I am curious about some of the history and inner workings of a large site like WebProWorld, so I've jotted down some questions that hopefully some of you can answer. Also, feel free to add your own questions.

What started WebProWorld?
Whose idea was it?
What did it look like? (Screenshots?)
When did it begin?
Who were the original mods?
How many people are now on staff?
Did iEntry, Inc. start the site or acquire it after it became successful?

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Bourne in Alaska | Verticentric Design

1. We (iEntry) started it. Garrett French was the original mod/admin.

2. The Idea was initially to start a forum with tips and howto info. Some of the (mercifully) unused names were webproschool and webprokid.

3. The Wayback Machine has a few images of us from back in the day.

4. Probably started thinking we wanted a forum back in Jan/Feb of 2003 and actually launched sometime in the spring or early summer. The Waybak Machine's first listing is probably about right.

5. I don't know who the original volunteer mods were. We didn't need anybody beyond Garrett for a while until traffic increased. The mods came on a bit after launch - I suspect a couple of them are still on the current crew.

6. Ballpark figure on staff would be @ 40 I believe - I haven't done a head count lately, but thats close.

7. We started it.

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WebProNews Videos

iEntry has a gazillion newsletters.

http://www.ientry.com/page/corp/sitemap.html

Good heavens. How do you do it with 40 people?

Wormholes.

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WebProNews Videos

Wow. That's a lot of growth for only two years. From 0 to over 51,000 members in 24 months is an average of over 2,000 members per month. Or did you start at 0 members? When WPW was started, did it include members of other iEntry sites?

Were the "gazillion" newsletters mentioned above the main method of marketing the site? Does WPW advertise on other, non-iEntry sites?

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Bourne in Alaska | Verticentric Design

Hey hey hey! Gat topic makes WPN. Love it...not to mention Rafael's appointment to being one of Santa's elves... (12/21/04 WPN newsletter)

Hat's off to iEntry staff for great work, day in and day out for the great forum, and a plethora of newsletters and other resources for the B2B web industry.

Now it's just a matter of figuring out that space/time continuum thing...

And preventing baldness.

I had no idea iEntry had so many newsletters.

I also wanted to point out that WebProNews has an RSS feed. Good for site content or keeping track of news in your RSS reader.

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SEO Firefox Extension | Free Link Development Tool | New SUSE Linux Users

Yep. We're all about the newsletters.
I should have spacetime figured out relatively soon(likely before I get the moderator merge problem solved)...

Yes, WebProNews has a great RSS feed. I have a few RSS goodies up my sleeve yet for WebProWorld too, once I get that ready I'll do a big RSS spotlight on all of our feeds.


Preventing baldness? You mean promoting baldness, right?

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WebProNews Videos

Nothing satisfies like a good pun.

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SEO Firefox Extension | Free Link Development Tool | New SUSE Linux Users

Hi akbigdog,

I suspect my answer will get censored.

iENTRY has a number of newsletters and are basically a USA advertising company. Full stop.

I actually think having been one of the early members that this forum is one of the best around but the price you pay is all the other iEntry newsletters and adverts that we see on the site.

40 people can do it quite easily in answer to a previous question because it is a feed that is repeated between them all.

Caustic but truthful as our American friends will hate but you do have one of the best forums around and I congratulate you for the work involved.

And Mike is just the current editor who replaced he woman who's name I cannot remember.

To ientry,

If you had answered the questions honestly my response may not have been so vitriolic. There was no need for you to divert from what you have achieved. I can see it so can others.

You are a marketing machine that just grew beyond your wildest dreams and we now have a worldwide forum that provides webbies with international opinions.

Keep up the good work

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Keimos - Always learning something new each day
www.keimos.co.uk , www.keimos.net , www.selfpacedit.co.uk

Whew, I had to look that up; they don't teach you that one in Texas public schools...

I doubt very seriously if your post gets edited at all.

I don't think iEntry could best be described as an advertising company. They produce content and sell advertising space. I suppose you could call Google an advertising company without mentioning that it was the most innovative search engine ever created; but you'd only be telling a part of the story.

Mike is more than just the "current editor", but I guess he can explain more about that if he wants.

I don't think anyone, including Richard Ord, would dispute that iEntry is a company and as such seeks to make as much money as ethically possible. Their "bread and butter" certainly appears to be selling ad space on their newsletters and sites; it's how the bills get paid, how at least 40 new jobs were created, and capitalism makes the free world go 'round.

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SEO Firefox Extension | Free Link Development Tool | New SUSE Linux Users

Well, yes. Ad sales are our primary revenue source. I don't really think that's a bad thing. Not really sure why you'd think I'd want/need to censor that


I'm glad you like the forum. In all fairness, I don't think we go over the top on ads. None of the websites (or the forum) are exactly choked down with ad positions. They aren't exactly NASCARs or anything

Well, that part isn't entirely accurate. Some of the headlines are controlled by feeds, but most all newsletters will have a proper article just for that newsletter. I would put the quality of our content up against just about anything else going.

I don't know that easy would be exactly the word I'd use to describe what we do every day. I am continually impressed with the work done here on a daily basis.

Well, I must admit I'm not 100% sure what you're saying here, but I'll take it as a compliment, so.. Thanks. (I guess ;p)

Her name was Brittany. She did a great job not only in the forum but managing content in several other newsletters/sections. I do a few things here and there other than editing.


I certainly didn't mean to offer any answers that were anything but honest. I don't really think you were vitriolic at all either. You simply laid things out as you saw them. I have no problem with that. Again, I'm glad you like the forum, don't hesitate to let me know what we could do to make it even better.

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WebProNews Videos

Well I suppose someone had better answer that one. The first Mods appointed by Brittany nad Garret in late July '02 were Catalyst and then the next day, I and a lovely lady named SyrenSong were appointed. The three of us were the first and only Mods when the main WPW site went from its test status to live. So the title first Mod and longest serving Mod goes to Catalyst by a day :)

During the first week of August we got a Mod forum and Fathom, Cyanide and Paulo were added to the crew. At the begining of Sept '03 Wenwilder and Webnauts joined the team quickly followed by Blastradius and paulhiles. So of the original 10 mods six of us are still keeping the members in line.

By the end of September the Mods were ramped up to strength with the additions of Janeth, Grease, Reece, Sualdam, and Masterpeace. In the 15 months since then a number of mods have been added and unfortunatley a number have either left or returned to Member status when real world work loads meant they couldn't spend the time moderating as they wished.

Some of the ex-mods I keep in touch with and I'm friends and do buisness with several Mods, all have been hard working and I would like to think I got on with most of them.

carju1

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Oh well everyone else does it - http://www.jctdesigns.com - http://www.swanseawaterbeds.co.uk - http://www.aquabathroomcentre.co.uk/onlineshop/

2004's biggest understatement. You're too modest, Mike.

If we get caught up in the space/time continuum, will we all become relatives?

Thanks Mike and the other contibutors, especially Mike for being straight with your answers.

The ony way that I can see for the site to move ahead or improve, whichever way you look at it is in the critique stage.

People are still complimentary about sites that are not up to todays standards. I personally believe in being honest and I think that the majority of people are but if you put an opinion forward be honest.

It hurts the ego but it means that you can work on true feedback and so the web can move forward. I have personally received honest advice and what I call advice from people that simply want to get there opinion heard. To me this forum is not about the number of posts that you make but about the fact that you can get a wide range of opinions worldwide.

Whether you are new to web design or have being doing it since 94? (There was no graphics before this?)everybody has an opinion as to how it looks annd the navigation. Code and other stuff is for the experienced to pass on. Everybody can critique the look and feel so to all the newcomers do not be embarrassed, just say it as you see.

My pet hate at the moment is the banner ad that is above this post ? whichever one. I will never click it.

Thanks all and Merry Christmas.

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Keimos - Always learning something new each day
www.keimos.co.uk , www.keimos.net , www.selfpacedit.co.uk

I personally do like the monster ad... just my opinion.

Have you ever posted to the suggestions forum? http://www.webproworld.com/viewforum.php?f=6