The forum started in April, 2002.
We started the website primarily to host this discussion forum. Contrary to Dave's thought about me not being so busy..I was exceptionally busy back then, too. I was raising six kids as well as running my consulting business and Pond Boss business. But, I was the first pro on the site..and I HAD to answer all the questions, or they didn't get answered. Our hopes were that the forum would soon attract other pros, with different strengths, and we could get diversity in information. Soon, Bill Cody and Cecil emerged and began posting. As time moved on, we got more great pros, and I didn't need to answer as many questions. I would come on the site every day for the first few months, after everyone at home was in bed, and my work day was finished.
As the site grew, lots of thoughtful questions were asked, and different people would chime in with their opinions. Soon, we were getting opinions from several different pros, from those who do it, to those who did it, to those who studied it. That mix of presentation has become great help.
What I didn't envision was the community this forum has become. Designed as a question and answer information source, it didn't dawn on me that friendships would be built and we would be going around the country meeting each other.
I didn't dream we would read as many jokes, or tackle so many topics, or that threads could possibly go into 100 posts and five pages.
I didn't envision this website forum bringing competitors together to read each others opinions and have healthy debate. Being in the business and traveling as much as I do, it's pretty cool to go to different regions and meet people in the business and talk with them. Everyone of us seems to think we invented something in the pond management business and we are all fascinated to find out someone else has been doing something similar in a different part of the country.
The next thing I can see is this forum maturing and helping to the point that the pond management business shifts from a loose knit cottage niche-type industry into a tighter knit national industry. There isn't really a tie which binds all the suppliers to the pros to the consumers. I think that's next.
Growth has been excellent. Without looking at the directory, I think we had 1300 members from 2002 to the beginning of 2005. Now, we have 2600. Essentially, membership of the forum has doubled in slightly more than the last year.

Teach a man to grow fish...
He can teach to catch fish...