2009 Year-end Review – 2010 Preview

Hello loyal member/guest! Below is a recap of 2009 as well as a preview of 2010!

What an absolutely awesome year we have had and it is ALL thanks to you, our members! We started the year off with a bang, with one of the most active months we have ever had and continued to grow and prosper as well as to reach out further on the net and make our presence more well known to the world. As I predicted some time ago, both the economy and the continuing advancement of social media sites like twitter and facebook have had a negative effect on discussion boards of this type, but despite those speedbumps, we have continued to grow and prosper.

This year has been one of many changes including the updating of the wiki and the gallery as well as a move to a new and much cheaper server solution. In addition, we incorporated (thanks, Sean) and have brought in limited advertising via Google Adsense which has almost completely offset our costs and dependency on member donations (although we still appreciate your contributions).

We also got an amazing new logo and look thanks to Gino and Rich!

As we draw to the close of the year, we are trying to clean up a lot of loose ends, including the wiki and gallery which still need work and now we are sure to have a lot of work, correcting small bugs in vBulletin 4.0. This new software platform offers us some exciting new features which we have yet to implement, but can't wait to share with you.

If you find issues with the new software, please PM me and let me know so we can work out the bugs!

As TDH draws close to its 8th Anniversary (at www.thedentedhelmet.com... we have existed for over a decade in one form or another) we are looking forward to moving even more of our knowledge about Boba Fett, Jango Fett, and Zam Wesell into our wiki so that it is preserved in a concise and easy-to-find format for future fans. As so much has been discovered and so relatively little remains, and as Star Wars fans grow older, some of the excitement and enthusiam has dwindled, but there are still so many opportunities ahead of us and so much still yet to learn! We are really looking forward to what 2010 has in store for us!

As I close there are three final things I would like to mention:

First, I would like to thank 4 individuals who have really helped out in the background this year, two I have already mentioned: Gino and Rich who have helped with the look and feel of the site. Additionally, Brian (stormtrooperguy) and Dan (tyler_durden) have really helped out with a lot of server-side issues and coding. Brian has moved us from server to server a couple of times now and has also helped with some pretty complex issues in the background and Dan has helped implement some of our more confusing CSS ideas.

Second, some of you may be surprised to see me posting this and not "the Dent." As many of you old timers know, the Dent was a position and not necessarily a person and that concept served its purpose for a lot of years (although it sure seemed to generate a lot of cloak and dagger drama). As we step into a new decade and reevaluate the needs of the site, the position of the Dent is no longer needed. As I am and have always been the owner of the site, I have absorbed the Dent account and will be handling the duties of the position for the foreseeable future.

Finally, as some of you may have already heard, effective Jan 1, 2010 I have accepted a position as lead administrator at the Replica Prop Forum, the largest, oldest (to my knowledge) and most successful prop based communities on the internet. I am bringing a lot of what I have learned here over the last decade and hope to be able to contribute to that site in a positive way as well as continue serve you here at the Dented Helmet. There will be a lot of cross-over and my time will be somewhat divided but hopefully I will be able to serve both sites effectively.

Thank you to all of our members for making this a great year and making TDH a great site and a greater community. I look forward to sharing more with you and learning more from you in the years to come!

Thank you Gino, Rich, Brain and Dan for keeping this place in top mechanical order. Thank you TDH for continually striving for change. And, keeping pace with the evolving, and ever so changing electronic world. I am looking forward to some of the new bells and whistles and, most importantly, another great year of escaping into this wonderful hobby and past time. Again, thank you for providing a wonderful, family oriented home to hang a helmet....or two, or three lol

A big thank you to the administrators!! You have always done and are still doing an awesome job!!

Fett has been done for some time now and for that reason I' ve lost track of most of the progress people are putting up around him. Still.... TDH is a place that feels good to be and I try to be here at a regular basis.

A big thank you to all the members who are active here, for TDH would not exist without them.

And I haven' t wished anyone a happy merily ever christmas... But I believe this is THE thread to wish everyone here, and your friends and family the most beuatiful and best happy new year ever!!

Rock On TDH!!!!
Rick

Art, the new software is looking great !! I was a little taken back with it at first. But it's already growing on me.

Here's to a prosperous New Year for TDH ! And a Happy Anniversary in advance !

It also seems a huge congratulations is in order too - taking over at the RPF is more welcomed than I think you realize. I'm sure you will serve that community as well as you have served us here at TDH. Just don't forget where your home is



Chris

Lovin the new layout/software...
Great job guys!

Excellent job on the upgrade! Looking forward to a great year for TDH.

Looks awesome. Software is great. Thank you for everything. Cheers all around!

The new format has taken me aback just a bit, but I'm sure that I'll adjust. You can still smell that new forum scent!

I'm looking forward to this new year, with all that it will hold. My time here has been awesome thus far, so there's nothing but things to look forward to.

Thank you Art and everyone who keep TDH up and running. Thought I was gonna have to check myself in to rehab because the site was down for 3 days. I'm a sad, sad little man. LOL

Thank you guys for keeping the TDH a better place.

Keep up the good work.

I was always just kicking around the boards until some of the more recent changes like the addition of the Clonetrooper section popped up. I've definately come to appreciate how TDH is an excellent place to learn about all kinds of techniques that can be applied to many areas of costuming and prop building.
Thanks to all who are involved in making TDH work and since Art mentioned him by name I'd like to give some extra kudos to Brian (stormtrooperguy). He's a great guy that does a lot for the members of the New England Garrison and hearing about his work here does not surprise me at all. He's always been very dedicated to helping out anyone with his knowledge and experience and I for one am glad he's on our side !

Thanks guys for making this a great site! Congrats Art for your new responsibilities at the RPF!

Iam a "new" member on TDH and i must say its the best forum i have visited.
Loads of information and friendly and helping people.

The new site looks great, amazing software that is very user-friendly Hope to have a great 2010 here on the boards!

Hey Art...the new form looks great, definitely more Google Chrome friendly and faster. Thanks to everyone behind the curtains, your hard work in appreciated. Looking forward to whatever changes will be down the pike at RPF....

Can' tbeliev e200 9i sove ralread y! Wonde rwha t201 0wil lhav ei nstor efo ru s?
A sfa ra sth ene wsoftwar eupgrad egoe s,i tseem st ob eaffectin gm ycharacte rspacin g.
Bu tmayb eit' sjus tm e.

Keep up the good work!

Originally Posted by superjedi

Can' tbeliev e200 9i sove ralread y! Wonde rwha t201 0wil lhav ei nstor efo ru s?
A sfa ra sth ene wsoftwar eupgrad egoe s,i tseem st ob eaffectin gm ycharacte rspacin g.
Bu tmayb eit' sjus tm e.

Just wanted to pop in a 'thank you' myself here. I've ran a few forum communities myself over the years (for MMORPGs), and let's just say it's something I swore I wouldn't do ever again after the last stint I did. LOL
I KNOW how hard it can be to keep things smooth and even. It can take over every minute of every day if you're not careful, and keeping a consistant hand for any length of time is never easy, so I know what you guys all go through, especially with the easy potential for insane drama I've been witness to being a prop forum and all.
So congrats on the RPF thing, and an even bigger congrats to THD's 8th anniversary, and here's to many, many more! Without this site I'd have never ran into such a fine gathering of obsessive nutballs like myself (much <3), never would have obtained my Fett from Daz, never would have had the fantastic Halloween my family and I enjoyed this past year (and will enjoy years to come as Fett!) never would have applied to the 501st, and never would have gotten my wife so interested in the prospect of joining in on the 501st too!

So thanks to all who keep this place going behind and scenes and on deck with your amazing prop skills and artistry. I hope to one day meet and share a pint with as many of you as possible.

J

Art,

I'm not as old in these boards as your're the master, but I've always known you were THE DENT in some way or another....so, if we say in a COMIC BOOK of some kind: "I've always known your secret itendity" in some way or another, probably after a year of joining the TDH. I've always kept the secret, and never revealed even after some folks asked me off the boards (conventions) of the true identity. About the "POSITION", then it got me really confused, but never doubted that Art was behind the scenes one way or another.

All I could say is glad to see you guys found some more stability and comfort where you're now (not me...still trying to figure out this setup in term of board layout), but I'm going kinda dizzy now.

Hope this hiccups could get away soon, and we could see some familiar colors, icons, bars.........well..........you know what I mean...just look as familiar as it was before for an easy transition.

Originally Posted by superjedi

Can' tbeliev e200 9i sove ralread y! Wonde rwha t201 0wil lhav ei nstor efo ru s?
A sfa ra sth ene wsoftwar eupgrad egoe s,i tseem st ob eaffectin gm ycharacte rspacin g.
Bu tmayb eit' sjus tm e.

You're killing me! LOL

Here's to a successful 2010 in the FETT community.

Many thanks Art, and to all that make TDH possible

Thanks Art!! Long live TDH!!

Long Live TDH!

I thought I was The Dent?

Originally Posted by webchief

I thought I was The Dent?

Ok now ... enough of the charades ! Will the REAL Dent please step forward !?

Thank you!!!



Alfredo

it's like the dread pirate roberts... the dent is an idea. it doesn't matter who wears the mask at the moment. in our darkest hour, when we need it most, the dent will sail in, sword swinging, to steal our money and our women.

huh...

wait...

where was i going with this?
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