A Long Overdue State Of Union For Woody Boater.
From the desk at Woody Boater
My fellow Woodyboaterites, I would like to take a few minutes of your time to update you on what has and is taking place on Woody Boater. You are a big part of Woody Boater, your support, comments and stories you supply are the heart and soul of it all. When you submit a what iz it story, or have a fun comment, or help make a connection, you show the world what this amazing community is all about. The love of classic boats, all while having fun.
So, how many of you are there? Well, the stats are in daily, and according to the stats, there are more of you than last year. Up about 10%.. We are averaging around 4500-5000v iews a day and there are about 300,000 unique visitors a year to Woody Boater, depending on how its all read.. That’s close to 2 million views a year.. I can still remember our first 1000 readers A YEAR! In a strange way I feel like I know each and everyone of you. I said it was strange. But its true.
One thing I am asked all the time is what sort of traffic do we generate for our sponsors. Without specifics, I can say that its a lot. For example, according to our stats we send about 200 or so readers a day to the Chris Craft club Boat buzz site. Our sponsors, the folks that support all this for us all to do this are still here after years of loyalty and we ask you do the same for them, and let them know why you are there. In a sense we are you, you are us, and we are all together is making this a fun, safe, and friendly lifestyle.
Change? Did someone say Change?
Changes coming to Woody Boater. OK OK I know, you all hate change.. but the world is changing and we need to stay on top of it all for you and the community. First, the back end of Woody Boater needs to be rebuilt. Think about a full restoration, while never getting off the water. The back end is a mess. Over the years its been tweaked to death, we have some strange code that is causing the site to be blocked by google and causing the site to crash, that we need to figure out what it is. It’s the ugly side of the web. So its all going to be rebuilt and updated.
Don Ayers and Woody working the stories at Lake Dora.
Mobil is the future. OK, for the rest of the planet its so last year, but for us here its new. You wake up and look at your smart phone, you check it all day, you go to bed with either a tablet or phone. Woody Boater needs to work on that device in a clean cool way. So you will see some design changes on the site. Yeah yeah, stop your bitchn, the future happens weather you like it or not.
Finding The real Thayer IV was a once in a lifetime event.. OR was it?
Stories for this fall. You bet, we got some whoppers in the cue. This summer was spent on boat shows, lots of boat shows, but its all coming to a bitter close and we aint gonna stop. We hope to create a device that can blow varnish smell on you on your phone as well. We have some rumored barn find boats out there and I can say, one of them is gonna cause a war! I cant wait.. Yes it involves Pat Curtin>
Thats it, I hope to see many of you up in NY at the big International Show. I will be reporting Live from the show starting Thursday-ish. If you see me, stop and say hi. I love meeting each and every one of you.. OK, wait.. Maybe some of you.
Thanks for paying attention.. Matt and Texx
A VERY rare photo of Texx.. As Texx says. “I like to stay in the back of the room in the dark like a mushroom.”
Change is OK as long as you don’t try and sell us a side dish of hope to go with it.
As for the future, are you sure THIS is the future?
Did you say your back end is a mess? Or is the site getting a bottom job without pulling it out of the water? Computers and water don’t mix, I’m just going to make some bacon and eggs have some coffee and dream of a magical device that releases the sent of varnish all over the room, wait I have one it’s called “a can of varnish” I would like to see a feature called save a cruiser of the month.
Wait, I am slowly waking up still, but didn’t Tim Cook just tell us THIS was the future like two days ago? A digital watch that can monitor your heart rate and oil pressure, wake you up when the new Woodyboater article is posted, and Apple Pay for your package from Jim Staib with just a wave of your arm?
Change is fine!
I for one have made some life long friends though following your blog and for that I will be forever grateful!
Thanks for all you do!
Troy
I love this picture.
I tried to integrate the new Apple Pay system with mine. It kept going back to the default payment choices of cash, Oberon or bacon. Maybe it will be fixed for Apple 7.
Sounds like it is working perfectly to me!
So how will I get this new fangled mobil version to work on my flip phone? I still haven’t figured out how to answer a call if I mistakenly have it flipped open.
I agree that the state of the WoodyBoater union is strong! Keep the focus on the great people and boats that we all love, and I know it will stay that way. Also keep the site simple enough to use for all of us old varnish heads that don’t have a smart phone, much less sleep with one. Thanks Matt and Texx for continuing to do what you do!
great, cant weight!
,” the future happens weather you like it or not.” what fiberglass boater?
That future is already here and has been for nearly a decade!
See:
fiberglassics.com & classicboatclub.com
Replace a bottom, in the water, without sinking? If the WoodyBoater site needs to go down during changeover may I suggest using bacon recipes as a screen test pattern, or maybe a link to a Donzi Girl site? Wait, stick to the bacon we don’t want everyone stuck on the Donzi Girl site. All of this won’t make the math harder will it?
There’s a Donzi Girl site?!
You know what? It’s 43 friggin’ degrees in West Bend, Wisconsin this morning. It was 73 24 hours ago. That’s enough damn change for me. Keep it simple. I’m an old fart whose fingers fumble all over keyboards these days. Don’t “tech” me out to pasture yet.
I am an exclusive Mobil viewer of Woody Boater having accessed it on my computer only a handful of times. I welcome a Mobil friendly version! I don’t have a lot of problems with it currently but like almost everything else that has a Mobil App. they seem to work better. Basically my Smart Phone is what I use for Internet access. I rarely use my laptop because it’s bulky and the battery charge only lasts an hour or so. My smartphone, which I delayed getting for years after they were brought out, is my primary means of contact. It’s just so much handier than anything else. And I always have it in my pocket. I doubt that I’ll ever go back. I’m in my late 50’s and my kids don’t even have computers now. They use just their smartphones. It isn’t the future, it is the present.
How lucky am I??? I bought Matt lunch at Reedville and got the whole story early. Don get that back end stuff…..but the hot dog was good. I will just expect the changes and then have Mfine explain them to us all in his famous shorthand messages.
Is the Math problem at the bottom going to trig?
John in Va.
In simple terms, the back end is the big server computer and software that stores the stories, pictures, ads, comments etc. and makes them available to create the web pages you view.
The current backend runs on a very old computer with 19,000 vacuum tubes and thousands of external patch cables that need to be manually rerouted. You can see a picture of Texx working on it below with an unknown female assistant.
The idea is to upgrade to a more modern system, and I think Matt has mistakingly decided to replace it with motor oil from ExxonMobil although there is still time to consider a transistor based silicon chip computer with software designed to work with mobile computing devices.
Here we see Texx trying to figure out which vacuum tube went down, keeping comments temporarily locked a few days ago.
The new system will either look like this…. (Racing means fast right?)
Or hopefully like this…
Where’s the beer? The guy in the second cockpit had a Budweiser in his hand.
Ok “the back end is a mess” the door has been left wide open all morning……..
Or this…….
OK Cliff don’t get me going!
I think like this one more than the other Troy picture.
In the WoodyBoater State of the Union it didn’t mention ISIS. Maybe they just need some old boats to restore to take their minds off world domination. Its amazing what varnish fumes can do for you. If nothing else a few grey boat restorations would keep them occupied for years. Just thinkin’.
Speaking on behalf of the Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club I would like to thank Woody Boater for including the daily link to the latest posts on Boat Buzz. Woody Boater has supported CCABC since their humble beginning a few years ago and continues that support. We are extremely grateful for this.
THANKS Matt & Texx for your continued support.
Keep up the great work, Matt. You, Texx and the site are a treasure.
We’re with you guys all the way!
looks like you guys got the “back-end” werkin perfectly keep up the great work. you have great stories even better pictures and captivating writing…. there ya go thats 5001 views rick @ 9:57a had a good idea send them a couple gray boats some sandpaper and a couple virgins and they’ll be better off for it dont change math problem to calc. or trig. or most of us wont be able to comment thanks matt texx and crew
Wait…… Grey Boats come with Virgins? I’ve been looking in the wrong barns obviously.
Thanks Al Benton and everyone – Chris-Craft & Woody Boater go together like Peanut Butter & Jam…
Texx
“Well, we’re doin’ mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin’ cars and fancy clothes,
But just so we’re reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought ‘a be a Man In Black.”
What am I to do with my Timex Sinclair???
Technology…
If you understand it, it’s obsolete.
Keep on doin what you are doing, only better!
I’m gettin’ behind in my varnishing — the only change I want to see is a varnish that gives off fumes that smell like bacon!!!!
It’s nice to have the “real” Troy back…..let’s see what you’ve got for Friday
texx in a boat alright
Texx in a lapstrake, awesome. Thanks for everything.
Speaking of Donzi Girls, remember the fun we had with the Miss Chris-Craft vs. Donzi voting contest, Boating Mag.
That was some real WB fun!!
That was fun. Both on the WB and on the BB (Boat Buzz). New creative voting methods were discovered and applied by both teams but in the end Chris-Craft was declared the winner for applying the most fair method of cheating.
Remember!!!
Will the requirements for biggest balls of the year be affected?
i’d like to change my knocking k for some modern power. troy do you have the front cover for that pic ?