Curious about the avian avenue lore, which thread can I post this topic under?

[patchyjoon]

Just very curious on the origins/history of avian avenue? I've been looking around the internet and nothing is really clear. How long has this awesome forum been around, who made it, etc. Where's the best place to ask this question?

 

[Mizzely]

I know that this specific forum has been around since at least 2009.

I know some bits and pieces. The whole history, however, I don't know.

@Macawnutz ?

 

[Macawnutz]

Whoa.... to get the good dirt I you have to look at members "join dates".

I'm not far from you Shawna. 2011 I think? I'm on mobile but on desktop you can see easily.

@expressmailtome @itzmered @Danita

The forum was created in 2009 by @Birdlover
I don't know much prior to me becoming staff, 2013ish. ???

 

[MommyBird]

I've been a member since October 2009. I wasn't one of the very first because I had trouble finding it after it was founded. Took me a few months.
We were all somewhere, then many were somewhere else. A rather trying time. Fortunately I've forgotten a lot about it, one of the benefits of getting older.
For awhile we were not encouraged to discuss the reasons for the changes but I recall there was a subforum for some issues.

 

[Mizzely]

Whoa.... to get the good dirt I you have to look at members "join dates".

I'm not far from you Shawna. 2011 I think? I'm on mobile but on desktop you can see easily.

@expressmailtome @itzmered @Danita

The forum was created in 2009 by @Birdlover
I don't know much prior to me becoming staff, 2013ish. ???

Yeah I'm 2011 as well! I had no idea we joined so closely! Plus started shops very closely too.

 

[Clueless]

Well now I'm curious....

Why can't I see when I joined on my mobile??

 

[Mizzely]

Well now I'm curious....

Why can't I see when I joined on my mobile??

You can if you tap your name on a reply, but nowhere else that I've seen

You are November 3, 2012

 

[MommyBird]

@Macawnutz Are there many still-active members who joined back in 2009?
I see @Mockinbirdiva joined 11/20/09, and of course @Danita 10/16/09.
@saroj12 joined 10/15/09 and @JLcribber joined 10/16/09 but we don't get to hear from them often anymore.
I wonder how many of the "originals" are still active?

 

[conurehrdr]

Good lawrd... I'm still a baby compared to you established folks! LOL!! 6/4/22!!

 

[Clueless]

Gracious!

Thanks @Mizzely

I'll see if I can figure that out. FOUND IT! You are great!

 

[Toy]

Looks like I joined 4/14/2010. Fours months after I finished chemo. I was on at least four other parrot forums back in 2000, but all have been long gone. Sadly a lot of good info & people went with them. This site is now the only parrot forum I'm on.

I have been on a Purple Martin forum since 1997 (dial up internet back then), which changed hands many years ago. The original forum creator handed it over to the Purple Martin Conservation Association. They split the site in two, adding Face Book. Not many post on the main site anymore. Only a handful, like me, don't use FB & stick to the main site.

 

[Macawnutz]

I wonder how many of the "originals" are still active?

Not enough hankmacaw and sandraK, I'm sure.

I'll get Danita here to tell the story. For those who don't know, she is the current owner of the forum.

 

[Danita]

Part #1
Once upon a time in a land far far away, there was a forum called The Perch. It was a spin off on their bird store, The Perch. The Perch was a tightly run ship, many rules and the mods/admin etc were very clicky. They actually were mean if you ever got a glimpse of their discussions. It was rumoured that they read private DMs.
The Perch was a successful store and they promoted it through their forum. You were never allowed to mention other stores.
(One partner got cancer (don't quote me on it) I think he died pretty quick) @itzmered ?
Anyhow the partnership dissolved.
The remaining owner was taking money and not shipping the products.
There was forum dissension! The pro owner and defending him and making excuses and there was the other camp that was mad they didn't get their stuff. He essentially abandoned the forum.
In the meantime Jill was low-key building this forum.

 

[Danita]

Part 2
Jill was the original owner, she owned the the web address Avian Avenue.
Anyway, she low key contacted those she liked and invited them to be a part of the forum!
I was a moderator on The Perch, Chris was a Super Mod?
So we moved to this forum, it grew so fast!!! The Perch slowly died and the The Perch supporters would come over and argue with us lol. LOTS of drama!!! Oh boy the drama was crazy!!! I still have all the original DMs etc.
Jill is so nice! She wanted a place where we could recommend other sites. We had so many actual store owners joining the site, big ones. The big original toy making bird toy ones.

 

[Danita]

Part 3
There was a lot of Forum lore.
Many bird forums out there. Bird Board (they were so mean) MyToos? They were brutal it was a large forum. Parrot Board, they were small. It was before FB groups took off. A couple of the original are still around.
Jill was extremely diplomatic and solved problems between members. She was tech savvy.
Eventually the Marketplace was born and that attracted many members. They were able to get to know store owners.

I was fire back then, very involved in the forum and built my business here. Many stores built their business on. this site!
Jill ended up getting burned out and she passed. the reigns to me, it was a money pit for her. She had a big horse business, I still keep in touch with her and consider her a good friend.

We have had so many memorable members.

 

[Danita]

Feel free to add details!

 

[Toy]

I can't add details, but I was on "My Toos" back in the day. Of all the parrot forums I've been on this one has been & still is the best.

 

[patchyjoon]

Part 3
There was a lot of Forum lore.
Many bird forums out there. Bird Board (they were so mean) MyToos? They were brutal it was a large forum. Parrot Board, they were small. It was before FB groups took off. A couple of the original are still around.
Jill was extremely diplomatic and solved problems between members. She was tech savvy.
Eventually the Marketplace was born and that attracted many members. They were able to get to know store owners.

I was fire back then, very involved in the forum and built my business here. Many stores built their business on. this site!
Jill ended up getting burned out and she passed. the reigns to me, it was a money pit for her. She had a big horse business, I still keep in touch with her and consider her a good friend.

We have had so many memorable members.

Whoa.... to get the good dirt I you have to look at members "join dates".

I'm not far from you Shawna. 2011 I think? I'm on mobile but on desktop you can see easily.

@expressmailtome @itzmered @Danita

The forum was created in 2009 by @Birdlover
I don't know much prior to me becoming staff, 2013ish. ???

Wow! Thank you for filling me in... we should really have a historian on here to document everything because this is awesome, and super juicy lore. As a very nosey person this was so fun to read I also think it's amazing how much of an impact all the users have made on here and continue to make. Even the ones that aren't around anymore... I'm still reading their advice and using it on the daily with my little dusky. It's beautiful, really

P.S not sure how to tag everyone but thank you to everyone on this thread hehe

 

[Clueless]

Not enough hankmacaw and sandraK, I'm sure.

I'll get Danita here to tell the story. For those who don't know, she is the current owner of the forum.

As a newbie to the world of birds when I joined back in 2012, this forum helped me tremendously. I lurked for a while before joining but saw that I was safe and wouldn't be shamed or picked on.

@Danita blessings to you for taking the reins and putting trusted admins out there. (I lurk on Facebook now to get updates on your feathered buddies)

@Macawnutz without you, hankmacaw and SandraK.... I wouldn't have made it. Seriously. Your phone call saved me from the depths of oblivion after MC's diagnosis.

My heartfelt "thank you" to all members, old and new. We are all here for our feathered friends.

 

[expressmailtome]

You can read through this thread from a few years ago: https://forums.avianavenue.com/index.php?threads/whos-been-here-the-longest.285320/#post-3637843 .

I've been a member since October 2009. I wasn't one of the very first because I had trouble finding it after it was founded. Took me a few months.
We were all somewhere, then many were somewhere else. A rather trying time. Fortunately I've forgotten a lot about it, one of the benefits of getting older.
For awhile we were not encouraged to discuss the reasons for the changes but I recall there was a subforum for some issues.

Debbie, that was the first month this forum went public.

Many bird forums out there. Bird Board (they were so mean)

I used to be a moderator there, as was @Monica if I recall correctly. Back then, I was a member of quite a few parrot based forums, and, to date myself, Yahoo used to have message groups. Honestly, I used to be quite fond of macawboard as well. Sarah and a few others were members there too. There are still a few other smaller forums around.