Greebo
N9017H - C172M (1976)
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2005
- Messages
- 10,976
- Location
- Baltimore, MD
- Display Name
Display name:
Retired Evil Overlord
Earlier last week I promised in my birthday thread (and don't think I won't get you for that) that I would post a brief history of the origins of Pilots of America.
Here, then, for your viewing pleasure, is my own perspective on the origins of and history of Pilots of America.
In late 2004/early 2005, trouble was brewing on the AOPA forum. The forum was dominated by non-aviation related posts, personal conflict, accusations of extreme unpleasantness, and the signal-to-noise ratio was getting worse and worse by the day.
Some individuals, myself included, who were in private contact with the forums primary advocate and administrator, got wind that the forums were in jeopardy and that some key AOPA figures were pushing for its shut down. Many other members were openly expressing disgust at the forums and were leaving or ready to leave. I was one of them. On the AOPA forums, I was attempting to make it clear without disclosing information trusted to me in confidence that the AOPA forums were in jeopardy.
As a thank you for my efforts, I was accused of just about everything from wanting the forums shut down, to trying to stifle free speech. I swear if they could have invented justification for it I'd have been accused of baby killing and child molestation too. That’s the kind of vitriol that was infused in the old AOPA boards at the time.
I don't know who learned first, but when I learned of this, I started contemplating whether a replacement forum would be tenable. Sometime in late January or early February of 2005, I was contacted by some of the other original Management Council members to discuss putting together a possible site as a haven for those who were tired of the atmosphere at the old forums.
I have been running technologically based message boards for over 20 years (ask Inav8r, he was a member on "The WoodShop", my first BBS). I have run small forums and large forums, even with thousands of members. I know when a board is in trouble, and AOPAs board was in trouble. So when the other future MC members contacted me, that convinced me that the time was right for an alternative, and I took the steps to move our discussions out of email and onto a real base of operations.
And so PilotsOfAmerica.com was born.
It never has been my intention to be a replacement for AOPA or even competition. It was only my intention at the time to be an alternative for those fed up with the downhill slide of what had been a great place to socialize in the past. It was also not my intention, nor has it ever been, to be the "Lord and Master" of the site. That doesn't work when it comes to online communities. What I wanted was to build the foundation for an online community that had an oversight committee responsible for the decision making. What I brought wasn't aviation experience or exceptional technology experience (at least, not related to supporting a forum), what I brought was 20 years of knowing what does and doesn't work in a virtual online community.
So when we set up the initial PoA site, it first existed as a semi-secret location for the future Management Council members to meet and plan. We did a LOT of talking. I wrote a LOT of material for PoA that the general public will never see, and we got a lot of good feedback from the founders. We were nearly ready to go live when word leaked out earlier than expected...
... and the flood began!
200 new user registrations on our first day, and that was before we even sent out our planned "official" notice.
After our initial launch, on April 8, 2005, AOPA announced that it would be closing its web board temporarily. When that announcement came out, PoA was well situated to act as a temporary "home away from home" for the AOPA users. The AOPA forum would remain closed until July 5th, 2005. But it would continue to struggle with non-aviation related topics.
While it has never been our intention to compete with AOPA, the ultimate decision at AOPA to allow only aviation related content has honestly been to our benefit. One of the strengths of our community here is that we treat non-AV content as the mortar that holds the bricks of our foundation together. Yes, we have our issues from time to time. Some topics are difficult for some people to stay calm and civil in, but so far our approach has, I think, worked extremely well, and our track record proves it.
There have certainly been internal problems from time to time as well. There have been changes in the Management Council over time, some of them the result of differences of opinion about how PoA should run, but *everyone* who serves or HAS served on the MC has had the best interests of PoA at heart. Today we have a Management Council that continues that tradition.
This brings me to the future.
As you may know, all documents and accounts for the site are in my name as the sole owner. While I'm not yet at liberty to share the details, I can tell you that work is in progress to convert Pilots of America into a registered Non-Profit Corporation. This has been an ongoing discussion in the Management Council, and this is the only issue on which I have ever executed an "executive veto". It is my firm conviction that becoming a properly organized independent entity is the only way to guarantee that Pilots of America will continue in perpetuity following its original intent and upholding its founding commitments and values.
Let me make this clear - I trust every one of the Management Council Members implicitly with all aspects of PoA. However, if we kept PoA as a sole-ownership organization, one day I would have to pass it along to someone, and some day it would get passed on again, and I don't trust the owners who would follow the owner who follows me (if that makes sense). Left as sole owner site, PoA could become a site-for-profit, maybe for good money, maybe for bad. I am committed to ensuring that never happens.
So, as I said, plans are underway to convert PoA to an NPC. More information on this will be made available as our resident attorney feels it is appropriate, but for now I wanted to at least touch on the future of PoA, because just like it did a little more than 2 years ago, the future is looking CAVU all the way.
As always,
Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for landing at Pilots of America.
Your virtual $100 hamburger on the internet.
Here, then, for your viewing pleasure, is my own perspective on the origins of and history of Pilots of America.
In late 2004/early 2005, trouble was brewing on the AOPA forum. The forum was dominated by non-aviation related posts, personal conflict, accusations of extreme unpleasantness, and the signal-to-noise ratio was getting worse and worse by the day.
Some individuals, myself included, who were in private contact with the forums primary advocate and administrator, got wind that the forums were in jeopardy and that some key AOPA figures were pushing for its shut down. Many other members were openly expressing disgust at the forums and were leaving or ready to leave. I was one of them. On the AOPA forums, I was attempting to make it clear without disclosing information trusted to me in confidence that the AOPA forums were in jeopardy.
As a thank you for my efforts, I was accused of just about everything from wanting the forums shut down, to trying to stifle free speech. I swear if they could have invented justification for it I'd have been accused of baby killing and child molestation too. That’s the kind of vitriol that was infused in the old AOPA boards at the time.
I don't know who learned first, but when I learned of this, I started contemplating whether a replacement forum would be tenable. Sometime in late January or early February of 2005, I was contacted by some of the other original Management Council members to discuss putting together a possible site as a haven for those who were tired of the atmosphere at the old forums.
I have been running technologically based message boards for over 20 years (ask Inav8r, he was a member on "The WoodShop", my first BBS). I have run small forums and large forums, even with thousands of members. I know when a board is in trouble, and AOPAs board was in trouble. So when the other future MC members contacted me, that convinced me that the time was right for an alternative, and I took the steps to move our discussions out of email and onto a real base of operations.
And so PilotsOfAmerica.com was born.
It never has been my intention to be a replacement for AOPA or even competition. It was only my intention at the time to be an alternative for those fed up with the downhill slide of what had been a great place to socialize in the past. It was also not my intention, nor has it ever been, to be the "Lord and Master" of the site. That doesn't work when it comes to online communities. What I wanted was to build the foundation for an online community that had an oversight committee responsible for the decision making. What I brought wasn't aviation experience or exceptional technology experience (at least, not related to supporting a forum), what I brought was 20 years of knowing what does and doesn't work in a virtual online community.
So when we set up the initial PoA site, it first existed as a semi-secret location for the future Management Council members to meet and plan. We did a LOT of talking. I wrote a LOT of material for PoA that the general public will never see, and we got a lot of good feedback from the founders. We were nearly ready to go live when word leaked out earlier than expected...
... and the flood began!
200 new user registrations on our first day, and that was before we even sent out our planned "official" notice.After our initial launch, on April 8, 2005, AOPA announced that it would be closing its web board temporarily. When that announcement came out, PoA was well situated to act as a temporary "home away from home" for the AOPA users. The AOPA forum would remain closed until July 5th, 2005. But it would continue to struggle with non-aviation related topics.
While it has never been our intention to compete with AOPA, the ultimate decision at AOPA to allow only aviation related content has honestly been to our benefit. One of the strengths of our community here is that we treat non-AV content as the mortar that holds the bricks of our foundation together. Yes, we have our issues from time to time. Some topics are difficult for some people to stay calm and civil in, but so far our approach has, I think, worked extremely well, and our track record proves it.
There have certainly been internal problems from time to time as well. There have been changes in the Management Council over time, some of them the result of differences of opinion about how PoA should run, but *everyone* who serves or HAS served on the MC has had the best interests of PoA at heart. Today we have a Management Council that continues that tradition.
This brings me to the future.
As you may know, all documents and accounts for the site are in my name as the sole owner. While I'm not yet at liberty to share the details, I can tell you that work is in progress to convert Pilots of America into a registered Non-Profit Corporation. This has been an ongoing discussion in the Management Council, and this is the only issue on which I have ever executed an "executive veto". It is my firm conviction that becoming a properly organized independent entity is the only way to guarantee that Pilots of America will continue in perpetuity following its original intent and upholding its founding commitments and values.
Let me make this clear - I trust every one of the Management Council Members implicitly with all aspects of PoA. However, if we kept PoA as a sole-ownership organization, one day I would have to pass it along to someone, and some day it would get passed on again, and I don't trust the owners who would follow the owner who follows me (if that makes sense). Left as sole owner site, PoA could become a site-for-profit, maybe for good money, maybe for bad. I am committed to ensuring that never happens.
So, as I said, plans are underway to convert PoA to an NPC. More information on this will be made available as our resident attorney feels it is appropriate, but for now I wanted to at least touch on the future of PoA, because just like it did a little more than 2 years ago, the future is looking CAVU all the way.
As always,
Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for landing at Pilots of America.
Your virtual $100 hamburger on the internet.
