 |
| 10 year veterans - Fighting Talk! Salute yourselves Gentlemen! |
We wargamers always have something to say, even when we don't. I often get asked about my long term plans and the reactions when I reply...
I have none range for incredulity to disappointment. Unimaginative as it may seem, it is true which is why I had not even realised that Fighting Talk, the League of Augsburg Forum is actually 10 years old. I had no long term plan to build it up. It has evolved organically and in truth is no longer driven by me but by a community of contributors and lurkers who keep the whole thing ticking along. I am deeply suspicious of long term plans as they seem to be deliberately poking a finger in the eye of fate, something I am not inclined to do lightly.
 |
| FT has supported the launch of 4 books! |
So here we are, 10 years on. Reminded of it as I was by my good friend Dave O'Brien it is quite hard to take in. The FT boards have 10 years worth of our collective experiences. I have often copied and filed little gems posted there by the Wargaming Wise who visit occasionally. My problem is, I am usually too busy getting on with something else to realise what is actually happening or that time is passing. The reminder has made me worry that I have not been diligent enough in recording and storing all the valuable material we've uploaded. That task is currently beyond my diary capacity.
 |
| The Pack has rarely bayed for blood! - we are a nice bunch |
As ' Grand Inquisitor' of the boards I have had relatively little call to interfere, censor, ban, chastise or wield the 'Mighty Sword of Dobber' (Robbie Coltrane fans remember this?) over the decade. There have been a few clowns , several cyber attacks (remember the Turkish Liberation Army or whatever they were called?), We've had Porn Bombing, we've been linked to a variety of websites selling very odd products and we've experienced the dreaded MYSQL thingy that tells us something is wrong behind the scenes. The number of times I have woken up somewhere in the world to an inbox full of mails from concerned forum members telling me 'We're down, did you know?'.. thanks for that chaps, very often I didn't know! Gunter Heim, you are undoubtedly the Guardian of the Forum and have performed that duty like the Captain of the Royal Guard! (Saxon of course!)
 |
| Guardians of FT - Saxon Army occupying Austria's capital city |
We've had some 'precious moments' too. Sensitive souls who've taken their bats and balls home because someone didn't agree with everything they said, wrote or thought. These little flowers have self censored so that was all fine too. They are living in another garden now.
I have enjoyed the comedy both intentional and accidental and there has been a fair bit of that. The funniest things have usually been at someone's expense but unintentional 'own goals' are often the best. A little bit like 'It'll be alright on the night!'. Up the Town!
 |
| Cheers! FT - 10 more! |
So, what's the plan? There is none! We'll carry on, we've got hundreds of members live, lapsed, passed, past, forgotten and lost their passwords. Let's chug along for a while and see what happens shall we?
