Major Announcement - Cigar Community as a whole

[gregor22]

Again, Rod has proven the difference between the CigarPass community and other cigar boards.

Thank you, sir!

 

[DesertRat]

Thank you Rod, for reinforcing my belief that while integrity is something woefully lacking in today's society, it has not disappeared altogether.

:thumbs:

 

[rectifythis]

I also felt my heart begin to sink as I thought I was about to read that CP was going to be sold. Great relief came over me as I read that Rod had decided to maintain the integrity.....and really, family of this one of a kind site. There is no ther like CigarPass. Thank you, Rod.

 

[BlindedByScience]

Rod, you steer the ship and we'll repel all boarders. Whatever you decide to do you know that we're with you.

...aye....

Not much more to be said but a very sincere "thank you", Rod. We're all behind you 109%.

Best Regards - B.B.S.

 

[MX]

Rarely in life are such decisions ever easy. With so many shades of black and grey often the choices become less of a yes or no or, right or wrong. In the end it comes down to what is better for ME. Or that is the way I see it. Very few are those that can stand back and look beyond themselves and see where a greater good may be served.

Rod I am so very glad that you are one of those select few. Thank you for thinking of the rest of this community. It tough economic time it must have been very hard to turn do a sure payout. Again, this just speaks to the character that most of already knew you had in you. I hope that this in no way took food of your family's plate.

You are indeed a gentleman, a world class Brother of the Leaf and mentor to us all.

Thank you

Tim

 

[Doc Stogie Fresh]

This is an interesting situation because of the sites that were chosen. Each of these sites have high traffic and are community driven. Moki mentioned that Jon Caputo owns Developer Shed. This from their website:

Developer Shed has recently merged with tech giant Ziff Davis Enterprise, the people who brought you eWeek, Cio Insight, and ChannelInsider, to bring you even more great content. Catering to over nine million visitors a month through a combination of content-based web sites, highly targeted weekly newsletters, print media, and two news shows, visitors to the ZDE and Developer Shed sites will benefit from the greater breadth and depth of content produced by the combining of the two companies.

It seems interesting that they are attempting to bring together entities of various types, all of which have the capacity to target a variety of demographics. Obviously, money is the center of the equation here and the larger the traffic, the more leverage toward the mission of the business.

Of course, theoretically, all dot-coms are ultimately interested in profit, at least for sustainability. As Rod knows, you have to pay your bills. Who knows why these different websites sold? Perhaps they had other interests and wanted out. Rod knows as well as anyone the effort it takes to continue a thriving community for the long term. Perhaps the price was just too good to refuse. A chance to recoup the losses that have accumulated. I'm sure each of these entities had their own reasons for selling.

That said, there is another type of responsibility for those who start up a community. I believe that when you start up an internet community, that you have to resolve yourself to protect the community, and to ultimately "take care of" the members. Doing what is best for the community just seems like a bottom line consideration for those who want to start up their own communities. You can't buy and sell members like commodities. Communities should not be bought nor sold without considering the interests of the members. Before jumping in, or jumping out, one must carefully consider the cost of caring for a community.

Every business will close its doors one day. Or at least the business will change hands. But the primary determinants of what becomes of those businesses, will be dictated by the terms of the sale/purchase. I hope that the sellers of these websites have not negotiated away the best interests of their community members.

Rod, I am glad to see that you were not ready to consider selling CP. I am also heartened by your statement of philosophy that shows that you do care a lot about the integrity of the community at CP. But, if the day ever comes that you do decide to move on, I feel confident that you will do so in the best interests of the members of CP.

Thanks for your caring.

Doc

 

[CoventryCat86]

When you think about it, one owner of multiple forums would most likely treat those forums as one, bundling them all together in a sense. If you get banned from one forum, do you get banned from the others as well?

I'm already banned from all of them anyway and I wear that as a badge of honor! :laugh:

 

[Dr. Marneaus]

Rod,

Thank you, as the others have said, for doing what you have. I haven't been here all that long, but in my short time I have seen what this place is all about, the community and brotherhood. I can only imagine the ammount of work and effort this site requires, not to mention the Vegas herfs, other events, and the store.

Thank you for providing a fantastic community, but thank you again for keeping all of the members in mind and standing by your beliefs. You're a good man.

 

[JHolmes763]

In any event, Jon Caputo also owns http://www.developershed.com/ -- which is sort of an umbrella entity that brings together a number of related acquired web sites. I'd imagine his intention is to repeat that formula with cigars... not necessarily merge all of these sites together, but coalesce them into an umbrella entity.

He doesn't work for Developershed anymore. I'm a mod over there and we recently got a message from Jon that he was moving on. Now I know where he was going...

I've been over there since 1999, before Jon and his crew bought up all of those sites and joined them together under the "umbrella" of Developershed. Jon's always been a good guy, at least in my dealings with him. He's a businessman, no doubt. But he's fair. Not a whole lot changed in the other forums (look and feel got updated, similar brandings throughout the sites, etc.) as far as day-to-day business. If he treats these new aquisitions like the others, then I wouldn't expect a ton of changes. You never know, though...

Thanks for all of the hard work you take on running this site and community, Rod. :thumbs:

---John Holmes...

 

[Doc Stogie Fresh]

In any event, Jon Caputo also owns http://www.developershed.com/ -- which is sort of an umbrella entity that brings together a number of related acquired web sites. I'd imagine his intention is to repeat that formula with cigars... not necessarily merge all of these sites together, but coalesce them into an umbrella entity.

He doesn't work for Developershed anymore. I'm a mod over there and we recently got a message from Jon that he was moving on. Now I know where he was going...

I've been over there since 1999, before Jon and his crew bought up all of those sites and joined them together under the "umbrella" of Developershed. Jon's always been a good guy, at least in my dealings with him. He's a businessman, no doubt. But he's fair. Not a whole lot changed in the other forums (look and feel got updated, similar brandings throughout the sites, etc.) as far as day-to-day business. If he treats these new aquisitions like the others, then I wouldn't expect a ton of changes. You never know, though...

Thanks for all of the hard work you take on running this site and community, Rod. :thumbs:

---John Holmes...

Interesting development (no pun intended). Then it seems he is using the same business model, which obviously worked for him at Developer Shed and applying it in a different niche. I think that's fine, but again I do believe that if he gets into the cigar forum business, he will have to understand the cigar frame of mind and the family mentality. It does sound like he intends to keep the same management in place, which is typical in buyouts. More typical than not, at least initially. We'll see where it leads, though.

Thanks for the update.

Doc

 

[BigJake6904]

Rod,

As everyone else said, we're behind ya 110%

Thank you for keeping the community a priority, not only in this issue, but all others as well. It is much appreciated.

 

[PuffShePuff]

Well played Rod. Thanks for all your hard work, and really giving a hoot for all of us.


Jim

 

[MrJerry]

Thanks so much Rod. Without you there is no CigarPass!!

 

[stogieman]

Thanks Rod for being you...... :thumbs:

Charlie

 

[SyrLinus]

I'm glad that you decided not to sell this. I'm a moderator at a site that has been bought out a few years ago by a large company. They were the pioneers in this idea of buying sites and putting them under one roof. It's a great idea but what seems to be missed is that the internet isn't a mall (this is what the concept feels like) and there is a lot to be said for community. Yes, there is a business components (it's not 1994 although I do miss the Internet of those days) but it is a true sense of community that keeps great sites going.

A good online forum business will earn revenue.

A great one will earn a reputation as a community and keep it. The revenue will come on its own.

Thank you again, Rod, for keep this forum great.

 

[silentjon]

I registered here before, but for whatever reason I never posted here before. I am active member of one of the purchased forums. I will maintain a wait-and-see attitude but I do not what his attentions are. I do not how much time he will have to dedicate to each site. Apparently he has a lot of money:

http://southflorida.blockshopper.com/news/story/199324/

 

[4thecrue]

Rod,

Again as it has been said thanks for keeping us at CP together as a family. Who knows what the outcome may have been for us. I know the decision must have been a tough one given the amount of money and what it could do for your family. I would not have thought less of you for taking such a deal but I am most definately glad you did not. Thanks again for all of your hard work.

Damon

 

[Brickhouse]

Thanks Rod, thanks for providing a community such as we have here.

I would imagine he did not offer as much money to the other sites.........they aren't Cigar Pass

 

[Mike33]

Thanks Rod for everything you have done to make this a special place and for everything you will do down the road. There are many, many grateful members here thanks to all your hard work :thumbs:

 

[ashauler]

Stand up move, Rod, my respect for you has grown. It is indeed a real bitch to find out that you are viewed as a commodity to be bought and sold with no regard. But maybe the real bitch is the realization that what I thought was......really wasn't. I thought I gave up being naive in my 30's.........but I guess not.

While it does take a strong hand to set the tone, it is the members who keep the beat, more so in member moderated communities than anywhere else. This just plain sucks imho.