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SI - Site Forums : Silicon Investor - Welcome New SI Members! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Crossy who wrote (17835)	5/28/2003 11:26:45 AM
From: SI Bob	Read Replies (6) \| Respond to of 32871

Though I'm flattered by that statement, it's not really accurate. Brad and Jeff Dryer created the site, in 1995 I think. After a while, they hired Jill to handle details like Terms of Use enforcement and the many other details they were getting bogged down in. I think it was late 97 (maybe early 98) that they hired me to take on the TofU enforcement role while Jill handled the rest. When I was laid off in 2001, I was the last to go. Brad, Jeff, and Jill left of their own volition earlier. It's probably going to come as a surprise to a lot of people that I'll be responsible for technology here. Most who know me only know me as SI Bob the TofU enforcer. Or discussion "shepherd" as WSJ put it. There was certainly a lot of incredulity expressed when I took on the geek role at Investors Hub, but anyone who's been using that site for the past year and a half certainly sees me as a programmer now. <g> Fact is, when I was hired at SI, I "ended" a nearly life-long career as a self-employed consultant, specializing in databases and using them and various programming languages to build very large accounting and inventory management applications. I put "ended" in quotes, because another thing I'm juggling right now is a pressing need of the first programming client I ever had. A dBase III+ app, if that helps put a date on how long I've been in the business. <g> Fortunately, this is only the 3rd time I've heard from them (once to test for Y2K compatibility and once to add a slew of features) since finishing that project ages ago. So I've always been more programmer than anything else, but I had nothing to do with the programming or "creation" of SI. I will from now on, though. On the subject of subscriptions, all existing lifetime subscriptions will continue to be honored. But, as I've said on iHub, I'm not allergic to money. And have noted lifers here saying they don't mind paying a little for continued use of the site (though that sentiment would be far from unanimous and certainly a minority view), and they and I are all aware that the pay-once, use-forever model is a real problem from a business perspective. That's why part of my future plans for the site include ala carte subscription items. The most important example I can think of right now is that when I add a 3rd interface almost identical to iHub (in terms of look/feel and especially features) and, if possible, a 4th one identical to the original SI, that will be a separate subscription item, included with new subscriptions, and available to existing lifers for a nominal annual fee. Search will certainly be reactivated. I've handed the task to one of my contractors with the note that though I don't want him to take time away from the migration project if the time can't be afforded yet, if he's got a spare moment, Search is at the top of the list of other things I want taken care of.