When was TBN started?

[John_Mc]

When was TBN started? I've looked on the home page, thinking there might be some history or statistics, but didn't see anything. Tried a couple searches, but haven't found a search term that returns anything useful. I joined in 2001, and think I recall seeing some folks with join dates in the 1990s.

 

[4get gto]

I don't know but with all the traffic on here now could you imagine using dial up..?

 

[Carl_NH]

HI John

If you go to members and sort by date Muhammad started TBN in 1998 but really came on line late 99 to early 2000 If I recall there may have been an early version of TBN.

Bird is listed as the first member BTW, and when I joined in April 2002 I was about # 3800. When looking at the data, there are only maybe a hundred or so still active members (more than 50-100 posts) of the first 5000 members.

 

[Muhammad]

March 21, 1998. I was a 14 year old home schooled high schooler and did indeed start the site from my bedroom. I was the first member, not Bird.

There are actually a few members from day 1 still around. We changed software in April of 2000 and there were about 400 members moved over from the old software. So those are the first 400. Among those, 42 are still active which I think is pretty amazing. Also amazing is that two of those 42 have never posted a single message but continue to log in and read the forums.

I really can't remember who was a day 1 member from this list off the top of my head but somewhere in the files I have all posts dating back to day 1. We actually only have posts from April 2000 and forward on this forum. I think there were about 10,000 from prior to that which remained in an archive for several years until nobody was visiting it anymore.

It should also be noted that my older brother Ibrahim has been our sysadmin from day 1. He was 16 when we started.

 

[rswyan]

Fascinating ...

 

[seville009]

I joined back in 2001 I think, when I got my first tractor. Was off for a few years and couldn’t log in with my old info, so started a new user id.

Good site - provided me with alot of pertinent information and advice when I needed it.

I think Muhammad and his brother posted more back then; seem to recall seeing their names more often


About - TractorByNet

 

[jeff9366]

Muhammad: You continue to look so youthful! After about three years, marriage ages most of us.

Have you EVER owned a tractor?

 

[ultrarunner]

I was a visitor for a period and then jumped in as I had a lot of projects in pipeline in need of a solution.

It is also where I first learned about Kubota subcompact tractor-loader-backhoe.

Many things I could write about but tops would be learning through the discussions about the safe use of tractors and implements.

 

[Bird]

March 21, 1998. I was a 14 year old home schooled high schooler and did indeed start the site from my bedroom. I was the first member, not Bird.

Well, I'm disappointed; thought I was first.:laughing::laughing: I cannot remember exactly when I started, but I was looking for information on Kubota tractors, and I had dialup service out in the country in Navarro County. I bought a new B7100HST with FEL for $10,850 on June 29, 1995, then a few years later traded up to the B2710 on August 12, 1999. But I do know that when I started, I used to read EVERYTHING that was posted, and it didn't take all that long.:laughing: And I remember the original name of the site.:laughing:

 

[RickB]

It’s been a long ride!

 

[John_Mc]

I used dial-up for the first 6 years I was on here. We were lucky to get 20k speeds out of a 56k modem. I can remember cursing waiting for the page to load when people had a bunch of full-sized photos in their posts.

I was very active in the early years, then got busy with other things when the kids came along. As they've gotten in to other things, I've had a bit more time to come back.

 

[KennyG]

One thing I've always been curious about. What inspired a 14 year old kid in San Diego to start a tractor site?

 

[Muhammad]

One thing I've always been curious about. What inspired a 14 year old kid in San Diego to start a tractor site?

I was living in upstate New York at the time. We had five acres. When I was a little kid my parents moved from NYC to the country, rented a small place next to a farm then later bought a 54-acre hobby farm and after that the 5 acre place. We moved to the west coast when I was 19... yes now I live in San Diego but the interest in tractors was from when I was a kid. TBN was never meant to be a business idea, I just wanted a place to exchange information about tractors online.

As many members know, my profile picture is from 2012. I look much older now.

 

[ultrarunner]

And you are a family man too!

Kind of watched you mature through the years but in all candor you have exhibited wisdom beyond your years many times...

 

[ovrszd]

Stories like this are inspiring. Requires initiative, imagination, dedication in the face of overwhelming odds, lightly sprinkled with luck.

I appreciate what you accomplished.

 

[Bird]

you have exhibited wisdom beyond your years many times

That's a fact for sure.

 

[Thomas]

Blink of eye it's 20 years later

 

[GeneV]

I was living in upstate New York at the time. We had five acres. When I was a little kid my parents moved from NYC to the country, rented a small place next to a farm then later bought a 54-acre hobby farm and after that the 5 acre place. We moved to the west coast when I was 19... yes now I live in San Diego but the interest in tractors was from when I was a kid. TBN was never meant to be a business idea, I just wanted a place to exchange information about tractors online.

As many members know, my profile picture is from 2012. I look much older now.

That's pretty cool, and now it's such a huge resource for so many people. Yeh, not a lot of people could claim something like that, pretty neat.

 

[Muhammad]

What's funny is that random people I meet will have visited the site at some point and then send me a message on Facebook asking if I'm the same person from TBN. In fact my best friend from fourth grade is a member and we haven't seen each other since fourth grade. It's a small world.

It's been a while since I've had to be a peacekeeper in the forums but I tried my best to make everybody happy. These days it's less moderation and more maintenance.

I keep meaning to do my own member of the month section to share some more random facts.

 

[dfkrug]

Among those, 42 are still active which I think is pretty amazing. Also amazing is that two of those 42 have never posted a single message but continue to log in and read the forums.

Very interesting. One of the great things about TBN is that visitors to the site do not have to join in order to read postings and see the many pix posted. I have linked to TBN postings many times to help out with local tractor repairs and modifications. Indeed I read TBN for years before joining and making my first post.

Thanks, Muhammed.