CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

[admin]

Well folks this is our first Christmas at the Stargazers Lounge. Thought you may like a little Christmas message and brief history to our little forum.

We (James, Russ, Ant & Rob) started the forum back in the summer (can you believe we've only been going 5 months, seems way longer) and we had no idea how it would turn out. We thought at best it would a little place for a few of us to have a natter. We never in our wildest dreams thought it would grow so quickly. And to become such a buzzing place.

We have to admit that the forum was perhaps a little lopsided when we began with most of us coming from an imaging background. So the talk was predominently imaging, camera’s and telescopes. This is not the vision we had for the forum. We intended it to have broader appeal and that’s where you guys came in. With each new member that joins, the better balanced the forum becomes. We now have a nice diversity of experience and interest. And indeed we are fulfilling that vision of a broad appeal.

We cleared the 100 member milestone in late November but since then have raced onto 150 in a quarter of the time....how does that happen? We've also had a our first star party, a success despite the lack of any observing. And planning for the next one is already well under way. It's open to everyone, so feel free to show interest.

Right okay now onto the important bit. 

The admin team would like to THANK YOU ALL. We would like to say a big thank you for joining, taking part and basically making Stargazers a thoroughly great place to be. And we wish you the merriest of Christmas’s. And the best of New Year’s.

We would also like to say a special thanks to the moderator team of Gaz, Daz, Jamie (Skyguy) and Steve. A big thanks for accepting the roles and an even bigger thanks for doing such a cracking job. Merry Christmas guys!

And a huge, massive, mega, gigantic, Ultra THANKYOU to Grant. Without whom none of this would be possible….you’re an absolute star! Thanks mate from James, Russ, Ant, Rob and the whole of Stargazers!

So that just leaves a toast:

Here’s to an even better New Year for us all with dozens of clear skies, lots of new kit and finally, may our little forum go from strength to strength.

Cheers all

The Admin Team (James, Russ, Ant, Rob & GRANT)

[CELESCOPE]

Cheers and the same to all you guys involved there , as an early member its been pleasing to see the forum grow with a huge mixture of talent and interest its great to see new ppl just starting out and i,m sure you will agree it gives us great sati

sfaction helping those ppl off to, in my case first steps for imaging,

Merry Christmas and a Happy new year to all .

Rog (aka) CELESCOPE

:santa:

[AstroTiger]

Merry xmas to you all

I cannot add much more as i said pretty much all i have to say in another thread. but it was nice reading ur histroy.

Often wen u set out with limited or no expectations, it results in something far bigger. O ften try to apply this principle in business. In a ,manner of speaking its working, though not as i had expected.

It turns out the flaming magazine is more popular than the courses!!!

Al

[Grant]

Thanks guys, it's very strange but Ant predicted months ago that I would get addicted to astronomy, and here I am, a fully signed up addict and proud

Merry Christmas to everyone on here, I'm looking forward to what 2006 will bring to the forums, who knows how many members we will have by this time next year

Have a great Christmas everyone!

[The Warthog]

I am so glad I found you! This is a terrific little forum, and it makes my log cabin in the Canadian wilderness seem all that much warmer to be able to log in here and talk to you. Happy Christmas to all!

[tom.yates]

Thanks guys, fab forum i also feel i have made some good mates .

Tom.

[AstroTiger]

Thanks guys, fab forum i also feel i have made some good mates .

Tom.

i couldn;t agree more. A fine bunch of ppl you all are :-)

honoured to be with you.

Al

[daz]

I'm all over-come with e - e - e - emotion....

It's great place to be and everyone involved makes it so.

Have a F.A.B. Crimbo, hope Santa brings you lots of nice things, and remember to over-indulge at every opportunity

[Jamie]

I have to agree with all thats been said.

This is such a good place to spend your time i for one have learnt so much

just reading folks posts.

I have also met online and in person a great buch of people from the ones

that were already members when i joined to the ones that joined recently

All the best when it comes.

[GazOC]

What a cracking message guys!! :sunny:

....and you're right, it does seem a lot longer than 5 months! I only found the place by accident when I did an astro deal with James!!!

[AstroTiger]

it is interesting as forums either succeed or fail.

I have been studying your for sometime, one ofthr things i notice is that you need at least 3-4 active members posting to make the forum look alive. Otherwise as i found wen i ran the now defunct astochat forum u appear to be talk to urself :-)

but u guys i think and feel will go from strength to strength. Just rember though a good membership turnover is what you want. for 150 members is great, but how many of them are reg posters? It is important to remeber i think that as many will move on as will join. So i think u need to maintain that balance. Which in fairness you are already doing!

Its not only this but its the fact that no member has a sarcastic or bombastic bone in their body. you don't need to think twice b4 posting.

I think this is y i gave up in the spa forum, and no longer post there.

Plus its the fact that u are willing to try new things. arrange star parties, competitions, that new website, sort out calendars etc. you are willing to try new tihngs as well, and offer you members a bit more than just chat!

Something i am not aware that other forums do. I do frequent quite a fair number :-)

God i need to get a life

speak soon

Al

[mark RD]

Great work to everyone for keeping this place a great place to be

Happy new year all round as well :santa:

[stargeeza]

Bit late to say marry xmas - so HAPPY NEW YEAR DUDES!

Thanks for the forum - great stuff - well appreciated

top wicked banana and nice speech

being on this website makes me really pee'd of coz i get inspired by the cool stuff and then its too cloudy outside to get gazing

[MOD: Modified language - thanks for the complement, but please mind the language. Thanks ]

[tom.yates]

Supposed to clear up at the backend of the week . Thurs/Friday but don't hold your breath.