[Kafue]

Wishing all of the Yacht Forums Community a Merry Christmas and a New Year that brings new challenges, opportunities and rewards.

We have all become so accustomed to the ease of communicating with each other, sharing our passion for boating, airing opinions, enjoying a laugh and the occasional argument. To be able to get advice, direction and discussion from a very deep pool of professionals that probably covers the Globe, all at no cost.

All this achieved in the “moment” and by simply logging on to YF.

We are a Community. Quite incredible when you think about it.

What an achievement by you Carl, the moderators and all who populate and contribute to the community that is Yacht Forums.

Thank you.

[Yacht News]

Agreed, well said Kafue!

[Loren Schweizer]

Well put, Kafue, and Merry Christmas to you and everybody here.

[C4ENG]

I love seeing just some good old fashion positiveness and well wishing All the way from Australia to some living room in South Fl to computer screens out in the middle of the Atlantic ocean... Merry Christmas all!!

[FISHTIGUA]

Nicely said, a Merry Christmas to all.

[Old Phart]

'Tis the Season - may it be filled with Health and Happiness,
Laughter and Joy, and Wealth and Prosperity.

Merry Christmas to one and all.

Shining Star - animated Flash ecard by Jacquie Lawson

[YachtForums]

Originally Posted by Kafue

We are a Community. Quite incredible when you think about it. What an achievement by you Carl, the moderators and all who populate and contribute to the community that is Yacht Forums.

The Internet has made the world a much smaller place and within that, many of us found our place. No matter the subject, forums provide a venue for people with a common interest.

Communities form a voice. Together, we are being heard. The yachting industry - steeped in tradition - has been slow to accept and understand social media, choosing to cling to antiquated paper relics of the past. I'm glad to say we are in the midst of a paradigm shift from print-to-web and the marine industry is finally embracing the future.

It's been a lot of hard work 'behind the screen'. We've had to educate an industry, earn their trust and deliver far more - for far less - than any media that has come before us. I’ve been presented with challenges that no other editor or publisher has ever faced; answering to your constituents live 24/7, not to mention the technical aspects of a forum administrator, coder, SEO specialist and an ill-equipped umpire when you guys play hardball.

On the subject of SEO, I’d like to share MY Christmas present with our members. I’ve been tweaking YF for years. Today, I’m excited to say a Google search for the singular words ‘yacht’ or ‘yachts’ puts YF on the first page of results in the US. This is HUGE because we’ve done this with very few inbound, external links. It speaks volumes about our coding, our member’s content and the value of YF in this sector.

For those that don’t know, YF tops a Google search under every name brand yacht builder in the world. See the attached Google Rank Sheet for a breakdown of our position with specific keywords. Why is this important? Because if someone is searching the Internet for yachts, they are finding YachtForums and collectively, our whispers have become roars.

We’ve come a long way, but there is more work to be done. I'm proud to be part of this Digital Colony. Thank you for allowing Lars, Kevin and myself to make decisions that we believe are in the best interest of the community.

Happy Holidays to ALL!

Carl

[Savasa]

Greetings,
Wow thanks Santa Carl and I didn't even ask for a present. Best wishes to all fellow members and BOATERS worldwide.
Peter

[K1W1]

Hi,

I would like to echo the sentiments of the previous posters at this joyous time of year.

If you are with family make the most of it they won't be there forever, if you have to work make the most of that too -- There are many of folks in all countries who would jump at the chance to work at anything these days and who are unable to do through absolutely no fault of their own.

[SeaEric]

To Carl and everyone: Merry Christmas. I'm very pleased to be a part of this community.

As far as the Google results are concerned: It amazes me how often my Google search results produce MY OWN posts on YF along with the countless others. Bravo and thank you to Carl for his HUGE investment in this excellent forum.

[rcrapps]

Be well with family and friends. Remember those who are missing. Pray for all safety, peace, calm and good spirit.
We wish all with great spirit, Merry Christmas, Safe Holidays And best wishes in your way of peace.
Ralph & Josie
Jax FL

[Kevin]

I hope everyone's enjoying a good holiday season... I know I am. Not much to speak of, but some seriously needed time off never hurt. I'm glad to count the YF community among my friends, even though some of you force us to keep our "Edit" buttons warm...

[GFC]

Speaking as one who stands in awe of those of you who have so much experience than I and are so willing to share it....

May your seas be calm
and your winds be light.
May your skies be clear
and your sunshine bright.

[dennismc]

From the City of Vancouver in beautiful British Columbia, best wishes for Christmas good health and happiness in the coming year, a great forum indeed.

[SHAZAM]

Thanks to Carl and everyone else here for giving us the ideal place to hang out. Happy holidays to all.