Change of Forum Ownership

edd_jedi

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I have some news that may come as a bit of a shock: after 16 years at the helm, I have passed the forum on to a new owner. They are not somebody you will know from the forum, or even the wider Star Wars collecting community, but they do have years of experience running online communities and will be somewhat of a 'silent owner', leaving the forum mostly as it is. Myself and the other moderators you already know will remain for the foreseeable future.

You will notice the forum software has been updated, apologies for the downtime. In fact it hasn't just been updated, it is brand new software. The previous forum software hadn't changed much for the best part of 20 years, and although it may not feel like long since the last upgrade I did a couple of years ago, the web changes quickly and it's important to keep up to date, especially for security. I know it will take a bit of getting used to, and a few things are yet to be fixed, but we intend to have all previous features restored soon, along with some new ones you may have noticed already. Please bear with us, and feel free to report anything you notice is broken in this thread.

I would like to explain the reasons for this change of ownership. Firstly, a large part of my decision was based on the agreement that the forum will remain largely the same. The intention is to grow and improve it. It has already had a software upgrade and been moved to faster hosting, so you should notice an immediate speed increase and less frequent downtime. As you may know, due to the large size of the forum this has been a regular headache for me over the years, as I ran this website as a hobby so have never had the resources to make it as fast and robust as I wanted to.

Secondly, I have had less time in recent years to dedicate to the forum due to now having a young family. I have struggled to find the time for the required maintenance, upgrades and admin. The old software was not quick or easy to upgrade.

And finally, after 16 years I feel I have taken the forum as far as I can on my own. Since the explosion of Facebook 10+ years ago the sales section has suffered, and although the forum has remained busy, I have struggled to grow it any further.

So I would like to say thanks to all of you who have supported the forum since 2005, and also be clear that this isn't the end of SWFUK, but a new chapter. So I hope you will all join me in welcoming the new management, and continue enjoying the forum!
 

db94

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Definitely wasn't expecting to read that this morning but all I can say is thank you for all the time and hard work you have put in to making SWFUK what it is - the heart of SW collecting community.
Spending more time with your family will always be the better option though mate so enjoy the extra free time that you will have now.
 

weasel

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Fair play Edd, 16 years is a hell of a long time to run this place.
Still at least you got the consolidation of listening to all my insightful comments on SW AND football! Lol

Good luck to the new owner.
 

Michael Sith

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Mar 2, 2013
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Up North
Thanks Edd for all of the blood sweat and tears
That has lasted for a full sixteen years
Family first is for us all,
Handing over the reigns, is a good call,
Now you have back some quality time ( and maybe a few beers!)

cheers Edd
 

lejackal

Grand Master
Joined
Jul 1, 2015
Messages
8,476
As I said earlier hopefully you can make the most of the free time and less stress. Thanks for such a wonderful place to guide me through the galaxy of collecting. See you soon for a beer 🍺
 

peekaygee73

Sith Lord
Joined
Sep 1, 2014
Messages
1,025
As someone who tries to maintain a website for an animal rescue I can completely understand why you've done this. The new layout was a shock first thing this morning but I'm already starting to like it, and I'm looking forward to the future for SWFUK and seeing this place go from strength-to-strength.
 

SublevelStudios

Sith Lord
Joined
Oct 17, 2013
Messages
2,598
A massive thank you Edd, this is my 'collecting home' even though I spend more time interacting on Facebook these days.
This forum was the source of many great ineractions, purchases, sales, education and above all, friendships over the years.
And I'm glad you and the other admin will be sticking around.
 

welshwookie

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Apr 21, 2018
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Although I have only been a member for a few years, this forum has been a wealth of information for myself, with many a helpful and knowledgeable forum member. Congratulations Edd on the 16 years you have given to the Star Wars community here. My few have been greatly appreciated.
 

Palifan

Sith Lord
Joined
Oct 28, 2012
Messages
4,902
I did wonder why the look of the forum had changed and now it all makes sense but as others have said a massive thank you Edd for all of the countless hours and effort you've put into this over the years. This is almost the only forum that I'm on and I've checked in daily with it since I joined years ago, so I won't be going anywhere and it's good to know that you will still be around.

Here's to the next 16 years :)

Ian
 

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