Badger Pond

[Moses Yoder]

Yes, I still have my Badger Pond coffee mug. Wayne was kind of my guidance counselor introducing me to civil behavior on web forums. I got on the web around the year 2000 and it was about 6 months before I discovered Badger Pond and began an incredible learning process. I had no idea there were such wood fanatics in the world; I was the worst I had ever met before. What a great experience. Here is dad's Coleman 502 with my percolator and Badger Pond mug; how many of you still have the mug? Maybe I should put mine on ebay?

Coffee with dad.jpg

[Jason Roehl]

I still have a hat.

I remember when I got it, it absolutely reeked of cigar smoke. Wasn't a big deal, but I got a chuckle out of it. I found the Pond about a year before Wayne closed its doors. I wonder what he's up to these days?

[Bruce Page]

Moses, I knew I knew your name from somewhere!
I broke my mug a few years ago, the faded logo was almost unreadable. I still have the hat and the Badger Pond Archives 1996-2003 CD that Andrew Field put together.

[Frederick Skelly]

I never got around to buying a hat or mug. But I used to grin when someone would occasionally post a "come on" on other WW websites - you know the one? "Come on in, the water's fine . . ." I think thats how I discovered The Pond, in fact.

Like Jason said - anyone know what Wayne is up to these days?

Fred

[Dave Anderson NH]

I still have my hat. I never bought the mug.

[Lee Schierer]

I still have my mug. The logo is pretty faded, but it still works well for hot tea or hot chocolate.

Lee

[Matt Meiser]

I never got a mug but I must have started on there about the same time as Jason. Maybe even later. That place was a big influence on me getting away from everything I learned from watching NYW. If I'd gotten started on there sooner I might not have ever bought a brad nailer!

[Phil Thien]

Does anyone have a timeline of when some of these woodworking forums started, and then (if so) folded?

And any insight as to WHY they folded would be interesting.

I've heard of The Oak, Badger Pond, know of SMC and Woodcentral, just wondering when things started for them.

[Jason Roehl]

Phil, I don't know when Badger Pond started, but I think it was around '97 or so, and it closed up shop (I think) March 1, 2003. We were forewarned of it being closed down, which is how SMC came about on February 11, 2003. Woodcentral started in '98, I think, and I had heard of The Oak before, but had forgotten about it for quite a few years until you just brought it up.

Badger Pond was very tightly run by Wayne Miller, its owner and (I believe) sole administrator. He put a LOT of work into its moderation, and said he considered it a social experiment which had run its course when he shut its doors.

[Moses Yoder]

I think the main reason they fold is due to burnout by the admins. The sites don't really generate income I don't think, it is basically a labor of love. One of the problems with charging is that someone else will do it for free.