28 replies to this topic

[Rick]

Dear Valued IVF.ca Members

 

I originally created this site in 2002 after the birth of our daughter who we had through IVF. Until then I was quite dissatisfied with IVF networks I had been a member at and I felt there was a serious patient networking gap in Canada. Rather than complain about it I took matters and vision in hand and created IVF.ca.

 

The project became a major commitment. I took this on with no web experience whatsoever. Needless to say it has caused many sleepless nights.  Perhaps even a sleepless decade.

 

Internet related technologies are moving forward at a tremendous clip. At this stage I feel it’s time to hand over the reins to a company who can help IVF.ca manage and grow in the future. Today I am announcing IVF.ca has been acquired by the media company VerticalScope.

 

VerticalScope is taking over the operational aspects of the website and you may see some changes appear as a result over time, however the forum itself should not be greatly affected. Everyone will continue to use the forum and site as they do now. I will still be involved with the website as much as time permits, in particular assisting with transition issues. The existing moderator team will still maintain their rights and roles in the forum and be an integral part of the website.

 

I hope that, in some small way, I’ve been able to make a difference in the lives of those who struggle with infertility. I have come to know many people on this site that have made a difference in my life. If I can ever be of assistance to anyone on this website in the future, including VerticalScope and their staff, please feel free to ask. I’ll be hanging around. You probably can’t get rid of me!

 

Thank you

 

Rick Bissonette

 

Founder, IVF.ca

 

[gibasgirl]

I am very glad that you took that step in 2002.

Thank you, Rick. You have left an indelible imprint on this very special community and it couldn't have happened without you.

[MB.]

Rick, thank you so much for creating this community. Without this site and these knowledgable women for guidance, I would not have ultimately been successful. Your efforts have had meaning and impacted so many. Thank you.

[ForumAdmin]

Hello,

Just wanted to introduce my self to you all. My name is Philip and I am a community manager for Verticalscope.com and will be taking over the WebMaster duties for Rick here on IVF.ca. I am here to help primarily with the technical end of things and help make the jobs of the current staff easier. I posted a real basic run down to answer common questions below. If you have more questions or concerns please post them.

What are our intentions?

We bring reliability, support and the infrastructure needed to ensure that the community will be around for years to come. It’s our goal to work with your board staff to help provide the resources and required to give this community a broader reach, to attract new members to better the overall knowledge shared in the community.

Will leadership change?

Continuity is the focus here, You as the membership work very hard to keep building this community while staff keep the walls and the roof up in this place; We are primarily here to make sure the lights stay on. Every community is unique and should always be respected in that regard. You guys have established your own unique rules and regulations and a strong reputation that is carried by all of this and it’s paramount that we maintain this level of integrity.

What am I here for?

My primary role is to be the technical contact as I said earlier you all built the foundation and keep the roof from falling, I am here keeping the lights on inside. I will be on the forum checking in daily to make sure regular maintenance is all taken care of and keep things running smoothly from behind the scenes.

I do look forward to getting to know you all and this unique community better.

[My_time]

Oh Rick, I will be sad to see you go and glad to hear that you will stick around for a while. Thank you for creating this community. I have learnt a lot from people on this site and they have changed my view on this world. Good luck to you.

[vball_gal]

Thanks Rick for all your time and support that went into this website.

[ladylazarus]

Without this site, I would not have found the right clinic and all the amazing support that kept me going. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Rick. You made an amazing difference in my life and I'm sure, the lives of so many who would have otherwise suffered in silence. Congratulations on the transition and glad to hear you aren't going anywhere!

[---]

Hello,

Just wanted to introduce my self to you all. My name is Philip and I am a community manager for Verticalscope.com and will be taking over the WebMaster duties for Rick here on IVF.ca. I am here to help primarily with the technical end of things and help make the jobs of the current staff easier. I posted a real basic run down to answer common questions below. If you have more questions or concerns please post them.

What are our intentions?

We bring reliability, support and the infrastructure needed to ensure that the community will be around for years to come. It’s our goal to work with your board staff to help provide the resources and required to give this community a broader reach, to attract new members to better the overall knowledge shared in the community.

Will leadership change?

Continuity is the focus here, You as the membership work very hard to keep building this community while staff keep the walls and the roof up in this place; We are primarily here to make sure the lights stay on. Every community is unique and should always be respected in that regard. You guys have established your own unique rules and regulations and a strong reputation that is carried by all of this and it’s paramount that we maintain this level of integrity.

What am I here for?

My primary role is to be the technical contact as I said earlier you all built the foundation and keep the roof from falling, I am here keeping the lights on inside. I will be on the forum checking in daily to make sure regular maintenance is all taken care of and keep things running smoothly from behind the scenes.

I do look forward to getting to know you all and this unique community better.

 

Rick- Thank you so much for the last decade. You were great, you provided a much needed 'voice' for the rest of us and it was you who brought us together so we could help each other.

 

Forum Administrators- Before you do ANY changes to this site I encourage you to check out fertilityCommunity.com This is a much larger site with hundreds of thousands of posts, in the last year they made many changes (another admin,site changes etc.) and the site flopped for many reasons. Of course this was certifiably not intentional, but if you read posts in there you will see how it failed.  At this time many ladies just post there now to guide patients to private facebook pages so they can continue to support each other. We all like this site,  and change is imminent and often a good thing but I do encourage you to check out fertilityCommunty.com  just to see what did happen over there. I hope much of the way this site is easily navigated stays the same.

 

Looking forward to a great site continuing ! Your break is well deserved Rick ! Welcome new Forum Admin people

[Rick]

Welcome Phillip. Nice to have you here.

[Heregoesnothing]

Thank-you!

[gibasgirl]

Hello,

Just wanted to introduce my self to you all. My name is Philip and I am a community manager for Verticalscope.com and will be taking over the WebMaster duties for Rick here on IVF.ca. I am here to help primarily with the technical end of things and help make the jobs of the current staff easier. I posted a real basic run down to answer common questions below. If you have more questions or concerns please post them.

 

Hello Philip, welcome to the community and thank you. 

[ForumAdmin]

 

Hello,

Just wanted to introduce my self to you all. My name is Philip and I am a community manager for Verticalscope.com and will be taking over the WebMaster duties for Rick here on IVF.ca. I am here to help primarily with the technical end of things and help make the jobs of the current staff easier. I posted a real basic run down to answer common questions below. If you have more questions or concerns please post them.

What are our intentions?

We bring reliability, support and the infrastructure needed to ensure that the community will be around for years to come. It’s our goal to work with your board staff to help provide the resources and required to give this community a broader reach, to attract new members to better the overall knowledge shared in the community.

Will leadership change?

Continuity is the focus here, You as the membership work very hard to keep building this community while staff keep the walls and the roof up in this place; We are primarily here to make sure the lights stay on. Every community is unique and should always be respected in that regard. You guys have established your own unique rules and regulations and a strong reputation that is carried by all of this and it’s paramount that we maintain this level of integrity.

What am I here for?

My primary role is to be the technical contact as I said earlier you all built the foundation and keep the roof from falling, I am here keeping the lights on inside. I will be on the forum checking in daily to make sure regular maintenance is all taken care of and keep things running smoothly from behind the scenes.

I do look forward to getting to know you all and this unique community better.

 

Rick- Thank you so much for the last decade. You were great, you provided a much needed 'voice' for the rest of us and it was you who brought us together so we could help each other.

 

Forum Administrators- Before you do ANY changes to this site I encourage you to check out fertilityCommunity.com This is a much larger site with hundreds of thousands of posts, in the last year they made many changes (another admin,site changes etc.) and the site flopped for many reasons. Of course this was certifiably not intentional, but if you read posts in there you will see how it failed.  At this time many ladies just post there now to guide patients to private facebook pages so they can continue to support each other. We all like this site,  and change is imminent and often a good thing but I do encourage you to check out fertilityCommunty.com  just to see what did happen over there. I hope much of the way this site is easily navigated stays the same.

 

Looking forward to a great site continuing ! Your break is well deserved Rick ! Welcome new Forum Admin people

 

 

 

Part of the reason we dont plan to make major changes. I do want to know if there are things you all feel we need on the site. Maybe something you have seen on another site that would be a good addition. I will also work on looking at if there are things I can ad to the site to make the moderator experience on here easier.

[Vetter]

Rick - All I will say is that FAVRE RULES.  I'm still mad at you for blowing up the original, and most funny Crankypants thread - it was pure comedic genius  

 

I'm sure that you'll be around, lurking.  I hear, that's what you like to do.... ha ha ha ha ha

 

See ya' around old man (says the chick who is 4 mos younger!!!!) 

 

It's been fun....

[Rick]

Rick - All I will say is that FAVRE RULES.  I'm still mad at you for blowing up the original, and most funny Crankypants thread - it was pure comedic genius

 

I'm sure that you'll be around, lurking.  I hear, that's what you like to do.... ha ha ha ha ha

 

See ya' around old man (says the chick who is 4 mos younger!!!!) 

 

It's been fun....

I just might start my own and call it Crankyshirts.

[Vetter]

 

Rick - All I will say is that FAVRE RULES.  I'm still mad at you for blowing up the original, and most funny Crankypants thread - it was pure comedic genius

 

I'm sure that you'll be around, lurking.  I hear, that's what you like to do.... ha ha ha ha ha

 

See ya' around old man (says the chick who is 4 mos younger!!!!) 

 

It's been fun....

I just might start my own and call it Crankyshirts.

 

It appropriately should be named Crankyshits.  The original group - that's what we are - a bunch of ____ !!! 

[Rick]

I was thinking of starting a thread called 'Rodgers Rules in Green Bay'. What do you think, Julie?

[Vetter]

Well.... that would be interesting, however, Rodgers is a wussy pants, who won't be playing this year.... not sure if your intent for a thread is to portray the habitants as weak, sickly whiners.  lol

 

GO PHILLY EAGLES

[Butterfli]

Rick I wanted to thank you too for creating this site. It is my rock and has kept me sane and supported thru IVF, miscarriage and newborn. This site made each stage easier and I check in atleast once a day. Thank you thank you thank you!

[Laura1976]

Rick, you are an amazing man!  I am eternally thankful for this site.  Thank you for putting up with all of us women, often jacked up on hormones .  You also have provided a safe place for us to bitch and moan.  I have learned so much from IVF.ca, surely more than I would had learned from my RE, without knowing what to ask.  I don't know if anyone could ever grasp the full magnitude of how many people you have helped and how many lives you hand had a hand in.  

 

Welcome Philip.  I look forward to working with you and your team. 

[ForumAdmin]

Thanks Laura! We are here to support you guys. If you need help with things on the site or have ideas to make the experience better for the mods or the members please let me know.

[Rick]

Rick, you are an amazing man!  I am eternally thankful for this site.  Thank you for putting up with all of us women, often jacked up on hormones .  You also have provided a safe place for us to bitch and moan.  I have learned so much from IVF.ca, surely more than I would had learned from my RE, without knowing what to ask.  I don't know if anyone could ever grasp the full magnitude of how many people you have helped and how many lives you hand had a hand in.  
 
Welcome Philip.  I look forward to working with you and your team.

Wow, thank your the kind words Laura!

Happy belated birthday to you.

[runnerchick]

Rick, thank you for starting this site. It has truly saved me, made me laugh, cry, learn, grow, and most importantly, become a parent. I am so very grateful.

[Beth83]

I am so thankful for this site and it sounds like a very good step forward having VerticalStep now assisting.  Thank you Rick

[DrFionaMcCulloch]

Rick, 

 

Thank you so much for all you've done to create this amazing community!  This is really one of the very BEST online communities I have ever seen, and I've been online since the beginning of the internet.  I can only imagine all of the insomnia you endured to keep things going as it grew.  You are awesome.  

 

Philip, 

 

Great to meet you!  Welcome to IVF.CA ! 

[Curks]

Thanks Rick for creating this site and for nurturing it for so long.  It was an enormous help to me before, during and after my IVF journey as well as through my adoption adventure.  I am very grateful to you and your hard work.