Indiamike.com has 4th Birthday.

Dr Funkenstein · Aug 27th, 2005, 20:45

Very sorry to hear that, Mike.

I know I'm not the only one who'll feel a bit lost out in India without IM to fall back on in times of need!

Must be a hell of a job to do, though, so I can fully understand if you're getting sick of it.

Hamanda · Aug 27th, 2005, 20:54

IndiaMike,

I have only recently found this site and I have many future visits to India where I will need help from IM'ers. I understand you are feeling tired but I just bet you would miss this BIG TIME.

Couldn't we just bribe you/blackmail you/beg you/plead with you/ or whatever it takes Pppppppppppppplease!

freenote · Aug 27th, 2005, 21:13

and try a bit of

jjacquemain · Aug 27th, 2005, 23:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by indiamike

This will probably be the last anniversary, I am tired and just cannot do this anymore.

HUH???

You mean I have to pack up camp??

Really sorry to hear that.

hawaiiyogagrl · Aug 28th, 2005, 01:10

Sad, I just became a member after a long time of visiting the site.
Do you need some help or something? It's such a cool & valuable resource.
Thanks for all that you did to make it that way...
Happy Birthday!

Nick-H · Aug 28th, 2005, 03:00

However great a site like this is it must be tough to go on hosting it after a few years. But what would we do without it?

You've got some great assistant mods, it seams: delegate?

sadhuji · Aug 28th, 2005, 09:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by indiamike

This will probably be the last anniversary, I am tired and just cannot do this anymore.

on behalf of all im-ers i implore you not to leave - the world will never be the same again if you do. the daily dose of im is a must to brighten up my day.

skell · Aug 28th, 2005, 13:34

What will I do at work without you???

Nick-H · Aug 28th, 2005, 17:37

Thanks, Steven, for carrying in with the work anyway

I've noticed that Mike doesn't seem to post much these days; it would be nice to 'see' more of him, but I can understand that it must be mostly work on the site. That's a pity that you guys can't spend so much time sharing your great experiences.

For me, IM is the only net forum that is good on a daily (hourly, even) basis.

SHIMLA · Aug 28th, 2005, 18:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by skell

What will I do at work without you???

Work, of course !

machadinha · Aug 28th, 2005, 18:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by indiamike

This will probably be the last anniversary, I am tired and just cannot do this anymore.

That's a sad message indeed, but I know you've said it before. I'd hate to think of losing touch with all the Indian Mikers I had planned to setup meetings with on a hypothetical next visit, not to mention our daily musings and ramblings and all the other kind & witty & flippant & insightful folks here. Hmmm what to do?!... Know that your work and the site is appreciated Mike but I guess that at least must have dawned on you... I know the issue of getting to a point where you deal more with technicalities and administration though and it gets frustrating. Wish you could enjoy it more. Maybe a break (to India?) would help?...

Bigzero · Aug 28th, 2005, 18:37

Indiamike, quite sad to hear this - yes, from what i could gather from the various posts from the moderators ever since i joined, this sure looks to be quite a tiring and time consuming job. But let us hope we can find an alternative way to get the site going - the information available in this site is priceless, and so is the camaraderie among the members - how can we afford to lose all of that! This, in my opinion is one of the best-run discussion forums on the internet.

Wish Indiamike.com a long life!

we are all with you...

Rob_The_Pom · Aug 28th, 2005, 18:45

It would be a shame if the site did end, but whatever Mike decides we must respect his decision. I think we all appreciate the enormous dedication and commitment that's gone into producing this exception website and community, but all good things must come to an end...

Rob

tstan · Aug 28th, 2005, 19:45

There are echoes of the recent article about Tony Wheeler,founder of Lonely Planet, which was reprinted some time ago on IM and more recently in "The Sydney Morning Herald" (a slightly left of centre daily) in this discourse.

The origin of IM is characterised by idealism and great enthusiasm. This has been taken up by formidable contributors who write without financial reward and spur other new contributors to progress from their timid initial enquiries to become regular personalities on the forum. People lose interest over time as they move on to other holiday destinations but it is hard to imagine how India could recede from their minds.However, they are fortuitously replaced by new contributors and so the site progresses.

I don't know what the solution is to this problem. The type of person who is capable of maintaining such a site over a long term is most likely to be the singleminded type of person who can make the site generate a reasonable profit. This inexorably leads to a commercialising of the site - an emphasis on hotels and package deals- rather than reflections on religious experience or dialogue about various places or people in Indian history.

Participants on internet fora shouldn't assume that they will always be able to log on and contribute. Only last week, readers of "The Sydney Morning Herald" were brutally informed that Margot Kingston had been terminated. She operated an interactive site which, in my opinion, enhanced the printed version of the site. For the benefit of IM readers I will give the URL
http://webdiary.smh.com.au

IMers should be aware that their site could be brought to an end quite so unceremoniously and accordingly they should make their peace with long serving contributors and moderators. You (but sadly not our lover of HP) can always fall back on the Thorn Tree.

After my excellent eight weeks in India with the Memsahib at the beginning of this year, I have followed IM reports through the year as my 22 year old daughter travelled through India and won some prizes during her course at HMI in Darjeeling where she was the only Westerner, and made some fantastic friends among her fellow students. She is currently deep in the Karakoram - and greatly enjoyed Lahore I might add - and greatly regrets that India was partitioned in 1947.

Sydney has several hill stations such as Katoomba, Blackheath, Mt Victoria and Mt Wilson ranging from 1000m to 1100m (latitude about 34 deg south)mostly accessible by train with lots of mellow people and good bookshops which have surprisingly good sections devoted to India and I am sure that this is the case for IMers living in California and Northwestern States.Ha ha ha it is hard to imagine hill stations in Florida or Texas!

I will be travelling from Istanbul to Cairo by trains and buses this December and January so I must work on my Arabic. Best wishes to all IMers.

hfot2 · Aug 29th, 2005, 04:51

And Mike said "This will probably be the last anniversary, I am tired and just cannot do this anymore." and my heart stopped.

Have you seen a grown woman cry recently?

Oh, Mike, this is such sad, sad news.

I think one of the reasons I love India so much is because of indiamike. And I don't think I am alone in this feeling.

Is there any way all/any of us can do something/anything to help you keep this going?

Aug 27th, 2005, 20:45	#46
Dr Funkenstein Joolay !!! Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Manali, Himachal Pradesh Posts: 854	Very sorry to hear that, Mike. I know I'm not the only one who'll feel a bit lost out in India without IM to fall back on in times of need! Must be a hell of a job to do, though, so I can fully understand if you're getting sick of it. __________________ Out There Somewhere : My Travel Blog.

Aug 27th, 2005, 20:54	#47
Hamanda Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K Posts: 83	IndiaMike, I have only recently found this site and I have many future visits to India where I will need help from IM'ers. I understand you are feeling tired but I just bet you would miss this BIG TIME. Couldn't we just bribe you/blackmail you/beg you/plead with you/ or whatever it takes Pppppppppppppplease! __________________ Hamanda

Aug 28th, 2005, 03:00	#51
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,763	However great a site like this is it must be tough to go on hosting it after a few years. But what would we do without it? You've got some great assistant mods, it seams: delegate? __________________ . Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

Aug 28th, 2005, 18:37	#57
Bigzero back to my old ways Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,464	Indiamike, quite sad to hear this - yes, from what i could gather from the various posts from the moderators ever since i joined, this sure looks to be quite a tiring and time consuming job. But let us hope we can find an alternative way to get the site going - the information available in this site is priceless, and so is the camaraderie among the members - how can we afford to lose all of that! This, in my opinion is one of the best-run discussion forums on the internet. Wish Indiamike.com a long life! we are all with you... __________________ miles to go.... Bigzero's Photo Gallery

Aug 28th, 2005, 18:45	#58
Rob_The_Pom offcourse essentric Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Seoul, South Korea Posts: 1,305	It would be a shame if the site did end, but whatever Mike decides we must respect his decision. I think we all appreciate the enormous dedication and commitment that's gone into producing this exception website and community, but all good things must come to an end... Rob __________________ There is no God but Dawkins and Hitchens is his prophet.

Aug 27th, 2005, 21:13	#48
freenote senior member refused Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: cornwall UK Posts: 1,554	and try a bit of

Aug 28th, 2005, 01:10	#50
hawaiiyogagrl Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Hawaii Posts: 240	Sad, I just became a member after a long time of visiting the site. Do you need some help or something? It's such a cool & valuable resource. Thanks for all that you did to make it that way... Happy Birthday!

Aug 28th, 2005, 13:34	#53
skell Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: The OC Posts: 975	What will I do at work without you???

Aug 28th, 2005, 17:37	#54
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,763	Thanks, Steven, for carrying in with the work anyway I've noticed that Mike doesn't seem to post much these days; it would be nice to 'see' more of him, but I can understand that it must be mostly work on the site. That's a pity that you guys can't spend so much time sharing your great experiences. For me, IM is the only net forum that is good on a daily (hourly, even) basis.

Aug 28th, 2005, 19:45	#59
tstan power brake keep distance Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: sydney Posts: 196	There are echoes of the recent article about Tony Wheeler,founder of Lonely Planet, which was reprinted some time ago on IM and more recently in "The Sydney Morning Herald" (a slightly left of centre daily) in this discourse. The origin of IM is characterised by idealism and great enthusiasm. This has been taken up by formidable contributors who write without financial reward and spur other new contributors to progress from their timid initial enquiries to become regular personalities on the forum. People lose interest over time as they move on to other holiday destinations but it is hard to imagine how India could recede from their minds.However, they are fortuitously replaced by new contributors and so the site progresses. I don't know what the solution is to this problem. The type of person who is capable of maintaining such a site over a long term is most likely to be the singleminded type of person who can make the site generate a reasonable profit. This inexorably leads to a commercialising of the site - an emphasis on hotels and package deals- rather than reflections on religious experience or dialogue about various places or people in Indian history. Participants on internet fora shouldn't assume that they will always be able to log on and contribute. Only last week, readers of "The Sydney Morning Herald" were brutally informed that Margot Kingston had been terminated. She operated an interactive site which, in my opinion, enhanced the printed version of the site. For the benefit of IM readers I will give the URL http://webdiary.smh.com.au IMers should be aware that their site could be brought to an end quite so unceremoniously and accordingly they should make their peace with long serving contributors and moderators. You (but sadly not our lover of HP) can always fall back on the Thorn Tree. After my excellent eight weeks in India with the Memsahib at the beginning of this year, I have followed IM reports through the year as my 22 year old daughter travelled through India and won some prizes during her course at HMI in Darjeeling where she was the only Westerner, and made some fantastic friends among her fellow students. She is currently deep in the Karakoram - and greatly enjoyed Lahore I might add - and greatly regrets that India was partitioned in 1947. Sydney has several hill stations such as Katoomba, Blackheath, Mt Victoria and Mt Wilson ranging from 1000m to 1100m (latitude about 34 deg south)mostly accessible by train with lots of mellow people and good bookshops which have surprisingly good sections devoted to India and I am sure that this is the case for IMers living in California and Northwestern States.Ha ha ha it is hard to imagine hill stations in Florida or Texas! I will be travelling from Istanbul to Cairo by trains and buses this December and January so I must work on my Arabic. Best wishes to all IMers.

Aug 29th, 2005, 04:51	#60
hfot2 MemberS Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Vermont Posts: 522	And Mike said "This will probably be the last anniversary, I am tired and just cannot do this anymore." and my heart stopped. Have you seen a grown woman cry recently? Oh, Mike, this is such sad, sad news. I think one of the reasons I love India so much is because of indiamike. And I don't think I am alone in this feeling. Is there any way all/any of us can do something/anything to help you keep this going?

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