Patrick

Happy birthday to Bob (sensei8)! You've been a constant in our community for so long and have provided guidance, confidence and encouragement to so many. Thank you. Patrick

Thank you for sharing, Bob. Patrick

That's amazing about your son. The stripe comment is adorable. Best of luck for your test!

Congrats! That's awesome.

I'm very belated in seeing this, but thanks so much for saying so! Makes my day. Patrick

Belated welcome, JimW. Happy to have you. Patrick

Thanks Danielle. That's kind of you to say. Sorry for the extreme delay in chiming in here. I think catlike, Devin and Danielle have all made great points. One way to think about it is diversification instead of death. What we have now, more than ever before, is choice as far as how we interact online. And that choice is really dictated by what you are trying to do. When I want to find people who are really passionate and knowledgable about a specific topic, I don't go to Facebook. I usually end up on an online community dedicated to that topic, because that is where the most deeply invested people congregrate. That's where the deepest discussion on the web occurs around that topic. That's where online communities are amazing. Facebook is amazing in its own way. It's amazing in keeping you connected with individuals. Instagram is an amazing network built upon photography and lifestyle. YouTube is great for video distribution. Twitter is great for keeping connected to individuals, like Facebook, with a little more emphasis on live, e.g. you can talk live with people who are experiencing the same thing you are. So, they all excel in different ways. To me, this is a great thing. Choices allow us to find what works best for the individual needs that we have. I think online forums and online communities are in a pretty good place right now. Just my thoughts. Patrick

It's nice of you to think of the community, LLLEARNER. But yes, as others have said, priorities shift and that's perfectly fine. Glad that we still have you as a member! Thanks, Patrick

Hey Archangel, thanks for sharing this with us. How did you do?

How'd it go, skullsplitter?

Hello, Thank you for visiting KarateForums.com. We recognize one member every month as the KarateForums.com Member of the Month for their positive contributions to this community. Our honoree for September is... CTTKDKing. Congratulations! 2006 marks your 10th year at KarateForums.com. Thank you for your longstanding, solid presence within our community. Sincerely, Patrick

That's amazing, LLLEARNER! Thanks for sharing.

Hey P.A.L, I can understand his point, but he wasn't terribly polite about it, that's for sure. As a small business owner (assuming you are the owner), there are different ways to respond to these types of things. You can certainly give it back to them a little bit. Or you can respond in a way that, if your email is seen by the world, you will be proud and win business. For example, the last line of your email about landing from search engines, what do you gain from that? Do you think that the person who sent the email is more likely to be a customer or less? What about anyone who is forwarded the email? Did they deserve it? Maybe. Did it feel good to send? Maybe. But does it serve your ends? I don't know. Just a thought! Rude customers aren't fun. Patrick

Welcome aboard, Josh. Thank you for the kind words about the community. I look forward to getting to know you better. Patrick

Welcome to KF, InstructorJack. Glad to have you. Patrick

Congrats Focused Mind. Patrick

My pleasure, Alex. Thank you for the kind words, Bob. I'm glad that you enjoyed it. Patrick

Hey all, I host a podcast about online community management called Community Signal. Recently, I had tallgeese on as a guest, to discuss the similiarities between what he does here as a moderator and what he does for his day job as a training sergeant and SWAT team commander. As part of that, we talk about KarateForums.com and how this community is moderated and managed. The podcast provides some insight into how things work behind the scenes, including what moderators do and how we function as a team. I thought some members might enjoy listening to it. You can listen here: http://www.communitysignal.com/swat-team-commander-and-community-moderator/ Thanks, Patrick

Congrats CTTKDKing! Thanks for sharing this with us.

Congrats to your instructor, Liam. Patrick

Glad to have you, Struggling_Mudansha. Thank you for joining us. Patrick

Welcome back, twistkick kid. Happy to have you rejoin us. Thanks, Patrick

Belated welcome, PhilC. Glad to have you. Thank you for the kind words, catlike! Patrick

Glad that you like it, Brian!

Happy birthday to John (Zaine), who is a newly-minted KarateForums.com Sensei! Thank you for the amazing contributions that you have made over the years! Patrick