A Year of Service

[∬: Erhard Strumfelder]

I worked out that I've been a member of this site for just over a year now, in one shape or another. I freely admit that I have matured since my first days here, and become the first banned member to become a staff member. This place was considerably different when I first appeared. Wolfie was an MP40 totting Captain, Winters was rearing his ugly head, and I suppose JT was still a homicidal maniac.

Our member count has pretty much doubled and although there have been a few moments with Winters and the like, I believe we have done very well as a forum. If you compare this to other forums, ours is extremely professional, drawing members from the four corners of the Earth.

So guys, enjoy this place. I have for a year and it takes a lot of work just to keep this place running smoothly and ticking over, as well as advancing it.

[Heidi]

You're also the first medic to successfully command a team of mortars AND become second-in-command.

I also agree with the professionalism of the forum. We've had our moments, but truth be told, I've rarely seen such a multicultural community like this. We have Europeans, Australasians, North Americans, Central Americans (I'm counting Ben as that, sorry if I'm mistaken)...it's incredible. What's even more incredible is that, other then Winters's/Austin's site, I can't find any other active, independent Issuing Orders. It's just Winters's site, and Issuing Orders.

So yes, Strum - here's to a year of your presence.

[Daniel Brennan]

Congrats, Strum, although I do believe you joined in January or February.
You've changed a lot since back then (We all have) and it's all for the better.

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

Has it really been that long...wow...I wasn't a homocid...ok...I wasn't a maniac though, homocidal is true LOL!!

Kinda makes we wanna make a list of everyone active that has passed the year mark...What do you think Dan, think we should make a Veteran list?

-JT

[⊕ Owen Pearson]

I just counted, I think I have reached the Half-year mark...Actually, I can't count...

September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April...that's 8...seriously?

Checks for more info...

Joined Sept 22, Today's Date April 5. 6 months and 8 days...

Well, Sorry about that...um...I'll blame it on being almost 1 AM here...

and to further Dan's point:

Name: ∬: Erhard Strumfelder
Email: hidden
Gender: Male
Posts: 660
Date Registered: Jul 12, 2008, 3:26pm

That means that this is actually 8 months and 23 days as of today...still impressive, but not quite a year.

Please, don't be wrong...

[badwords]

the first banned member to become a staff member.

I should go to bed...

[Heiko Alkema]

Well Stumiepoo got banned so I would assume his account was deleted and had to make a new one later.

Anyway, I haven't been here very long but I've been reading over the older threads and the difference in quality of the posts is... jarring. In a year it's gone from, on a good day, a short paragraph or two per post (maybe 3-4 lines per paragraph) to an average of 4-5 lengthy paragraphs (easily 6-7 lines) per post. And to add to that you have ~20 active members daily and are still expanding the site after a year. You've done an amazing job keeping this place alive.

Congratz to all of you.

[Wilhelm Schlegal]

Is Winters' site the one that looks EXACTLY like this place? Cause if it is, I found this place though there or Google.

[Daniel Brennan]

Yeah, JT! Lets do it! ;D

History of Strum:
Friedrich von Namur: Joined in January/February 2008. Was banned after arguing excessively with staff.
Golodkowski (First name was 'Schalk' or something like that ): Only the staff members and a few ordinary members actually knew who he was. I don't think he knew that we knew. He still wasn't liked very much and he became the first member to be killed.
Strum: Got on a lot better with staff, did a lot of hard work and went on to be promoted to support staff and then Moderater.

[PuNk! ™]

I've been here since day one. ;D
Come to think of it, a lot of "Original Members" have slowly faded out over the years, ever since Obeying Orders (Predecessor to Issuing Orders) and ironically, Rafael Wolfram and Gero A. Fritz/Steven McMillan are the only two original members from the very first website. With a scarce appearence from Seejay following distantly behind.

I'm still humbled to have people who've stuck with this website since the age of Obeying Orders, but I'm even more humbled to have new members who've come onto this website from the dawn of Issuing Orders and stayed to make this place grow into what it has become today.

I won't lie, it's been very tough.
I spent many months doing a majority of the work by myself towards the beginning and possibly middle of this place being alive, attempting to make it so attractive, that people would stay; Thankfully, I now have some great staff members and members alike that are so bright eyed and bushy tailed, they've put forth their own hardship of work to help build this website, but also become apart of it. Making their mark in some way or another.

The only real downside I have to reveal with this place, is that everyone expects constant updates sometimes and it can be very easy to propose or even make the update yourself to hand to us staff - but when we're working on something completely different, to then have something else random handed to us for an update, it can really stir the pot sometimes. Since my return, I've seen the Russian update take a backseat and an Italian update replace it's position? Most probably on the grounds to member influence.

Which in turn, puts a lot of stress on the staff to get these updates completed, but not just that, to also be able to mod-mark and monitor this website at the same time. Dealing with member suggestions, updates all at the same time. It's very hard work to keep everyone pleased here and I couldn't thank the staff enough for being as strong as they have been.

So, great work guys.
Plus, we've got some very helpful members and I'd like to thank you guys too for keeping this place on it's toes also.

I don't have much else to say, other than congratulations Strum' for putting up with myself and everyone else that may have had conflictions with you in the past, but you truly have turned out to be a great staff member and fantastic role player that everyone enjoys participating in threads with you. Hopefully by this time next year, this place may have advanced another major step as it already has; I have some big plans to take up with the staff yet.

~Danny

[Stephen Colly]

I was on Obeying Orders PuNk!

[Daniel Brennan]

Tsk. Forgetting about poor Stephen!

[laukkenan]

Well, my first character Howard Johnson, I believe was started in August of 2008. So I have been here for awhile.

[S.SGT David Bevan]

I did'nt know you were Howard Johnson. I think he was in my division but got deleted for innactivity.

Also PuNK! You and the Staff are always saying how hard this place is to run. Well maybe you should have a bigger Staff team. The new Staff would just have a very small ammount of powers such as access to the staff board to help with updates and possibly accepting new members. I'm not sure what the support staff can do but that could be what I'm on about.

[laukkenan]

oops, I meant John Howard was my first character, then came Howard, now I am on Vaalto after I deleted Howard. Sorry, David.

[Nathan Whyte]

David, the problem with choosing more staff is who do we trust to do the job? We need to go through every member thinking "Have they been here long enough? Have they given us reasons to not trust them? Are they mature enough to do everything needed?"

We are fine with our size in comparison to the number of members. The problem with all of the updates that are proposed, is the fact we may not have the members to take them up.

And trust me, being staff isn't all fun and games. We have to do this thing called, what is it? Starts with a 'W'.... Work!