Admin Talk Interview with BamaStangGuy

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How long have you been running a forum / What inspired you to start?:
I started my first forum on May 1, 2003. I had always had an interest in computers and the internet. When I turned 16 I got a Ford Mustang. I wanted to modify it and work on it so I turned to the internet for help. I found a V6 Mustang forum that I joined. At some point, I decided I also wanted to have my own forum so I started a similar site. 9 years later I sold the forum to my friend Andy R over at Social Knowledge and just recently purchased that first forum I joined, http://3.7mustang.com

What's your Forum Software of choice & why?:
My first forum software was phpBB. It did the job for a few months but I got tired of the security issues and lack of feature updates. I went to vBulletin soon after starting my forum and now have recently started using xenForo due to the horrid state of vBulletin after Internet Brands buying it.

Where are you located?:
Huntsville, AL
Where do you see your websites in 5 years?:
Just plan to keep up with the trends and keep the members happy

How often do you work on your forum?:
it is my full time job. I spend many hours a day researching and working on the forums.

Of all the projects you’ve ever been involved in, which did you enjoy the most?:
I worked for Social Knowledge in Dallas, TX for 7 months in 2011-2012. That was fun.

What are your biggest strengths as a forum admin? Weaknesses?:
Knowledge of forum software, server administration. Weakness would be setting up a solid team to manage the forums. I try to find a person on each forum I own that cares about the site and let them take over that aspect of the forum.

How do you define the ideal Forum Administrator?:
The more you care about the topic of the site you own the more successful you will be.

Would you ever consider yourself an expert in the field of running a forum?:
I would like to think so. Always room to learn more though.
What are your top five technology MUST-HAVE’s in running a forum?:
Reliable forum software, reliable server, bounced email processing, spam prevention tools and a reliable sitemap generator.

What site would you like to promote with this interview?:
http://www.whippmedia.com