Hi all,

As the new owner of travelforum.org I have a load of ideas of how to make the site more informative and useful to you all, so I thought I'd run them by some of the small changes you'll hopefully see in the coming months. Feedback is most welcome!

• I've removed the barrier to registration; you can now register with a hotmail, yahoo or gmail account, which should hopefully result in fewer anonymous guests and more real life people with names!
• I've chosen a couple of moderators and will contact them in due course; if you're an established member of the site and like the idea of moderating one of the forums, let me know!
• I've already reorganised the forums slightly, bringing the tumbleweed General Chat forum to the top in the hope it might get a bit more love and attention, as well as adding this "Site Announcements" forum you're in now! I've merged the posts from the derelict forums such as Expat Business etc into their respective country forums and hidden those forums for the time being.
• I'll also make a few minor cosmetic/usability changes to the main forum page; nothing radical.
• The next step will be to email all of the users to tell them about the change in ownership, and tempt them back! I have a couple of carrots to dangle: one a free download for registered users I've been very kindly offered, and the other some kind of competition or prize draw I've yet to finalise.
• I want to claw back the costs of the forum and will do this by adding sponsored banners in the way that the Agoda banner is currently displayed.
• In the coming months I'll add a Malaysia (& Singapore) forum to the site, to cover questions and advice about these popular SE Asian destinations.
• I'm keen to build an index to the wealth of JBRs (Just Back Reports) that are buried in the forum, as well as FAQ stickies on each of the country forums and quick links to other useful posts.
• I might add a blog to the site - separate from the forums - it depends if I have anything worthwhile to say!
• All the while I'll be trying to drum up support for the forums elsewhere in an attempt to get this place buzzing again!

Phew - plenty to keep me out of trouble! Your thoughts/requests are much appreciated - I'm all ears

Steve, if you are indeed the new “owner” of this forum, my best advice to you is to (removed - Steve).

If you allow this post to stand then perhaps I’ll consider the “transfer” of ownership as possibly genuine, otherwise, it’s just another game being played by (removed - Steve).

If this transfer and your words are legit, then best wishes and good luck. Otherwise, it's sama sama, or "business" as usual.

Guest, thank you for the wishes and luck. I understand that in the online world it is easy to become suspicious of people's true identities, but I can assure you that I am who I say I am.

My name's Steve, and I'm a British traveller in my early thirties who has been on and off the beaten track for the last four years working as a web designer/programmer, and having settled back in the UK I have now purchased this forum off the previous owner in order to act out my wanderlust through it. Please be my guest and check out my personal website which details my round the world travels back in 2005. If, after that, you're still unsure that I am who I say I am, send me an email through the "contact" form of that website and I'll respond to it.

I have taken the decision to censor your specific comments about the previous owner in your post above. Whilst I would like this forum to be as free and frank as possible whilst it's under my control, I do not want it to become a place for slanging matches, or to continue old feuds. I am well aware of the wars that were waged - and are apparently still waging - between the previous owner and other parties. Before buying this forum, I did my homework about the owner and read countless websites filled with accusations and counter-accusations. I take no stance or sides on your disputes; on the contrary, I want no part of them in the slightest.

I hope this has allayed your suspicions, and may I encourage you to register and become a positive part of this forum to provide help, advice and inspiration to fellow travellers and holidaymakers with their queries about South East Asia, an area we doubtless both love with a passion. But should you, however, take the opportunity and use it to continue to perpetuate a negative feud between you and the former owner, then you need not apply.

Best Regards,
Steve
Owner of A Year in the Life and Travel Forum

well I hope this works out for you although I rather think the previous owner turned off many 100,00's... (remainder of post edited; I don't think it's appropriate to speak ill of the previous owner here. Let's look to the future! - Steve)

Why do some people keep wanting to dredge up and discuss the past?

Life is too short as there's too much still to see and do so waste time looking back. You never know what is round the corner so just get on with the rest of your life and enjoy it!!

Steve has brought the website and I am sure it was done with his business eyes open and so let's all just move forward. Why waste everyone's time having to censor posts.

Sorry, rant over.

__________________
Alison

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It's Better to Burn Out than just to Fade Away!

Steve,

Have you given any consideration to starting a Hong Kong forum? It is a very popular destination for Aussies, Kiwis, Brits, Americans, Canadians and Singaporeans in particular. I have a hunch that it will attract quite heavy traffic once it is up and running.

Hi Emdee,
A Hong Kong forum's a great idea... I am hoping to revisit HK next year so (speaking selfishly!) I would find it useful - plus when I'm on the ground there I can feedback up-to-date info and recommendations to the forum.

My long-term plan (5 years+ ) for this site is to slowly grow it to cover increasingly more of Asia. I originally wanted to increase activity in the existing forums before creating more new "tumbleweed" forums - but on the flipside, the earlier I create new forums, the more time they have to get established.
So I'll cook up a Hong Kong travel forum a bit later today and get my thinking cap on for a few posts to start the ball rolling!

From what I can see activity has ceratinly increased!!

Time to move on to objective 2!

__________________
Alison

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It's Better to Burn Out than just to Fade Away!

World Domination?

By the way, the Hong Kong Travel Forum is now up and running - albeit a bit bare at the mo