Well I found it quite distressing to be so accused, but you seem to be saying I gotta expect that. Guess that's the price (apart from one helluva lot of time) of running a Forum. Hey-ho.

As it happens, there is a lengthy & interesting post from "cybertim" on this subject in a thread entitled "can you stll feel the love". He sorta says the same thing - these accusations are gonna be thrown our way, like it or not.

Hmm, the jury's out on that......

How does one "run like a .... turnip"?

An extraordinary post cyber, must have taken you an age to do. Thanks. By the way, I have no idea who cybertim is.

I am a newbie to running Forums, so you've given us much comfort, and a few very useful tips - I note one has been used already!

MORE posts by the Mods? I'm worried that this may lead to more allegations of a clique. Is it normal, to have these things said? I used to "pump" the Forum daily, to get it startd, so to speak. But I prefer it now that it runs at it's own pace, & the last thing I believe we should do is to be seen to encourage posts, we want them to happen because peeps WANT them to happen,

Otherwise, we wlll take on board many of your pointers, & it's a huge comfort to me to know that we are heading the right way. I know that it's rapid growth means it would be quite impossible to run it withoit a team of Mods helping - it nearly drove me off the edge doing it solo. Managing people was really what I did for a living, & I think I know the score, but I KNEW all of "my" people in business, whereas on a Forum, most of them are not known personally to me. Which is why I am trying to meet as many as I can, it sure helps to make eye contact!

You referred to "very large Forums, with 10,000 hits a day". What do you define as a "hit"? We use a number of measuring devices & traffic stats, and you can put all sorts of meanings to them. Lies & stats & all that. So long as the graph remains progressively upwards, that'll do me.

But we put most store in "Unique Visits", which as I understand is DIFFERENT people on different computers that log on each day. Seems the most prudent measure. We seem to average (though it's a moving graph) about 3,000 Uniques a day at present on the Forum, & it rises to over 6,000 at big Live Updates depending upon what "local" interest there is. as to Page Views - I was told these are the equivelant of "hits" or "clicks", well they average around 25,000 a day, & we've seen over 100,000 in a day quite often, I think we actually had 800,000 during one day of the WSOP. but don't quote me on that last stat as I'm not 100% sure about that one, & I don't have them to hand. But I don't think "hits", "clicks" or "Page Views" mean a deal., it's Uniques that count. So that makes me worried that we may be reaching the point that it becomes impossible to manage in the way we'd wish, & that the whole thing will self-destruct. In your experience, is this bound to happen once we get to a certain size?

Your help & advice is much appreciated.

I do think we have been extraordinarily lucky in having the Mmbership we have, & the Mods we have.

DAMN THAT CAT.

I just typed a lengthy reply to cybertim, just as I was about to press "POST", Charlie, en route to the warm Monitor Roof, stepped on the keyboard & I lost the whole damn lot.

I hate Cats.

Mikky, yuip Jezza's post is pefectly phrased, & to be honest, we advised him, in general terms, what would be legally acceptab;e, & he got it spot on.

I have also discussed it with Rob (in the last half hour) , & you can expect comment from him, though maybe not until tomorrow, as he's playing in the William Hill Grand Prix today.

Wow, interesting developmemt there jezza.

I'm keen to see this one debated as openly as possible, BUT.......

WE have had to take legal advice on this, as we come into the area of sub-judice.

Please be careful how you debate this. Broadly speaking, we could or would be deemed in contempt of court for debating the SPECIFIC case. But we can chat all day about the general issue, and it IS a very important matter. The whole future of Venue based Poker in the UK is at stake. It don't get more important than that.

But contempt of court is a seriouis matter too. It's usually an imprisonable offence, & Dave might manage it, but I've got a body to die for, & we all know the stories of droppd bars of soap....

So, if any posts on this thread cross the line of legality, as we see it, we may have to edit or delete. Not something we wanna do, we know it rubs up folks the wrong way, but there ARE limits, & I'm keen to retain my liberty. Help us to keep the thread alive by bearing that in mind, please.

Oh, & a big up to jezza. He PM'd one of our Miods first, before posting - in this case, very wise. There followed a flurry of head-scratching & legal consulting, but I think we are OK if we don't talk about the SPECIFIC case.

Scottish? Perfect. That's all the ammo I need!

Usual formula this week, with a pink-shirted Johnny Gold in the Anchorman's seat.

The Grosvenor Grand Prix at Walsall is the featured event. A few interviews mid-comp, with Rob Yong amongst others, he talks about his proposed new club.  He seems to have a piece of glitter stuck to his ear.

Most of the Finalists give decent interviews, especially Stu Fox, Chris Johnson and the winner, Pino, who has a strange sort of clipped Italian accent. Seems a nice guy.

This week's Profile is none other than Thee from Thine. Can't keep him off the damn show. Johnny Gould describes Thee from Thine as having a dodgy barber. Glad he said THAT, not me.......

as last week, they have asked me to do a Live Phone-in to "spam" the show at about 6.30 this evening, I think, during their (Channel 425) new Sports Betting programme. I gather this week's studio guest in the Sports Betting Show is a footballer, some geezer called John Hendrie? Anyione know anything about him, so I can gently poke a lil fun.....?

When I did the Live Phone in last week, the guest was a cricketer, Ronnie Arani or somebody. I confused him with Ronnie O'Sullivan, which did not go down too well. More of the same, then......Serves 'em right for employing me. Never work with animals, children or blondes, eh?

Charlie, my tetchy old cat, caused a bit of a prob last week by howlng throughout the phone-in. Hush now, she's asleep, lets hope she stays that way.

There's another thread about you somewhere Simon - I recall posting it. And you responding!

Ron Springett used to be pretty handy, but I'm not sure if he's still playing.

Careful Rod, careful now......

".... a man of your years...." WTF is THAT supposed to mean? (I used to know, but I forgot....).

Seriously, yes, I remembered, but I thought it may be a bright idea to ask again, to prompt a little more interest.

WHOOSH!

Amend it? No way! I wanna SEE IT.

You'll do WHAT?

This I gotta see.