How did Webmasterworld.com get started?

How did it get such a huge following?

[LABachlr]

I was wondering if anyone knows how this site got so popular with everyone? How did they get people to first come here and post their questions in the beginning? And how did they drive traffic here?

Anyone know? Brett, could you answer this question?

[tbear]

I think those that found this site in the early days 'SEARCHED' (actively) for it..... they didn't just find it. They were looking for something.
Reflecting on this, most of the longer term members are iquisitive, intuitive types. Check out some of the older threads. The bouncing around of ideas and the changing of opinions, based on intelligent information exchange.
For me, this is the foundation of the internet. Not spam and marketing scams.....
What made me 'return' to this site was the quality and integrity of the posts, which, by and large, is still there.
However, I'm still looking for the antidote, LOL.

[roscoepico]

how did you get here [webmasterworld.com]

[AnonX]

What made me 'return' to this site was the quality and integrity of the posts...

Here, here! How did you find this site in the first place?

how did you get here [webmasterworld.com]

Cool. Thanks. Looks like it's just all about quality content, word-of-mouth, and links from other sites.

[Brett_Tabke]

> got so popular with everyone?

Amazing what you can do in 20 years eh?

I started my first BBS in Sept of 1983. This was only 2 weeks AFTER I had ever logged on to any bbs.

My first exprience:

- dial up at 300 baud on my Westridge modem on my Commodore 64 and cassette tape drive from the privacy of my dorm room.
- dial a number at random from a magazine.
- get hello "screen" with several commands.
- I read and read and read messages and then I saw a weird command called "c:chat" - so I pressed C to see what would happen.
- "Hello?"...Oh my word, there is a live person on the other end of that phone line!
- And there ensued an hour long conversation and a friendship that lasted over a decade.
- It was a "Whoa" moment.
- The biggest "whoa" was that I couldn't figure out how the sysop had gotten people from all over to post messages on his board.
- I knew then and there what I wanted to do for a living.

10 years later, I ran a 24 line bbs for a major computer manufacturer - 15 years later I started SEW - and eventually WebmasterWorld...

How did it become popular?

People first - everything else second.

One good member a month is all it takes to build a quality community. Yes, just one.

[LABachlr]

Thank you, sir! Much appreciated. I always LOVE to hear how businesses get started and become successful. You can always learn something from a person's success.

So you say that it only takes one per month. How would you get that one person? Would you post to other forums giving useful info, and then have your site in your sig? Other ways?

I realize that a lot of people came here from SEW. But how did they find SEW? I am guessing that since you guys are search engine gurus, that they found you thru the SE's. However, correct me if I am wrong.

Any advice for someone who is looking to start a forum on a completely unrelated topic to this forum, and who aspires to have a vast following such as yours?