One year ago today (April 4) is the day retouchpro.com first went online.

It's simultaneously hard to believe it's been a year already, and that it's only been a year. So many things have changed in that year (both here and everywhere else).

We started with a tiny bit of hd space on a free webserver, a freeware forum, a couple of links and one book review. I put it up and just sat there staring at it, all by myself. Only after some guilt-inducing spam did anyone even know we existed and start to visit. You can look through the oldest threads here to see some of their first posts...most of them still visit, but many don't.

Four months later we'd outgrown all our free resources, and people began to chip in so we could expand. I thought it would take forever for us to break 28 users (that was the total on our original forum), then came 50, then 100...until now we have over 400.

A lot of stuff has started here that I'd never imagined when I first started thinking about the site (the Challenges are one good example). Plus I still haven't been able to do a lot of the things I initially planned to, and still plan to, for many different reasons.

For that matter, the site overall has turned out to be a very different place than I'd imagined. And I couldn't be happier about that.

The main thing, in a way the only thing of importance, is that we seem to get the nicest people on the internet here. I just had another opportunity yesterday to be reminded about that.

I don't know if you've been out on the rest of the net lately, but it can be an unfriendly place...an uncouth, selfish, even dangerous place. But not here. This is not my first experience with administering a website, and I have had some bad experiences before. But I am continually surprised at the generosity, friendliness, and general supportiveness, both here and in the real world, of our members.

Thank you all.

So, happy birthday to us, and here's to many more.

WOW! Nicely said!

Congratulations and thank you for crafting such a wonderful site! Your hard work and constant improvements are always appreciated. :bow:

I have only been on this site for a little over 2 months and this is by far, the most helpful and friendliest group of people I have ever been a part of on the internet.

I couldn't agree more. This site is fabulous.

I signed on to RetouchPro thinking I could pick up a few tips; I'm happy to report that I pick up dozens of tips every day. I've learned more in a few weeks visiting this site than I would have learned in a year by any other means.

Thank you Doug for having the vision and making it a reality; thank you fellow RetouchPro's for being so generous in your advice, encouragements and critiques.

Margaret

Happy Birthday Retouch, and thanks to Doug for all his hard work at putting together and maintaining such a nice website.

I have learned a lot here and enjoy the community vibe here very much - Carl

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RETOUCH PRO!!!

Doug - you must give yourself a big pat on the back for all the time and energy you've put into this site - congratulations for its success ... long may it last!

Congrats Doug! A year already? Although I wasn't around the first day it opened, I do remember the leaner times (if that's a good term). A lot of hard work by you, and an exceptionally good audience has put the site on the www for what I hope is to be a very long time. I have to agree that this is a very unique group.

Ed

Doug, I remember your first posts about this new group (in comp.graphics.photoshop I think) You were not very happy having to spam about it.... but I sure was glad you did! The first time I visited I was hooked and quit the others that I visited. I knew when I read this site is not about contests its about sharing information.....ahhhh that was the best news! I have learned so much extra from all of you that I was able to get my restoration business completely off the ground and feel confident that I have such a great peer group to ask any questions...I can even answer some now! Thanks Doug for all this hard work and flexiblity from your original vision....it is my favorite site on the web.

Happy Birthday Retouch Pro

I imagine in the beginning, it was hard to concieve of the wonderful group of members you would attract and how their own personalities, interests and ideas would start to shape the direction of the site. I think of it as a child growing on it's own but being guided along a certain path but still a long way off from what it's ultimate potential will be. I think that's what makes it so fastinating and fun. It's always changing, always getting better.
Good luck and many more birthdays to come.
DJ

Congratulations Retouch Pro, but even more praise should go to you, Doug for all of your hard work and your vision. When I stumbled into Retouch Pro and though like many others it would be a good place to pick up some hints and tips but I found much much more than I expected. I've been involved in on-line communities before but never have I found such a helpful and friendly group such as the group here at Retouch Pro. The community has helped to break the isolation of being "down under" in Australia I feel as if I'm part of a world wide family in which each member is treated with respect and their opinions and thoughts are valued.It's no wonder the membership continues to grow.
It's a place where nobody is afraid to ask, what to some seem silly or basic questions along with those more difficult or thorny ones. There is always a quick and well though out answer with helpful advice available at Retouch Pro.This is truly a unique group on the net.
Thank you Doug and the wonderful group at Retouch Pro.

Good going, Doug!!!You have a winner here...and there will be many more "Birthdays" yet to come, I'll bet.....Tom

I think your respectful attitude has set the tone here, Doug. Thanks so much for this great forum.

Sharon

Congrats Doug!!! I come here at least once a day. Very friendly and informative. I can not recall any curt or "know it all" answers to questions. Unlike the Adobe forum where many feel answering a basic ? below them.

Keep up the great work.

Bob

THANKS DOUG

I can honestly say that I've been surfing the internet for almost 10 years but I have never come across a site as nice, friendly, and informative as this one. I never joined a site or chat group or forum till this site. I watched this site every day for almost a month before joining. I thought it seemed like a close group of friends that had known each other for a long time. But when you look at the locations that everybody comes from it is truely amazing how everybody respects each other and is supportive of each other and helps us new comers at retouching.

This is my goto site and I look forward to coming here each day to look at challenges and monitor the forums.

Thanks again and Happy Birthday

Jerry :D :D :D :D

Jumping in a little late, but the sentiments are the same. I can't agree more that this is the friendliest place on the internet! :) Thanks, Doug, for all of the time and energy you put into the site. And thanks to everyone for making these forums a "safe" place to ask questions and learn. There are other sites with tips and techniques that I find useful from time to time, but none with the sense of community that this one has. Add to that the fact that I can find an answer to just about anything I need here and it's pretty easy to see why this is my "home base" on the internet.

Looking forward to celebrating many more birthdays at RetouchPro! :D

Jeanie

:thumbsup: Congratulations Doug!:thumbsup:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RETOUCHPRO!!!
The challenges are an invaluable chance for learning and just for fun! and the forum is awesome. the people around here are easily the friendliest, kindest, and most helpfull I've encountered on the net. Doug, and all the other people who make it the kind of site that it is: keep it up!!! :bigthmb: hope this site is around for many years to come!

- David :)

I stumbled onto this site recently while surfing for info on "Grain Surgery." (BTW: Nice writeup, Doug.) Started poking around & before I knew it, it was 5 a.m. I was hooked.

I agree with Doug: There are way too many unfriendly sites out there. I get torched with just about every post at Adobe.com.

I've been especially impressed with the TLC afforded new forum members and respect shown toward any question or issue, regardless of technical level.

Doug deserves 19 dumptrucks of kudos for obvious reasons. So do the regulars (you know who you are) and the irregulars (?) for crafting (normally :) ) intelligent and politely written posts, the quality & depth of which will continue to attract new members.

Congrats to all of you. This site is the epitome of what electronic sharing can and should be. I'm privileged to have the opportunity to interact with such a fine group of folks.

Looking fwd. to doing > contributing in the future & < lurking.

--DannyR

Happy Birthday Retouch Pro!

Wow! Congrats Doug on creating a wonderful site and you got it right that this is the friendliest group of people! Surfing the net you usually bump into a lot of angry or unfriendly individuals. Retouchpro is more like talking to your family! It is an outstanding source for tips at all levels of skill and a great source for practicing and learning techniques with the challenges or just having some fun such as going to the Salon and seeing what's going on! And I agree with DannyR that it truly is a privilege to have the opportunity to interact with such a fine group of folks.


WAY TO GO DOUG!

-T

:bigthmb:

Happy Birthday !!!
This site is the best thing to happen to the net (IMHO). A great Janitor (administrator) and a wonderful community make this a first class online experience. A great place to learn and share.

Congrats Doug. :bigthmb: Thanks for making the site available to us, and thanks to everyone else for the friendly spirit shown. :cat:

I know I'm posting here late (as usual) but I too want to send my thanks. This is the only site/forum of its kind that I have registered with, due to the constant helpful and friendly advice.

:)

Happy Birthday, RetouchPro!!!!!

What a wonderful site this is. I can't begin to tell you the things I have learned in the short time I have been here. Thank you so much, Doug, for all of your hard work. Thank you just seems so inadequate! I will never forget my first submission and how everyone was so nice and welcomed me so warmly. I think joining this site will be one of the wonderful things in my life that I will never forget. Thanks, Doug, and all of you for being so supportive, and giving me the encouragement that I greatly needed at this time in my life.

Wanda

Happy First Birthday, RETOUCHPRO!!

Like some others, I visited this forum off and on before deciding to join in, and even then figured that I'd just pick up some handy techniques and go find another place to fish for goodies. But "my foot got stuck in the door", as the Music Man said.

Doug, Sharon is right when she says that your respectful attitude has set the tone. And everyone else has followed respectfully in line -- to help, to learn, to share, and to enjoy.

Here's to keeping the forum going and growing, and most importantly, keeping it a safe place to learn and share thoughts, ideas, and techniques.

Dear Doug,
Thanks for your dedication to this site! I haven't been around very long - still getting used to all that is here. You have done a great job in developing this site and providing the many resources it offers.

I look forward to the time I spend with Retouch Pro..and enjoy the helpful spirit that is pervasive here.

Again, many thanks!
Barbara Kessling