I've been thinking about it a lot recently, and thought I'd share a few random thoughts and memories
When I first joined the AFF, I have to say it was pretty amazing. As a home-educated kid, I was fairly insular, and suddenly having an entire forum full of people who were not only welcoming and friendly, but also shared what at the time was my foremost interest, was somewhat mind-boggling. I read every post I could find in the archives, and, I'm sure to some people's annoyance, commented on every new post I saw, whether I knew anything about it or not!!
Looking back, I still remember most of the core group of AFF at the time - BlueButterfly213, Fincher, Poitta, E Orix, Gomer, MickP, Desertbirds, Framed, and a bunch of others whose usernames currently escape the top of my head, many or most of whom are happily still active members today. I was online most everyday, and the comment strings and conversations we used to have really spurred along my interest and enthusiasm - and to no small extent my knowledge - of the hobby.
Over the years lots of things have changed, I remember when I first joined we didn't have this banner at the top of the page, and every subforum had a little photo of a Gouldian at the start. I remember the day we got the banner actually, and being impressed with how it looked - back in the days when I didn't recognise every species on it!! (I remember the Yellow-rump caused me some confusion!).
As my time on the forum has ticked along, so my attitude towards the hobby has gradually changed. When I started out, I would rush frantically around the bird sales trying to see everything, when I went to people's aviaries I always quizzed them about what birds they had - and gradually, I settled down and started to take more joy from the social aspect of finch keeping. The characters you meet, rather than the birds they keep. Currently, I have just a few birds, and it's been some time since I added a new one, but I still try and get to as many finch events as I can to catch up with friends and mentors and indulge in a day out talking birds.
The AFF has presented me with a heap of fantastic opportunities. Through members of this forum I was lucky enough to do weeks of work experience at both the Alice Springs desert park, and Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria. I've been lucky enough to attend both of the more recent QFS finch conventions thanks to the members of this forum, as well as the Finch and Softbill conference in Victoria in 2012 (is there going to be another?? Hope so!!) and a little over a year ago one forum member brought me along on an epic roadtrip through the Kimberley and top end for the last if the STGF's Gouldian counts. And not to forget of course the great trips to various bird sales up and down the east coast! If ever a website membership could be deemed "life changing", it is this one.
Over the last 12 months I've started attending school for the first time in my life at year 11, and as a result my bird event attendance and forum activity has suffered a severe drop, much to my dismay. School has been great fun, but I don't have as much time to spend with my birds anymore, which has been difficult. When MickP asked if I might be interested in becoming a junior moderator for the forum, I jumped at the chance, although I haven't done much to honour the role yet.
I still enjoy the chance to browse the forum whenever I can though, and I've been really happy to see that it still thrives, now with a whole new cast of members, most of whom I don't know very well, and for some of whom this may be the first post I've started since they joined! Now that the summer break has arrived, I'm really looking forward to finally spending more time on the forum, interacting with it's members, and getting back into aviculture after what has been (with the obvious exception of Finches '14) a mostly finchless year.
The point of this post was twofold. Firstly just to share a few of my thoughts (sorry if they're a bit random), and secondly to say thanks - the AFF has really been a defining feature of my life in the last five years, and I'm really happy to have been a part of it for so long. I want to say thanks to all of the members who took me in, encouraged me, set me back on the right track (over and over again), and helped me progress in the hobby. Can't wait for the next five years.
Wishing everyone a happy and safe Christmas and New Year,
Julian.
feels good to be back.
I still work there - I was there today in fact. Here's a photo from a few school holidays ago, of the Red-shouldered Whydah E Orix sent up for us to look after. A very old bird, one of the last, I believe, who unfortunately seems to have passed on during term.
