The Future of Jimworld
John Cokos (jcokos), Administrator: Jimworld.com

With Jim being gone, the question that I'm sure going through everyones' mind is "What's going to happen to Jimworld?" I'd like to take a moment and hopefully answer that question both from my point of view as Administrator, and from Jim's point of view, posthumously.

During Jim's Illness, he and I had the opportunity to speak roughly once every couple of weeks. Most of our discussion centered around the day to day operations of Jimworld. Principally, Jim needed me to make sure that the sites were up and running until he got back on his feet. So, aside from getting the new forums software installed, and getting us onto new servers, I tried to take a back seat, and let Jimworld just "function", assuming he would be back in the drivers seat, and start getting things re-organized, up to date, and get his fingers dirty again.

Over the last 2-3 months, it became apparent to Jim that he would not be able to return, so our conversations switched gears somewhat, and we started talking about what to do next, should the inevitable happen. We spent many hours on the phone, in 10-15 minute chunks talking about what he had planned for Jimworld, changes he wanted to make, directions he wanted to go in, things to add and remove, etc.

The last couple of times we spoke, Jim asked me to take the torch. He entrusted me to keep Jimworld moving forward, to keep his dreams, his passion, his work, and his service alive. I made a pledge to him that I would do everything in my power to mold Jimworld into the vision that he had for it, and to keep it moving forward, at full speed. Jim and Cathy have placed their faith in me to run Jimworld as Jim would have. I make the same pledge to you today, that I made to Jim a few weeks ago. Jimworld will persevere, improve, and continue to be a force.

A few things will change along the way. One of the things Jim wanted was more consolidation and clarity amongst his many domains. Each of them will be redesigned to fit a common mold so you'll always know that you're at a Jimworld website. They will have tighter integration, and will work together to form a more cohesive suite of informational sites. The forums will have lots of new features added to them, and we're going to launch a few premium services that Jim couldn't wait to get going. Jimworld as you know it will always be free, but he wanted to add a couple of services to the community that could generate some income yet still hold true to the Jimworld model. You'll see these popping up over the next few months. You'll also start to see much more relevant tutorial content, articles from industry experts, and more engagement in the forums by search engine "higher-ups" and other official company representatives. The forums will continue to be a vital learning ground for new webmasters, and will become even more educational and stimulating for our seasoned veterans.

While the occasion that brings us to this point is a sad one, it is at the same time, a time for growth and expansion. We're not going to rest on our laurels, nor are we going to stagnate. We'll pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and re-energize Jimworld. My personal plan is to run Jimworld exactly as Jim would have. Personally. Jimworld is what it is because of Jim. He got involved. He made mistakes and wasn't afraid to tell millions of people about them so that they wouldn't do the same thing. He had no ego, only love, and a devotion to this community. I share that passion, and will inflict it upon this community. With your help and support, Jimworld will go on, just as Jim dreamed that it would.

I humbly accept this responsibility, and once again pledge my devotion to the Wilsons, and to this community. Thank you.

John Cokos