What is the Forum's "Origin Story"?

Frog, I will chime in and say you are spot on! We may get a little ticked at another member, but it really is not tolerated here so therefore it is not here. So many of the members have helped me along the way and I appreciate all of you. This is a safe place where nobody will put you down for lack of knowledge. Warm fuzzy feelings here, thank you so much for starting this site, Jack and Steve.

Wow, thanks for sharing your thoughts. They certainly parallel my experience here.

I'm a member of most, if not all the forums, and have been an on again, off again member of one since the very beginning. Each board has it's own tone, that's for sure. I really like the vibe here.

For me, it's the perfect balance and what a local club should be.

Some of you have some gems and don't mind showing them off, but not in a 'my stamps are awesome, yours don't compare' way.

Others can go deep in areas I have little interest in, like Cinderellas or re-entries on older Canadian stamps. There's space for this, plus a huge DIY section too.

And if I want to share 1/3 filled pages of common stamps on Steiner pages, there is room for that too. Which I think is awesome.

Even though I tend to use the 'new posts' view most, I really appreciate the thought that went into the board structure. It really makes sense to me.

And even though many of us are on all the forums, there's still an overall tone that is different than many. More inclusive, maybe, but more focused on stamps and collecting for sure.

I labeled this thread "Origin Story" rather than "Why I Like TSF" because I was curious about who started this and why? But maybe it doesn't matter.

The fact that one can hang out here and feel comfortable without knowing who started it is a credit to the community here. And "why"? Maybe that's irrelevant too. It is what it is and I like it.

I'm off to look at postmarks.

Mark

All I remember is that there was some 'big drama' on some stamp forums, and some folks decided to leave for better or worse. Eventually Jack set up TSF, sent out some invitations, and rest is history.

Not sure what's my 'TSF membership number' but it's pretty small as I joined pretty shortly. I did donate some of my skills/time in making 'geeky stuff' work on the beginning, but otherwise I'm here for the company/stamps. I was never part of the drama (and for some reason have never been involved in any of it), thus for me TSF is 'yet another stamp forum' that I like to read every now and then.

-k-

As the focal point of "the drama" on another stamp forum, I came to the realization that the time I have left is too important for me to waste it tilting at windmills (especially when the "windmills" are controlled by folk more interested in self aggrandizement and ego trips than stamp collecting and friendship).  I looked at several sites before settling on The Stamp Forum, and after a short while, realized that this is exactly what I sought.  The folk here are nonjudgmental, ethical, knowledgeable, and above all friendly.  I am very happy at TSF. 

Bobby

Thanks admin. I'm glad it all worked out in the end because it's a lot of fun here.

Just catching up from my "dead zone" period over the past few weeks, and I really like this thread. Thanks for asking the question, Mark!

And thanks to Jack for starting TSF, and all the other Moderators, Site Supporters, and Major Contributors. While I have been a collector for about 50 years now, it is clear from what I have seen on TSF that I have never really "plumbed the depths" of any one philatelic subject. So, now TSF has got me thinking that perhaps I should....

I also particularly liked Nelson's comments about not finding a great situation in local stamp clubs, either. I have had some similar experiences--nothing nasty or unkind, but some just stuck in a rut. The cool thing about TSF is that there always seems to be something new to find, if you are willing to spend a little time looking for it.

My sincere thanks to all of you who make TSF what it is. It has sure meant a lot to me these past few months!

Well said, Trident! The rest of us are glad that you like TSF, too, and that you have chosen to be a part of it.