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When we pass a milestone here in ActiveRain, we have that deep down feeling of accomplishment where we want to shout it from the rooftops and tell the whole world that "Yeah Buddy, we did it!". As ActiveRain inches ever closer towards the milestone of reaching its 1,000,000 post, (999,000+ as of this morning) didja ever wonder who posted the first post here in ActiveRain? Well curiosity got the best of me and after doing some good old sleuth work, I came up with what I believe to be the answer. By the data that is available to the general public, the first official post after ActiveRain went live was #10 written by Brett Tousley; Tacoma WA real estate titled "Blast the Bubble" written on 06/25/2006 at 2:14. I did find #8, a test blog posted by Ben Wisely titled "Launching Blogs" written on 06/24 at 3:14PM the day before ActiveRain went live on June 25th. Quite a feat and accomplishment to go from 1 (#10) to 1M posts in a little over 2 years and 8 months as I expect to see the 1M mark sometime this week.

ActiveRain certainly has come a long way since its humble beginnings of its first 13 member as recorded in June 2006.

Today, ActiveRain has surpassed 100,000 members with current membership standing at 140K+ and growing steadily every day. To see the daily list of new members type in http://activerain.com/action/agents/new_users. I urge you to take a few minutes to welcome at least one new member daily.
Here's wishing our community continued growth and success as they push past the 1 millionth post and membership steadily grows to reach the 200K members mark. Yup, ActiveRain has come a long way, baby...


Wishing all my fellow drips and tweeps a G-r-r-r-reat day... 8-)


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71 Comments on You've Come a Long Way Baby...

MAR
24
2009
453,374 Points 15 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

With more than 140K members, I'm surprised we haven't long since hit a million posts... that's only 7 posts per member! 

5:57am • #1
453,374 Points 15 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

PS - I like your Twitter button, you certainly have a great handle on all the top places to go - am hoping to catch up to you soon....

5:59am • #2
262,009 Points 8 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Michael, thanks for the informative posts and Congratulations to Active Rain for the millionth!!  We will raise a cup of joe this morning in a toast, Here's to you Active Rain, I don't know how I would spend time in the morning without you!  Reading and giggling and sometimes crying in the Rain but how great this journey is!  Long live the Rain.

5:59am • #3

It's a wonderful community to be involved with. I'm glad so many others participate and share. It's a great source of motivation, keeping spirits up, and learning so many new things.

6:03am • #4
804,997 Points 27 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Michael,

Wow! It's hard to believe! Love your title it is so true...ActiveRain has come a long way!! Congrats to this great community that "hasn't seen anything yet!!"

6:13am • #5
320,285 Points 5 Featured Posts Outside Blog

A million post is allot of links and relevant information. No wonder google loves AR so much. It must be constantly crawled.

6:16am • #7
1 Featured Post

 Lots of caring and sharing goes with this as well. i have always felt the love on Rain,

6:23am • #8
733,377 Points 136 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Hit Router Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

It's interesting to click through on these posts and compare them with the posts of today's ActiveRainers.  Ben has disappeared from the Rain altogether, while Brett posted earlier this month.  I wonder if either of them could have imaged what a giant this platform would become.  

6:38am • #9
1,138,496 Points 139 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Margaret...I found it interesting to read these first posts as well..

Sharon... You are right - a whole lot of sharing & caring...

Laura... Yup! Dats a lotta Google Juice too...

Janice and Gail...AR has not hit 1M yet but they are so--o-o-o close...

Dorie... You are right, we ain't seen nothing yet. A lot has changed in the year & a half that I have been a member...

Jessica.. You are right it is a great source of information and inspriation...

Penny... Thanks for being the first member to comment today...

6:52am • #10
317,970 Points 32 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Great job Active Rain community because without us there would not be an Active Rain.  Great job to the founders of the network and to all the staff who keep it running. And Great job to all the people who read our blogs every day.  Thanks Michael for posting this reminder of all we have to be thankful for here in the Rain. 

6:58am • #11
535,686 Points 7 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

I wish I was on here from the beginning. I did not here of Active Rain until last March and joined right away.

7:06am • #12
412,193 Points 1 Featured Post

Bully for you....that's incredible!! 

Patricia Aulson/ Portsmouth NH Real Estate

7:08am • #13
801,306 Points 35 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Blog on members all...and reap the benefits of being a part of a knowledgable and wonderful community....Yahooooo !

7:15am • #14
Localism Sponsor

I'm so sorry I wasn't here a lot sooner, only for the last 6months. Looking forward to many years of being here.

Amazing growth!!

7:29am • #15
860,635 Points 76 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

I cannot believe it was only last summer when there was the contest guessing when we'd hit 100,000. Now it's 140,000

7:45am • #16
538,546 Points 6 Featured Posts

ToulaRosebrock.comHi Michael:

Wow...that's amazing!

By the way, congrats on the feature...

7:47am • #17
768,696 Points 60 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Great sleuthing Michael!

Such an interesting post.

No wonder it was a featured blog!

Keep up the good work!

7:47am • #18
1,193,500 Points 89 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

I remember John Novak and I trying to watch when a particular # would cross the line...  I think it may have been the 10,000th member?

I have done more than my required 7 posts per member but a number of people I have invited have not done 7 posts or even one.

 

I miss Ben Wisely.  I wondered reading the Inman article about the whole Move fiasco if Ben was the employee that had to leave because AR folks weren't able to make payroll...  because of what Move did in that whole negotiation thing when they then walked away to create their own blogs.

7:49am • #19
125,589 Points

Thanks, I love this history stuff, wheather its American History or Activerain history. Thanks.

7:53am • #20
688,676 Points 117 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Michael,

When I found AR (on Inman News) back in July of 2007, I never envisioned what it would do for me personally, and for my business.  AR is my first place to search for anything I want to know that has any association with lending or real estate.

Mike in Tucson

8:05am • #21
1,138,496 Points 139 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Paddy, you are right - we do have a lot to be thankful for...

Chuck, I was a member for about 3 months before I wrote my first post - wasn't sure I wanted to do this blogging stuff - look at me know - LOL...

Patricia, yes it is incredible...

Sally & David, yes we all do reap the benefits of the rain...

Ann, Yes the growth over the past 6 months or so has been incredible...

Erica, I remember that too. AR is growing by leaps and bounds...

Toula, Thanks...

Craig, That is what I do for a living, search for answers - Thanks...

Maureen, I would like to read a post on this as some of us "old timers" have a lot of history here...

Brien, I am somewhat of a history buff myself - thanks...

Mike, me too... Thanks for the comment...

8:16am • #22
238,989 Points 2 Featured Posts

I'm going to go there right now and welcome someone new.  I think I'll make it a point to do that every day.  I remember how nice it was to receive a welcome from the Active Rain members when I first joined.  Thanks for letting us know.

8:17am • #23
1,193,500 Points 89 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Where did you have to look to find all of this Michael?  Go through day by day?  of the early days. You have a lot more patience than I do. 

8:20am • #24
539,437 Points 12 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Michael, almost one million posts almost seems unbelievable. What else is there to write about? We also thought 100,000 members was quite an achievement. A lot of good information here and a bunch of good people.

8:21am • #25
260,424 Points 10 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Thanks for sharing this. How far it's come...and I'm still relatively new. I can stand here and cheer but I'm still looking around the room amazed at what everyone else has accomplished!

8:35am • #26
1,138,496 Points 139 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Maureen, It was pretty simple really, I knew that you and Lenn had a lot of history so I started from y'all and worked backward from this url:http://activerain.com/action/agents/new_users/2006/08/01 I just kept changing the 08 to 07 then to 06. I clicked around from there to find my answer...

Heather, You are welcome...

Michael, I gotta say, dems a 'hole lotta posts, but things keep changing and so do the topics. There is a lot of blog fodder out there. We just need to be aware of it...

 

8:35am • #27
137,170 Points

Micheal, there has been so many changes here on A/R in just the short time I myself have been here, I can just image all the changes from day one. Great Post .

                                                                            ~ Life is Good

8:43am • #28
2 Featured Posts

You make an excellent suggestion to welcome at least one new member of Active Rain daily.  In the spirit of community, such hospitality can do nothing but good.  A bit of the old welcome wagon...  Thank you for that.  I'm off to welcome a new member.

8:47am • #29
498,000 Points 8 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Michael - that is quite an accomplishment in a short period of time. I think there is so much knowledge to gain here, as well as network with some great people. Great post!

8:52am • #30
1,193,500 Points 89 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Daren wrote:  "I'm off to welcome a new member."

just don't turn into one of the spammers who makes it their daily mission to cut and paste in the same comment 10 times on 10 posts with links to their own site. or to their Twitter page or to them-self on Facebook, or their website.  It teaches newbies that the way to comment is not about the post, that it is OK for the comment to be all about the commenter not about the post as long as you are saying Welcome.    

9:01am • #31
1 Featured Post

Michael, thanks for the history. History = context.

I've only been part of the AR community for just over 2 weeks, but I think I've contributed my 7 posts.

9:20am • #32
1,480,005 Points 275 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Michael, this is such an interesting history lesson!  Thanks for digging it out - an anthropological blogger!

9:28am • #33
360,757 Points 36 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

Michael I just passed the 50,000 point mark and then read your blog.  We have come a long way and we're gaining momentum.  Good post.  I think I will take your suggestion of welcoming a new member every day.  Great idea.

9:39am • #34
1,138,496 Points 139 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Roy, yes my friend, there have been a lot of changes...

Daren, Cool! Just follow Maureen's advice...

Maureen, thanks, could not have said it better myself...

Patricia, at 400K points you have been around awhile and have seen a lot of stuff change too...

Marian, Congrats on passing the 50K milestone, I know how proud you are... Be looking forward towards seeing you reach 100K... 

9:49am • #35
2 Featured Posts

Awesome information.  It is great to see how this website has evolved, even in the recently short time I have been a part of the community.  Thank you for the update!

9:50am • #36
262,827 Points

Michael, thanks for all the info, interesting...

9:56am • #37
406,296 Points 12 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Michael, I always love reading the trivia for AR - hey - maybe a game should be made! that would be cool "trivial pursuit" AR style :)

10:07am • #38
1,225,278 Points 262 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Hit Router Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Michael...

The growth is hard to believe, and I think that AR will reach 200K members by the end of this calendar year. WOW!

10:10am • #39
4 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Michael - I was welcomed so warmly, that I try to reciprocate every day. What great advice. I hope AR reaches a million posts by tonight! I think we can do it, eh? What interesting information you posted here today! Cheers, and I'm following you on Twitter now, thanks to that cute little birdie...

Amy's Sweet Signature

10:11am • #40
4 Featured Posts

Michael...ANOTHER featured post!! Good one at that. See you in the office!

10:17am • #41
1,138,496 Points 139 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Manolis, Yup, it has come a long way since I came on board...

Jean, you are welcome...

Jo, Might make an interesting group if not a game show...

Richard, It is amazing the growth AR has achieved. If they have not passed 200K they will be close...

Amy, I try to visit the Newbies as often as I can and welcome at least one a day...

Stephen, Thanks...

10:41am • #42
751,535 Points 7 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Great post...AR has really climbed the chart...and the members are all right there enjoying the fun!

10:56am • #43
176,333 Points 8 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp

that is really great - I just skiied with a fellow activerainer on Sat. and talked to another one today about doing something together in April. What a great group!

11:59am • #44
518,388 Points 5 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog

Michael - It's encouraging to see the membership still growing, even with people having to pay now. hopefully the gods at AR wil be able to invest some of the money into tools that make Activerain even more powerful.

12:18pm • #45
153,729 Points 4 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Called Shot Master

Wow - great post, loved reading about the beginnings of AR, since, well...I wasn't here yet!

12:24pm • #46
531,037 Points 4 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Michael: You have gone threw the history books for sure.. Very interesting to see the beginnings of AR

 

12:59pm • #47
246,908 Points Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

I love history and quite often visit the webs archieve site for a trip back in time:

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.activerain.com

It seems like Active Rain was conceived in March 2004 as a site for Buyers.  It's evolved into a great Community for all things real estate.

Thanks,
Sue of Robin and Sue

1:22pm • #48
1,193,500 Points 89 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

I'd say the 2004 reference on the Wayback Machine is to WhyNotOwn Real Estate, a previous company that Jonathan started.   In May 2006 a month before ActiveRain the real estate network was launched it was a lead generation company.  

© 2003 WhyNotOwn Real Estate Inc.  An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. 

1:30pm • #49
4 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor

WOW Michael!  That's quite an accomplishment for AR - for all of us, isn't it?  I enjoy statistics, especially when they show where you have been and give a framework for where you are going.  It's easy to imagine that 2M won't take as long!  Thanks so much!

1:39pm • #50
212,295 Points 69 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Ah the good old days... when everythign in the world was simpler and easier. NOT!

Hey Michael... thanks for taking me back. As an early adaptor I can I am and still am impressed to all that Active Rain has given this community from day one.

1,000,000,000 cheers to them for all they have given us.


Me

1:41pm • #51

Michael, thanks for the informative posts and Congratulations to Active Rain for the millionth!!  We will raise a cup of joe this morning in a toast, Here's to you Active Rain, I don't know how I would spend time in the morning without you!  Reading and giggling and sometimes crying in the Rain but how great this journey is!  Long live the Rain.

 

Frank

@

Franklin.mclawhorn@ziprealty.com

1:49pm • #52
1,103,588 Points 45 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Michael,

That is an interesting post. I had wondered who the original bloggers might have been.

1:56pm • #53
576,095 Points 3 Featured Posts

Kinda wonder where I was, I joined in june of 06 but never posted. I ashamed to admit how silly I thought it was and that it was a passing fad but I guess I just did.

2:37pm • #54

Great post Michael - It's fun to see where AR has come from!!

DM

2:53pm • #55
284,607 Points 37 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog

Thank you for doing the research and sharing this with us.  I have never looked back to see the very beginnings.  I joined in March of 07 but I truly wish I had joined in 06 and started writing frequently from the starting gate.  Congratulations to AR!

3:18pm • #56
546,176 Points 11 Featured Posts

Hi Michael -- Thanks for the history lesson.  I sure hope they have a RAID5 or better system, as those hard drive systems must be humming.

4:13pm • #57
402,500 Points 4 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Michael - Cool post. I think we've been on here since 07 as well and have watched a/r grow immensly. I think it was about 50,000 when we joined. Not my post but the Hammersteam post which was mostly Lisa posting and me jumping in here and there. Very interesting to see how far we've come.  Great Sleuthing! Is that a real word? :-)

5:33pm • #58
156,303 Points

Well, you are quite the sleuth. What and interesting story you are telling us, I thoroughly enjoyed it. AR is really going places. We all need to get busy and write more blogs.

6:44pm • #59
936,730 Points 361 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Michael, This post does bring back some memories. I wrote my first post on July 8 2006!! back then there was really only a handful of us that were posting. In fact for the first 18 months or so I was able to read EVERY post every day. Now I can even keep up with how fast the pages scroll by.  

7:43pm • #60
402,631 Points 40 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Hi Michael...Thanks for doing the detective work.  I wasn't even aware that so many posts had been posted.  Hopefully I'll get to see the big one.  If for no other reason, it should get a gold star so we don't miss it.

I've heard (read) that we can find out how many memebers there were when we joined but I've forgotten how.  Should have tried it when I read it.

Kate

7:58pm • #61
108,971 Points Outside Blog

Interesting, the question now is Who wil be  number one million!

8:04pm • #62
482,745 Points 1 Featured Post Localism Sponsor Outside Blog

Evening Michael,  Thanks for the interesting stats. Amazing isn't it ?

8:17pm • #63
848,632 Points 153 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Hit Router Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Thanks for the history lesson, Michael. Did you know I love history.

I love, love, love to celebrate milestones and celebrate the success of other folks here.

Oh and did I say EVERYTHING I have learned in my life I learned here. Well about blogging and SEO.

9:05pm • #64
1,007,109 Points 36 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

It's amazing how much knowledge has been provided here on AR in such a short period of time.

11:30pm • #65
179,006 Points 13 Featured Posts

Wow, what a difference a couple of years makes.

I think AR is what they call an "overnight success" - only that is has been a very long night for those who built this.

11:30pm • #66
MAR
25
2009
1,193,500 Points 89 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

so according to Brad's post this morning this is the first post on ActiveRain, written by Jay Thompson:

 

http://activerain.com/blogsview/15/Earnest-Money-what-why-how-much

 

I guess I had heard somewhere that Jay wrote the first post on ActiveRain.  The first 14 did not count.  Brad said Brett's is just a link...  #8 Ben's was not just a link but full of crazy code...  wonder what #2, 3, 4 etc. were?

7:41am • #69
1,138,496 Points 139 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Yes, I saw this this morning too. I guess I stand corrected. Either way, it was fun to trace back in to the archives...

8:08am • #70
1,193,500 Points 89 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

No you are right. 

The number on Brett's post is number one, the number on Jay's is number 15.  The number on Brandon's is number 1,000,000.

 

1:56pm • #71

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Michael Thornton - Nashville, TN area Home Inspector - 615.661.0297

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