I know Mel is the admin of this forum but can someone tell me about her? Why isn't she active here anymore? Did she inherit this forum or create it? I know her story of why she doesn't have birds anymore. Is that why she stopped coming here?

She wasn't the original owner of the forum, but she was one of a series of people who inherited it. I'm not even sure who the original owner was - it started out as a Yahoo group before my time. By the time I joined up it was a regular forum and the owner was Anne, so in my mind she's the original owner but I'm not sure that this is really true.

Time passed and Anne didn't have time for the board any more so she gave it to someone else. Meanwhile the board was going through a series of disasters where they lost the host and all the past posts and a lot of members left. I don't remember if the 'someone else' passed the board directly to Mel or if there was another someone else in between, but by the time Mel got the board it was almost dead. She tried to revive it but instead it became deader as the few remaining members drifted away and active new people didn't join. After a while there was basically no one left but me and her, and we didn't have much to talk about. So she gave it to me but said she'd like to stay on as an official admin.

The board was dead for several years under my ownership, then I left TC and several people followed me over here. Moral of the story on attracting new members: you won't get them by being active on a different forum, since they can already interact with you there and most people won't bother to join your forum. But being active on a different forum and then quitting is a great way to get members. I didn't expect it or plan it that way but it worked ha ha.

It's been several years now since Mel had any birds and she doesn't know any of the current members except for me, so I don't think she really has anything to talk about here. But maybe she'll get a bird someday and will come back.

Thank you so much. It was very descriptive.

Interesting post thanks for sharing

To be honest I am not sure why some people are still on the other forum. It has become a joke, some of the more active members are so stupid I don't even bother picking a fight with them.
Going there is like sitting in a big field full of cows who converse between them.
If there wasn't this forum I'd have ceased to interact with other bird owners completely.
Tielfan I live in dread than some of those idiots finds their way here.
Some other people are nice but after so many months I don't miss them anymore.

Very off topic lol, sorry!

Barbara they don't have to be accepted into the forum.... moderators can refuse them membership!

Tielfan would never refuse anyone in, especially if stupidly is the reason for not to wanting them here lol
Shame, I'd be absolutely ruthless!

This can't get more true!

It's true, anyone can join here. Even if they're stupid. But they better be polite and tolerant with people who think differently than they do. On some boards it's OK to stomp on people who don't do things your way. You'll get a visit from Vlad the Enforcer if you try that here.