A new pool forum

[SeanB.]

Hey, I just wanted to let eveyone know that in the abscence of Ben and in the inability for new members to join here, I have set up a new forum. I think I paid homage to this site, but I have tried not to duplicate it. I hope that it will have the same kind of active participation but with it's own flair. I hope to emphasize not only pool care but also just enjoying backyard living.

Anyway, the site is: http://www.troublefreepool.com/. Just pm me from my site since this one set to only allow 2 and mine seems to stay full.

I certainly think there is room for more than one great pool forum and like the rest of you, am not sure of the future of this site.

[SeanB.]

I just wanted to thank everyone who has stopped by the new site. I appreciate the positive words and feedback and hopefully the site is getting better each day.

Like all of you, I don't want to see all of these great members and content disappear. I don't want to plagiarize and won't copy material without permision, but if any of you who were the original creators of some of the fact filled stickies would like them duplicated on my site for posterity, PLEASE let me know and I'll be happy to get them up.

Sean
www.troublefreepool.com

[CanuckPool]

Are people starting to make the trek to other pool forums??

I am seeing a decrease (or at least it seems to me) in the number of postings on this forum. Are people starting to abandon ship? Should I be posting questions and looking up answers over 3 forums now? I get the sinking feeling by the summer this forum will be dead.

[waste]

CP, I for one will not abandon this forum until the day comes that I try to log on and it's not here! Yes, I've registered on the other 2 new 'splinter' forums and will participate on them as time allows (I'm going back to my pool job soon and I usually work 10 - 12 hrs/ day Mon - Sat and try to get at least 9 holes of golf in on Sun), but this forum will be my first priority when time to 'play on the computer' is limited (I also have a wife and dog who need a certain amt of my time).

If more people feel like you (in wanting to leave because Ben has been MIA for a few months), then perhaps the forum is doomed. HOWEVER (!), this forum is the starting point for the other 2 and it was Ben who started this forum and provided us all the information which has made this one soooo popular and benificial! I believe that Falken and SeanB started their sites ONLY to provide us a meeting place in the event that this one disappears and to allow folks who can not register here access to the folks and info that poolsolutions/ forum provides. We don't know why Ben has been absent so long, and not meeting his test kit obligations - but he at least left us with Lisa, Janet, Carl and Al, who are maintaining the site quite well, and the forum IS STILL HERE!
I, as well as many others, hope and pray that all will turn out well for Ben and he will come back and make everything right with the forum! (and if he needs a little $$, everyone who saved money by not having to call out the 'pool pros' should send a few bucks to him!). In the mean while, the other forums allow us (poolforum members) the opportunity to help those who can't access this site.

[CanuckPool]

Thanks waste, thats a good point you bring up about future members at least having somewhere to go and ask questions. Its always good to have new members, even if they are not as experienced (like me) they do bring their own enthusiasm and knowledge to the forums, or sometimes they bring a new problem that has never been seen.

Do you know if BEn has to pay for the upkeep of this site or is it a free service?

[SeanB.]

I'm not really viewing my site as a "back-up" site. I think it has it's own style and hopefully some appeal but you are absolutely correct that the idea started here at PF and I would probably never had made a forum if Ben were still maintaining this one. We all owe him a lot and I admire the loyalty of the mods and members. Heck, I still haven't bought a good test kit because I was hoping he would start selling his again. But I'm not going to wait for the water to turn green before I go get one.

Even as just a resource to search through, this is a great site and the members and mods who are still participating are fantastic. I hope Ben makes a triumphant return, new members can join and all will be right with the world. However, if that happens I do hope that people will continue to visit my site as well. I'm not trying to be PFII and I hope no one feels that way.

-----------------------------
Site owner
www.troublefreepool.com

[sevver]

there is currently a login problem there sir.

[waste]

Sean, I meant no insult nor slur for the new sites, I think it's great to have different venues for the info. I'll support all (at this time) 3. There are quite a few different forums for pools out there (I couldn't stand the others that I joined, just because they don't have the BBB menality and are poorly 'topic-ed') I came to this site because I don't know all the answers I need to have for my boss' customers, and wanted to learn more about better serving/ servicing the pools I have to deal with in the course of my work. This doesn't make me a 'HERO', but I have, personally known 100s of 'pool dudes' and I'm the only one who cares enough to, at least try, do a better job of it by going on line and researching --- my payback is offering help/ advice when I think I can

I wish the other forums well, and will be a participating member of all of them as time allows. (though my time to be on line will be greatly reduced for the next few months, I will still check in on a ~regular basis to see if I can't be of assistance to the newbies on both sites)