Purplezr2

I'm on another forum that got bought out by a company, and I will say other then more ads(installed an ad blocker) that I can't really even tell the difference, I hope that the clean site says the same

Robb M.

Hey everyone!

I'm Robb, and I'm the automotive community manager for Internet Brands. I'm thrilled to be adding DTR to our roster. You guys have an amazing community here.

I'd like to congratulate Jack & Lary on their decision to take more time to enjoy their own lives, and I'd really like to thank them for choosing us here at Internet Brands to carry on their legacy. I hope that we are able to live up to the high standards which they have created here at DTR. I am confident that we will, however.

You all probably would like to know a bit more about me, so here goes.

I’m robb, aka ‘astro’ from AcuraZine. I helped start that site with a friend (soopa) way back in late 1999. We started a site (acura-cl.com) about a car that wasn’t even on the market yet. The 2001 Acura CL Type-S. Together we built that original site up, into what it is today, the largest Acura Resource on the internet. We sold the site to Internet Brands in late 2006/early 2007. Soopa transitioned away from the site, to focus on starting a family, and working on his design career.

I stuck around, and have been slowly increasing my role with Internet Brands since then. Going from 1, to 2, to 10, to the 90 something sites I help to oversee now.

I will be DTRs direct link into all things Internet Brands. Whether it’s features you’d like added to the site, problems with site speed, or functionality, or suggestions to help make the site even better. If it’s something that the site admins can’t do, chances are I might have a way.

You all probably have some questions about things like the servers, will they ever get faster? You probably also wonder what about the vendors and moderators who have helped to build and shape the site into what it is today.

I can assure you that none of us, have any intent of changing the make-up of the site. This means no staff changes on our behalf, and no vendor changes if possible. Our accounts team will be reaching out to each of the vendors when the public announcement is made, introducing themselves, and what we have to offer each of them.

In terms of the servers and site speed, we intend to have DTR up and running on our own servers by the end of next week. I am quite certain that you will all notice this as soon as it happens

I am feeling long winded, but I definitely invite you to participate in this discussion, let us know your thoughts, ask us any questions you have that Jack, Lary or myself may not have answered yet, I’ll do my best to answer.

Anyway, I really look forward to learning a lot more about your vibrant community.

cheers,
robb

patdaly

Jack and Lary, a profound thank you from my heart. You may have a passing fancy at how much you and your work is loved, but you aren't even in the right league........

Robb, thank you for introducing yourself! We love to harass the staff, so be ready.
As you haunt around the halls, you may notice a VERY family friendly site, let us hope it always remains.

Oh yea, never ask about that Concrete bedliner thing............

Robb M.

Hey Pat!

Thanks for the welcome

I have done a lot of reading around these parts, and I have a very healthy respect for how everyone carries themselves. I surely hope we can help maintain what Jack & Lary have created.

Concrete bedliner? never heard of it

cheers,
robb

ramlovingvet

Thanks to all the OLD DTR team.... It has been a great ride.

Lil Dog

Jack and Lary,

I would also like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to both of you on taking the the dodge-diesel.org site and transform it into one of the most respected sites in the community. The site is known for its knowledge, friendship and all around clean operation and from anyone that I have visited with, the best to provide information and fellowship.

Jack was welcoming, way back when, as other sites were in the midst of change themselves. Lary has donated much of his life to get the store to where it is now widely recognized.

I am cautiously optimistic on the change over to a larger company, but I truly hope that the heart and identity of this site does not change. These factors are the only things that keep it head and shoulders above the other sites and they were driven by the people behind the scenes.

Good luck and THANK YOU!

Jason.

robtackett

Ok, fair enough to reserve judgment and hope for the best. I guess I'm a little nervous because I know how big business works. Internet Brands was bought out by Hellman & Friedman for $640 million in Sept. 2010. Hellman & Friedman specializes in leveraged buyouts which sounds like what happened to Internet Brands. Leveraged buyouts are a dirty, cut throat business. Let's hope this kind of business practice doesn't make it's way into our forum:

In October 2009 Internet Brands changed their pricing structure for the popular vBulletin software, prompting complaints from registered users on the official forums. According to The Register those who complained were then banned from both the forums and from receiving support & updates, despite still having valid licences for the software. Internet Brands defended their position to The Register in a separate article, however a later update to the same article shows that at least some of Internet Brands' claims were false.

And Robb, I spent 15 years in the semiconductor business and listened to more speeches like that then I can count. It's a turn off to me. Just a little constructive criticism.

I hope I can still post on here tomorrow.

Shovelhead

WE ain't goin' anywhere...............
But thanks.

madhat

But MOST of us are OLD....

Shovelhead

Just because Top was the the one that lit the fuse for the original "Big Bang" doesn't mean he's OLD......
Heck, I'm the one that gave him the match.......

bigfoot

I think that you hit the nail on the head Larry is just getting to old to cut the mustard and Jack does not have the time .

chaikwa

I dunno. I've never met Lary, but most guys his age can 'cut the mustard' pretty darn well!

madhat

That's not mustard he's cutting...

Lary is not too old for anything... except maybe running. Well, last time I saw him, he ran down the stairs pretty quick...

cincydiesel

And the legend lives on

So will it fly? Never mind, that one about caused me to go ballistic

Who needs to run with his shooting capabilities..

Shovelhead

When you get up in years,....gravity is your friend.