get the contest closed out completely.. I will be discussing with the team here some ideas I have for other things that can enhance the Forum Experience..One step at a time.. SimplyDiscus will be 12 years old in April....over the years we have done many things, tried many things...Some we did better than other things...some were failures , others were successes. A truly strong forum goes through changes and growing pains, stumbles and gets up and tries again.... and thats what I do too.:)
Best wishes to all in the New Year !
Sincerely,
Al
SimplyDiscus Owner
Yes its true, Brewmaster15, aka Al, aka the forum's owner does really exist. I kid you not. I know that many new members signing up here the last 6 months or so probably think that I am myth or an imaginary character made up by the owners of some massive Discus Corporation to act as a figure head for this forum, but I assure that I am a real person.:o Just one thats been gone for a long sabatical and well needed rest after too many years of being plugged into the hobby and Forum.
So to all the new members that don't know me , pleasure to meet you! and I hope that I can get to know some of you in 2014
and to the old members that vaguely remember me ;) as you read this your are probably either lovin it or dreading...I'm back! Batteries are fully charged. I do have a bit of catching up to do with everyone....and apologizing.
Funny all these years I watched people come and go in the hobby, family matters,sickness, job loss, burn out took their toll on so many., and finally did me in too. Took experiencing all those things at once to take me out, but it did. Not going to bore anyone with the details , we all deal with things from time to time.
So here I am....what comes next?
1) A Big Thank you!!! I really appreciate those of you that have stood by me, checked on me, participated in fund raisers and tried to be mindful of maintaining the kind of forum I have always tried to maintain. They say you learn who your friends are when you need them most....never paid much attention to the name masses refered to as "they"..but "they" are right on there with that one.
2)The Apologies... Though I could not honestly do anything about it, I left alot of people to deal with alot of issues, particularly my Mod Staff and fellow admins. Thank you for holding things together so well and taking some weight off me!
3)And another apology... I came up with a brilliant ( at least I thought so at the time!) Idea for a Discus Contest...It had the potential to be a really great thing and I was really excited about it... and then the unthinkable happened to me...actually alot of them happened. The result is I was not able to really be part of the whole contest as I had envisioned. Life Throws you curves. I am back and will be involved in the final stages of the Contest Judging and awards. I need to get some one on one time with the team here and get caught up.... review a years worth of discussions,problems, issues, and promises etc....so though I know many have been very patient already a little more patience on everyones part would be very helpful and appreciated. Give me a few a days and I will be intouch with everyone involved, and we can get to the fun part. I give you all my word on that.
4)I am really looking forward to reconnecting with everyone. I will not be taking the reins here completely though, while I was gone the Mods and Admins did a great job overall of running the place which can be a challenge to say the least! Part of the reason I needed a break was I took too much on all the time. Not anymore...I need to have a bit of time to be a hobbyist and interact as one. You may have noticed the new rules and conditions for using the forum here...they were instituted with my direction and input to make it easier for the staff here to help me run the place...I will be deferring often to them in day to day things. I really am looking forward to get back into the hobby aspects of discus keeping.
5)You hopefully noticed no changes in my Freeze Dried Blackworm business, AquaticSuppliers.com . It was not always easy to do going thru all I was dealing with, but I made sure that nothing changed in how I do business...and nothing will. :)
Lastly....Once I get myself caught up and we get the contest closed out completely.. I will be discussing with the team here some ideas I have for other things that can enhance the Forum Experience..One step at a time.. SimplyDiscus will be 12 years old in April....over the years we have done many things, tried many things...Some we did better than other things...some were failures , others were successes. A truly strong forum goes through changes and growing pains, stumbles and gets up and tries again.... and thats what I do too.:)
Best wishes to all in the New Year !
Sincerely,
Al
SimplyDiscus Owner