hi there,

been thinking..geez that hurts

i have a few question......

who started foolmoon up and when did it occur ?

are the founders still around ?

what was the purpose of the exercise ?

has that purpose been achieved ?

what is the target?

is there any commercial involvement, besides the pop-ups?


your answers would be welcomed.....


pete

Dax and myself are the founders. We are still around.

Long long ago, in an economy far far away (1997), two people (a newly married couple) worked for a very large online company called "Compuserve". When Compuserve was acquired by the monolithic monopolistic behemouth AOL, many positions in the two companies were duplicated, so about half of them were redundant, therefore expendable. The two folks from Compuserve got downsized so that AOL folks could have their jobs.

"Hmmmm", they thought. Why don't we keep on working the way we always did, but for ourselves instead of a big company?" They scratched their heads a while. "But we want it to be a *nice* place, where people can come to chat and play, make friends and exchange ideas, and not be harassed by people who are hostile."

They put their heads together, and scraped up everything they had, and formed a little Mom & Pop community called "Fool Moon".

The two folks are Dax and me. We called it "Fool Moon" because at the time we were talking about writing a series of fantasy novels with a jester (fool) as the hero, and Fool Moon was one of our planned titles, along with other Foolish titles like "Fool's Errand", "Fool and his Money", "Fool for Love", Fools Rush In", "Fool's Cap", and many more. We may actually still write the series some day... when we have time! But right now, Fool Moon is our 24-hour-a-day job, and I have to say that Dax and I are darn proud of the place.

How do we manage to keep it friendly? Well, in many cases, a soft answer turneth away wrath. When a soft answer won't do, a shotgun usually does the trick.

We are vigilant here in our message boards and in our chat rooms, always trying to dissuade folks from using inappropriate language or making ad hominem attacks. When someone won't listen to a polite request for better behavior, we simply show them the door, and change the locks if necessary.

There are people who thrive on discord and fighting, but they generally are disappointed with the results of their efforts to stir up hatred and dissent here, and they wander off disconsolate, in search of easier pickin's.

Our dreams and hard work, and the help of our wonderful devoted staff, make Fool Moon one of the best places on the internet to visit, and we aim to keep it that way.


Hope that answers your questions!

What a great idea you had. What a nice way to describe it also.

I have been so happy to be here. I even like the chat rooms. I had been to a few other chatrooms and they were always so sexually suggestive. (I think sex is great but should be private) I was often embarrassed to be there. Not so here.

Really love this site. And everyone is so helpful and kind makes it easy for someone who is old but new to computers. Some places just make you feel stupid. Not so here.

AOL"s loss was our gain. Thank you for your work.

Awww, thanks Puzzeled! It's nice people like you that we had in mind when we created this place, and your comments are very encouraging. Thank you for being part of our community!

I too would like to thank Dax and Helice and the staff
for this great site.

Well a lot of you know I went looking for a chat site to prove to my kids that they were no good.
Foolmoon was the first one I found, and guess who has been around ever since. My first 12 months is up next month.

Dax and Helice, congrats on a great site.

Helice,

thank you very much for your answers to my question.
you both are to be congratulated for a job well done.....

you created a place where it is good to be.

thank you again, pete

Yes T think this is one of the best sites I have ever been in....so thanks to Helice and Dax for all the effort and work they must put into it
Keep it up....love you all to bits

I'm in agreement with all of you,

I ment Ray the moderator of the Town Meeting Room in a site that kept having trouble keeping on-line.


I missed the people too much and thought we better exchange E-mail addresses and find a different one in case it happens again, in search of a better site.

Well, Ray was the only one that kept in touch and he got me here. I was into politics and issues and So was my brother Matt. We all needed our fix.

So, we thought how about a room to discuss issues and politics ? Then Town Meeting Room was born.

What a can of worms we started. Matt's a city councilman for a real town and I am running for State Rep. The practice in debating mostly from Matt all these 30 some odd years.

Now Ray, You never know what side of the fence he's on sometimes.

Well with flyers at the school I worked at and others we meet here on-line I had to meet some of them in person. Now, Blizzard (Miss Blizzy) is my real Hon, Also my neighbor, hopefully in Nov., My constituant !


Thanks to Dax and Helice,

Politics, as we know it in Minnesota, may change forever. How'd I do with this post Ray !?

Regarding this quote:

---

How'd I do with this post Ray !?

---

. o O (Damn! Now I suppose I'M going to get the blame!)

thanx for the site helice and dax. i started by looking for a site where i could chat with other pagans and ive stopped looking so keep up the good work and you two deserve a promotion
ps sounds like aol is the next microsoft maybe i should get rid of my dozen "thousand hours of free aol" disks lol

Foolmoon is the nicest chat on the net
I have worked in Foolmoon almost since it was born .
I was a host in the funhouse for a number of years.
Then one day I opened my mouth about helping in the lobby.
There ya go the Help team was born ,
We have some wonderful Team members , they have gone above and beyond what is asked of them .
Kimmiekay created a page to help the hosts
Nil made a help web page .. this took a lot of their time and energy.
This was not expected of them , they do it for the love of our site .
We have had many new chatters come to FM they are so please with the reception.
We have had bozos come as well they were not so pleased
The staff is what makes a site what it is .
The leaders are the ones that guide the staff .
Helice and Dax have never faultered in their aim for a clean friendly chat site,
They are devoted to the site , hardly take a day off .
That is dedication .
We thank you Helice and Dax for providing us with this great site
and the tools to make it happen .

I would like to thank Helice and Dax also. I love this site. I am usually struck with "stage fright" on chat sites. This site is the only one where I felt comfortable from the beginning. Thanks to all the staff for their help and encouragement. I would invite anyone to come enjoy this community.

Thanks again, Level

Glad this here thread got started. I've kinda wondered about some of this stuff myself. Who would have guessed an AOL connection?

Yes, Good can come from Evil, it would seem.....(there I go; getting all metaphysical again)

You are to be congradulated for the fine work you both have done to make this a great place for people to come and bring their children without fear of being harrassed 24/7. My daughter lilmissb loves it here and I don't fear for her safety when she does come in to chat with all the wonderful people here.

Huggles and Smoochies,


http://www.lady.myfoolmoon.com
To Thine Own Self Be True
http://www.coffeehouse.foolmoon.com
Coffeehouse Staff

Re the history of foolmoon.It's a topic I've often wondered about myself.I came as a result of playing Quiz Bowl,a habit I can't seem to break. Kudos to Ray for being a "voice of reason amidst the CHAOS!

Ray a voice of reason??? I thought he created the chaos!!!



(sorry Ray...I just couldn't resist.)

Yah actually I Ihafta say I am greatful for this board. ]

Quote:

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the two folks are Dax and me. We called it "Fool Moon" because at the time we were talking about writing a series of fantasy novels with a jester (fool) as the hero

---

and im sooooo glad you kept the Fool I like to read what he has to say on occasion.


Rambling JJF18

Lol! SS

NB the person who posted that is from Roswell!!!

Peace on you all.

Thanks Helice, Thanks Dax.
I really don't know how to express myself to show you my happiness by finding this wonderful site.
Please accept all my gratitudes.

You are most welcome, RM.

It's members like you who keep Fool Moon going and make it the great site we had in mind when we began.

My sister got me on to this site and i am now glad she did i have and am having so much fun everyone is great they are there when you need to talk and there when you need to laugh foolmoon is my second family i love you all

helice and dax thankyou for having me and keep up the good work

hugs purpledragon

Yesterday marked my one year anniversary with Fool Moon. This has been a really good year for me, a year of great strides towards independence and amazing growth. I want to thank FM, its founders and denizens, for helping me in this regard. My progress continues and I am grateful.

Time flies, Windy.

Congratulations on your FM anniversary!

PD, RM, and Wind. As a Townie of a few years standing, these types of replies reinforce the fundamentals we in the Townmeeting Room (and the other rooms and forums) strive to achieve. 1 year at a chat site is a goal to be proud of and says alot about that individual because this site is typically geared towards those that have some intellect and maturity, excluding Dax of course ... I think I can get away with that line towards Dax only because he genuinely knows I mean it as a friendly barb built over years and with love. Feel it!!!

Hey Helice and Dax,
This site has been a life saver - REALLY. I have received such an education in the best possible way...mostly be stirring up my own curiosity and then searching for my own answers. I have met some of the most wonderful people, who have truly touched my heart here.
I live in a big city, but my life is mostly work and family. I get an opportunity to stretch my mind and have conversations that I have grow to fully grasp. What a gift!
I HAVE BEEN SO BLESSED BY FINDING YOU!!!!

Thank you so much, evanchris.

We are very fortunate in having a wonderful staff, and great members who make up this community.

We're very happy you enjoy the site, and we appreciate your comments.