[Cruisingdad]

Wow!!! All this love. I usually only get this from my kids. It is shortly followed by a, "Dad, now can we do something you said we can't? What about our allowance!?" The answer is always no, guys.

On a more serious note, thank you all for the kind words. But I want to make sure you know that TDW, Jeff and Pollard have done their part too. For those that say Pollard is worthless and only trying to emulate me, that is true. But everyone needs a groupie to follow them around. (Hopefully Pollard will read this). Seriously, though, they are all great guys and we have worked together to do everything we can - even through the latest debacles. Don't know how I would manage without them.

But therein lies the rub: We are NOT Sailnet. We are only members, like you, that make sure everyone plays nice while following the few rules that Sailnet itself sets down to participate here. We are not always right. Shoot, I will tell you that there are many times that I made an error in judgement. I have always tried to correct those errors. It is not about me waffling, it is me accepting that I make mistakes and correct them. But believe it or not (and some do not), those errors have never been and never will be intentional or have a hidden agenda. On the flip side of that, I have seen many instances of those that do have a hidden agenda or intentionally come out to try and infuriate others. That goes all over me personally.

Regarding the change of Sailnet, which Windy so rightly mentioned, I can tell you that he is right. So is Chall. But Smack and Bubb and Ssneade are right too. To me, (my philosophy) is: The answser is not keeping a core group happy nor is it failing to recognize that it is a core group that answers and participates for 90% of the replies. It is a mixture of both. My feeling is that you have to create an atmosphere where people will feel welcomed, both new and old, and you moderate effectively between them. Over the last many months (or even the last year) I have become frustrated because I feel that I have been put in a catch-22 that I was going to have to choose between one or the other. But no matter what, i was going to make one side or the other angry with me. It seems obvious to me that the latest was with what we would consider some core members that know more about sailing/boating than I do. I even called these people friends and still do. But my decisions were the best decision I could make given the circumstances. I guess my dissapointment was that I wish they could have seen that and could tried to understand that I was making the best decision I could and there was no harm intended. Instead, it was perceived just the opposite. They left, and likely for good - and Sailnet is the worse for it.

Yet, if I am completely honest with myself and you guys (and anyone else that cares to listen), I suspect their leaving was inevitable - or at least some time away from here. Giu and Cam were the key members of the core group and Giu set up his own site. CK, who had a great relationship with many of the newer core group, also helped set it up and runs it. It is physically impossible to post on two sites at the same time, so something had to give. With Cam followed many of the other posters that all "hung around" each other. And so the dominos fell. Most of the core group quit posting here a long time ago.

I wish them well over there. I have no hard feelings. And I also urge everyone here to remember that I did not remove them from this site. They left of their own accord and are welcomed to come back at any time they want. Maybe they will, maybe they wont. But Sailnet is nothing more than what the members make it. If there are some things that you guys want to do or change to make it better, then I suggest doing it. Make it happen. Tell me and I will try to make things different or better. You make this place - maybe more now than before. You are now the core members.

- CD