The first anniversary of 285bound.com is right around the corner, May 15th. And what a year it has been! Just a few of the milestones that we have accomplished in our 10 and a half months of existence:
We have had over 1.2 million views.
285bound.com has had almost 100,000 posts and 10,000 topics.
We have rapidly accumulated more than 1250 members.
285bound.com has attracted over 3,500 unique viewers each week.
Over 25 local businesses have chosen to partner with us.
And..We have over 400 followers on Facebook.
From day one we wanted to build this site from your ideas and you did not disappoint us, with several including:
Videotaping and posting the Park County debates
Asking the local veterinary community to weigh in on the IMHS euthanasia debate.
Light moderation.
Not to take ourselves too seriously.
You asked us to treat members as adults.
We have never closed a thread
We have never banned a member.
Plus, too many to list here.. But suffice it to say, the community told us what they wanted and we have listened.
As some of you know we started 285bound.com as a development site for a national network. We have spent considerable energy improving our new software, and our advertising model. We now face a dilemma: we need to focus full time energy to Communities Bound and our affiliates program. To allow us to accomplish this goal, we made the difficult decision to turn over 285bound.com to a long time poster, supporter and volunteer that most of you know as Science Chic. We are confident that she will continue to listen to the community members and work to improve 285bound.com to be the best it can be, with the members help, of course. So many people have given a tremendous amount of their time and energy to this site. We cannot name all of you but you are what makes this site what it is.
We have made friends that we never knew we had. This has been a special and personal endeavor for us. This is still our home site, our development site, and where we will continue to be involved. We are excited that 285bound.com will continue to be a model in Communities Bound websites.
We know Science Chic is very excited and motivated to become one of our national affiliates and plans on improving 285bound as a national model.
We are very excited but not without some sadness. You have really become our friends and we have loved every minute of it. Thank you!
I am so happy for SC. Congratulations! I know that you will run it with all the fortitude and integrity that Jim and Robyn did. Looking forward to this growing to be a huge and very influential site in the community and in the state.
Congratulations to Science Chic on her acquisition of 285Bound. I wish her the best and am looking forward to see what new ideas she brings to the table.
Thanks guys! I can't do it without you so please, please feel free to throw suggestions, criticisms, questions, etc my way - I'm all ears 24/7! I want 285Bound to continue to grow as the go-to, most awesome community forum, THE source for your emergency fire, weather, and highway info, with more business info and expertise than we already have now, and an open place for all to chat/debate/argue with minimal intervention as Robyn and Jim have done so well establishing!
This is gonna be fun! <hands clapping gleefully>!
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
