So... I was thinking it's got to be 'about' now - and checked and the site & forum was started 10yrs ago tomorrow by Shaggy (Lee)
It's been one hell of a journey, and from the start I still count many of the people who were members of Yahoogroups, Smartgroups & now SCN as some of my best friends.
ZBOYD won't self publise himself, but the success, continuing existence of this site is wholly down to his persistence, and without him I'd have long since bummed this off.
For the geeks of you, check out The Archive - way back machine and have a look at the old iterations of the site.
We're currently (slowly) working on a new front page site, to something more Web 2.0 & more in keeping with how people now use the internet (it's changed massively since we started the current Joomla based site).
Anyway, whether we'll make it to twenty? who knows.... but SCN's stood the test of time & is recognised by SEAT, and we've maintained our relationship right from day 1.
I'm sure Mark will be along and will write something far more approriate, with paragraphs & decent grammar
Its weird to think that a forum setup by a group of like minded folks from the ashes of a defunct SEAT club could still be here 10 years later, but here it still is and it still continues to grow. We've had our fair share of ups and down, but the forum and what it stands for has always remained solidly focused.
I am immensely proud to be a part of this forum, not just because of the great friends I've made over the years, but because of its great community spirit, who's collective knowledge still continues to problem solve, inspire and help people get the most out of their pride and joy.
Yahoo/Smart groups was good back in the day and we had a huge amount of fun, but it lacked any real identity, much like some SEAT individual fan groups do today who base themselves just on Facebook for example. Its hard to stand out when you all look the same!
We realised that SEATCupra.net had to have its own identity early on, and be an independent place that SEAT fans could call their own. People often forget SEAT still have a small market share compared to the motoring giants that are VW, Ford, Vauxhall for example.
Having a somewhere to come that is identifiable for SEAT fans is important, even SEAT themselves have realised that fans need a place to identify with hence the emergence of Club SEAT in recent years.
That early group of friends and fans were the first at least in the UK to see it and make it work. So they are all in part founders of SEATCupra.net
m0rk expressed that I'm probably the pushy one behind the scenes keeping the team interested, but m0rk has been just as important to the success of the site and it wouldn't be here without his hard work. He has been involved just as long as I have and his ideas and actions have been invaluable.
There are many people that have worked hard over the years to make the forum a success, but a few amongst us deserve a little praise.
Lee (Shaggy) deserves a big pat on the back for having the vision in the first place, he may of sodded off long ago to concentrate on his next big interest of which there have been many but he seeded the idea helped get it off the ground and the rest was history.
If we've been the architects of ideas on the forum then Martyn has been our #1 engineer, and without his skills SCN wouldn't even be online. He does an excellent job and I hate having to prod him to do things when he's busy, but we would be lost without him and we really appreciate it.
No less valued are the contributors, moderators etc who have and/or continue to help us run the site, I've named some of those below, but everyone who has ever helped the site, involved themselves and done something positive for the site you are always valued and appreciated.
Syphon, Fl@pper, Saul, AndyB, Ibizacupra, Revo Kev, WeeJase, mrcoyote, F2-Stu, andyj, DPJ, Brummy, Empi5, Ruddmeister, sssstew.
The forums sponsors have been brilliant, their financial support over the years have continued to keep it free for everyone to enjoy. We collectively thank them firstly for their belief in the site and then their valued support.
SEAT UK have been an instrumental force in the sites success, and their support over the past 10 years has been nothing short of brilliant. The insight they have given us and the access conveyed to us has been invaluable, we continue to express our appreciation for that on behalf of everyone at SCN.
We have reached a milestone of 10 years online, I don't have a crystal ball so I can't see what the future will bring but we hope SEATCupra.net continues to succeed while its still relevant and valued.
Finally everyone who comes to this forum and gets what its about and why its here, thank you, its because of people like you its here and its successful.
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