Yes, it’s Rugby-Talk.com’s birthday today!
On 28 July 2009 a number of us packed our goodies and left the place where we previously discussed rugby, because it was’nt pleasant to discuss rugby anymore. Our discussions there was marred by terrible fighting between bloggers, by racial slurring and racial abuse and it was a shambles, to say the least.
We had our own “THING” in mind and amongst us there were 2 IT guys, myself and a chap called Ed-The Lion. We immediately started a temporary blog where a few friends continued to discuss rugby, whilst I started constructing our new home, Rugby-Talk.com.
At that stage web design was not my strong point or my expertice, but as an avid and accomplished coder, I set to work and chose the WordPress platform after proper research.
I signed Rugby-Talk.com on at the Web Hosts, Bluehost.com in the States, as it looked like they would provide a long term stable hosting scenario. I installed WordPress on the webspace and created our SQL Database and then started making use of one of the many free WordPress Themes out there (one which was quite adaptable, namely the Atahualpa Theme).
Soon we had a little Rugby-Talk Logo going and the bare essentials as far as Plugins are concerned and on 13 August 2009 we placed our FIRST ARTICLE and our FIRST PAGES and the site went live, with initial bloggers like Grootblousmile, Pietman, SuperBul, Supa Die Bloubul, KingPaul, Ed-The Lion, AB, Cuzzy, Kwagga Robertse, isigidi, Koos, SA Barbarians & K9.
We were a group of friends, no more and no less… who shared a love for rugby.
Soon some of our other blogging friends joined, whilst some other folks deliberately shun Rugby-Talk.com because they had not seen eye to eye with us at the previous website, from which we had migrated.
In no time Rugby-Talk.com got busier and busier and the public out there started to become aware of us.
None of us were journalists, but we soon adapted and we got better and better at playing rugby journalist, whilst our content soon expanded and started improving, due to pure hard work and a passion for our game.
On 31 October 2009 I decided to start measuring Page Impressions on the website and applied a Plugin for that measure, which we still use to this day, 11.3 Million Page Impressions later.
Some more Plugins were added as time went on, some were kept, some were discarded and some were replaced by better ones as time went on and as our experience grew. We have even written some of our own unique Plugins and features now.
We soon outgrew our Web Host, where we experienced serious CPU Throttling as well as other issues due to our busy nature and the traffic we started generating… and it was time to move on.
We moved to HostGator.com, to their smallest available Shared Server Hosting package, but what a hectic move that was! I remember our migration so well, because we were off air for 4 days! The migration process happened whilst we had not yet fully grasped the concepts of Domain Transfer and Renewal, Name Server Pointing and the time delays caused by Propagation of the website on the new Web Host Servers.
Before we knew it, our first and second birthdays had come and gone and some of the initial bloggers had moved on, replaced by a host of new friends.
The website kept growing at a steady pace and soon enough I realised we would have to go to an even bigger hosting package at HostGator… and since then we have upped that package twice more.
After a few years we had mastered the basics and had everything well-covered and had already applied and been accepted for Accreditation with some of the South African Rugby Unions.
Our entrenched policy of respect, no politics, no racism and no discussion about religion worked like a charm and the word soon spread that Rugby-Talk.com was The Friendly Rugby Website & Discussion Forum. Our growth started accellerating… it became an exponential curve!
In 2013 it was apparent that we were becoming a threat to existing competitors and in 2014 we overhauled the last rugby blogging competitor, when he abandoned his loyal followers. A lot of those loyalists were our friends from years before and it was only logical for us to embrace them and to welcome them here at Rugby-Talk.com, which we duly did.
Early 2014 also saw the need to code and design our own unique “Look and Feel” and webdesign and not to make use of 3Rd Party Themes anymore. Once again I jumped to accommodate… by now a seasoned web designer for clients and to the public, and an accomplished coder in the Scripts and Languages which are commonly used on the internet, namely HTML, PHP, CSS, JavaScript and I also was quite adept at managing SQL Databases. I am now also miles down the road and with huge experience on a number of Webdesign Software Platforms.
Rugby-Talk.com’s new Logo saw the light, we started acting as sponsors to some worthwhile rugby and other causes… Business Cards, Posters and Marketing Material was ordered and all the ducks were placed in a row to start with a Commercial arm for Rugby-Talk.com – to cover the expenses which up to now had been carried solely by myself.
A Marketing Team was assembled, appointed and instructed – consisting of 3 experienced Advertising Gurus with a combined 57 years experience in the Advertising Industry. Initial Rate Cards, Marketing Material and Business Proposals were prepared and just recently the first feelers were sent into the market for the first Adverts to be placed on Rugby-Talk.com.
More development had to follow to code the Advertising Backbone of the website, which has to make proper provision for full Statistical and Measuring Analysis to be applied and presented to Advertisers and initial trials had to be done, which have now been completed.
The start of this week finally saw the Marketing Team going out to the world out there, to market our product. It has to be reported that initial progress has been exceptionally good.
Today on our 5th birthday, Rugby-Talk.com’s Marketing Team managed to sell it’s first official R 15 000.00 worth of Advertising space and there is already another R 198 000.00 in the pipeline. It is baby steps from here forward but Rugby-Talk.com now has the potential to become a powerhouse in the Rugby Media world!
All of this would not have been possible without pure dedication, countless hours of hard work and without the invaluable input and contributions by so many people.
As a community we need to praise and thank our Authors here on Rugby-Talk, for the brilliant content and we need to recognize and appreciate every single contributor, subscriber and reader of Rugby-Talk.com who have made this website and this community what it is.
But what is Rugby-Talk.com to me and to you?
Hopefully the joint happy answer is that it is our Rugby Home and Haven, where we enjoy our rugby passion and where we take rugby news to the whole world!
Here’s an invitation to all out there, join up with us, register with us, talk rugby with us… and enrich your rugby experience!
One again a pleasure to let you know what’s potting here at Rugby-Talk Central!
Regards,
Indeed.
@ Tuff Gong:
He’s watching somewhere.
😆
@ grootblousmile:
So true GBS.
Keo was addictive but it’s time for new beginnings.
sorry GBS… but just have to stand up and be counted here…
i enjoyed transie, dawn, lilith and langers… and just about everybody else on keo… even if I didn’t always see eye-to-eye with them…
i appreciated the different perspectives… and having my own challenged…
but as has been said… that’s done and dusted and we move forwards…
and genuinely happy to be able to chat on RT and really respect what you have built here…
grootblousmile wrote:
Will it affect my gmail?
94 @ ufo:
Look, personalities differ… and I’m so happy it does.
What works for me does not necessarily work for the next oke and the same principle applies to those we liked or disliked on Voldy.
People I considered the dreggs of society at Voldy were liked by some, and I suppose I was disliked by some too… that is the natural order of things!
There were people there I found profoundly funny or entertaining, like Skim, Tacitus, OCO, Doosdiefdrieduisend… ag there were so many…
I disliked some folk, found some patronizing and irritating, got on well with others…. it was a typical little society, with it’s characters… and we have the same here on R-T.
We can’t always agree with everything everybody says, hell we DO NOT WANT TO always agree… we need to differ to make the world make sense!
Fact of the matter is I had the chance to move on and now you Ex-Voldy guys also have the chance to move on from Voldy and the logical path of convergence, our love for rugby, will keep us together or seperate us…. depending on how we approach the situation and on how positive we move forward into the future.
I am a very positive person, I like to call myself an ETERNAL OPTIMIST… I see ways out of situations rather than seeing myself stuck, I see benefits where others might see stumbling blocks. I see this Rugby-Talk Community flourishing despite little impediments which will surely come along our way from time to time.
I like to laugh, I like good company, I like balance, I like cincerity, loyalty, honesty and trustworthyness.
My stance is simple, like me for who I am (warts & all) or go get knotted.
I believe in the principle that if someone shows their bad side, then I have to “believe” them and accept that is who they truly are and treat them accordingly. Once I cut someone dead, then they no longer exist for me apart from being an irritant factor. I have a sibling sister who I have totally cut from my life, she means nothing to me anymore and I won’t pitch up at her funeral one day.
I suppose in so many ways I am reminded how my dad was, a thing was right or wrong, black or white…. there were no shades inbetween and no half measures.
Why am I waffling on about these things?
Well, this is the type of community or mini-society I am trying to build here at Rugby-Talk, where diversity is tollerated, where respect reigns but also where I can apply the values that I live according to and believe in and where I associate with or choose not to associate with those around me.
That’s basically what I ask of everybody… be yourself, your true self… and this rugby community will prosper!
95 @ Stormersboy:
Seems that the problem is already a thing of the past!
Well Well.
Happy 5th Birthday R-T.
Special congratulations to Groot and Ed the Lion.
This Site is the embodiment of Love.
Love for The Game.
May many more birthdays come and go.
Until this technology is no more.
Sincerely Yours,
cane.
Geluk GBS.
Ek onthou nog Pietman het my genooi nog voor die amptelike site op was. Dink dit was ‘n toets site gewees.
Was nog altyd lekker om hier te lees, en sal so voort gaan. Het net nie meer die tyd vir blog wat ek jare terug gehad het nie, maar prober steeds af en toe ‘n tydjie afknip.
Lank mag julle bestaan, hou dit skoon en als sal uitwerk.
Go Sharks!!!
@ Snoek:
Sorry, bietjie besig vandag, maar ek wou nog vir GBS herinner het dat jy ook een van die eerstes was hier.
Die tyd hy loop swaer, 5 jaar gelede al!
@ grootblousmile:
” I have a sibling sister who I have totally cut from my life, she means nothing to me anymore and I won’t pitch up at her funeral one day”.
Well, at least she keeps the family sport going, I see she scored a try for BafannyBafanny against Canada….
Pietman wrote:
Ja Pietman, en nou is hier baie Johhny-come-lately’s met grootbekke. 🙂
@ Pietman:
Fiji, not Canada, sorry…
@ Snoek:
Is reg, laat hulle raas…noudat ons “ou manne” begin stil raak…
@ Pietman:
Was die week in Qwa qwa, en het het vandag ‘n draai gemaak by Sterkfontein dam. Dit is darem mooi hier in die oos-Vrystaat. Sien in ‘n Motel hier in Harrismith ook ‘n koerant uitknipsel waar die eerste prys ‘n slagskaap of R7 is. 🙂 1965 se dae.
@ ufo:
I agree 100% with you ufo.
I felt great loyalty towards the posters on Keo. And one day……………………………………. should the occasion ever arise, I would take great pleasure in meeting some of them.
R-T is different.
It’s a New World for some of us.
But I can appreciate THE WORK that has gone into this place. Work done by enthusiastic diehard fans who just love blogging.
As for The Articles, they are always first rate. Posted by the Bullscot, Nortie and groot.
As good as anything generated by the Other Site.
BUT………………………….I do miss the no holds barred, all in brawls of our past. (Passion overkill………………………………….glorious stuff at times).
😉
Dawn, cab, Mishwani, katman, Bod, etc, etc ,
And when the shit hit the fan…………………………. there was always a voice of reason………………………………..ufo.
😉
@ Snoek:
Ek onthou die dam, al daar geslaap, so n Switserse motel af teen die hoogte oppad na Winterton, as ek reg onthou.
@ cane:
Cane, you looking for a fight?
Pretend to support the Sharks and see how quickly you are taken to the cleaners on this site. 🙂
@ Pietman:
Jy praat van Little Switzerland, dink hy is nou toe. Laas wat ek gehoor het.
Ek dink dit was AB wat my kom red het daar by die dark side 5 jaar gelede. Wonder wat het van hom geword?
Snoekvis, sê vir ou Puma en Sharkie-forever-gaan-ons-nie-die-super15-wen-nie hul kan maar terugkom, ons het hul laaaaankal vergewe.
Sien uit na Bokke se game Saterdag, na die krieket op Nuweland.
Snoek wrote:
I didn’t know you pretend to support the Sharks…
You not the only one mate… there are quite a few I think… 😉
@ grootblousmile:
great post GBS… good thing we all differ otherwise the world would be a heckuva boring little rock to live on… don’t think anyone expects everyone to get along… but we can still treat each other with respect… having different opinions doesn’t make anyone right or wrong or good or bad… just makes theirs different to ours… you like pink (being a bull n all…) i like blue… why should we fight about that…? that’s about as important as which team we support and a whole buncha other stuff…
like you… i’m an eternal optimist… sometimes say i live on the bright side of the road at the sunny end of the street… and always will look for the good in people and what i can learn from each one… thing is, whether we look for the good or the bad in people… we usually find what we’re looking for…
but if we always sweat the small stuff… all we end up with… are wet and smelly armpits…
i’m always myself and the same way whether i’m online or in person… whether people like it or not… but they won’t find me one way online and another way in person…
anyway… didn’t want to create an issue here… but also didn’t want to see this thread become a keoling-bashing zone… i’m sure you understand…
RT’s birthday thread deserves to celebrate all the noteworthy and remarkable achievements you’ve had over the five years…
and my respect and admiration for what you and your buds have achieved here is 100% sincere…
@ bdb:
Party manne neem hulle blogging baie ernstig op. Hulle sal op hulle tyd terug kom, miskien nie.
As die geselskap lekker is praat ons meer saam, as die geselskap stink bly ons maar meestal stil. 🙂
Ek reken die Shark manne dink hier is so reukie wat op die site rondhang. 🙂
@ Gumboots:
Like your profile pic!
@ cane:
cane bud… thank you… you’re a thorough gentleman and i agree with everything you say…
no disrespect or offence meant to GBS… i really do admire what he has achieved here and kudos to him and the R-Talkers for being so welcoming to us…
enjoy the match tomorrow… i believe the ABs will secure that record…
gotta run…
laters…
Snoek wrote:
@ Snoek:
Sharkies still have my total respect.
But Cheats and Lions have taken over as my most preferred SA Teams.
I love the way they play positive attacking rugby. (even if they get pulverised).
😉
113: daar is maar orals reukies, moet net groot happe vat, dan is dit gou weg. Spanwerk!
Maar ja, elkeen kan gesels waar hy wil en dit geniet.
@ cane:
Yes, they try hard to play a good brand of rugby. Not successful yet though.
98 @ cane:
Thanks Cane, it is nice to have you here too!
99 @ Snoek:
Stinvis, jou bliksem…. ja jy was ook een van die eerstes!
Mag jy lank by ons bly!
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