Cascade One Year Anniversary!

[Elliot Kane]

Wow! A whole year...

At the start, I wouldn't have given us six months - and if anyone had asked me to predict what the board would be like in a year, if it even existed, I'd have guessed at maybe a dozen members, of whom Steve & I were the only ones posting. And I wouldn't have been 100% sure about him... Shows what I know, huh? ;D

I guess it's a great time to look ahead, though certainly not predict. I obviously suck at that! ;D What I will say is: my last club lasted nearly ten years. That's the target to beat, guys, and barring unforeseen circumstances that's what I DO aim to beat. I hate not being able to beat my own records ;D

Is it stretching to call a message board a club? Maybe... and maybe not. People join, they have a laugh together, they make friends, they talk... It's just like a club only without having to pay anything on travel or food or getting plastered. Sure you don't have the face to face contact, but you do get to join in as much as you want in your own time - and from anywhere in the world where you can get at a computer. That's a heck of a club, I think

Time to make like an Oscar winner, and start thanking people. Though without the tears. I'm British for Heaven's sake! Stiff upper lip and all that ;D

First & foremost - I want to thank Steve for being my sounding board, main support and trusty Number Two. I can be an incredibly hard person to work with, and you make it look easy. Thank you! Your unfaltering ability to take the common sense view is invaluable to me

To all the Moderators - you do a great job, and you make the Admin position a breeze instead of the nightmare it could be. Thanks to all of you, past and present I couldn't do this without your help

To everyone who has recruited new boardies or tried to do so - thank you! Your efforts are greatly appreciated. We can only grow by word of mouth if there IS a word of mouth Or word of keyboard, perhaps! ;D Either way - steady growth is both good and necessary for a healthy board

To every boardie - without you, the Cascade does not exist. I could create all the forums I wished, but like Pymalion I cannot breathe life into my own creation. Only you can do that. Thank you all for doing so

To BJC - thanks for finding the chat program Darned useful, that

To Shark - you were the first to spot that the board was becoming something I never imagined, and the first to call me on it when I was trying to pretend it wasn't so. Thank you

To Buff - Just because ;D

As to the future of the board... As ever, ladies & gentlemen, that depends on you. Hopefully we will continue to grow, and as it becomes obvious more forums are needed, they will be added to promote and encourage conversation. Oh dear! I'm predicting again, aren't I? Stupid habit! ;D

The first year is gone. Here's to many more!

***

Thanks to Spider for the idea for the anniversary graphic I had no idea what I was going to do until he suggested it

[Elliot Kane]

Current stats at just after midnight on the beginning of April 3rd 2006:

Members: 71
Total Topics: 1650
Total Posts: 32,695

Not a bad first year, all in all

[LaFille]

Happy one year Chaos Cascaders! (I'm in advance as here it's still the 2nd...) It's a great place with much different interests to suit anybody; wish you many more birthdays to come!

[Gray Lensman]

Happy Birthday, Chaos. Even if it's not quite April 3 on my part of the world just yet. ;D



There are too few words to sum up a whole year of hard work, love, and bizarre twists and turns. When I agreed to be part of this, I was mainly thinking of a new home for X-Force and maybe a place for people to gather to discuss writing. I humbly offered to pitch in one day, not realizing what I was in for. But I'm glad I did.

What Chaos has become has transcended every expection I ever had for it. This place has grown in directions that I could never have foreseen in spite of my best predictions. I'm sure the same is true of Elliot. I feel truly blessed to be part of a board that has grown like this one. All of this success is possible because of the people who came here and joined us.

I am proud of every single one of you that has come forward and posted here. Because you are the people who make Chaos what it is. Some of you, I have known for several years and counting. Others of you are friends I have made in the past year, and feel privileged to have met. Still others, I don't know quite so well as I would like. But believe me, regardless of how well I know you, I do appreciate all of your efforts. A board is about its people and what they bring to the community. In that respect, I honestly believe we have the finest group of boardies anywhere.

Of course, I have to thank Elliot for the opportunity he's given me here. I never expected it, but in the past year, I've learned a great deal from this experience. If I've grown so well into my role as Number Two, it's because of his counsel and encouragement.

I wanted to give the community a board that stood for something positive. I wanted this board to be a place that the people here could be proud of. I hope Elliot and I have given you that. I hope, furthermore, that this place can only become better in the next year and, with any luck, beyond.

Take a bow, ladies and gentlemen. You've earned it. As I know you will continue to.

[Dr. Doom]

Congratulations on keeping up an entertaining message board, E. Keep it up.

[Shan]

We Love You


Thanks Elliot for coming up with the idea of Chaos.
Thanks Steve for being his number 2 guy.
You both are great.


Thanks everybody for making this past year so great. I am proud to be a part of such a caring forum, and I love my Chaos family. You guys are the greatest.

[janggut]

what?! both EK & Steve failed to mention my name in the credits? what a bummer! shows how grateful some people can be! hmmph!

;D

congrats to all of us especially EK & Steve for initiating/instigating this forum & also pulling people from all sort of nooks & crannies with their unique personalities & weird habits (for the nuns in all of us).

just a few words to all: have fun & don't ruin it for everyone.


YAYY!!!

note to the founding fathers (EK & Steve): yet to find the time nor inspiration to make the new banner plus commemorative banner. still in discussion with Fille about concepts & all.

[SilvaShado]

Happy b-day!!!

It's been a amazing year. I never would have expected all of this to happen just how it it. But I'm glad. This place has been one of the most positive and fun communities I've ever been involved in.

I love you guys! Time for a group hug! ^_^

[Venom65437]

Happy B-Day Chaos!

[Elliot Kane]

Gah! Head ike a sieve, I swear!

You're right, Jang - I SHOULD have thanked you in the main post for creating the Cascade banner! So I'll do it here instead. Thank you!

[Alrik]

Congratulation.

"The Chaos led me", the correct answer the young recruit should give on the drill grounds in Beyond Divinity.

[Lisa]

Wow! You guys have been here for a year now? Thats awesome!

Happy Birthday, Chaos

[Dark Phoenix Rising]

YAY! happy birthday to us, happy birthday to us...

[peterh]

Wow, congrats to us.

What a trip this last year has been. When I first got here almost a year ago, this was a vastly different place. Believe it or not, Chaos was primarily a writers forum with a general forum for those not interested in fanfic (bad fanfic, I might add ;D).

One year later and Cascade has become an entirely different beast. Not a writers board anymore, and not anything like the Realm most original members came from. The cascade has become a board as diverse as anything out there - and it works!

And here's why.

Most newbies are recruited by excisting members securing some continuity and interest in the board. Those who do find us, does so out of genuine interest. We're a small board and not as visible as the larger ones. Troll won't bother coming here.

Of course, the most important reason for the Cascade succeeding are the members. We're a tightly knitted group who respect and like each other - something that's unfortunatly becoming rarer on mb's these days. Without dedicated people the Cascade would be nothing - but we've all succeded in making this

We're just that good

So join me in three cheers for The Cascade, the members and let's have a small cheer for Steve and Elliot - they'll ban my Danish ass if I forget it ;D

Here's to ten years more

[Max]

It's been an interesting and fun past year and I've met and chatted to some really great, nice and interesting people.

Well, here's to many more years!

[janggut]

admin said:

Gah! Head ike a sieve, I swear!

You're right, Jang - I SHOULD have thanked you in the main post for creating the Cascade banner! So I'll do it here instead. Thank you!

aye! bow down before thy Lord & Master! ;D

meehhh!!! don't sweat it, EK. do see it this way: i made the banner in appreciation of this forum. how's that?

& God willing, i will make more for CC (either as a solo project or in collaboration with members here such as Fille).

[dominiccarr]

Happy Birthday Cascade!!

[SilvaShado]

Did someone say trolls?!

....



mwahahahaha! We now have our very own Chaos Cascade Troll!

[janggut]

u made that one, Sarah? he's such a handsome troll! ;D

[Shan]

Great job, Sarah.

Actually he is kinda cute.