Just saw an amazing number 4959 & counting.

Number of registered members - Top of page when you sign in - seems to me when the remarkable 5000 comes up a celebration is in order!

Maybe we could make the count-down sort of like El Gordo or New Years Eve ....

Suggestions for the celebratory 5000 & MM's huge achievenment anyone?

I wonder how many of these are active members?

Not very many.

You all feel free to celebrate and have fun. I have to get back to work on moderating, updating, & developing.

NOTE: 4.5 years with the message board and it's bigger, stronger, and busier than ever. I've never been so proud. The credit goes to the users.

Comment to Quintos233:
As it says atop every main message board page, but right now it says:

MadridMan's ALL SPAIN Message Board Recent Visitors: 385
Anitayole, hobag, OhMike, Bricamb, aidance, Imajica1975, Zaknaf, notyor, MadridMan, jtevar, Cristobo Carrín, Quintos233, NIK NY, arthurg, kelar419, Dommo, jmvaco, jads, Don Dela Vega, deibid, Fernando, La Sueca, Enrique, Ed S, gsobotta, missbernie, GoMadrid, ebetancourt, Chica, Torero, epaulino4, Nativo, Alun John, Andrés, sincopated, gregorio, Sevillana, esperanza, Lemming, GueritaLes, 20 more logged in users, and 325 guest(s)

Total Active Topics: 21

THAT'S A LOT OF ACTIVE MEMBERS ONLINE! They may not all be posting but they're all here.

Saludos, MadridMan

Thanks, MM, we appreciate you and your Board!

Ok...are we going to celebrate when it hits 5000 or 5001?

Take a look at the member number after the poster's name - there are a bunch of them in the under 300 catagory - these guys are the original die-hards - and there are a lot of us around. Not always active posters - due to time restraints, life has to go on @ work, etc - but when not posting - always lurking!

MM - thanks for being here!

How about we all (or those that are willing) either send MM via mail or Paypal, $1.00, 1 British pound, or 1 euro, for all the time he's put into making this a fun and useful place to log onto? I will start. MM? Do you have a paypal account?

mencey, thanks but save up your dollars/Euros for your next trip to Spain. It's not that I'm wealthy already - because I'm TRULY not - but instead, if you'd like to do something for MadridMan please petition the Spanish government for a residence permit/visa. That would be more valuable to me than money but could never happen. They NEVER make these kinds of exceptions.

I know there are other website owners whom actively solicite donations but to me that's just downright gauche, bad form, and reduces the respectability, credibility, and reputation of the site itself - not to mention the owner. So thank you but no thank you.

You know, sometimes I daydream the often-dreamed daydream of website owners....<start squiggly visual dream sequence affect now> ... that if someone were to offer me $50,000 USD for MadridMan.com I don't think I would take it. Probably not even for $100,000 - but for that I would at least consider it. HOWEVER, if someone offered me $200,000 and wouldn't force me to sign a NO-COMPETE CLAUSE (legal document saying that I would not start another, competing website in the next 5-10 years) then I'd probably take that. It would allow me to buy a decent flat in Old Madrid if I ever get there. But clearly, none of the above is going to happen because MadridMan.com is not a commercial website. That is to say, no revenues are generated, nothing is bought-and-sold here. There's only income from advertising - and it's not all that much, but improving. (in other words, I can't quit my day job)

Am I happy that we're about to have 5000 registered members here on MadridMan's ALL SPAIN Message Board - which started in early 2000? ABSOLUTELY! I'm thrilled! I'm proud! I'm honored that so many interesting, educated, and well-traveled people have chosen this message board as their home, all sharing common interests and experiences. I'm also satisfied that it has become THE place for newbies, first-timers looking for information for their upcoming trips to Spain.

Thanks for your well-wishes, people. It's much appreciated. Now, PARTY ON, GARTH!

Saludos, MadridMan

PARTY ON WAYNE!