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VerticalScope Inc Aquires WorldSeaFishing

44K views 203 replies 88 participants last post by  Nick Phillips 
#1 ·
On Christmas Eve of 2015 I agreed a deal with VerticalScope Inc of Canada that would ultimately see them acquire the forum assets of WSF Media. As of today VerticalScope Inc owns the WorldSeaFishing.com domain name, the WSF Forums, the SeaAngling.org.uk domain name and the SeaAngling.org.uk Forums.

On Monday the 1st of February I permanently removed the WSF Webzine from the WSF Site creating a standalone sea angling forum site, the largest sea angling only forum in the UK. As part of the acquisition deal reached with VerticalScope Inc, I will retain the WSF Webzine content and will be launching a new, separate online sea angling webzine away from WSF. Whilst this is a separate entity from the WSF Forums, WSF has been my life for almost two decades, so the new webzine will continue to provide a link back to the WSF Forums.

It was important for me that any new owner would be able to take the forum in its present form, foster continuity and in the long term provide the capital and resources to push the forum on to greater things. There was no question in my mind that VerticalScope Inc was the ideal partner for this. VerticalScope Inc passionately run forums just like WSF in a number of industries. Their founder and CEO is an avid forum user and The WSF Forums will join an illustrious group of angling websites owned by VerticalScope Inc. including the Allcoast Network, Noreast.com, TidalFish.com, boat.com and other outdoor brands. With the resources VerticalScope Inc have at their disposal, I’m excited to see what the future holds for the WSF Forums.

It is important to stress that VerticalScope understand forums and their communities and it is their wish that the forum carries on "as is” with the best interests of WSF at heart. With the same ethos and mantra that we've always had, to provide the most up to date information to the most amount of sea anglers possible.

As for myself, well, my time with forums will come to an end. Once the transition and final handover procedures have been completed within the next few weeks I will be resigning from my position as Head Administrator of the WSF Forums. After 17 years I feel it is the right time to step down and let somebody else take on the mantle of running the UK’s largest and busiest angling forum. I have agreed with VerticalScope Inc to stay on as Species Hunt Co-Ordinator for 2016, so I will still be running this competition and sending you out your stickers and badges.

It’s been an exciting adventure full of hard work, difficult moments and the odd wildcard member, however, despite this, I’ve enjoyed every second of running this forum. I founded the site with what was effectively pocket money in 1998 as a project during a wet and windy summer holiday break from school. It was never my intention it would become the most popular angling site in the UK and reach over 250,000 anglers a month. It’s amazing it got to that level and I’m proud of our achievements in pioneering online angling over the past 17 years.

I will forever be indebted to the guys who have helped run the site over these past 17 years, many of whom have become good friends. Their tireless dedication to moderating the forum often goes unnoticed by the rest of the forum community, but without them, there would be no forum.

I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to the members of the forum who have supported the site over the years and who continue to contribute with catch reports and helpful advice to anglers new and old. I doubt there is another website in the country that carries the breadth of knowledge and content that the WSF Forums has amassed over the years.

With that, I must sign off. I look forward to chatting with you, contributing and posting my own reports in the future, not as an admin or a moderator but as a member, a contributor and an angler.

My Very Best Regards and Tight Lines,

Mike Thrussell Jnr
 
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#200 ·
There is no forum on Mike Jnr's new site, it is just a fishing magazine.
The forum link directs back to WSF.
I believe that is what it is there to do.
If you read what he has written in his new ventures description, it says it will contain a link back to here.
 
#199 ·
does anyone know what the issue is with the search facility then ? seems a shame to have lost it.
cheers rab
A brand new search facility is being worked on right now.
 
#201 ·
Is that going to be a new facility but containing all the old post or is that final the old posts are not coming back.
 
#203 ·
Would be nice if that happened and all the old posts were retrieved, fingers crossed on that one then:)
 
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