Well, since I'm probably the target of this thread, I should probably respond. I'll do my best to keep it civil.
1) QDMA closing their forums may have been the right decision for the organization, but in my opinion, it was not in the best interest of the mission of QDM. I no longer support the organization as I have in the past.
2) With those forums closed, I personally think the mission of QDM is best served by some other forum becoming the de facto leader and place to go for folks sharing their QDM experiences and for folks new to the addiction to get sound free advice from folks with hands on experience to offset the "magic bean" syndrome created by all the marketing in the food plot industry.
3) I saw the greatest danger being the distribution of the great experience based community that coalesced on that site. I include in that great experience base the folks who left and started this forum. In order for a forum to become that de facto go-to place for QDM information, it requires several things. A core of experienced folks dedicated to regular use, a critical mass of total users, a dedication to provide the hardware/software growth path that keeps the site responsive as the user base grows, and enough exposure in the search engines so that new folks quickly find the forum rather than getting sucked into forums and web sites funneling them into magic beans.
4) I chose to come here because this site was the least commercialized with a good base of experienced core users. John assured me that he has the resources and commitment to grow the site to handle a growing user base. While there are some great folks trying to start fledgling efforts, it is very hard to achieve sustainable critical mass and get past the tipping point and have a plan to fund growth without a lot of commercialization and advertising. I chose to place my focus here because I thought it had the best chance of success, but I still wish them the best with their efforts.
5) There are several purposes for transferring threads from the QDMA forums. One is providing on-line access to an important body of QDM information provided by forum users over a long period. The second is help grow this site. For every registered user on the QDMA forums there were many lurkers. As folks begin to start their programs and run into issues and remember reading something, they immediately go the search engines. My hope is that archive of good information on a variety of topics transferred here will eventually cause this site to rank higher in searches.
6) The references to QDMA are simply the proper citation of the material source, not a tribute to that organization in any way.
I am happy to stand down anytime I hear from the site moderators or John that what I'm doing is not in the best interest of this forum. I understand change is difficult for some. When new kids come to the sandbox, it can ruffle the feathers of the regulars. I also realize the way this forum began caused it to initially be regional. I'm hoping the regular forum members see the opportunity for growth as benefitting them. Some will and others won't.
I'll do my best to be less threatening as we go forward. That doesn't mean I won't defend myself or positions, but I'll avoid being baited into personal attacks. I've got my "big boy" panties on.
I've said my piece on this subject. If you disagree, that is fine.
Thanks,
Jack