2017
08 Jan 2017 23:49 #70562
by intrepid
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
Happy 2017! Hope it's a good year for everyone!
This year marks 10 years of VE. Those ten years have demonstrated just how passionate a community can be about the Berg and mountains in general. It may not be the largest as far as numbers go for communities in general, but the quantity and quality of the material posted to this site almost on a daily basis, on a comparatively narrow range of topics, is certainly noteworthy to me. And something I continue to be grateful for. I am also grateful for the various projects that are well established, or are beginning to emerge from our community. What a great thing to see!
I am also pleased to note that there is sufficient vibrancy and momentum within this community to remain unaffected by my own move to Canada in 2015, and I hope this continues to be the case. The weather outside my office window as I've been writing this has has changed from rain to large, fluffy snowfall. The mountains around here are incredibly thick with snow, and they are so vast (and wild) that the Berg is very small in comparison. Yet in my heart, the Berg remains strongly cherished.
There are several things I would like to see come to fruition in 2017, some of which I will mention briefly here. I am aware of the growing need to better organise the growing knowledge base on this site. I know sometimes the posted material is not easy to find either. For this I have been looking into a cataloging/indexing feature, which is kind of the next step in the evolution of how data is made presented on this site. It will require some work to set up optimally, as well as to populate it, but if we can get it right I believe it will be a valuable new component to the site. Another thing is the suggestion for VE badges which can be attached to hiking gear. This has come up more than once from among members - we have not forgotten about this and will see what can be done.
In closing - will there be another 10 years of VE ahead of us? Nobody knows the answer really, but we will try! What matters more than this though is that within each decade, and within each generation, that we have a first-hand and vibrant enchantment with our beloved Dragon, and with mountains worldwide. And that this enchantment keeps out of our armchairs to explore and protect them!
This year marks 10 years of VE. Those ten years have demonstrated just how passionate a community can be about the Berg and mountains in general. It may not be the largest as far as numbers go for communities in general, but the quantity and quality of the material posted to this site almost on a daily basis, on a comparatively narrow range of topics, is certainly noteworthy to me. And something I continue to be grateful for. I am also grateful for the various projects that are well established, or are beginning to emerge from our community. What a great thing to see!
I am also pleased to note that there is sufficient vibrancy and momentum within this community to remain unaffected by my own move to Canada in 2015, and I hope this continues to be the case. The weather outside my office window as I've been writing this has has changed from rain to large, fluffy snowfall. The mountains around here are incredibly thick with snow, and they are so vast (and wild) that the Berg is very small in comparison. Yet in my heart, the Berg remains strongly cherished.
There are several things I would like to see come to fruition in 2017, some of which I will mention briefly here. I am aware of the growing need to better organise the growing knowledge base on this site. I know sometimes the posted material is not easy to find either. For this I have been looking into a cataloging/indexing feature, which is kind of the next step in the evolution of how data is made presented on this site. It will require some work to set up optimally, as well as to populate it, but if we can get it right I believe it will be a valuable new component to the site. Another thing is the suggestion for VE badges which can be attached to hiking gear. This has come up more than once from among members - we have not forgotten about this and will see what can be done.
In closing - will there be another 10 years of VE ahead of us? Nobody knows the answer really, but we will try! What matters more than this though is that within each decade, and within each generation, that we have a first-hand and vibrant enchantment with our beloved Dragon, and with mountains worldwide. And that this enchantment keeps out of our armchairs to explore and protect them!
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
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09 Jan 2017 03:40 #70563
by Serious tribe
Replied by Serious tribe on topic 2017
Kudos to Chris for his hard work and effort over the decade. Also to all the users that make this forum one of the nicest, most fun, most inspiring and most well mannered forums i have ever had the privilege of being part part of.
Keep it up
Keep it up
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