The History and Meaning of Tractorbynet

[glennmac]

Where am I?

Here I am a regular user of this forum and I suddenly realize I don't know much about it or even how it works. Some questions:

1. What does the name mean. Who coined it.
2. How did the forum get started. By whom. Why.
3. Who pays the expenses. Who profits.
4. Is Muhammad compensated. (He certainly should be.)
5. How long has it been in existence.
6. Who out there is an Original Member. This is not quite as prestigious as being one of the 12 Apostles but is safer than being a member of Clinton's Cabinet.

Glenn

 

[Ibrahim]

Well Muhammad is out and about today, so he'll post up the details later. Maybe we should add an "About Us" to Tractorbynet.

Ibrahim

 

[glennmac]

Ibrahim, what is your role? (And does your reign extend over source or object or both?)

Glenn

 

[Muhammad]

<font color=blue>1. What does the name mean. Who coined it.</font color=blue>

TractorBynet means just that... tractors by way of the net. I think I made it up.

<font color=blue>2. How did the forum get started. By whom. Why.</font color=blue>

I started it, by myself, about three years ago as the "Kubota Tractors Message Board" ... about six months after I started that forum, I built the "Kubota Tractor Source" (or "KTS") ... a website with similar features to this one but also complete specs, photos, details, prices, and other info on each new Kubota model. About a year after that site was opened, we changed over to TractorByNet.com and opened to more makes and models of tractors. The purpose of starting the original forum, and for this one to exist now, is to share knowledge and information about tractors...

<font color=blue>3. Who pays the expenses. Who profits.</font color=blue>

The small amount of income from advertising revenue this site generates is applied towared the total expenses of creating and running this forum... the income of the site doesn't cover the total operating expenses, so the remaining balance is covered by my company, IMC Digital Universe.

The main financial beneficiaries of this site are: 1) Buyers who gain knowledge from the forum to make the correct purchasing decisions; 2) Manufacturers whose equipment they buy; 3) The dealers who sell the equipment.

<font color=blue>4. Is Muhammad compensated. (He certainly should be.)</font color=blue>

No, I am not compensated for the administrative duties I do here.

<font color=blue>5. How long has it been in existence.</font color=blue>

See above...

<font color=blue>6. Who out there is an Original Member. This is not quite as prestigious as being one of the 12 Apostles but is safer than being a member of Clinton's Cabinet.</font color=blue>

There are several "original" members still here and posting, but since we didn't have a registration feature until the KTS was opened, I really can't track that easily... just by memory. Most of the Platinum and Star Members have been around since the "early days", if not since the beginning.

Soon we'll have an "About Us" section with all this info plus some more...

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Muhammad, I remember when you started the "Kubota Tractors Message Board" and before that you were a regular poster at "Machinery Forum" and "Machinery Talk". Maybe it is my advancing age, but I don't recognize any of the current members from back then. Anyone else still here from that time?

Andy

 

[glennmac]

Muhammad, thanks. Those of us who are recent members don't know any of this history. I now also understand why there is a strong Kubota presence here. A few follow-ups:

1. What is it in your personal background that got you interested in creating a tractor site in general and a Kubota site in particular.

2. I see Ibrahim is affiliated with IMC Digital Universe, so I assume he helps you in your site chores.

3. Is Tractorbynet itself legally structured as a corporation or LLC.

4. What purpose is served by Tractorbynet being a wholly owned subsidiary of IMC Digital Universe (according to the Ownership clause in the Privacy Policy).

5. Could you explain in more detail what an "IP address" is and for what purpose it is used by IMC Digital Universe (again as mentioned in the Privacy Policy).

6. Do we have IP addresses only if we are registered or do unregistered contributors have them also.

7. The Terms of Use refer to all the contents of Tractorbynet as being copyrighted by IMC Digital Universe and/or "its suppliers". Liability is also waived on behalf of IMC Digital Universe and its "suppliers". To whom are you referring by using the term "suppliers".

Glenn

 

[Muhammad]

Andy,

The earliest members I remember are Von and Hawgee... but I'm not sure how often they were around the Machinery Forum or Agriculture Online's Machinery Talk. Forgive me if I am forgetting though... once I get back to NY I'll dig out the oldest archives from the KTMB and see who was around and if many still are.

 

[Ibrahim]

I keep the servers running smoothly. Or try to. (Yes, that means when the site is slow, I run around trying to make it fast again)

I also program and/or maintain all the scripts we run on tractorbynet.com. (Like the forum, the polls, the vote system, classifieds, etc)

-Ibrahim

 

[Muhammad]

<font color=blue>1. What is it in your personal background that got you interested in creating a tractor site in general and a Kubota site in particular.</font color=blue>

Lived on a 'hobby farm' for many years... always loved tractors. The small equipment JD dealer in the area changed over to Kubota in '94 I think, when I started to get into the Kubota tractors. Started the KTMB because I wanted even more Kubota info than I could find online, and the same thing with the KTS.

<font color=blue>2. I see Ibrahim is affiliated with IMC Digital Universe, so I assume he helps you in your site chores.</font color=blue>

He and I started IMC in '95, I believe, so we're both co-founders of the company. Several people within IMC contribute work to the site, as with any project IMC does. The amount contributed, and who does the work, depends on exactly what we're doing with the site and when. I do most of the day-to-day administration of the forum but others also contribute.

<font color=blue>3. Is Tractorbynet itself legally structured as a corporation or LLC.</font color=blue>

No, it is a division of IMC.

<font color=blue>4. What purpose is served by Tractorbynet being a wholly owned subsidiary of IMC Digital Universe (according to the Ownership clause in the Privacy Policy).</font color=blue>

It has to be owned by somebody! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Since I am one of the owning partners of IMC, IMC is the administrative/ownership contact for this website.

<font color=blue>5. Could you explain in more detail what an "IP address" is and for what purpose it is used by IMC Digital Universe (again as mentioned in the Privacy Policy).</font color=blue>

Let me try ... an IP address ( or 'Internet Address') is an address that uniquely identifies a node on an internet. Ok that's the dictionary answer... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif if I had to put it in simple terms, it is an address that identifies you online. Your IP address is exposed to each and every website you visit, and in each and every e-mail you send. While many websites use your IP address for the purpose of ad tracking, we use it if you accept a cookie from our website, and to identify users in this forum.

<font color=blue>6. Do we have IP addresses only if we are registered or do unregistered contributors have them also.</font color=blue>

See above... everyone has an IP address.

<font color=blue>7. The Terms of Use refer to all the contents of Tractorbynet as being copyrighted by IMC Digital Universe and/or "its suppliers". Liability is also waived on behalf of IMC Digital Universe and its "suppliers". To whom are you referring by using the term "suppliers".</font color=blue>

A supplier is just that... a supplier. A person or company that supplies us something that we publish to this website. That could be, for example... a photo, article, slice of code, or anything that is 'content'.

I hope this answers your questions...

 

[glennmac]

Ibrahim, thanks. Look, if you are the king and Muhammad is the mere forum administrator, that's between the two of you. I assume that you and Muhammad are the "I" and "M" and that there must also be a "C" somewhere there in central New York. (Hillary Clinton?)

You mention polls and a vote system. I havent seen those since I have been a member. Or are these terms some sort of technical lingo.

Glenn