Hey Forum members...
Couple of questions for you.
1) In a short sentence, what would you say this forum represents in terms of "core values" for pond owners?
2) What are the "keywords" you guys used when you searched to solve pond problems?

Our marketing team is interested to understand what everyone thinks and what you did to find the forum.

1. My sentence would be...

...knowledgeable advice from reputable sources given without obligation.

2. Too many to list but if you mean the keywords that I used to find this site I believe it was something like "pond management forums."

Forum: The dynamic exchange of information, experiences and opinions to enhance the stewardship of ponds and lakes for the benefit of owners, their guests and future generations.

Most frequently used Keyword (for me): "Weed"
(the same word produces many unintended hits on Google)

Damn, that's a much better sentence that mine. Now I feel inadequate.

I remember the exact 2 words I used when I found this site. "Pond Structure" I clicked on a few links and BOOM there it was Pond Boss Forum and I never looked back!!

As far as core values go. Here is my sentence for that.

The Pond Boss Forum has been my one source for great information about my pond and what I can do might do should not do and try it and see kind of place. It's ethics as a forum have been outstanding by everyone for the most part. Honesty and integrity has been bar none. I think it brings a new meaning to the word "Trust" when you can get a group or forum together of this many people and have the level and trust and ethics that this forum has!

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ha ha ever so helpful b'ski.

a core value sentence for the forum? Cant beat Kelly's so hows about a catch phrase?...."Pond Management from A to Z, Advice and Support from Friends and Experts."


IIRC my first search was along the lines of "farm pond renovation" or "farm pond construction" ..........twas back in 05/06 timeframe, and based on what i needed.

i'd agree w/ kelly that "pond weed(s)" is probably one of the most common, i would also think things like "pond stocking", "pond management", and "pond water quality" would be up there somewher near the top.

I remember exactly what two words led me to Pondboss... "Georgia Giants"

I spent a long time reading back through the multi-page extravaganza before deciding not to stock that particular fish......

1. The Pond Boss forum supplies solid scientific and empirical management advice for recreational cold water and warm water earthen ponds of 1/10 acre to several acres, where owners are concerned with fish, feeding, vegetation, and a multitude of other natural and man-made issues affecting their ponds.

2. I joined so long ago, it is hard to say how I found Pond Boss. But, it was probably something like "control of multiple monster catfish in small pond." I frequently "Google" the Pond Boss site, and it still needs a lot more professional assistance in getting people to find it. I believe we could get a pretty good consensus amongst members of a long list of key words like, pond muck, pond slime, fish feeding/feeders, pond docks, bluegill management, catfish ponds, monster bass, crappie management, fish kills, pond sites, leaking dams, muskrats, grass carp, herons, white worms in bluegill, etc.

I'll be glad to help in anyway I can.

Ken

Bob, I am going to be brutally honest.

The Forum is about family, friends, water, land, wildlife, projects, and the relationships that connect it all together.

It isn’t about core values, keywords, or marketing teams generating profits for the company.

If no money gets generated for the company, then Bob and Mike go broke and Pond Boss goes bye bye... So, it's probably a good idea if people like the forum to make sure new people find it and at least some of those new people buy the magazine and some of those people buy stuff from PB advertisers so they are willing to spend more money advertising.

In my opinion the "core values" of the Pond Boss forum is the sharing of knowledge and idea about pond management where one can find some friendship along the way.

There are many key words that would bring new people to PB. Not sure which one brought me here. Sure seems that ponds weeds and stunted bass are the two biggies on the forum though...

1. Core values = "family, friends, water, land, wildlife, projects, and the relationships that connect it all together" , +

2. key concept = knowledge/information exchange or if you like "HELP I HAVE A POND/LAND PROBLEM - can you help me ? "

People come here to get help or learn some/more (see 2 above). People stay here because of core values (see 1. above).

I don't think the forum makes any money or even breaks even as it is a cost. I would bet that others make more off this forum than Bob and Mike (even when counting the small bump the mag and Bob and Mike's other businesses get). Bob and Mike allow that because they have core values and a deep commitment to us and the pond/water/land community to help its growth and well being as an industry. Call it good-will enhancement - ours and PB.

I don't think I had any search words but found the Forum by luck from the link on the PB home page. I think that is one of the problems Bob is trying to address. Finding pond help should not rest on finding a site by luck. Sharing core values should not rest on luck either.

Just like Dwight – please share your honest thoughts here – that is what Bob is looking for. There are no right or wrong answers just info/opinions that are needed

I probably googled something like "farm pond discussion"

I googled pond structue ideas and this site popped right up.

The Pond Boss Forum is one big helpful family. I have not met anyone from the forum but I feel like I know them here already.

My first post was asking a question about the Jenson Lake Mower, my second post was about using furnace filters for spawning fish, and my third post was asking questions about electrofishing.

I originally found the site by searching for places to purchase electrofishing equipment.

2) Leaking pond

1.) Dwight's answer was very true, but at this point my wife would dissagree.

My answer would state that PondBoss is Guilty of harnessing the power and creating the "Sport" of pond management.


2.) I am 27. When I was 11 we lived in Tennessee, and I remember people talking about pondboss, and even an old gentleman that told me to look you guys up because this was my thing. I didnt.

Three years ago I took a step closer to working in fisheries and tried to get a part time job, or even help for free at a local trout grower. When I asked of where to find more information about fish, he mearly mentioned the name of this magazine, not the web site or any thing.

Last year while gathering fish by bucket for a friends dam, he mentioned pondboss wedsite, and finnaly I became intrigued enough to investigate, or got the right information.

Great website!! You have a HUGE member base, and lots of information.

I found the site after doing a search on "pond management".

The site represents a resource for pond owners to better understand what is happening in their pond and what they can do to make it better meet their goals. I think it also represents the future of the PB company. We have all seen how newsprint, paper mail, even books are dying in favor of their electronic equivalents. Some day the website may generate more revenue the the magazine.

On the business side I think the website represents a vehicle for equating the Pondboss name to pond management. Think of brands like Jello, Band-aid, Popsicle, or Frisbee. These are brand names for gelatin, bandages, frozen treats, and flying disks. However people think of the brand and the product as one in the same. This is the most popular pond discussion forum in the world which gives the PB brand a big advantage. Getting people to think of the PB brand as one in the same with pond management is key. People getting pond management questions answered on the Pondboss forum helps to get people thinking "pond mangement=Pondboss".

I work for a chemical company that got its start in the late 40's. The founder worked for a larger company that was receiving requests from a brewery for a chemical more tailor made for their specific use. The company he worked for only wanted to sell the standard product and ignored the requests. So he quit and started his own company to fill this need. This customer stored their chemical in a tank made by the "XYZ tank company" (Not the real name but we will use it for the story) and the name was in large print on the side of the tank. He decided to name his upstart company "XYZ chemical" so that the employees at the brewery would associate his product with what they needed order to refill the tank. This name association got him though the early years and the company grew from there.

1) Any place that will help you without expecting anything in return kinda says it all. Which is very evident when someone is in trouble and needs some timely advice.

2) searched "Pond Management"

I searched pond boss magazine when I was looking to get Dwight a subscription for it. Can't remember where I heard about pond boss magazine, it was many moons ago.

Just arrived here because I was looking for some thoughts re winter aeration. But I also happen to be a bit of an expert at this stuff - have a look for the google keywords tool and it'll tell you keywords related to both any particular site and also any particular word.