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To the entire FiestaST.net Community:

2K views 14 replies 6 participants last post by  ForumAdmin 
#1 ·
To the entire FiestaST.net Community:

15 years. That’s a long time. It all started with a then-new, radically-designed, small European Ford and a desire to connect with others that not only thought it was cool, but wanted to make it look and perform better. When I decided to launch a Ford Focus enthusiast forum back in the Spring of 2000, there is no way I could have predicted what would unfold. The stories are too numerous to list here, but the OGs will know what I’m talking about.

A lot has changed since 2000. Social media has become part of most people’s everyday lives. But, back then, Focaljet WAS the “social” media for a dedicated group of enthusiasts, from all walks of life. All they had in common sometimes was a love for this quirky-looking new car that Ford had decided to build. Members became friends. Members met and got married. Members passed away. Some members hung around even though they no longer had a Focus. That’s how strong the bonds that this forum help build are.

However, doing anything for 15 years, even something you’re passionate about, is a long time. And, changes in my personal life has seen me have less time to dedicate to putting the amount of effort into this forum that it deserves.

So today, as I set out for new challenges, a new chapter begins in the history of this forum. I’d like to announce that, effective immediately, Focaljet and its sister sites (FiestaFaction.com, FiestaST.net and FocusST.net) will become part of the AutoGuide.com family of forums.

Several times over the years, I’ve been approached by different companies interested in acquiring Focaljet. But, the timing was never right. I wanted to take it as far as I could independently. But, the time has come to turn it over to someone that not only has the ability to preserve what we’ve all built together, but the resources to take it into the future.

This has not been an easy decision for me. I’ve been contemplating the idea for a while but wanted to make sure that I was doing the right thing. Last summer I decided to discuss the future of the forums with VerticalScope (the owners of AutoGuide.com), as they seemed to be the company best positioned to continue to operate and grow the site. They have assured me that their goal is to keep this site running just as it always has, with it’s unique place in the automotive enthusiast community. So, other than some technical changes on the back end, I fully expect things to be ‘business as usual’ for everyone that calls this place home.

This site contains a vast number of posts that I feel will be valuable to current and future Focus owners for years to come. And with the Focus still being one of the best selling cars worldwide, I look forward to seeing it grow.

I would like to sincerely thank every member of this site both past and present. Many who have become friends of mine over the years. The fun I’ve had running this site, and interacting with you all over the years has been a once in a lifetime opportunity. Don’t worry, you’ll still see me around. And, if I can find a dealer willing to actually sell me an RS this Spring for MSRP, then you very well may see one in my garage. ;)


Best Regards,
Ron
 
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#2 ·
Hello everyone,

My name is Philip, I am a community manager for AutoGuide.com, I work with a small team that will continue to manage the webmaster duties for fiestast.net along with the current moderator team.

We are here to help primarily with the technical end of things and help make the jobs of the current Mods/Admins easier. I posted a real basic run down to answer common questions below. If you have more questions or concerns please feel free to post them in response.

What are our intentions?

We bring reliability, support and the infrastructure needed to ensure that the community will continue to be around for years to come. It’s our goal to work with the mod/admin team to help provide the resources and required work to give this community a broader reach, to attract new members, and to better the overall knowledge shared in the community.

Will leadership change?

Continuity is the focus here, YOU as the membership work very hard to keep building this community while your mod/admin team keep the walls and the roof up in this place; we are primarily here to make sure the lights stay on. Every community is unique and should always be respected in that regard. You all have established your own unique rules and regulations and a strong reputation that is carried by all of this. For us it’s paramount to maintain this level of integrity and enthusiasm.

What am I here for?

Our primary role is to be the technical contact; you all contributed to building the strong foundation the site was built on. Moving forward we will all work together to keep the momentum and the community growing. We will be on the forum checking in daily to make sure regular maintenance is taken care of and keeping things running smoothly from behind the scenes. We will also be setting up a help desk on the site for when you have questions or issues with the site or your account and need assistance.

Looking forward to working with you all.

Thanks,

Philip
 
#3 ·
As a former member of the FocalJet community who Ron brought on to help out at this forum, it's a bittersweet moment to have him stepping away from the reigns of some of the most influential internet forums of our community. Ron, through his involvement with the community at large, the Vitolos, Ken Appell, and industry professionals for the Ford platform, has been instrumental in helping shape our community and lay the groundwork fifteen years ago until today that has resulted in what we now enjoy. We all owe him our gratitude, and I look forward to working with him on other projects outside of this forum.

Like Phillip has said, those of us who've been here will still be around providing moderation and continuity. I'm sure we will be in good hands with the AutoGuide staff managing the backend operations of the forums and providing the necessary logistics that allows us all to do what we enjoy most here.
 
#5 ·
As a former member of the FocalJet community who Ron brought on to help out at this forum, it's a bittersweet moment to have him stepping away from the reigns of some of the most influential internet forums of our community. Ron, through his involvement with the community at large, the Vitolos, Ken Appell, and industry professionals for the Ford platform, has been instrumental in helping shape our community and lay the groundwork fifteen years ago until today that has resulted in what we now enjoy. We all owe him our gratitude, and I look forward to working with him on other projects outside of this forum.

Like Phillip has said, those of us who've been here will still be around providing moderation and continuity. I'm sure we will be in good hands with the AutoGuide staff managing the backend operations of the forums and providing the necessary logistics that allows us all to do what we enjoy most here.
Here to keep the lights on and support you guys. If you have ideas for things that may make the site better let me know.
-Philip
 
#6 ·
Huh, I was member #36 on FocalJet and I recently bought a 2016 Fiesta ST, so the first place I came for info was here. I wasn't always the model member, but once became a Mod for our regional forum. I always trusted Ron and his team to run the site fairly and efficiently, even if I didn't agree with a decision.

Sorry to see you go, Ron, it was a great run.
 
#15 ·
Hey Everyone,
If you see spam show up over the weekend please be patient. I will have limited computer access this weekend and I am still catching up to a bunch of sleeper accounts that have been activating with a trickle of spam posted over night. That being said if anyone is interested in helping with moderator duties here please send me a pm. An extra pair of eyes would really help a lot here.
-Philip
 
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