[ Current Auspuff ] [ the Hammster ] - Archived Auspuff: [ 98 ] [ 99 ] [ 00-01 ] [ 02 ]
July 9, 2003
It was a challenge to put into
words how much PPBB means to me. I took a stab - please feel free to edit
(you can't get me to say much in fewer than 5 paragraphs let alone 5 words!!)
Thanks for everything and especially for letting me deputize. :)
"I stumbled on PPBB when I made the decision to purchase my first Boxster in 2000, directly subsequent to my move to Atlanta. I didn't have friends here at the time, so I was immediately taken with the interaction and kinship within PPBB. (I think the arguments on PPBB are fun, too - what can I say?). Through PPBB I've met so many wonderful people and made too many friends to count - many are local friends, others in various states and countries, and some only through the virtual PPBB community.
I totally expected and hoped for an obsession with Boxsters, but I didn't expect to become obsessed with PPBB! Can it stay exactly as it is forever? I hope so."
Meredith
---
I do not know if I really qualify - strange, really.
I do not really want to admit that in public but without PPBB and especially
Chuck I would not be where I am at. My problem is that If I tell the
story in public, people will get jealous or just continue to misunderstand
me :( Started to help people on ppbb in 97 with technical knowledge - basically
wanted to improve my English :) Met real good friends in 1998 on a Porsche
Grand Tour in Weissach. Was the first guy to photograph Boxster speedo at
254 kph. Started to sell parts in 1998 - filled up Chuck's trunk :) Took
over the first 996 board in 1998. Was sued by Porsche for using boxster.de
domain .Got into fights with people all the time - worse than Mike - banned
Mike in late 1998 :) he he . People stole my news and pics in 1998 - Bill
Hodges. Invented the spoiler sticker - later idea was stolen by PAG !!! -
Chuck got the prototype ! The thieves turned into biz partners and bought
parts from me in 1999. Was sued by Porsche for using boxsterfans.com - which
was in fact Randy's domain - lol.. My German biz partner told me to sell
cars to the US as well - not only parts in 1999. Tried to get better in 2000
and People realized that I am ..... And I sold more 911 cup cars to the US
in 2001 than Porsche did. 2002 was my breakthrough and all started with a
banner :) on a chatboard done by a non talented guy in NC - on april 2002
I drove a GT1 to my no.1 clients house on his birthday - he was
speechless.
- or better some overwhelming stuff 2003, june 30 - by accident got to Weissach today and could have taken Kim Hammersmith into Weissach - not kidding - but I could not get a hold of her :(
Chris - from Germany
---
Chuck, it's been a privilege to be
included in your team to help bring the boxster board to people all over
the world.
I've gotten emails from Portugal, Brazil, the Ukraine, Hong Kong, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, Italy, Spain, Iceland, Japan, Australia, Mexico, France, Belgium, New Zealand, and even California.
I've met people from all over the Union, and have been amazed at the caliber of the most unique and interesting individuals I've ever been exposed to in my life.
I've learned about boxsters, Porsche, and been exposed to the exhilarating sport of driving on the track, thanks to Rob Granger. I had never known that real people did things like that.
Buying this car was one of the best decisions I've ever made, and my car is the best thing I've ever bought. It's a whole different world now, thanks for creating this place.
Skyler
---
Some of my best friends own
Porsches...never thought that I would be saying that! If it had not been
for this place, I would not have met most of them. We are out in Napa this
week, staying with some of them that some of the old timers may remember
as Print and Pat Maggard of "Killer Magnet" fame. I am still not quite sure
how it all happened, something about a boxster board needing a temporary
home until we worked out an ISP... there were a few wrinkles tossed in for
fun. An anonymous person, known only as DB donated as sun server, it was
located somewhere up north in a little town we could never remember or pronounce.
After we managed to exceed the processing power of the Sun, Randy Kamperman
graciously donated several Severs and parts as needed to keep things running
for several years. Now we have new blood in IT support, Jason never listened
when his Mom told him not to talk to strangers - and a stranger bunch I have
never met. It has been a fun and crazy ride - thanks for the memories.
Rob
---
the following contains little punctuation or capitalization, and consists mainly of rambling run on sentences:
saturday, july 5, 2003
wasserboxer high school library
burlington, nc 27215
(with apologies to john hughes)
"who am i?"
"who.....am.....i?"
"who am (emphasis) I?"
"i'm a walrus."
(biting on pencil)
dear mr hammersmith:
we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole saturday in detention
for whatever it is we did wrong, but we think you're crazy for making us
write an essay telling you who we are. you see us as you want to see us,
in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions.
(cue music)
SECHS Jahre PPBB
it's not what you think :)
sechs= six auf deutsch
it's an unbelievable thing- tens of thousands of people all around the world
have visited our little corner of the internet.
like many of the earliest visitors, i found PPBB by doing a search on "Porsche Boxster". actually the first site i found was made by a guy with the weird name of Berkeley :). this must have been in the summer of 1998. at first, i just lurked, and as the site traffic grew, i visited and posted more and more frequently.
a trip to tbhl iii in death valley and las vegas brought the
whole PPBB experience to life. i saw all the cars, colors, options, and mods,
plus i got to meet all the board celebs that i had come to know over the
years. the highlight of the trip was getting to hang out with a a quiet guy
who looked much like bill gates. a mild, unassuming fellow, who wandered
around with a sort of bemused expression. he must have been thinking about
how all this came about from a little website started in '97. i also got
to spend time hanging out with a redneck named "Print" and his "companion",
Rob G.
shortly after the vegas trip, i was honored to be invited to be one of the deputies (wood eye!). it has been a long and bumpy ride since then. we have weathered trolls, bannings, spam, boycotts, and several address changes, but through it all, things have stayed remarkably true to the vision of our fearless leader.
some may call it a utopia (or disneyland) run by power-mad deputies, but the board has become our home away from home for many throughout the world. it's kind of like CHEERS, where everybody knows your name.
over the years, i have met boarders who vacationed in HI, skied with another in Canadia, dined in FL with many more board legends,had a beer in a tiny town called Bend with a big guy named randy, breakfast in seattle with the guy who wrote the FAQ, driven the malibu hills, and hung out with a bunch of crazies in Tejas (mahalo skyler and rob). when i traveled to germany to (finally) pick up my car, i got to hang out for a couple of days with cfg and also dine with rene and candida. i receive emails from all over the world and have friends in all sorts of places because of this site. the quality of the people we have met through the years is what brings us all back here day after day. it's a tribute to not only chuck (the creator), but to all the boarders past, present, and future for making this such a great place to spend our time when we're not out driving.
here's a toast to many more years to come-
okole maluna! (bottoms up!)
dear mr hammersmith:
we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole saturday in detention
for whatever it is we did wrong, but we think you're crazy for making us
write an essay telling you who we are. you see us as you want to see us,
in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. but what we found
out is that each one of us is a moldy fig, and a Porsche apologist, and a
mother hen, and a boxster babe, and a troll, and a delete-crazy deputy. does
that answer your question?
sincerely yours,
the breakfast club
(cue music)
hey hey hey hey
ooh ohh whoa ho
don't you forget about me.....
Steve
---
Well, I just got back after spending
too many days away from email. I missed the deadline by a longshot, but after
reading Steve's submission, I wonder if mine is necessary. I mean... it wouldn't
make sense for us ALL to write why we're here when we'll write basically
the same thing, right? We trust him. ;)
Nice work, Steve. I'll write something in the AM after coffee kicks in.
- Jason
"Screws just fall out all the time, the world's an imperfect place."
---
Because there was no way I could fill a page like this with words, I politely asked our administrator's to have a say. The above is the result.... next year, we will need to enforce the 5 word limit. You all still think you are in good hands? I do :)
Another PPBB year gone by, in a blur... still working 50-60 hours a week away from the PPBB computer, with no internet access :( The wife quit her job of 26 years and is working, err consulting at home for a German company. The elder daughter graduated from Duke, and promptly left for Germany... havnt seen her since :) The youngest daughter, well, I'll save that, but we are hoping she graduates high school next year.
Flew to Florida in October to pick up my 03S order from Suncoast Porsche. Was graciously 911 chauffeured and then taken in for a night, as well as fluidly entertained by Cecil and his lovely wife. As part of the entertainment, I even had to opportunity to meet, for the first time, Martin and his lovely wife-to-be.
For the first time in about 20 years or so since the last, got my wife to go Porscheing with me to one of those useless car-thing events... BRBS. She (and I) had a great time, and maybe realized again, that it has little to do with cars.
And, We've been hacked!!! Think Rob and Jason have something to do with it, but I have no clue. ppbb.com... huh? Wasn't ppbb.com once owned by someone in China? The entire site is now residing on some other, another, server somewhere... no, we have no new logo yet :)
I can no longer say, without
conscience, that I read every message posted here anymore. Nearing 700,000
at the moment. Nor every email filtered to me. It has just become impossible.
But, I do still look at all the pictures :) I can say after all these years,
that we continue to be blessed with an awesome group of administrator's,
contributors, and sponsors that keep this place running, in-control, and
enjoyable to be a part of. 6 Jahre PPBB.... enjoy, for some reason
I still am.
Chuck
- photo credits, modified, in no particular order.. Ron Kycynski, Robyn, Chris Kramer, Steve Kumasaka, Chuck, I dont know or remember, and I dont know or remember -
[ Home ] [ User
INFO ] [ Boxster Board ] [
Archives ] [ Sponsors
] [ Museum ]
[ Events ] [ Polls ] [
Links ] [ Classifieds
] [ Boutique ] [ Pete's
Page ]
