Transfer of Stewardship of the Festool Owner's Group

[FOG Moderator]

Dear Festool Owners Group Members,

The Festool Owners Group has been an exciting venture.  A little under five years ago, on a whim, I established a simple Yahoo list for Festool owners.  I was just curious to see who else was out there who wanted to discuss these interesting tools.

Turns out, there were a lot of us!  The Yahoo list grew faster than I had predicted.  In a little more than two years, we had 3,000 members and 15,000 posts.  That's when I decided it was time to move to a more sophisticated space, bringing us to the forum you now see.  Today, two and a half years after the move, membership has more than doubled, rising to 6,680.  The number of posts has increased fivefold, to over 70,000.  That's just a snapshot of where we are today.

We have grown steadily and impressively.  There have been some rough patches along the way, but Festool customers -- current and prospective -- are a classy bunch.  You have made this a most exciting, rewarding, and creative effort.  I've always been happy to think of ideas (from new boards and discussions to projects like the gallery and the monthly contests) that make this a more informative and entertaining place.  Community involvement, support received both online and offline, and seeing daily how many people enjoy this forum, made everything worthwhile.

The Festool Owners Group has always been managed entirely by me.  In early 2009, I began questioning this arrangement.  Administrative demands, along with a sense that there is a need for a more varied approach, made me realize that this forum is now beyond any single individual's control.  Recent challenges to the forum's management from various corners gave the final push, prompting me to begin searching for a new way to carry the Festool Owners Group forward.  With each passing day, I believed more strongly that with a different management system, the forum could see greater success.

So, I knew it was time for a change.  But I felt a serious responsibility to do it correctly.  With this in mind, I considered a number of options.  After contacting several potential new owners, I decided that it was vital for the forum to maintain its Festool orientation.  The plan that made most sense was to transfer the Festool Owners Group to Festool USA, but have moderators -- respected members of this community -- share joint management.  After some discussions, Festool USA CEO Christian Oltzscher and I worked it all out.

Let me be clear: I sought this solution independently, I contacted Festool USA about this, and it was my decision to transfer ownership of this forum to Festool USA.

Elements of this plan have already been implemented.  I have transferred ownership of the forum databases and Web hosting contract to Festool USA.

Today -- with this announcement to the community -- we mark my official departure as forum administrator.  Of course, I will continue to be a member.

I urge everyone to support this new direction for the Festool Owners Group, and to embrace this change as a way for the forum to continue growing impressively.  We do not yet know who the new moderators will be.  That will be up to Festool USA and this community.

This was a very difficult decision.  The Festool Owners Group has always been more than just a forum to me.  It was a way to prove -- to the world and to myself -- that a vibrant, positive group of people could come together under a single theme, explore the complexity of that theme, express themselves openly and constructively, and that leadership of the community could be carried out democratically with the involvement of members.  We should be proud to say that the Festool Owners Group is living proof that all this is possible.  I hope these principles continue to thrive, and that the future of this forum will make all of us even more proud.

Thank you again to everyone who has made this such a terrific journey.

Farewell,

Matthew Schenker

 

[FOG Moderator]

Dear Festool Owners Group Members,

Festool would like to extend our warmest welcome to you.  While the official ownership has changed, our goal is to keep the forum independent.  By working closely with Matthew, we were able to ensure that the forum did not fall prey to large commercial interests, and it could remain fundamentally unchanged, and focused on Festool products and solutions.  We look forward to answering questions, asking for your feedback, and supporting the members by leveraging our many industry relationships to bring value to you, the forum members.   

I feel we would be remiss if we did not thank Matthew and the community for contributing hours of your time and knowledge over the past few years to make this a special place for Festool owners.  Through your contributions, thousands of woodworkers have found a better and more enjoyable way of working with wood.  We are proud to be part of such an enthusiastic community, and we look forward to contributing to the future success of this storied forum. 

Per Matthew's earlier note, elements of this plan have already been implemented.  With this announcement to the community, we mark the official transfer of the forum to Festool.  We do not expect significant changes to the forum, but as with any transition and evolutionary path, there will be issues and challenges that will need to be addressed.  It is our sincere hope that the community will actively participate in those challenges, guide us through the transition, and embrace the forum as it evolves.  We hope that the direct support of Festool in this forum will bring in new members, foster relationships with existing members, and offer past members a reason to return. 

Our intent is not to control the forum, but rather to encourage its evolution into a forum that embraces the values that will make it an even more welcoming place; a place where people feel free to share ideas and advice on Festool products.  The most important of these values are:

-  Respect for the individual
-  Open and honest communications void of personal attacks
-  Free flow of ideas

In order to maintain a high degree of independence, we will select moderators from the woodworking community who will embrace and uphold these simple values.  We will start a topic in the Festool Owner's Group Administration area called, "Festool Owners Group Transition", where we can post updates, and capture your thoughts and concerns on how it should be run going forward.  We encourage feedback from the community, so together we can make the Festool Owners Group a better place. 

We are excited about entering this new chapter in our relationship, and the entire FestoolUSA team looks forward to working with you. 

 

[ForumMFG]

I would personally like to thank Matthew for establishing this community and bringing it to what it is today.  I am a new member and have found this this Forum is extremely resourceful and pleasant to enjoy thanks to Matthew and other knowledgeable members that participate. 

Thanks Matthew for starting this forum and all the work you did.

 

[Bob Marino]

Matt,

Again, I would like to thank you for having the vision, the perseverance and the generosity with your time money and sweat to have started and maintained the FOG. The FOG has been a valuable resource for customers, dealers and Festool. You were the pioneer. (For the FOG members  - I have had the pleasure of meeting Matt way back when and he is a true gentleman). I wish you all the best and am glad to see you will remain a member.

Bob

 

[alanz]

Congratulations on what I expect will be a smooth transition. 

Thanks go to Matthew and to all the members who strive to make this not only an informative resource, but also a nice place to visit.

 

[Pete Pedisich]

Matthew,

Thanks for all your time and hard work, having this forum enabled me to learn and improve my skills and shop.

-Pete

 

[peter halle]

Matthew,

I would also like say thanks for doing what was at times a thankless job.  A job that many of us here - including myself - never really understood the complexities involved.  Thru the good times and the bad times you proved that patience and hard work can overcome the obstacles presented.  I have spent days reading the posts on this forum - your little creation -  and find myself bettered by your efforts to create a place where individuals could come forth and discuss, advise, agree, disagree, illustrate, and banter about tools made by primarily one manufacturer openly and wthout outside influence.

Just yesterday I started to send you a message asking if anything was ok - today's news is good on that count.

I am sure that I won't be the only one that will say thank you for your diligence and sacrifices, congratualations on your successes, and  good luck.  Remember the good, learn from the bad. 

Perhaps now you will be able to devote some more time to the things that inspired you in the first place.

Peter

 

[Chuck Kiser]

Thanks Matthew on a job well done. I know it was not always easy to manage the growth and direction of the forum. But FWIW  I think you handled all the issues in a professional manner. Now go have some fun and enjoy a little more time for your other interests.

 

[Mac]

I'd like to add my thanks to Matthew. Although a newish member, I've been quite inspired by your dedication and professionalism with which you've obviously run this forum. Here's to the future, but more importantly here's to the man who brought it here.

Cheers, Matthew.
Mac

 

[woodshopdemos]

Matthew,
  I too offer my thanks to you and what you have done for this forum. It is a success largely do to your efforts. I wish you well whereever you go.
John Lucas

 

[rwdawson]

Matthew,

There is nothing I can say to improve on the sentiments already expressed, nor those to come.  I have benefited beyond my highest expectations from this forum and will continue to learn from the advice and opinions of its members. Your leadership and good sense have made this possible.

I hope you gain from and enjoy whatever you do next as much as we have from your contribution to what is one of the very best places on the web to visit.

Thank you,

Richard

 

[Wonderwino]

This is a great forum and it motivated me to spend copious amounts of money on better tools which have produced superior results.  I learned alot from more experienced woodworkers and continue to glean ideas from posts.  I look forward to seeing it grow and prosper.

 

[PeterK]

I have learned so much from this site - thanks to a tremendous amount of work by Matthew. I really like that Festool has been actively reading the postings and occasionally answering questions either by post reply or PMs/Emails. I really think we will benefit even more now by a more active Festool involvement.

Thank you Matthew so much for all your work creating and managing this site. I know it has taken a tremendous amount of time on your part and also you have invested plenty of money. Enjoy your "vacation" and please stay as an active contributing member.
Pete

 

[minimal]

Thanks Matthew! What a great piece of work you've done here...I've enjoyed the results of your labor for many-an-hour.

 

[spikfot]

Thanks Matthew, You have done the woodworking community (and Festo) a great service. I can't imagine how many thousands of hours you have put into the FOG. Hope it comes back to you in a positive way.
 
Cheers,
Bill

 

[Neill]

Matthew,

I don't know that I can add any more accolades to what has already been written.  You may be gone as the moderator but you have left behind a legacy in this forum that will last for many years.  No one can really comprehend the amount of time you spent making this forum what it is today.  

I know that I look forward to reading your future posts. Personally I purchased my Rotex 125 based almost solely upon your excellent review.  It was a perfect example of what you can do when you come out from behind the scenes.

Now, what are you gonna do with all this free time?

Neill

 

[robtonya]

Thanks Matthew for a great forum! I have missed your posts starting with the usual good morning, or good afternoon, and knew something was going on. I hope you continue to contribute here.

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Matthew, you have definitely put a great deal of your life into creating and building this forum over the many years, and you deserve a huge thank you from everyone that has ever used the forum past/present/future. In your message, you closed with "farewell". I certainly hope that this referred solely to your position, and not as a farewell to the forum as a participant. I would hope that you will continue to remain an active participant in this community.

I haven't visited the forum in a while, so this news came as a complete shock to me this afternoon, but I really do look forward to the future of the forum and expect that it will grow exponentially on the foundation that you have built.

I am very excited about the new possibilities, so I guess I have a lot of reading to catch up on.

Again, thank you for your efforts, and I thank Festool for their insight in moving the forum into the future.

Rick Christopherson

 

[Michael Kellough]

I hate to be redundant but I do want to express my gratitude to you for launching and shepherding FOG all these years. It's amazing that you managed to do this pretty much single handedly.

I've learned a lot from this forum and met a lot of great people here so once again, thank you very much.

 

[nclemmons]

Matthew - thank you for building this community.  You poured many hours into making it a great place for learning and sharing.  And it shows. 

Festool - thank you for your enthusiasm to take this forum and group to a new level.  It's clear that you have always put the owner's experience at the center of your thinking - systems, service, compatibility, warranty, dealer requirements, spare parts availability after tools are discontinued.  You are among very few companies that operate this way.  And it shows.

I'm excited to see a similar embrace continue here in discussion and demonstration on getting the most out of the tools.  Here's to better woodworking.

neil