How Far We've Come, and a Big "Thank You" to All!

[DivotMaker]

I like to drag out the forum statistics, every so often, because it still amazes me how far we've come, in a short period of time!  This is absolutely one of the fastest-growing BBQ forums on the Net, and probably the most-active smoker "manufacturer" forums ever!

Pic 1 is from 6/18/13, shortly after I joined.  As you can see, we had a whole 696 posts by 155 members!  We were a new group, venturing into the unknown world of what would become "Club Lazy Q," but didn't know it yet!  Every thread, and every post, was experimentation and trial & error! 

Fast forward just 2 short years - we now have over 1,500 members, with almost 27,000 posts!  Blows me away!  Our "little" group of happy SI users has grown so fast!  It's a testament to the quality of the product, but also a testament to the quality of the folks that are happy using it!

Once again, "Thank You," to all, for all of your participation, time and effort you've put into making Club Lazy Q the best place to hangout on the web for GREAT BBQ! 8)

 

[gregbooras]

This is a amazing forum, the interaction between members is something I have not seen anywhere else.

Congrats.

Greg

 

[DivotMaker]

Thanks, Greg!  We have such a great group now, with guys like you leading the way, I know we're only going to grow!  I never got into forums in the past - too much negativity for me.  This has been a real labor of love, and I hope it lasts forever!

 

[puddle jumper]

Here Here,,
And Thank you for all your hard work Brother,,,
8)
PJ

 

[old sarge]

Tony has worked hard at making the forum work and it works very well for all concerned.  Thanks.

 

[jcboxlot]

+1  This is a unique place, for the good. 

Well run!  Which makes it work so well.

 

[pargolfr2003]

Thanks Tony for making this so successful and fun.  I dabbled in a couple different forums before I discovered this one. Some of the other ones tended to have a lot of negative people and often wavered significantly off topic toward political issues, which is pretty much the fastest way to lose my interest. I don't care who you voted for, just show me your ribs! This site is all positive, generous and often times funny!. Tons of great people eager to share advice. I learn something new every time I log in. Keep doing what you're doing. Smoke on brothers and sisters.

 

[es1025]

I am proud to be a member of this forum. I have learned so much over the years. Old Sarge (Dave) was instrumental in me not only getting a smoker but a #3, have not looked back since. Tony has been great as a moderator, contributor, and friend. His passion is second to none. Tony's goal for next year will be getting me to not foil anymore.  By the way, i proudly wear my SI hat every day.
Let's keep the momentum going. We are the premier smoking forum!

 

[Grampy]

Ditto, to what everyone has already said. I am very glad I purchased my SI #2 and I enjoy keeping up with this forum. There is always some good tips or useful advice from other members. I check it several times a day. Everyone on here is very courteous and helpful.

 

[SuperDave]

When I first joined, I thought that the board was somewhat single minded about how to do things.  I really like how the growth in membership has created a more diverse way of thinking about our hobby.  It makes for a lot more new things to try and learn from. 

 

[RG]

I have to say that although I am the "New Kid" I feel at home here. I like the fact that you guys are open minded enough to accept a "Charcoaler" amongst you, lol. As some if not all of you know, I am an Admin over at the keg forums, I have 2 of their kamados and have learned a lot over my years there. Some of that I can still translate to useful info even for here but I am just getting started with the electric smoker scene and I couldn't have picked a better smoker to do so. This forum IS a valuable part of what makes it so great. A lot of nice people sharing knowledge through trial and error has saved me a lot of time to adapt what I know to the SI way. I thank each of you for making the learning curve more of a gradual than a 90° turn, lol.

It reminds me a lot of my early days (years ago) on the Keg forum. We were all so excited to learn, from our own mistakes and from the mistakes of others that we got pretty darn good at what we did. That IS what y'all have here. I feel that excitement, the comradery that's palpable here. I like it and I implore you not to lose it. Sadly, I've lost a lot of my gusto for the very forum I moderate due to arguing and pettiness amongst the members. I still do my "maintenance" part over there, approving/denying member requests, moving/deleting threads, policing the groups (Tony knows what I speak of, it's a fair amount of work and the pay sucks, lol).

I'd like to see this place grow, let the forum grow and become a selling feature of the SI. It's a great thing to have as a resource for anyone buying a SI smoker. Invaluable really! Why do you think there are so many "Eggheads"? They have a dedicated and passionate user base and they have a wealth of knowledge on their forum. They for the most part are all a-holes but that is beside the point, lol. I kid

Tony, we all appreciate you. That I promise you. So THANK YOU!

 

[DivotMaker]

Guys, I really appreciate the gratitude, but that isn't why I created this thread!  I wanted to showcase you all!  If it weren't for the loyal SI family, i.e., "happy users," we wouldn't be anywhere!  I am so proud of how far we've come, and know the future is nothing but smoky and bright!

Again - Thank You, all, for your help in making this the best place to hangout on the web!  "Club Lazy Q" will never close! ;D

 

[es1025]

I hope we can refer to our type of smoking as enjoying life Q. Lazy Q sounds too negative. Whats lazy about preparing our own rubs, our own sauces, and our own brines/injections. Nothing. We just dont have to tend to a fire.

LOL!

My $.02.

 

[Walt]

Im with you Ed. Not what I call it. To each his/her own.

 

[DivotMaker]

I heard the term "Lazy Q" from some stick burner buddies of mine, years ago, when talking about any electric smoker.  Before I knew any better, I agreed with them - I mean, that's not "real" BBQ, right??  One of the reasons I resisted an electric for so long!  After learning that we can make Q that can rival anyone's, I started using "Lazy Q" as a badge of honor!  My thought was to take a negative stereotype that the "traditional" BBQ guys use, and turn it into a positive!  I am proud to be a purveyor of fine BBQ, produced in the best Lazy Q fashion! 

And, you have to admit that it really doesn't take much to do a little prep, then let the smoker do most of the work while we enjoy a cold beverage or six! 8)

 

[gregbooras]

I think people over think things.... Lazy Q is fine with me.

Heck if you read the posts and look at the detail, the amount of time each of us puts into our rubs, injections, prep work, recipes....

No one here is lazy and in fact many of the members here you can tell strive for perfection and the goal to create some amazing meals!

Forget Facebook, let's see what we can smoke next!

Greg

 

[DivotMaker]

I think people over think things.... Lazy Q is fine with me.

Heck if you read the posts and look at the detail, the amount of time each of us puts into our rubs, injections, prep work, recipes....

No one here is lazy and in fact many of the members here you can tell strive for perfection and the goal to create some amazing meals!

Forget Facebook, let's see what we can smoke next!

Greg

+1!