ANNOUNCEMENT: New owner for DiscussFastpitch.com

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admin

Administrator
Admin
Dec 22, 2009
38
18
North Texas
To all DFP members & visitors:

It is with mixed feelings of happiness, nostalgia and gratefulness that I am announcing that i have sold the forum and passed the torch to a new owner - Congregate Media.

It's with happiness because i know the forum will be in great hands with Congregate Media. They specialize in hosting and maintaining high-quality, active forums in a variety of niches. They have the resources and the expertise to keep up with the ever-increasing technical requirements of hosting and maintaining a large discussion forum like DFP and make it as user friendly as possible.

They're also fully committed to maintaining its core mission and nurture its strong community that have defined and made the success of this forum since 2008. I am very confident that DFP will continue to prosper under their expert management.

It's with nostalgia because this forum means so much to me. It was started in 2008 (more than a decade ago) because i felt that the internet was lacking a quality place for softball fanatics to come discuss and exchange about girls' fastpitch softball. It was modeled after the old The Fastpitch Forum (one of the very first softball website on the internet back in the 1990's) where i met my friend and current moderator Ken Krause. FPF eventually died because of disinterest from the owner.

DiscussFastpitch has been a raving success since the beginning and still going strong after 11 years. It has grown quickly and remains to this day, the most popular girls' fastpitch forum on the internet. It has over 30,000 threads, 14,000 members and regular members and visitors year round.

We see a lot of a forum come and go that often slowly die when their owner either lose interest, get too busy with other projects or run out of resources. I want to ensure that DFP continues to grow and thrive in the future. This forum is dear to my heart and after spending a lot of resources over the years to make it grow and to maintain it, i strongly believe a specialized group like Congregate Media is a better position to ensure its continued growth into the years 2020 and the web of tomorrow.

It's with gratefulness because without you, this forum wouldn't exist and wouldn't have been so successful. I am deeply grateful to all the past and current members & visitors for making this forum a success story and a safe, interesting place for softball fans to come to learn, read, exchange and talk about this great game. I am so thankful and so grateful to all of you for making DFP what it is today.

I am also deeply grateful to the people who have worked really hard in the background to make DFP successful over the years starting with our main moderator since the beginning - KEN KRAUSE - i cannot thank him enough for keeping the fort up all these years with an amazing dedication and consistency. He's the PRIMARY REASON why the forum is such a wonderful community. Much of the success of this forum is because of him. Thank you KEN and i hope you will continue your excellent work in the future.

I also want to thank our other moderators - Amy in AZ and Sluggers - who have also contributed to the success of this forum both as moderators and active participant also since the beginning more than a decade ago.

Finally, to all the tech people who have worked behind the very complex and technical scene of making this forum work properly. Running forums is no easy job, the platform are very complex and technical to administer and maintain. A special thank you to Kristian who has been the main tech person for the past 6 years.

As for me, i am a softball addict for life and i will will remain a member of this forum and continue to visit to get my fix of softball.

Thank you very much and i wish DFP and all of its user the best in the future.

Marc
 

admin

Administrator
Admin
Dec 22, 2009
38
18
North Texas
Hey Folks, my name is Kevin.

We are a very small organization. So I wanted to make sure everyone knows I come into without a corporate style approach. I run the websites we have and that is it. It’s only me. So I am available by phone, whatever is needed.

I like sports, I was drafted by the Braves out of high school, pitcher, blew my arm out in college. Life moved on. So this side of sports interests me, it’s fun. Now I am a full-time caregiver to my wife and stay at home full time.

To nobody’s fault at all, the forum has declined in a big way in stats. So much has changed online, social media, etc. In talking with Marc, I had hoped perhaps some positive changes towards new software may help?

I hope whatever I can do will only help those that have made the site what it is. I am 100% open to feedback, anything. I think there are some positive changes that can help that happen. However, nothing needs to happen without chatting prior. I am free to talk as needed, please ask questions and thanks.
Kevin
 
Sep 17, 2009
1,637
83
the forum has declined in a big way in stats.

Hi Kevin, nice to meet you. Can you share the stats? I think we'd all be curious. Is there a certain level that needs to be maintained to remain viable? Because this place is extremely valuable to many. I assume Twitter has taken many away. Any other reason?

Tks.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
My opinion is there is to much private messages throwing around.

The site sets up a realasionsh and forum members or guests do not benififieft.
 

admin

Administrator
Admin
Dec 22, 2009
38
18
North Texas
Hi Kevin, nice to meet you. Can you share the stats? I think we'd all be curious. Is there a certain level that needs to be maintained to remain viable? Because this place is extremely valuable to many. I assume Twitter has taken many away. Any other reason?

Tks.

Hey RichK,

Just a few years ago 7 million page views a year down to just 2 million or so. All the social media sites likely pull some from things, Google Panda updates. And perhaps the site may need a software change. I will look into everything for sure. But forums still have the best info and make it easier to find. It's not just this forum, seems like many out there are seeing massive changes.
 
Apr 5, 2013
2,130
83
Back on the dirt...
The last few years of redirects has definitely been a burden. Now, there is twitter and even the FB groups are growing but they are so much ore difficult to navigate vs this forum. I think there is a place for both. I would love to see this forum grow again but its going to be a challenge for sure. The loss of info in the pitching forum due to videos no longer working really is a hinderence to the mounds of info here, and that is just on section. I know many have sent people here to veiw but again the redirects and the website being listed as a know virus carrier all turn people off.


On FB, peoples names are posted so they are less likely to really call out another member but they are also less likely to share info. It’s a double edge sword here because you can be somewhat anonymous and act a fool so to speak but those conversations lead to DEEP discussions on mechanics and other info.


All of that to say, I hope you can make DFP great again. (Nothing political or racist by that comment!) This place has given me so much good info over the years!!


Good luck!
 

admin

Administrator
Admin
Dec 22, 2009
38
18
North Texas
The last few years of redirects has definitely been a burden. Now, there is twitter and even the FB groups are growing but they are so much ore difficult to navigate vs this forum. I think there is a place for both. I would love to see this forum grow again but its going to be a challenge for sure. The loss of info in the pitching forum due to videos no longer working really is a hinderence to the mounds of info here, and that is just on section. I know many have sent people here to veiw but again the redirects and the website being listed as a know virus carrier all turn people off.


On FB, peoples names are posted so they are less likely to really call out another member but they are also less likely to share info. It’s a double edge sword here because you can be somewhat anonymous and act a fool so to speak but those conversations lead to DEEP discussions on mechanics and other info.


All of that to say, I hope you can make DFP great again. (Nothing political or racist by that comment!) This place has given me so much good info over the years!!


Good luck!

I hate Facebook groups, but I dislike FB anyway. Those groups are so hard to navigate and search. Thanks for the feedback, I will look into the vid issues for sure.
 
Feb 15, 2017
391
43
As I am sure others may reiterate....this forum ceasing to exist would have a major negative effect on my life, DD and those that I coach and interact with in the sport. My knowledge has multiplied immensely because of the knowledge and information shared on this board. I implore you to keep it alive . Please?!?
 

admin

Administrator
Admin
Dec 22, 2009
38
18
North Texas
As I am sure others may reiterate....this forum ceasing to exist would have a major negative effect on my life, DD and those that I coach and interact with in the sport. My knowledge has multiplied immensely because of the knowledge and information shared on this board. I implore you to keep it alive . Please?!?

Of course, it's still great, good amount of posts coming in, perhaps more current software, newsletter weekly work great. It's not even close to being all negative, all website at some point get kicked in the teeth for one reason or another.
 
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