Surely this cannot be true??!!

[Frankie 8,151]

Nah, Zappa got it for 1p - he was in at the start and took all the risks.

 

Nah, he paid me 30 pieces of silver...

 

Seriously, Gersnet was started sometime in the late 90s by a young lad from south Lanarkshire called Stuart Miller. Alongside FF and a site called Ibrox Underground they were the three forums available to Rangers fans by the turn of the millennium. I do remember a site called Aye Ready being one of the best at that time as well but it didn't have a forum.

 

I think it was a few years later possibly around 2002 or 2003 when I first became a moderator on here and at that time I was learning some of the technical stuff associated with designing and running websites. Around 2005/06 is when I took over the main administration of the site as Stuart left to pursue personal and work commitments. At this point bmck also stepped up to host the forum and 2006 is when the Vbulletin incarnation of the site really took shape with his fantastic technical expertise. Barry still hosts the forum now but work commitments means he too struggles to get online as much as he'd like.

 

Since then Craig and Zappa have joined the admin team and both provide invaluable support for the forum and website - Zappa works especially hard in publishing the various quality articles we release. Add in our excellent moderating contingent which has hardly changed over the years then we really have a settled team which assumes group responsibility for the ownership and maintenance of the site. However, as Craig correctly pointed out, we do it not for ourselves but for our membership and really try hard to run the place transparently and for the benefit of all. It's very much a group project with no one person in charge which I find very healthy.

 

Various issues with the site (I remember two Xmas periods of shutdown and real problems earlier this year) haven't stopped hundreds of members coming back for more high quality debate and discussion. Gersnet isn't as busy as the bigger places like FF and RM but we're very proud of the position we hold alongside other sites in the community and it's testament to everyone involved that around 15 years after the site started we're still here. We can only thank everyone for their support and loyalty over the years.

 

Here endeth the history lesson.

[Davie P 4]

Thanks to all involved. The quality of the members submissions and debate is unsurpassed on any Rangers forum.

[Frankie 8,151]

Thanks to all involved. The quality of the members submissions and debate is unsurpassed on any Rangers forum.

 

Very generous, thanks.

 

I think it's fair to say that we've never really tried to match the bigger sites in terms of quantity (although we're always keen for new members) but have aimed for a higher standard of contribution. I wouldn't patronise other sites or their members by saying we're 'better' per se but I do feel we have a demographic of poster that is somewhat different from elsewhere. In essence we moderate Gersnet to avoid the irrelevant stuff and concentrate on debating the real issues at hand. In that sense, I do think because of the more intimate atmosphere, we are able to maintain a high quality of debate without the interference that can sometimes spoil discussions on other sites. However, I'm very keen to acknowledge that I enjoy (or have enjoyed) other forums just as much as here over the years. Everywhere has its pros and cons.

[Guest DietofWorms]

I'm a member of both here and RM...I don't really post that much on here but I like a lot of the articles on here and some of the debates about football and finances are really interesting and thought provoking. There is a lot of support on here for the requisitioners and I sometimes fell reluctant to get drawn too much into those debates as I feel a bit out my depth and even more so, burnt-out by the whole Whyte- Admin-Green eras. This, I feel, has somewhat traumatised me into mistrusting anyone who wants to run our Club and leaves me a bit puzzled when people seem totally convinced by one or other camp. I agree that there seems a lot of smoke but I'm always left asking 'Who's started the fires?. ..(This may be a wee bit off topic but I just thought I'd put in my usually quiet voice.(

[Frankie 8,151]

I'm a member of both here and RM...I don't really post that much on here but I like a lot of the articles on here and some of the debates about football and finances are really interesting and thought provoking. There is a lot of support on here for the requisitioners and I sometimes fell reluctant to get drawn too much into those debates as I feel a bit out my depth and even more so, burnt-out by the whole Whyte- Admin-Green eras. This, I feel, has somewhat traumatised me into mistrusting anyone who wants to run our Club and leaves me a bit puzzled when people seem totally convinced by one or other camp. I agree that there seems a lot of smoke but I'm always left asking 'Who's started the fires?. ..(This may be a wee bit off topic but I just thought I'd put in my usually quiet voice.(

 

I think we're all fatigued by the last two years. Shame on those responsible.

 

It's also fair to say we may be haunted by distrust for years to come. In some ways that may be a good thing but as long as fans remain split based on personalities as opposed to actual evidence then that division will be exploited by people who have no wish for a successful Rangers in the same as its fans do.

[andy steel 0]

I wouldn't patronise other sites or their members by saying we're 'better' per se

 

I would.

 

I just thought I'd put in my usually quiet voice.

 

No board can ever have too much Ivor Cutler.

[Guest DietofWorms]

I would.

 

 

 

No board can ever have too much Ivor Cutler.

 

"The squire on

the hippopotamus

is equal to

the son of

the other two squires."