Thank you, Forumosa, and farewell!

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Hey guys, there’s no way to segue into this properly, so I’ll just come out and say it.

I will be leaving Forumosa as co-admin/co-owner at the end of the month. It has been an incredible 12 years on Forumosa, a happy surprise that has shaped my life forever. I never knew what I was in for way back in the summer of 1999 when I first picked up a bookmark for oriented.org, Forumosa’s first incarnation. I just thought it looked like a good idea, and I soon became hooked, in the best sense of the word.

Over the years I have gotten to know hundreds of people in real life, and many more online, because of this site. I have shared joys and troubles with you, and all the things that make life sweet, and sorrowful, and meaningful. I owe a huge debt of thanks to you, the people who have made Forumosa what it is. Without you, this would just be a domain name. Because of you, it has become one of the most relevant international communities in East Asia, or possibly anywhere.

The moderators, past and present, deserve even more praise. They have not only contributed their own thoughts and ideas to make this site what it is, they have also been friends, mentors, community police, and helpful guides, to me, and thousands of others over the years. It is they who have set the tone of this site, and for that I will be forever grateful.

My biggest thanks, however, are reserved for Gus Adapon, aka Goose Egg, the co-founder of this site, the visionary who knew what this site could become, and never faltered in his efforts to steer it there. I have had the pleasure of serving as Gus’s co-admin for many years now, and I just want to express what a pleasure it has been. I’ve said this before, but it’s worth saying again: none of this would have been possible without him.

As good as Forumosa has been, it’s time for me to go my own way and create something new. To that end, September will see the launch of taiwanease.com, a new venture that will include English AND Chinese language forums, classified ads, an online magazine, “how-to” guides for people living in Taiwan, and an über-cool directory that will eventually have listings for anything and everything in Taiwan that could be of interest to an expat, from hots springs, to jazz clubs, restaurants, public libraries, whiskey bars, department stores, art galleries, tourist sites, campgrounds, etc. Our aim is to make this wonderful place we live in and love even better. Oh, and the directory will also be available on your smartphone - first on iPhone and iPad, and in the coming months on Android and Windows7 as well.

So as sad as I am to say goodbye to my role at Forumosa, I’m also incredibly excited by what lies ahead. And while I’ll always be a Forumosan, I will necessarily be spending more of my time on the “other side”, so you won’t be seeing as much of me here in the future, although I promise to check in often. And of course you are all welcome to come visit me at taiwanease.com any time!

I love all of you guys. Be good to each other! :sunglasses:

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It’s been fun.
Thanks for all.

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Thanks for working so hard to make this the excellent site that it is, Anthony, and thanks for being a good friend and mentor. Love you, man!

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See you on the other side.

And see you on the “other side.”

Looking forward to seeing your new venture.

:thumbsup:

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Thanks for all the hard work serving the community here.

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Just when you think that everything stays the same, someone goes ahead and changes it on you.

Thanks for the great community and patience.

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So Taiwanease is the new Forumosa? What’s going to happen to this place? I wonder if it will even be able to maintain as much traffic as Taiwanho? Doubtful. The Flob is and has been for years maoman and his mods. No-one else. Its maoman who has made this place what it is. It is maoman’s site and no-one elses. The flob will simply be changing its name to Taiwanease, as I see it.
Good luck to you maoman, not that you’ll need it – your market is right here and I foresee that pretty much EVERYBODY who is a presence here will just switch their homepage to Taiwanease and the flob will go the way of Oriented and Segueway.

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awesome. Always good to have options. Have a great one :smiley:

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I’m shocked. Good luck with your new adventure!

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All the best, Maoman. Thanks for this great site.

So when does the mass exodus begin? :smiley:

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The sky is falling, the sky is falling! Maybe Tommy can have Maoman’s job… :roflmao:

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Thanks for everything. This site has been a part of my life since my son was born. It has meant more than I can express. Good luck with wherever the winds take you. The new site sounds great–kinda like this old site I like that has all kinds of stuff about Taiwan . . . .

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Let me be the VERY FIRST to wish you ALL THE BEST with your new venture, maoman.

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Silly Hippo, it ain’t no good-bye. Rather than you going away, it’s more like you’ve had an operation and we now have to call you Jane. That’s all. Once your new site is up and running, I’ll jump sheep, I mean “jump ship.” And I’m sure most everyone will follow. Kind of like Charlton Heston leading his people in The Ten Commandants.
I’m looking forward to a new, better site, and hope you can make some much-deserved coin from it.

John

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Maoman, it’s been wonderful to be able to join this community, to get to know you as a friend, and to serve as moderator under your capable leadership. I can’t think of anyone who would be willing to volunteer so much of his or her time to administer a site like this (an often thankless job!) and do it so well, and I’m confident that your new venture will prosper with you at the helm. Forumosa won’t be the same without you!

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Good luck follows good people. Therefore, I don’t need to wish you good luck. Thank you for all of your hard work!

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Fixed.

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Hang on. Steve resigned, tommy went away and now you are hitching your ponies? What is happenin to the world as we know??

But what is on the other side?? Hmmm. Interesting. !

Course I maybe the last one left here eventually, I will turn off the lights.

Im always the closer, the Omega so to speak… :sunglasses:

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Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Forumosa has been such a big part of my daily life for so long, and I’ve gotten to know so many people and received so much help here that it’s difficult to think of it being different, or even going extinct (if Sandy’s prediction comes true)…

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Well, it might not become extinct. I’m sure the domain name will continue to exist, but that’ll be all, I foresee. Once the users leave – which they undoubtedly will – the ads will soon dry up and that’ll be that. Will the advertisers switch their revenue into Taiwanese? Probably, if they’ve got any sense and want to reach people.
Maoman and the mods have made this community theirs – ours. And the community will be wherever maoman and his mods set up shop.