In January 99 Nick’s introduced registration and forums to the bulletin board to help control ratbag elements from other clubs, protect usernames and allow moderation. Although this change came about as a result of user requests, we lost a lot of users at this time. The main complaint was that the new board was too formal and the board had lost its feel. People didn't like having to remember passwords either. The first threads when registration was introduced, can be viewed here: http://www.magpies.net/nick/bb/viewforum.php?f=1&topicdays=0&start=9300

The first registrations (after Nick and Mike) were from Tom (hasn't been seen since) and Charlie who still posts from time to time (especially when someone rips off his posts from elsewhere).

However, Nick’s continued to grow, and as Mike comments, ‘we lost effective control of it (Nick’s) at that point to the extent that when, 2 seasons ago (2001), it got to be too much for me and I tried to close it down, it wouldn't die. The community that is this place rose up and took control of it and it lives on today’. Nick’s remains resilient and time, and time again, remains strong, due to this community based spirit.

From this point on, new development of the site took a back seat to the running of it. The amount of hands on involvement had grown enormously and was continuing to increase, so it became a matter of developing what we already had and keeping things current and operational, and it was only in March 2004, that we got to see a totally new revamp of Nick’s Collingwood Page (courtesy of webmaster MagpieMad – Steve).

Today, Nick’s (the ‘page’ and the bulletin board) is the biggest and most used unofficial Collingwood website on the Internet.

So now you know, that is where Nick’s Collingwood page came from, and consequently, where Nick’s Bulletin Board came from.

Some key points in the along the way:

• March 97 - Introduced the first live scoreboard in Australia. The present scoreboard although slightly changed in appearance, still uses the original code written to run the first scoreboard - and we believe that it's still the fastest
  
  
• March 97 - Introduced the Guest Book and Bulletin Board
  
  
• April 97 - Introduced the fan mail facility which allowed users to send fan mail from the site directly to the Club
  
  
• Late '97 - Created the database holding results from all home and away games since the inception of the league (VFL)
  
  
• Early ’99 – Began username registrations
  
  
• March ’04 – Nick’s Collingwood Page is re-launched with a completely new look
  

Initiatives Born on Nick’s:

Nick’s also been the birthplace of several AFL, and Collingwood related initiatives, including:

• The idea for the Jock McHale Medal, which is the medal awarded to the coach of the winning team in the Grand Final (this idea was thought up by Joffa). Refer to this thread to have a look at it’s very beginnings: http://www.magpies.net/nick/bb/viewtopic.php?p=19792
  
  
• Helped reunite and establish a new and exciting cheersquad, which is now considered by many to be the best cheersquad in the land http://www.magpies.net/nick/bb/viewtopic.php?t=7475
  
  
• Helped establish a number of Cheersquad initiatives, i.e. The Gold Jacket
  

If you can think of any others, please feel free to email Joel: joel@magpies.net with any initiatives that were launched by Nick’s, and it’s members.

From the mouth of the President (Eddie):

This is what one E. McGuire had to say about Nick’s in 2002:

“What you have been able to do is bring so many of the magpie passions together. During the really tough years it was very hard to find that fanatical Collingwood spirit because we were getting belted at the football. But then we found it here within each other.

I must admit that at times when I was feeling really low I have logged onto Nick's and been inspired by the support and love for the club that we all share.

Through these pages we have been able to reunite our cheer squad and made it the best in football again, we have been able to literally feel the joy of our team singing the song after the Port Adelaide game because the club knew you were all out there and knew you would feel part of it.

We have been able to fully honour the greatest name at our club Jock McHale with the introduction of the Jock McHale medal through discussion inspired on this site.”

Some stats on the BB:

The First Post:

The first post on the bb 12/3/97: http://www.magpies.net/nick/archive/bbmsgs/4.html

Traffic:

Member numbers of Nick’s are always increasing, with current member totals sitting at over 1300. Also, we are currently getting at least 1500 to 3000 hits a day from over 300 unique addresses. That means that atleast 300 people look at approx. 5 - 10 pages each, each day (during the season).

Viewing The Old Sites, and BB Messages:

If you'd like to see the old sites and the old bb postings, click this link: http://nick.magpies.net/history.html

From there, you will be able to access previous versions of Nick’s Collingwood Page, and while exploring those sites, you are able to view the old bulletin board postings.

Keeping Nick’s and Magpie.net running

Justifying the money and expense has always been a problem, especially seeing as though, it has kept Mike and Nick, broke enough not to be able to get to the footy often (especially living interstate). One of the ways Mike tries to help to offset the cost of running magpies.net, is by selling email addresses. If you value the site and would like to keep it up and running, you'll support us, if not, we're wasting our time. The email system consists of Hotmail/Yahoo type webmail accounts or alternatively we can redirect to your existing email address. The cost is be about $10-$20/year (depending on webmail/redirection) and you'll get magpies.net email addresses for that (username@magpies.net) - your usernames on here will be reserved for your use, but you can use a different one if you prefer.

Goto: http://email.magpies.net/ for more information on Magpie Mail email addresses.

Last Word:

Nick’s is a one of a kind community, that many have tried to copy, and failed. Nick’s has created an avenue for Collingwood supporters from all walks of life, and from all over the globe, to chat and discuss the Mighty Magpies. Essentially, it has enabled many of us, to live and breath Collingwood, when it would not have been otherwise possible, from the unique perspective of the fan.

As Mike puts it ‘the power that is Nick's is just us... and we are Collingwood’.