Stumbled across this thread...
Twelve years later, I wonder if those expectations have been met, and exceeded? In if so by how much.
2008 doesn't feel that long ago, but it must be several lifetimes in the interweb scheme of things...
Well, I think we have been the most informative Omega resource for English speakers out there. So from that respect, I think its been successful. Additionally, I think there aren't many technical issues that the forum finds insurmountable.
Along the way, we've had a hell of a blast, from our very first meet (Allenm's head rebuild in the morning, Santa Pod in the afternoon/evening) to the last meet I'm aware of at Brakkers Rugby club in 2019. And all the Newents, Lakes, cam belt meets and so on along the way. Many good friends and many fond memories along the way.
Dave had a plan for an associated site, which I was never convinced by (both for potential legal issues, and also because that wouldn't be interactive with members), hence I never progressed it, and when Dave left, the concept had no backers. I guess that counts as a failure not to achieve that.
We wanted a light touch moderation allowing free speech, within reason, for members. I think we have mostly managed that, although I am hugely aware we have had to restrict some subjects when passions on politics, tyres and so on run too high.
We set out that OOF would be free for anyone to access, and no tiered membership, and a concept of every member being equal. We so desperately closely managed that, with the only tiering being around a certain number of posts in order to sell here, initially 50 posts, quickly raised to 250 posts. With Paypal unilaterally cutting off our meagre income from the OOF Shop, we have significant challenges about that going forward, as OOF has purely been funded from the OOF Shop and the remainder from our silent sponsor.
I personally have a bucketload of regrets in various things I've said and done, which if I could re-live my time, would likely do differently, but we are where we are. But these pale into almost insignificance with some of the laughs and help I've had here.
How about everyone else?