The History of Early-Retirement.org

[MichaelB]

If your parents are still around I'd suggest you ask one of them to explain it to you...

Wise arse !

Better a wise ass than a dumb one ...

 

[frayne]

Better a wise ass than a dumb one ...

NSS

 

[truenorth418]

Great history lesson. I have learned so much from earlyretirement.org and I am grateful to all who have worked so hard to create it and maintain it.

 

[I earned it]

There is an ignore button?

 

[RE2Boys]

OMG, I just went back to the first post of this thread and checked my join date.....to find out I was one of the first 100 to join. I'm not a regular poster but RE was a big deal to me back then so I was, and still am, a sponge soaking up the collective wisdom and viewpoints. Check in virtually every day since then.

I retired in Feb 2000 at 50 yr old and with one and three year old sons. Largely feeling my way back then, with only the Trinity Study and a decent federal pension to plan going forward, and info from the Motley Fool Retire Early threads that I checked daily, until it fell apart.

 

[W2R]

There is an ignore button?

Click on "User CP", on the horizontal bar above.
Click on "Edit Ignore List", under Settings and Options on the left.
Enter the username of the person you wish to ignore, and click the "Okay" button.
Simple! And a good feature for all of us to use in order to make our time on the forum more pleasant.

 

[harley]

Click on "User CP", on the horizontal bar above.
Click on "Edit Ignore List", under Settings and Options on the left.
Enter the username of the person you wish to ignore, and click the "Okay" button.
Simple! And a good feature for all of us to use in order to make our time on the forum more pleasant.

Maybe that could be upgraded to allow "Ignore a particular person in a particular thread". Then I could read the sports threads.

 

[Amethyst]

As a member since 2008, my perspectives on money, its care and uses, and also on aging, have changed immeasurably since I discovered the ER Forum.

It's also a kinder, funnier, smarter place to hang out than some other big-name forums that I won't name, after having my head snapped off a few times by their more active members. ER doesn't seem to have that same kind of "big boy/girl on campus, always right, and you'd better know it" members.

Amethyst

 

[mickeyd]

First class. Thanks REW.

 

[nvestysly]

Okay, I know this thread is WAAAYYY old but I think it deserves another go-round. Thanks REWahoo for putting together this very insightful history of E-R.org. From various readings here on E-R I realized Dory36 was the founder/creator but didn't know how he had come to that place in his life.

I don't recall if I found E-R.org as a result of FIRECalc or the other way around. Come to think of it, I likely came here from airforums which is another forum owned and operated by Andy R. Regardless, E-R.org is a wonderful site and thanks to all those who have participated in its maintenance and upkeep, along with the thousands who contribute to the E-R knowledge and off-topic threads every day.

 

[jerryo]

Great summary!

Surprised to learned the site was less than 3 years old when I joined!!!

 

[Helen]

Thank you for bumping this thread, it has been a while since I read it.

I came here from Intercst's Retire Early Home Page once it became too political. I lurked for a while before joining. I have learned so much here. I do not fear investing, this site and the bogleheads have gave me much confidence. And, if I make a mistake it is my mistake and I can learn from it and move on.

REWahoo, you are an excellent writer and you did a fantastic job of documenting the history. This is a wonderful piece, I'm so glad you took the time to write it. I laughed out loud when I read this:

As an example, a protracted forum discussion of annuities often brings a flurry of new registrations from insurance professionals eager to extol the virtues of their particular version of that product, complete with less than subtle hints to send a PM for more information. The reception these new members receive from board members is reminiscent of watching cats entertain themselves with a captured mouse. In fact, dealing with those who register on the board simply to sell something - be it financial products, snake oil or themselves via their own self-serving blog - is a form of entertainment the board has polished to an art form.