Board History - some questions for our Rob!

I am probably the only person on the planet who would be interested in this stuff, but seeing the 14th Annual Boardie Bash postings has me intrigued! I have some questions for our Rob! And I will gladly take them off line if it bores everyone. Maybe it's just a "me" thing. Anything that draws so many people, from so many walks of life, from so many different age groups and backgrounds fascinates me!

Why did you start the board?
How many boardies initially signed up?
How many are we now?
What prompted the first Boardie Bash?
How many people came?
How many were there this 14th year?
How many countries are represented on the board?
How many of the initial (within first year) boardies are still active?
How long has the longest member been a member? (I would love to know who, but I get the whole privacy thng)
Has anyone ever met and married from a board intro (OK. So I like reality TV! Get over it ....what a fun thing to know! ... again, I would love to know who, but ...)
What so far is the longest thread .. the one that had the most posts and responses.

And to my fellow boardies:
What do you like best about the board? Why do you "come" here?

Just curious. Any questions?

I came here initially to get information about Negril. I have come back over the past few years because I like to hear about other people's experiences, opinions, and trip reports. What I like best has to be the webcasts! :)

I am pretty sure I first found the board in the summer of 1997. I have changed my board name twice. I dont post as much as some but stop by and read almost daily.

Timm

This board has become part of everyday life for many. Rob has always done a great job keeping it together. We spent our honeymoon in Negril in 1994, came home and wanted more. Found the original black board with the fancy green text. : ). We have been part of the family ever since. THANKS Negril.com crew and family. Peace

Great questions....I'd be interested to hear some of the answers as well.

I love this board :)

Not sure if this link will work from previous "old" board circa 2008, but this question comes up often.....

http://www.negril.com/discus/message...tml?1228654512

oh ya, dats back when my boardie name was Very Very Happy Traveler. Got lazy in mi old age.... :)

Enjoy,

VVHT

Here's another oldie with Rob actually providing the "TRUTH". scroll down the under Husker John's post and the next one is Rob. Nice old pic of Pirate!! (GRIN)

http://www.negril.com/discus/messages/83412/156730.html

I found the board about 1.5 years ago researching for our first trip. We had no idea where to go or where to stay for the Jamaican experience we were looking for. The previous board was still in use with a wealth of information. It didn't take long before we decided on Negril. Then we started watching webcasts and after our first trip we sort of felt like we became part of a community which keeps Beth and I coming back.

Has anyone ever met and married from a board intro (OK. So I like reality TV! Get over it ....what a fun thing to know! ... again, I would love to know who, but ...) don't know if they met on the board, but they were married on a webcast Feb 1999 - Rasta John and Blondie
What so far is the longest thread .. the one that had the most posts and responses.

I know at least one boardie couple that met at a Selina's Sunday morning webcast that are now married but I will let them reveal themselves if they so desire. They don't post much anymore but maybe they are lurking.
This board has been an almost daily thing for me since late in 1998. My oldest and dearest friend Aminal Al, who no longer posts, turned me on to it in preparation for our April 1999 trip for his wedding. I've been back to Negril at least once every year since.
In 2007 my Empress Donna and I were married at the Blue Cave Castle and Rob & Lisa webcast it.
I've been to many but not all of the boardie bashes and some other great parties with lots of boardies both here in the states and in Negril.
Negril.com and Realnegril.com are the best medicine for pre and post Negril syndrome.

I found the board about three years ago when I decided to return home after 25 years.

This place made my re-entry very much easier than it might have been.

Big up to Rob and all.

Ras,

Can't believe that was FIVE years ago!! I remember that wedding cast!!!

Best to you both!!

I came here looking for info on how to travel solo and ended up meeting many awesome people here with lots of great info who befriended me and made my choice to travel alone so much more enjoyable and less scarly.Now I am hooked and charish the new friends I found to meet up with in Negril.No longer afraid.Just excited to travel now:o thanks you guys.I know I'm sappy but hey what can I say.I say it like it is.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by beccajean_ca

.I say it like it is.

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Like a rabbit!! ;)

Yes you do, BeccaJ, yes you do!! :)

My wife and I took our daughter on the pub crawl at christmas in 1997 .Rob ran it and it started at tenby's. We joined when we came home.

I really love those questions M&G Montreal!
I'm also curious to read the answers Rob posts to these.

I discovered this website a year and a half ago. I just came on because I was contemplating a trip to Jamaica for the first time.
Since then, I've been to Negril 3 times!:)
This website definitely changed my life in a positive way.
I'd love to know more about it's history.

I joined about 2 years ago. I had been to Jamaica plenty times, Negril twice.

I Googled and found Negril.com and the old forum.
Love hearing folks trip reports and getting the inside scoop on Negril. A great board for sure

I don't know why I am surprised at all the great responses this has prompted! I mean, this IS the Negril Message Board ... what did I think? Thanks so much for the great comments and information - this is an amazing place. I feel like such a newbie! We were in Negril in 2010 and Tattoo Charlie told us about the board ... so I tentatively tried, and here we are! We got a boatload of BFF's (Boardie Friends & Family). I am so pumped to meet several of you in June!

Now, if I know our Rob like I like to beleive I do, I bet he lets us run & have some fun with this before he posts the answers. I just get that feeling ......

Keep 'em coming, folks - it's great fun to read!!!!

The first time I heard of a Boardie was when I was staying at Rondel Village in 2007 and all these people were at the Boat Bar next door and they were taking a group picture and having a good time. So when I reach home I check it out and have been on ever since, I even go solo now because of this message board.

This might help......
http://www.my-island-jamaica.com/int...negrilcom.html

Quote:

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Originally Posted by M&G Montreal

I am probably the only person on the planet who would be interested in this stuff, but seeing the 14th Annual Boardie Bash postings has me intrigued! I have some questions for our Rob! And I will gladly take them off line if it bores everyone. Maybe it's just a "me" thing. Anything that draws so many people, from so many walks of life, from so many different age groups and backgrounds fascinates me!

Why did you start the board?
How many boardies initially signed up?
How many are we now?
What prompted the first Boardie Bash?
How many people came?
How many were there this 14th year?
How many countries are represented on the board?
How many of the initial (within first year) boardies are still active?
How long has the longest member been a member? (I would love to know who, but I get the whole privacy thng)
Has anyone ever met and married from a board intro (OK. So I like reality TV! Get over it ....what a fun thing to know! ... again, I would love to know who, but ...)
What so far is the longest thread .. the one that had the most posts and responses.

And to my fellow boardies:
What do you like best about the board? Why do you "come" here?

Just curious. Any questions?

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We have been getting messages from the Negril Boardies Since 1996 group, so I would guess Rob has a way of tracking our visits.

I remember that Windows 95 had came out and I updated my home computer (maybe 20 GB of memory back then l.o.l.) and took my computer knowledge from work and ordered dial up and off we went. Of course my first searches were in the area of our passions which included Jamaica & Negril so Beingees was a find. We were not smart enough to develope cool board names so Chet & Coleen we have been and remain.

My first home scanner was purchased to post pictures, computer melt down in 2005 lost all of those scanned shots and I do not have the energy to re-scan these days, but a lot of memories and new to us adventures were found visiting this sight.

I still see Husker John floating around the web every now and then, I remember he had a Jamaica page that had connections to this and many other links that was a wealth of info.

We have met many and shared losses of some over the years through this connection. We lost Roy-Music Mon a while back, I do not remember meeting him through the board as much as sitting and talking in Negril which probabley happened because of live cast. Of course Joe who's wife I still see wandering through occasionally and sharing their life in the states was a daily staple for years. Jamaican Cowboy via Selina's what a spirit and a sad loss a few years back. I need help but I think her name was Carol that gave us morning updates and weather reports from yellow Bird for years. Cindy from Austin. Coin Mon who is now in Vegas and so many more that we have shared with and lurked on over the years.

Almost every NEWBIE talk starts with you need to visit negril.com a get a sense of the runnings.

Robs little "expierment" has given us a daily portal to share and escape through over the years, job well done.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by M&G Montreal

And to my fellow boardies:
What do you like best about the board? Why do you "come" here?

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I found this website in january, perhaps if i had found it earlier trip 1 would have been better.

When i found the board i was planning my trip for spring break, i was going with someone who wanted to do tours and what not, and i came here to seek advice on what tours to do, and tour guides.
Then when that person backed out on me last minute, fellow boardies helped me to make the decision to go solo again, and i even got to meet Iriesistah and it turned out to be one of the best trips ever.

Now i visit this site daily just to read other peoples opinions and views, trip reports and get advice on future trips.

This board is a definite addiction! I thank my lucky stars I found it! I don't think I've ever met such genuine people. I mean how many people would answer any question you have in a private msg with a bevy of information that you never dreamed you'd get... people you've never met, who talk to you like they've known you forever! How many people, who you've never met, would take their time to video & take pictures of the place you are staying so you will feel better about your choice.... I could seriously go on about how this computer screen, or my very small iPhone screen, makes me feel when I'm on Negril.com or Realnegril.com! I adore each and everyone one, and I can't wait to meet some of y'all! A part of me already feels I've been to Negril.... :) Anxiously awaiting my first reach...

M&G,


Great questions and thanks for asking! This has been a trip down memory lane!

Why did I start the board? Well, it can be answered no better than when it was introduced back on July 31st, 1997 - which coincidentally was the 2nd anniversary of when I moved to Jamaica!

http://www.realnegril.com/beingees/nn310797.htm

There was no "signing up" policy in 1997, so there was no way to track how many people "signed up" in 1997 - but since the number of postings crashed the original board within a week, it was obvious we were onto something... (grin)

http://www.realnegril.com/beingees/nn060897.htm

The first "Boardie Bash" as they are now called happened on February 4th, 1999. You can see the folks that attended in the picture on the Negril Today pages from back then!

http://www.realnegril.com/beingees/nn040299.htm

http://www.realnegril.com/beingees/nn050299.htm

http://www.realnegril.com/beingees/nn060299.htm

http://www.realnegril.com/beingees/nn080299.htm

It was called the "Meeting of the Board" back in those days. It was prompted as both a way for the viewers of the Negril Message Board to have an annual gathering in person in Negril, as well as a visible way for the businesses in Negril to see the impact that Negril.com was having. An interesting note, this gathering happened a month before TripAdvisor even became a website, we were already in our 4th year...

The 14th annual event was quite a gathering, while we dont really bother to keep an absolute count for personal privacy reasons - a safe guess for the number of folks we met this year was around 150. This year's event was by the far the most fun week we have ever had for Negril.com! There were many old friends along with some great new faces to add to the Boardie family! Thank you all for attending and look forward to seeing more of you next year! WooHoo!

Negril.com has nearly every country in the world viewing the Board - last time I checked it was 188, I think there are only 196 total... (grin)

I still see many of the very first attendees in Negril - Suz, Chris, Thomas and of course - Lloydie from 3-Dives! Not all attend the gatherings but some still post - most have changed their posting names for various reasons. The internet has changed quite a bit over the years. A few have passed on and we miss them daily...

There are several boardies from the first year still active and still post, but if they dont post in this thread - then who am I to out them. Everyone is allowed their own sense of privacy. You should have gotten here years ago to know who they are... (grin)

There have been many folks married through meeting on the board - but once again - that is their thing and they should be allowed their privacy. I would imagine a few might be divorced by now... (not so much of a grin)

As for the longest, most viewed, most responded, etc threads - we have absolutely no desire to maintain any such statistics. Each question is equally important - equally valuable - so no thread is "better" or means more than than any other thread. Each poster is equally valuable.

Thanks for asking!

All I can say is this board keeps me sane. Thanks Rob for keeping me off xanax-- all I need is the board!! See you and Lisa next week!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rob

As for the longest, most viewed, most responded, etc threads - we have absolutely no desire to maintain any such statistics. Each question is equally important - equally valuable - so no thread is "better" or means more than than any other thread. Each poster is equally valuable.

Thanks for asking!

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Spoken like a true gentleman! Shows the stand up guy you are, and I hope I get to meet you & Lisa in July!!!

Thanks for posting, Rob! I enjoyed all the links.

So shouldnt the boardie bash be in february then? Just askin, would be way more convenient! (for me) lol

Us too PGW... but it's all good. :cool:

I have "known" Rob since the day he started the boards. In the early days, I looked at Rob as a competitor as I was working for another Jamaican-related web site. Our paths crossed a few times in those years but I can't actually say we were ever really friends just casual acquaintences. It wasn't about anything that Rob was doing or what he stood for but it was more about "me" and my envious desire to be more like Rob or perhaps even better.

Over the past decade or so, I think our mutual desire to help Jamaica has brought us closer and my envy of Rob's living in Jamaica has turned to Nuff Respect! I am now living "most" of the time in Jamaica and now have a greater appreciation for just how difficult a job Rob has had to finally achieve the recognition he richly deserves.

There have been many others who battled with Rob over how he ran the board and were (like me) obviously envious of just how well and persistantly he made it work. A lot of them (old timers know the names) have left the board in a huff; some attempting fruitlessly to duplicate his accomplishment and others suss about Rob on these forums in a desperate attempt to step over him to some illusion of being an "expert on Jamaica".

One just doesn't know how hard a road one travels until they walk a mile in his shoes!

I think Rob is a classy individual that deserves what his efforts have reaped. I don't post a whole lot now as my focus is no longer about Negril but rather my home in the Cockpits in Accompong Town St. Elizabeth. Whenever I do make it to Negril, I know I have a friend who lives and works there.

Nuff Respect.

Accompong that was beautiful what you wrote.I had the pleasure of meeting Rob and Lisa when I was there last week.He does a great job and I am glad that you both worked it out.Negril is a beautiful place filled with beautiful people.

I first discovered the board about a year ago, while planning our first vacation to Jamaica. A lot of the doubts and concerns we had about visiting a different country were answered/addressed on the board. The result was a more relaxed enjoyable, and informed trip.

Rob, your doing a great job of promoting Jamaica, in fact, so good were are packing now for our second trip in seven months.

My thnaks to Rob, Lisa, and all the boardies who post here.

I found this website 2 and a half years ago when I was planning a family trip to Negril at Christmas time. I wanted to be prepared and boy did that ever work out. It was really fun to check out all of the places that I had read about prior to reaching the rock. I did even more research before returning for a second time last Christmas. The highlight of that trip may have been unexpectedly meeting Rob at 3-Dives. I can't imagine what it would be like if I ran into Clarity and Markus and Gerryg and Brasi and Tizzy and Patty and Manda and Joe and Ninja and Booger and all of the other regulars! So, let it be said that I am officially addicted to this forum.
I'm not sure when my next reach will be because my daughter is getting married in September (she considered Negril but opted out) and funds are a little tight. I have considered posting on Brasi's December thread because according to him, if one posts there, one's trip will happen. In the mean time, I love reading about other folks trips to keep me going until I can return. Reading the trip reports (and seeing the pictures) from the past few weeks have been amazing. I felt like I was along for the ride through the planning process, the anticipation and then they mayhem that transpired in the month of April.

Wow, Accompong....what a great post!!

You know the more I think about this thread....Negril...my friends....I really can't put into words what this board has come to mean to me. When I first logged on (think its been a little over a year)....I had NO idea the experiences and relationships that this board would guide me to, and I'm SO thankful!) Just wanted to chime in one more time and say BIG UPS to Rob (and Lisa of course, much love girl) :D

been on since the start.......changed mi name once........
had to go find Rob a couple times one year when he was staying at Tigress to get on the internet.....
otherwise one couldn't get on from Negril..............lol
the webcasts started I think in 97 and were live and direct from places like the Three Dives.........
oh da memories.......

Cool Runnings, Marko

Well I found the message board in late 1998. Being the true web geek that I am, I spent many hours finding out about Negril before my first visit. Actually before my first trip in 1999, I had made a map with stars of the places that I wanted to visit. After getting there, I met Rob and Musicmon who treated me very well. They let me tag along with them for a few days as they went from webcast to webcast. Since then, I have been back to Negril four times. Each time, it has been a new adventure. Thanks Rob (and Lisa too) for sharing the country with me. Without you guys, I don't know if I would have ever left the office to explore the world.
~ Ralphie ~

1975 April, 29 to May20th stayed at Banana Shout. Never been the same since. Maybe neither of us, Negril or me. I loved, the sun, the sea, the food, the people and the hedonism and some of the finest herbs. A 22 year old pot smokers dream come true! Things have changed since then! But my memories will stay with me, the faces of those who I befriended. Some have passed on, the rest of us get older. But oh how we all love Negril!

Rob, my dear, you are pure delight! I can't wait to try out all the links! Crashed the original board in a week? That's awesome! I knew you would come through with some great stats and I am thrilled this my questions generated such strong and positive responses! Not a small statement on the genius and ingenuity that is Our Rob.

Thanks again, Rob, for the answers and for this board which seems pretty popular with the inhabitants!

And take that Mr. Zuckerman! Better 'n FB anyday! And nobody got cheated getting here!!!!! AND our Rob has TONS of social graces and skills that you appear to lack!

I found the board shortly after launch and have always went by Rob in Kansas or Rob in Cold cold Kansas or Rob in Hot Hot Kansas or whatever the weather dictated. ( so no-one would confuse me with Rob in Negril) Rob turned me on to Catcha falling Star before it became so trendy ( and expensive) Now I stay at Blue Cave. Have caught a few boardie events but nothing in the last 8 years. Just got back last week and had a great time with family friends.