What's these names and labels around our names? Is this new? I recently noticed it when I became a hall of famer I thought i was just part of a special thread then relized you get it by your name..? Anyways how do you get the other names? I'm a lunker what does that mean and will that ever change? Ambassador? Field correspondent? How does this work?

Hall of Fame designation means that you have stepped up and financially supported the Pond Boss forum.

Frankly, for the wealth of information that one can get here, from professionals, and/or experienced pond/land owners, more members should step up and donate.

Maintaining this forum costs Pond Boss well over $5K a year, and sure, it does help with subscriptions, but not nearly enough to cover it's run/maintain cost.

Ambassador and Field Correspondent are volunteer positions put in motion through Bob (Pond Boss office). They are about promoting and growing Pond Boss and helping the public with pond/land mgt matters. Call the PB office if interested. Lunker IIRC is based on activity/posts.

What's the row of stars?

To impress the women.

Maybe you get them from amount of post you have made. I'm curious too.

I donated in 2012 an 13. No hall of fame under my name.

Something went wrong with my original post.
I had attempted to post that I think Hall of Fame depends on how you donate. I usually send in a few dollars extra for forum support when renewing my subscription, but it has never shown up in the HOF.
I don't know how I got the "lunker" label but I do know my dad used to call me a "lunkhead".

Jwwann, let me work on that.

My first rank in the Pond Boss community! LoL

Had to buy that one tho.

Not sure what the stars are for. Maybe it's what you get after you have one good post that someone understands.

I think we all are wondering what the stars mean. The should make a sticky regarding this stuff.

Based on a couple other forums, might indicate that you fit in, and we like you!

I am screwed!

Maybe Sunil will work on the star thing too.

Sunil hasn't done lip's to Squirrel face yet, so I imagine, that will keep him busy for quite some time

I don't recall what the stars are, Bros.

Well this is no good......what if the stars signify something nefarious....

Must be some secret code for the Pond Boss elite. Can I have at least one star.

JWWANN -- I think your fart note may be holding you back!

Ha!

The stars were there but disabled when we applied 7 years worth of software upgrades/updates to the forum and added functionality and flipped the switch hoping not to jetison 9 years worth of data. We added the titles mentioned above for projects Bob wanted to launch [field correspondant and ambassador] and we never dumped the stars. It was discussed, but never ordered, so we left them alone. I believe the stars were a function of UBB [forum software] to rate your peers' posts or something similar. It was disabled before I joined the forum, so ye olde timers would have to recollect.

How did Bullhead get his?He registered in 09. Just happen to notice that.

I think we were considering adding stars to donors - which was scrapped when the Hall of Fame was established, the latter of which occured after my volunteer participation in the 12 months forum/website rebuild project. It's entirely possible at 3:45 AM some morning working on the PB Free Article editing with SEO keywords I simply thought Richard needed some stars because he's my buddy...talk about flagrant abuse of star management. Notice I don't have any, though - just didn't make the grade.

Jwwann, my wife has a whole pad of stars left over from her teaching days. Send me your address and I will send them your way.

Are they the fingernail kind?

Maybe someday we will be star worthy.

I was a shop teacher so my grading consisted of how much skin the student left on his project. The stars go on the papers I think but don't know for sure as I never got any while I was in school.

I think the stars relate to lhe level of caution that should be used when interpreting a poster's statements. More stars = greater caution.

Nice work Dudley !!!! I like that type of logic !

Stars were once a system of peer voting. It became a bad problem causing discourse and many opted to turn off their individual rating (no stars showed). They were disabled a few years ago so no longer an option. Like Dudley says don't pay attention to them.

Thanks, Eric! I decided that the forum is not quite ready for the stampeeding kangaroo story.

I've put off writing this for some time now, but in light of Eric's recent post, perhaps now is the time. I mean no disrespect by what I say, nor are my comments intended to be judgemental, or critical of anyone, or PondBoss in general. This is just a personal observation, and one man's opinion.

Eric mentions the discourse caused by the peer-reviewed star rating system in years past. Perhaps I am mistaken, but I interpret his comments to mean that, in effect, it divided the membership in some way. Maybe it had the effect of establishing a hierarchy of sorts, or even went as far as to suggest a type of popularity club. I don't know, as I wasn't here.

But that brings me to the issue at hand, that being the "Hall of Fame", designation. I grew up the son of a Baptist preacher. I used to joke that I went to church more than I went to school. And in nearly every church that I can recall, there hung a message board on the back wall, or in the foyer, that contained a few relevant statistics. Things such as attendance, or prayer requests were displayed so everyone could see them. Along with the offering....which is the reason I feel compelled to write this.

In every church I have ever visited, I have never seen one that listed the members of the congregation by name, who had contributed to a particular Sunday morning's offering plate. To do so, would be contrary to the doctrine practiced by most, which holds that all are welcome, and equal, irregardless of social or economic status. Publishing the names of those who contributed would surely create a divide over time, segregating the parishioners, and becoming counter-productive to the intended goals.

I tend to explain my position by using a common example....a carryover from listening to my father preach so many times I suppose. And in this instance I am comparing the PondBoss Forum to a church...

Both try to operate primarily due to donations and support from the membership.
Both appear more concerned with covering operating costs, not so much turning a profit?
Both welcome people from all walks of life. Rich, poor, young, old, well versed in the particular doctrine, or just starting out.

The main difference in this case, as I see it, is a church has a simple motto: "Give what you can, IF you can"..and no one need know anything further about it. I realize that I'm probably the only one here who feels this way, but everytime I see that Hall of Fame designation, I see that message board on the church wall, with it's anonymous offering total....no names listed.

Well spoken,Sp. You have convinced me to scrape the stars off my tool belt.

Tony appreciate your passionate feedback, I know it comes from the soul. Understand the flip side, however. The forum is free - and it's an invaluable tool in attaining our pond management goals. Many of us are subscribers, or fork over some big $ to attend the conferences. However, there's a contingent of forum members who do neither, and frankly I feel as though they are taking advantage of the free ride. I volunteered many months of my professional expertise as a way to try to pay back Bob and Mike for all their guidance, and continue to try to pay it back by offering whatever direction I can to new guys on the forum, and act as a friendly ambassador in the hopes of continuing to spread the gospel that is Pond Boss.

I pushed hard to make the forum free for only a limited time for non subscribers, after a month of free access you can subscribe to the mag, or donate, pay a monthly fee for forum use [$2]. Bob/Mike adamantly disagreed every time I pushed it as they wanted to preserve this as a free resource, and rather count on the forum members in their own conscience to donate, enabling the forum to continue serving as a great resource for us all.

I value your sentiments, a lot, but the forum offers a valuable product that requires money to operate. I feel if one can afford the luxury of a pond/acreage/land, one can afford the price of an annual subscription to the magazine or donate to the forum. It comes out to less than 3 bucks a month - and the advice we enjoy here is easily worth thousands in professional pond management consultation fees. Bottom line, I don't feel pond/acreage owners are a contingent of the poor huddled masses.

Lastly, Bob/Mike wanted a way to say THANK YOU for your support, and also to try and cast a light on the fact this forum needs donations to operate. That's the impetus for the Hall of Fame I believe, and I fully support it. I still believe the forum should be made available only to subscribers, conference attendees, or donors after a one month trial...this information has saved me literally thousands in errors and helped create arguably one of the most unique fisheries in SE NE. $34/year? Seriously? Step up, already - y'all!

I suspect that in every church, as well as in any other group, the major contributors and supporters are known, and, however subtly, are given special recognition. Delving deeply enough into the inner workings of any organization will reveal that perfect communism simply doesn't exist.

I am a fairly new member who lurked for a few months before joining. I found the site within a month of going into escrow on some land that has a pond. If this was a pay site I would not have stayed. All the basic information here can be found for free on other websites or in library books. I’d wager that most of us are DYI’s that prefer getting our hands dirty than hiring someone else to do it (even when we should). That is what makes this site unique. We are all leaning through the stories of adventures, pitfalls and successes of others that are like us. Throw on top of that a bunch of experts that participate makes this a very special place.

To be honest, when I became a member I also subscribed for two years and bought a couple books, but until this thread I didn’t know separate contributions were an option to help out. I just didn’t pay attention to that. And because I’m at a point in my life that I can contribute, I will. But then there are those who dig thier pond with a shovel and wheelbarrow who are on tight budget and will benefit greatly by this being free.

I would also say that I have belonged to other forums that have gone from free to pay. They lose half the people the first day. After time they lose diversity and become a core group that just banters back and forth. I’d join facebook if I wanted that.

I agree keeping the forum free. If more contribution are needed, let us know and I’m sure most will step up.

Good to have you aboard, Mudhole!

To clarify, the site was never going to migrate to a pay site, it was always going to offer a free trial period on the forum, then encourage fiscal participation either via a subscription or donation. That was my vision, anyhow.

I'm sure Bob and Mike appreciate your subscription - thanks for stepping up.

I have yet to this day ever seen a forum as good as Pond Boss. I have been around ponds and rivers all my life. Never knew there was so much more than just water and fish.

So many issues to discuss and cover....

There are a few camps of thought on recognizing donors vs. not recognizing donors. Pond Boss has elected to recognize those who donate.

Is there a difference between one who donates and one who does not donate? Well, yes, from at least one perspective. One chose to pay and one did not.

Is there any difference to access to the forum? No.

Going further on TJ's comments, Pond Boss has struggled with how to maintain and grow the forum, and the desire to keep it free, and to keep everyone happy.

As the forum has grown, Pond Boss has seen that it cannot keep everyone happy, and is evolving to the standpoint of no longer trying to keep everyone happy. This can be seen in the lack of tolerance for those who come to the forum and cause trouble. In the past, Pond Boss would try to coddle those folks and make nice for everyone. Now, it's one, maybe two warnings and then, Adios.

As the forum has grown, the costs of maintaining it have grown to the point of the forum needing to justify more of it's own existence than in the past.

Look at the 2012 and 2013 HOF threads. See the low number of folks that have chosen to give a few bucks.

If you love coming to Pond Boss and interfacing with other members, then you may not be surprised at how cranky you could get when the forum is down for technical reasons!

Th idea of posting a running total has been discussed and may be implemented, but this is not really a charity. This is an individual decision to attribute a value to something that is enjoyed by that same individual. It's not a decision to donate in order to be philanthropic.

Maybe I look at it a little differently than most, but I don't look at it as a donation. To me, it's an investment. I donate, and have great friends that don't, and that's perfectly ok with me. But, I can stick up a post and a pic, and get Eric, Dave, Nate, Scott, etc., etc., give me great advice that would cost me hundreds, if not thousands of dollars IRL.

I know Pond Boss is a business, but the forum has helped me greatly, and I've met wonderful people through it. If the tag is gone, so be it. If this became a subscription forum, so be it. I'd still donate or subscribe, take your pick. I Get far more than my money's worth.

Well put, FIH. Very well put!

Agreed. I don't think folks realize what a fishery or pond management consultant charges daily - try $1000 for an expert - and that's just for ADVICE. Who provides much of the advice/direction on this website? Those same expert professionals. I have never understood why people bristle at the mention of paying something for the help they receive here - it's a realistic expectation - Pond Boss is a business! I think we too often take for granted the value of the forum, and like Al, I am more than happy to continue supporting in any manner possible.

How about posting the actual cost, and having that be a target/motivator for the members? Bob's way too generous already with his time and advice. It seems very unfortunate that such a great wealth of information is available to us for free-especially if that results in a real cost to Bob and Mike.

You make a good point Al, although I would disagree on one count, as it appears that I am the one who looks at it differently than most. I do agree on the concept of "paying for what you use".....and although I don't have any better ideas, the current system just rubs me the wrong way.

Well, I am about as poor as they come. It has been a life that I have chosen, and would not change it. I do not say this to receive pity, but to give an insight to others of where I am coming from. I am with Mudhole's idea that alot of of us come here because we are DIYS. I also don't think that a yearly subscription to the forum is for the best. What TJ is saying is correct about the value the forum can save you, but I would never have realized that because of my lack of knowledge PRIOR to pondboss. I would not have paid to join because I was naive, as most are, to ponds in their early years.

A month, or even a year, is not long enough to really see the big picture of what this forum can do for your pond. I think that is the biggest point I would like to make here. It takes some of us a very long time to access and take it all in of how vast pond management is. This forum can be influential to the future of ponds, but it takes time for people to learn. They will not pay for something that they don't think they need. If they are freely taught they will then realize how little they knew and become good stewards for life, including donations. There have been a few younger mebers (kids) that have joined over the few years that I have been watching. What difference you have made for them in learning what is the best way to take care of ponds.

Now I see it differently after lurking for a few years and then finally joining. I am not in any better position to donate, but see the need. Everyone will do what they can, with what they can. I think perhaps a regular personal email reminder (or post) for donations might be a way to go. Threads like this one is a good way to keep it in everyones mind of the need. Especially newer members/lurkers that don't know about the money costs and the benefits of this site. It is good to hear how much it costs to keep this site going, and how much total is being donated. Gives us a realistic view for need.

Labels are perhaps bad. They could make one feel bad or not part of the gang. They can also be misleading. For example, one may have been thinking that JWANN did not contribute when he actually did ( ..just an error). Or that TJ does not have a HOF label, does that sway a persons opinion of him. If you stick around long enough, you get a good feel for "who is what" without a label. Nice to know who the moderators are.....

One thing that I have noticed over time, a long time here, is that the mag covers topics that are seldom discussed here.

My all time favorite mag story is one that expends quite a bit of print discussing what your pond goes through each season and what you need to do to manage by season. There have been quite a few more on topics that I had never even considered.

The books, especially for a newcomer, can do more to avoid costly mistakes than the Forum could ever do.

The mag and books have saved me a lot more $ than the forum has.

I am sure Bob will want to chime in when he can.

Soap Box time – the Pond Boss Reality

Please note that everyone gets to post their opinion and thoughts and no one criticizes their right to do so or what they say. Much like if someone comes on in need of pond help at least one of us steps up to help. No cost and the only requirement is that you abide by the rules of behavior. Family , encouragement , positive , welcoming , helpful , caring are a few terms that come to mind. Know any other Forums like that ? As with any family there are different personalities , opinions and approaches to life. Not even all the mods agree on everything and that is how it should be. Bob & Mike have gone to great lengths and personal expense to keep the good aspects of the Forum and look for ways to make it better.

The friendships made and people here often transcend this forum. There is a lot that goes on off the record which would touch you very deeply. I know of some and know there are many others unknown to me. I hear about them all the time. I encourage you to look up 3 threads here to get an idea of what I mean. Check on Mason the Pond Boss hound and see just how many went to great lengths for Mason. Yes that effort for an old worn out hound. Second look up the recent thread about George going to Al's pond - ask George what that meant to him. Last look at the story of Matt. Those 3 are public. There are a hundred here of the same nature if you look. There are a lot that are not public and I will not discuss them hear. This place has saved lives , families , businesses and more and has gotten people jobs , opportunities and a new life. It is a reflection of the people here and their commitment to what is right. In that light I have faith that everyone will do what they can to help each other. Each in his/her own time and way.


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This thread has really took off.. In some ways not really what I intended but all in good discussion.. For me I'm not rich and I don't donate alot (not enough for the amount of knowledge I get here). This is my favorite forum and if it was a pay site I probably wouldn't like it but I'd pay it but I probably would..

One other point - the people who donate help keep it a free forum for all of us. I think that the sacrifice by them warrants at least a thank you and some recognition from us all. It is just good manners to thank people for their help

I recognize what you're saying ewest, and I do agree that some type of thanks is in order. But I also believe that good manners extends to the non-solicitation of such accolades. I think words like sacrifice, and donate, carry with them an implied expectation of non-compensation.

I honestly have no problem with helping to fund the forum. I have subscribed to the magazine for years, I attended PB V, and I have previously donated to the forum itself...I think if I'm in a position to do so, then I should, considering what I've learned from my stay on here. After all, tuition isn't free.

I just have a hard time reconciling the Hall of Fame label. It's probably just someting unique to my sensibilities...I haven't even added the "I subscribe" fish logo.

Again, I mean no disrespect to PondBoss, or anyone here. But right or wrong, I am glad I finally said something about it, and I appreciate the tolerance extended to an opposing viewpoint.

That's a good question?? I'm will to trade half a "hall of Fame" label for 1/2 a row of stars any takers

I think I understand sprkplug’s take on this…

In church, the concept of tything is a decision that is left up to one’s conscience without undo pressure from the congregation. They say that in a typical church, 10% do 90% of the work. But the beauty of a real church family is that everyone is as welcome as anyone, regardless of their contribution. No special labels, no stars, the doors are open to all.

I know the intent of these labels may not have been to differentiate, but nonetheless, this thread has got everyone thinking about what they got underneath their handles. It’s got me thinking, and I understand TJ’s take on this too. I’m not cool with the fact that I’ve been letting others carry the load. I subscribe and I bought a book (a really good one), but have never made a donation to this site. But this is the thing… I don’t know how much of a donation it takes to get the HOF label and it doesn’t matter, ‘cause with my donation I’ll be requesting no label be put under my name. Its not for recognition, but a matter of conscience.

I have a lot of fantasies and I don’t want to get into them right now, except for one of the boring ones - that despite my lack of expertise and all my mistakes, I might one day post something from my pond experience that will help somebody else out the way many of you have helped me. Not just a taker here, but a giver, too.

I have restrained response to this thread for various and personal reasons.
First of all, I believe that donations to a business forum is not the correct thing to do.
Yes, PondBoss is a business and it has to merit return on investment as any other business - on it’s own merits or it should not exist.
The way I see it, the business model for PondBoss forum and magazine is to promote and generate business for PondBoss and it’s advertisers..

BUT, on the other hand ….. to me the PondBoss forum is mainly a social media.
It has meant more to me than I can ever express.
I have genuine lifelong friends that I could never have met – stories untold –very private and serious. If I can help someone along the way, that’s a bonus.

Donations cheapen the real meaning of PondBoss for me – I don’t want to feel like I have had to buy my friends – or be shamed into donation - there should be a better way.

George

I have to admit I'd never given a lot of thought to the whole label thing, and vamaz and sprkplug I fully understand and respect your opinions on this.

But, coming from a tech background and subscribing to multiple forums, labels are not unusual. Replies are judged and rated, number of pertinent posts are rated, and many are fee based only. So to have labels here is not uncommon on the Interweb.

I think what may make this forum different, is that we "know" each other. DaveDavidson1 is Dave, esshup is Scott, n8ly is Nate. We'll ask questions that we feel comfortable asking because we know we won't get flamed or berated for making a less than perfect decision. Hit a coding or database forum where there are many various ways to get the same results. It can get ugly.

I was posting this and happened to read George's post. He and I have privately discussed this very thing several times and I have to admit that I really hadn't given this as much thought as George had. But the fact that this thread has brought out so many different opinions, proves there is a public perception issue. As is usual, George was ahead of the curve. Pretty smart for a youngster.

All I know is that I'm a better pond steward for this forum being available. How we get there is far less important to me than the end result.

Now, back to fly tying.

I'm beginning to realize that there's an essence on the forum that carries great meaning and importance to most...while myself, not being the sharpest tool in the shed, have failed to take it into consideration.

That would be the social, and sometimes very personal aspect of PondBoss. Ewest alluded to it last night, while George mentions it yet again in his post. As some know, I suffer issues in this regard, so I'm unsure just where I stand. I need to gather my thoughts.

Getting back to the original question of the meaning of labels. It looks like to me the one area that states if you are a fingering, lunker, etc is the place to signify how much you contributed. I am gathering that info from here..

That makes it very similar to the Hall of Fame label. So why have both?

Other label definitions can be found in the FAQ. Thats at the top of the page. Also here.

....now I'm just thinking out loud here. Why do some have a fingerling/lunker label and not a HOF label. And vice versa. Why do some have a HOF label and no "fish" label hooked to them. It seems as if the label system is innacurate because of various reasons and that we should not take them to seriously. Except for the moderator ones...

Well now I thought that fingerling and lunker referred to time spent on the forum?
You know, kind of like "newbie" and "curmudgeon?".......

The information seems to be contrary to itself. The thing that is stated in the FAQ leads you to believe that it might be time spent/post total. And then there is the contribution form that I listed above goes in another direction. But for an example, I have no label but Vamaz above does and the post count is different. Don't make a difference to me, just pointing out discrepencies.

Still no written area describing the other title/label area like correspondant, etc..... except for what was mentioned earlier in this thread.

Edit; maby I"m like JHAP and I really have a post count of -1.3

One of the things I've always liked about Pond Boss is that everyone is welcomed -- except for the multiple spammers who sign up from foreign countries overnight to hawk their counterfeit wares and moneymaking schemes.

Even though we've grown a lot in my years on here, I still see a welcoming of bona fide newcomers with an interest in ponds. When I first started posting I felt like I'd been here for a long time. We were still pretty new at the first Pond Boss conference, yet my wife I were greeted at the conference hall door with hugs from Sunil. Bill Cody welcomed us like an usher for VIPs when we walked into the conference hall. Bob Lusk welcomed multiple newcomers from the podium, even some guy wearing a dreaded Green Sunfish Association shirt.

Maybe I have a different perspective, but I think we are still significantly like that, and if we aren't, we need to be made aware of it.

I can think of many on here who regularly participate, but who have never met another participant face to face. I would sure hope they feel comfortable.

There are just a few rules set down by Bob Lusk, and they are fully supported by the moderators. Mostly advertising, and avoiding hot-button subjects that cause people to turn against each other.

As for titles, that just ain't my thing, but they are there. I'd be just as happy with "curmudgeon" if it were available.

I believe it actually has to do with the number of posts. Fortunately, for JHAP's sake, it does not relate to the number of meaningful posts, because at just 51.6 out of his thousands, he'd still be a fingerling. He ought to be happy there's not a "fry" label, or he may have it!

I remember when ambassador and correspondent were added to the forum...I seem to recall that they were voluntary positions, and a participant needed to make his/her interest known to PondBoss.

I think, and I may well be incorrect, that ambassador is exactly what it sounds like....someone who actively spreads the word about PondBoss. I know when I signed up I received a stack of PB brochures to pass out. (which by the way, I am nearly out of).

Field correspondent, I think, meant a willingness to participate in more of a hands on fashion... taking part in actual events, and possibly recording data or information for use by others, or possibly in articles for the mag.

If I'm wrong, and probably are, sorry for the mistake!

Keep in mind that we have to work within the software which is not easy. There is no IT person at PB. Dwight , TJ and others have helped a lot out of their kindness. But we still have to work within the software we have. I am not sure it even measures time on the Forum. I doubt it. It does count posts so that is an easy one. Plus the software has changed over time and thus things change. Software options turned on and off can have unknown effects. Point is no one fully understands is capacity , how to use it and what is and is not possible. The idea is to keep it up and running ( a huge job) and all the rest is second and third.

George we have and continue to look for better ways. So far the alternatives are far worse than what we have. What we have is at each person's choice/option while the alternatives are not. If what we choose somehow in a remote way (labels) rubs someone the wrong way and is not fixable that is better than taking away everyone else's freedom to choose IMO.

Sprk you are doing fine - don't sweat the small stuff just join in and have fun.

The key point is everyone is welcome to join in the journey - no questions asked. We all start at the same point and grow from there. All the bells and whistles in the world do not change that key point.

So....it's kind of like the government??


I'm sorry, I'm sorry.....I couldn't help myself, it was just too easy!

Please...do not let this turn political due to a momentary weakness on my part.... And Ewest just said I was doing fine....

In all seriousness, thanks ewest. I'm working on it.

Whoever made the point about not really knowing the value of the forum early on, and it taking months or years to really understand how much value there was, great point!

This whole stars thing is really confusing. I confess to being a little disappointed.

I was told that if you had 5 stars, it was a sign of 5 victories over an opponent, and that after that, you were an "Ace*". The careful observer will note that I am an "Ace", where as JHAP is completely bereft when it comes to stars.

I've taken great pride in being an "Ace" all this time, and now you tell me that it doesn't mean anything?



*Active Cyanellus Exterminator

Somebody asked about donation amounts. They generally range from about $10 to a few hundred.

Someone gave $1 once, and did get the HOF designation.

Hey, what's that green stuff in my pond!!!
Seriously, this is a social and educational network that Bob Lusk and Mike Otto will continue to make available (with whatever help we provide) until they don't chose to do so anymore. Contribute if you want to, don't contribute if you don't want to.
Does anyone really care about these labels etc - I'm going to add this post so I can see what I have under my name.
Every one needs to lighten up - life's too short!!!

Oh goody!!!!! You made my day. Does that make my worthy post count go to at least "1"

This kind of has to go with Cat's post above, seeing that I am one of the few newer members posting in this topic, and it does go along with labels and how newbies might see it.

All along I have seen these labels next to names and connected it to the information that I saw in THIS link. I thought to myself, "my gosh so many (nearly all) these members have made substantial monetary contributions to this forum." So I thought that plenty of donations were being made. So in this case, labels do make a difference. There probably should be some clear definitions to them somewhere. If I have been thinking of it this wrong way, so has probably others without saying.

fish, I've never even seen that page. Probably a disconnect.

Well and truthfully put, rmedgar.
As Jimminy Cricket said, "Always let your conscience be your guide".

Sunil, it's an active link under the Pond Boss store.

No, I mean that I don't think anyone is looking after that. Like administratively updating anyone's 'label' on the forum (fingerling, lunker, etc) when they donate.


Meaning the internal process is 'disconnected.'

Gotcha

I wish the self laminating, oil resistant, wire "labels" would come down in price!

Sheesh! you could blow 6 bucks per page if the planets are out of sync!

I wish the self laminating, oil resistant, WATER PROOF wire "labels" would come down in price!

There, fixed it for ya. This is a forum about PONDS, let's try to stay on topic here.

Already water proof. Why would you want wires submerged in water anyway?

I was just trying to break it up a bit.

I have no personal issues with kicking in a few bucks to help out. What they do with that, is up to them. Good, Bad or Ugly!

For personal entertainment!!!!!!!!

Well, I'd like to say that I've got my thoughts in order and feel ready to comment yet again. Truthfully however, I'm still trying to sort it all out.

I guess it's best if I let it go right here. I was able to touch on an issue that has troubled me since its inception, and there has been very good commentary from both sides of the field. If nothing else, a different perspective has been exposed, one that was apparently, previously unrecognized. And I think that's a good thing.

As for the social aspect of PondBoss....I'm working on it, but It seems I have a long way to go.

Tony

kenc, where can I get some of those stars for my tool belt? I'm always doing home improvement projects, but this is the first I've heard about the tool belt stars. Surely I've earned some of those!!

My wife was a first grade teacher so I had a ready supply. If you are like me, you will get more mashed fingers then stars.

Might I say a very good job by all. The input helps. I know I had not paid much attention to these matters pre-thread.

Randy and Dudley - you guys are spot on again as usual. Thanks.

It was just a curiousity of mine that started this thread never thought it'd go one page let alone 4. And I guess alot of other members had the same wonders too.. Good input here and I'm glad everyone could stay civilized and state their own opinion..

BGK and all,

I was offline the last two days and when I got back online I saw this thread and felt compeled to post. Sorry if this thread was being sun seted, But I felt like I needed to add a few cents to the discussion.

It is clear to me to see that Bob and Mike added a donate button to the site for the obvious reasons. This site is part on a business, but Pond Boss is more than a business. it is a community and a passion.

Everyone here chooses how much they give and how much they take. Bob and Mike do not judge, after all, this is their passion and dream.

The truth of the matter is that if you look at the HOF 2012, you will see that 42 people donated. There are over 9800 members, with about 1000 core members in my estimation. The lurkers are even more numerous. So history tells us that donations don't fund forums. Businesses or passionate groups (save the fuzzy animal.org) do. So how does this forum do it, simple Bob and Mike choose to keep it running one way or another. For that I am grateful. And because of their passion, I have been inspired to participate as I have.

So what about labels, well there are two parts. Part one, some one has to do the work to keep the site up to date, and that is a lot of work and as we see some times there are problems. Part two what are the meanings to the labels. There have been several well intentioned attempts to codify the meaning of the labels, some have been successful and others have not.

For me the only labels I care about are as follows:

I am a good Christian trying to do Gods work
I am a good husband
I am a good father to my children
I am a good american giving back to my country
I am a good Texan giving back to my state
I am a good steward of our land and all it has to offer

I need to be able to look myself in the mirror and know I am a good person and that I am trying to be a better person than I was yesterday, because the me of tomorrow is a better person yet.

So where am I going with this, the simple answer is this , contribute if you want, how you want because it is part of your passion, Pond Boss is a business and a community. If you want or need labels, earn them for yourself, I have a wall full of them, but the only label I need is that I am a good man trying to do my best.

I love this community, I have found dam few like it. You guys and gals make it what it is, one of the best on the net.

Thanks and well stated !

My turn.
When we started the forum, in 1998, it just seemed like the thing to do. It was pretty cool, even early on. At the beginning, I was the only person answering questions and I learned a lot, too. I'd wait until everyone in the house was asleep, kid's homework was done, dishes clean and put away and when everyone was down, I'd go online with our dial-up internet and answer questions. Then, after a few weeks or months, Bill Cody showed up. Soon, there was Dave Davidson and others who began to chime in. Later, the software we bought was overloaded and took up too much bandwidth. Our webmaster, JP Greeson, suggested we buy a different software, which we reluctantly did. We lost all the data from that first forum. We basically started over. In that new software, which we still currently use, were all kinds of cool stuff. The number of posts you made determined your standing. That's where the "fingerling" and "lunker" thing comes from. The stars came from rankings from other members. That seemed pretty cool at the time. But, then the little personality conflicts started to arise. Someone would answer a question and someone else would dispute it. Then, the first person would rank the disputer with one star or something. The conflicts basically would decrease the number of stars someone had. This started probably in 2009-2010, through there somewhere. I started getting pm's and emails and even phone calls from people who were distressed about being targeted to decrease their ranking and decreases in their stars. I thought about for about one minute (seems like) and decided to do away with the stars, so we turned it off. I certainly didn't have time to referee guys upset about their stars. We didn't take away anyone's stars or even consider it because we were paying for IT help and I didn't want to spend money on the time it would take to find everyone who had stars (there were probably 3-4,000 at that time). So, we left it alone.
The labels of ambassador and field correspondent came two years ago when we rebuilt the Pond Boss website. As you can see, the Pond Boss website and the forum are two different, autonomous creatures. The forum is designed to do exactly what it does. The website is designed to spread the word about Pond Boss, its extended family and to sell subscriptions, books, and other products. That page you linked to that references "fingerling I", ...to "Lunker" was set up to give some organization to the donation program for the forum. The whole donation idea came about from moderator discussions. Honestly, I wasn't thrilled about it, but the idea was to generate some revenue to help offset the costs of keeping the site up. If it helps, that donation page you guys linked to was launched with the new website in January, 2011 and it has received no activity. We've never seen a contribution through that page, which is okay with me.
Early on, our forum members didn't want us to offer banner advertising, so we resisted that for quite some time. But, it costs well over $5,000 per year just to keep it rolling. That covers our server and 24hr technical support in case of issues, which we've had on quite a few occasions.
When we started the Ambassador and Field Correspondent Progam, we asked for volunteers. The Ambassador's "job" is to help organize meetings, spread the gospel of pond management and help bring more people to Pond Boss and encourage them to buy subscriptions to the magazine. The Field Correspondent's "job" is to write about things of interest, like local meetings, neighbor's ponds, people and what they do with their land and water and then I'll publish those articles and photos on the website. Some will make the cut for the magazine, too.
But, since we've been short-handed for a long time, we didn't really push that program when we first started it. Now, with Matt Rayl on board, we will. Walter Bassano is working on "Pond Boss Connect" as we speak. He just sent his latest draft to Matt and I for review. You all will want to hear about "Pond Boss Connect". It's going to be a meaningful way to connect people and grow the Pond Boss family.
There's the truth and reality about the stars, ambassadors, field correspondents and the hall of fame.

On to some other things pertinent to this thread...Pond Boss Connect is just one thing we're working on. Matt, Debbie and I spent four hours Saturday with the guy who helped us start our forum, JP Greeson. JP runs a number of forums. The Texas Fishing Forum is his biggest and best, yet. He knows the forum business. Part of Matt's first tasks since joining our team about a month ago has been to analyze both the website and the forum. He's spent a lot of time doing that. Our stats are pretty darned impressive, actually amazing. For every member online at any given time, we have 8-9 "lurkers" at that same time. We plan to try to capitalize on that traffic without disturbing the chemistry of the forum.

Part of what we did Saturday was to go into the back office of the Texas Fishing Forum with JP to see how that thing works. He and Matt will be having some good tutorials over the next couple of weeks so Matt can have a better understanding how to change things, add things and so on.

We intend to increase the number of advertisers we have, plus add more advertising spaces and using some the white space on each side of the forum. In a few weeks, you'll see some minor changes in the way things look.

Pond Boss is driven financially by the sale of subscriptions and advertising. At the same time, the Pond Boss family on the forum drives quite a bit of business to many of the forum participants. But, the most profound thing, to me, is the camaraderie and relationships that have been formed. Just like Eric says, there are things that most people don't even know about that go on with the relationships from here. I'm constantly amazed at the stories I hear. We've even had it happen to us during a time of need. The people who frequent this forum are caring folks, helping each other in many, many ways.

Just so everyone knows...we won't make this forum a paying forum. We do intend to try to sell as many subscriptions as we can, because we are a business and I completely believe in the mission of Pond Boss. We want more people to join this family and we want to have a voice. The reason I started the, Pond Boss is _____ thread is because I wanted to see how people on the forum view us. Those statements fundamentally show exactly what we are. Pond Boss is a cause, it's a feeling, it's a giant book of friendly knowledge, that feeds the Pond Boss family, which feeds Pond Boss. Oh, and yes, there is a magazine, too. We'll be helping as many people as we can and in turn, we expect everyone on this forum to help each other in ways we can. Mike Otto and I can make this forum available, so we do. You guys offer your insight, experience and knowledge. We all do what we can and what we want to do. That's life. Some folks can offer some money to help offset the costs, so they do. Some want to be recognized, some don't. Some are indifferent about being recognized. For the record, when a donation comes in, we note who made it and then they are added to the Hall of Fame. But, often, the donation is made by someone who's forum handle the girls in the office don't recognize. On those occasions, we can't add the hall of fame label because we don't know who it is. If someone would rather be anonymous, just note that and that's how it will be.

I love the Pond Boss family and it's good to receive this input from everyone. Keep it coming. We know we'll need to receive ideas and input and we love it. Now, we've got a big enough team we can actually do more things with Pond Boss and the website and the forum.

Wow Bob thanks for the clarification.. Also I can't believe there was conflict and arguments on this site at one time.

"With malice toward none, with charity for all." A. Lincoln

Here's something else you guys might find interesting. We didn't have moderators until 2004.

And didn't need them until then.

Need them, want them, respect them, and abuse them. Dave, IMO you guys are the glue that hold all this together.

FireIsHot,

Here, Here! Special thx to the mods.

Bob....I know you get tons of free advice, but one thing you guys may think about with your subscription department is to automatically notify people that give a gift subscription when the gift subscription is about to run out. I gave out a few gift subscriptions a couple of years ago to try and spread the "PondBoss gospel". I assume some of those gift subscriptions have run out. I may have re-subscribed a few of those folks if I had known their subscription was about to run out. I know I could have called your office and found out...but ya know sometimes we get busy and forget about stuff like that...so a reminder e-mail or card showing the person had renewed themselves or that the subscription was running out would be nice. Just a thought....

Since I joined the forum back in early 2009, this forum has grown an awful lot. For the originals, this forum can in some ways be almost unrecognizable. So many new faces have come along. Some old timers have not been seen for a while. Sometimes when I look back at extremely old threads, almost everyone posting in them isn't active anymore. Makes me wonder where they went... I guess things change in life. I know since I joined this forum I have gotten engaged, gotten married, had a baby girl and have a lot less time to be on here. I have also met some of the nicest people on earth through this forum. I look forward to seeing where the PB forum progresses from here. No matter where it goes, there is no doubt that it will continue to be the greatest place on earth to find information on building and managing a private water.

CJ, I may be one of the guilty ones not responding to questions because of two reasons....
One is that I don't feel qualified unless I have experience in the topic - I only share expereince.

Secondly, I have heard the same old questions and tired old answers so many times that they have become boring.
I scan the topics to see items of interest and to keep up with my friends.

Too much clutter and joking around on "new" format
for me - but what do I know....

... Chaff and grain together;
Certain that a faithful hand
Will take and sift them,
Keep what is worth keeping
And with the breath of kindness
Blow the rest away.
Dinah Craik

Nice work guys.

" There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. …. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. "

I didn't realize you were a Byrds fan.

George, I don't consider you an inactive poster. I was referring to posters who literally have not been on the forum in 5+ years...

New members do sometimes ask the same or substantially similar questions to ones that have already been asked over and over again. Iff they simply searched a bit they could find a suitable answer. I try to be helpful when I can regardless of if they are duplicate questions or not.

Perhaps it's a good thing I don't post as much anymore. Dwight can't make a new updated Excell spread sheet comparing posting statistics, it just wouldn't be near as entertaining as the past one.

CJ since I've been here I've asked all those repetitive questions myself, and they've been asked many many times by multiple posters since me.. The search function is just not efficient enough to find anything you need so you might aswell just ask it again.. I'm glad I can answer those easy question now so I don't mind answering them and I still refer some to the search function..

I have good success with the search function but it takes work. It could be better. If I have a real hard one you can Google it as per Dwight. I don't do that often. Research is one of the big things we do in my profession so it helps with this to.

My hope is people will at least go read a link given to answer their question. I am real glad when people hang around long enough to start answering the questions.

You know, it's funny Eric, but I also have a really hard time using the search function built into the site. Like you, I do a bit of research so it normally comes pretty easily once you figure out what makes the search software tick, but I have yet to get this little lady purring for me! I usually use the Google "xxxx site:pondboss.com" method and can nearly always find what I'm after that way. I may need to pick your brain sometime on how to make the one on the site do its thing for me. You do seem to have an uncanny ability to use the internal search and I am envious!

Here Here!!

I find that the Google method is still the most effective and entertaining way to find things.

For instance, just try Googling herpetologist site:pondboss.com

What is even more amazing is if you Google legal beagle site:pondboss.com

How do it know?

Too funny!