Just over 8 years ago I was studying for my advanced web design certificate at York College. One of the key elements was to build a small example of a web site using HTML (HyperText Markup language). This would include an index page (homepage), a few links, images and a banner. My choice of topic for the course was the paranormal, something I've been interested in since childhood.

One year on and I bought my first domain; thesupernaturalworld.co.uk. I also purchased thesupernaturalworld.com; however, it would be 12 months later before doing so. The Supernatural World started on May 15th, 2003. A very basic site with very few features, it was in dire need of material and visitors. Over the next couple of months I introduced a discussion board which would see the site grow from strength to strength.

As is always the case with any new site, loyal and regular members are a must; The Supernatural World was no different. Ranger1, Lady Sabrina, Darlin, Vindi, Loulee, Putte, Sexybird, to name but a few, were regular contributors and all spent a period of time on the team. In the early days these members and many like them were an integral part of the site and a very important factor in the site's growth from a small friendly site in to what it is today - one of the internet's #1 resources for supernatural and paranormal media.

One of the biggest factors in any site is the look. No matter how much time and effort you put in can hide the fact that most web users prefer an easy on the eye site which offers easy navigation, reliability, content, and of course, a friendly team to welcome them.

The design of the site was, in the early stages, basic. It did, however, offer me a platform from which to build and create something which would be both original, and in places, unique. Shortly after the site was launched I met Lionel who was currently posting news at another very fine site - unexplained-mysteries.com. Having spoken to him several times he offered to take my site to a different level. We would lose a lot of the bulky HTML which cluttered the front page and replace it with sleek and efficient php which would offer far more diversity and a far less cluttered page.

What you see on the front page today is the result of years of hard work from both Lionel and me. Along with Russ on the board, I believe this site is still original and fresh and is more than a match for most web sites of this niche.

So what are we about?

Security:

One of the most unfortunate aspects of running a large website is the risk of security breaches. Regardless of what other sites may claim, their is no such thing as "fully secure". Any designer worth his salt would never make such a claim, and as owner of this site I certainly won't be making that claim.

Truth be told, the only sites hackers generally approach are large ones. There's not much fun to be had breaking in to an empty shed.

It's true that over the years we've suffered our fair share of security issues which at times has cost the site a huge amount of material and members. Sadly there are many unscrupulous people out there only too happy to destroy someone else’s hard work. That aside, the site always recovered and many of the issues giving rise to security breaches have been resolved.

As always, the site is closely monitored to avoid any further unwanted intrusions.

Reliability:

As is always the case with large sites which produce high levels of traffic speed can sometimes be an issue. The Supernatural World is made up of 2 basic parts, files and data. When anyone requests a page from the site a query is sent to the site's database requesting the specific data that file requests. All news articles and columns are requested in this way, as in the front page of the site. The information and text is pulled from the site's database as per your request.

As much of the site's resources are used up by such queries it's important that my database is both stable and efficient. To counter any problems with loading I have now split the site's database in to 3 individual databases, thus leading to a far more efficient method of managing resources.

The forums database is housed in a separate database to other features, such as the glossary or archive search. This helps the forums load much faster and gives the member or guest a much smoother and enjoyable experience.

Should traffic increase I am able to increase the memory of the server immediately thus avoiding any issues with the time it takes for you guys to load a page.

I have no doubt that the extra expense will be well worth it as the site continues to grow.

Adverts:

As I'm sure you're aware the site does contain some adverts and always will. Whilst the site is a major hobby for me, the cost of running it doesn't get any cheaper.

As far as is humanly possible the adverts are filtered at source so as to offer relevant and useful links that may be of interest to you. Most if the ads work on a keyword basis. Depending on what page, article or forum you visit the ad/ads served will in most cases be relevant to that particular page. It goes without saying that from time to time some ads may appear that are of no use to anyone, in this instance don't hesitate to contact me and I will endeavour to block the ad from appearing again.

As I now pay for hosting costs and a private server I'm sure you wouldn't begrudge the site using these ads to help cover running costs.

Discrimination:

One thing that really grinds on me is a site's insistence on allowing just about anything to be published. Regardless of what many people think, disclaimers aside, when an individual owns a web site they ARE responsible for ALL content on said site. It is because of this legal obligation that material published on this site has to be monitored - in rare cases, censored.

This site does not discriminate against anyone, black, white, fat, skinny, hairy or bald, it matters not to me or the team. With that in mind it is vitally important that people are respected and that the site is not seen to be biased, even racist or discriminatory.

Unlike other sites, we are very careful with the manner in which religion and race is approached. We simply won't tolerate racism or anything that may offend those of particular persuasions.

In today's world is more important than ever that emotive subjects are approached with care and respect. The Supernatural World does discriminate - against racists, abusers, flamers etc.

Democracy may well be a right of people, but there is a line, and that line is one I hate to see crossed.

Privacy:

(a..)

This is, and always will be, a bone of contention with any site. Ultimately anyone wishing to join this site deserves to have their privacy respected. Information collected from this site when someone joins is handled with great care and sensitivity and is NEVER distributed to third parties. It goes without saying that if we are legally obliged to pass on any individuals’ details, we will. Of course this would only ever arise if you were seen by a particular legal body as having broken the law.

From time to time, we make our customer e-mail list available to other reputable organizations whose products or services we think you might find interesting.

Any site whose privacy policy contains this is breaking the law, plain and simple. We will NEVER release your details to anyone - period. It is a legal obligation to look after an individual's information!

The Supernatural World takes its privacy policy very seriously and treats your information with care. If we ever feel that a particular site or product may be of interest to any given individual we will contact them directly and ask if they would like their information shared with said site.

(b..)

One area of concern over the years has been the private messenger. I can categorically state that no one on this site, be they a member of the team or otherwise, reads private messages. They are private for a reason and that is exactly how they will stay.

In the past we did have reason to monitor messages, this has long since been revoked due to member concerns. The previous administration prior to Ranger1’s return was fully aware of this.

One thing I will explain is the storing of private messages. Most other sites neglect to inform their member that all text contained within a private message is stored in a database. Whilst many claim they do not read private messages, sadly many do! Site owners and admin have access to the database for obvious reasons. Whether they choose to betray your trust is down to them personally. As for The Supernatural World, the practice of invading one's privacy is not something we tolerate.

Growth:

Any webmaster worth his/her salt will tell you that one thing above most other things matters - growth. Numbers are important, it's a fact of life and like it or not, its how many people judge us.

Memberships matter to me, for several reasons. A community is just that, a group of people who reside on a site. It stands to reason that a small community, whilst possibly enjoyable, can become woefully stale. To enjoy the subject matter on this site it is important that differing opinions, stories and experiences are shared. The larger the membership, the more material to digest - its simple logic and one I have always believed in.

Growth has always been at the forefront of my mind; trying to find different ways of bringing people in who have something to offer the site and its members and guests. The Supernatural World has always managed this and then some. Whilst many may scoff at my ideals, the very same people will have to concede that it works.

Over the past 7 years The Supernatural World has averaged 40+ new members every week, proving that hard work pays. I'm extremely proud of this fact as are the rest of the team, many who have been here from the beginning. I'm sure Russ would agree that a few months of looking at the same faces become tiresome and that new members keep the forums fresh and interesting. When only 6 or 7 of us visited here it became clear that growth would need to be swift in order to create a website to be proud of.

I believe our growth, which increases by day, is the single most important factor of the site's current success - for that I thank current and past members for all their effort and loyalty.

A discussion board requires members, it's that's simple.

Regular Updates:

One of the most important features of the site is the Front page News. For years this area of the site has attracted massive numbers of guests and continues to do so today. With that in mind regular updates are vitally important to keep the same people coming back - not to mention new visitors.

Whilst new articles are the order of the day, it can be over done. Currently I am working on a few changes to the site, so a few new articles a day should keep readers happy.

Currently I have many new editorials awaiting publication, over the coming weeks these will make an appearance. As for the front page, I believe excessive updates are a total waste of one's time. I see no point in publishing article after article only to see one disappear off the front page the dame day it was published. I believe the figures speak for themselves, I would rather see a few well chosen article receive several hundred visitors as apposed to ten articles that receive one visitor.

Over doing the updates doesn't work, it's certainly something the past administration was guilty of and is something that will not be repeated.

Newsfeed:

Without doubt the Newsfeed (RSS) is a great feature of any site when it's done correctly. The Supernatural World Newsfeed is no exception, offering subscribers immediate updates to news articles as they appear on the site. To stay within copyright laws our newsfeed offers a sample of an article along with full credit and source, including an image credit. This is fairly unique from what I've seen. The whole point of a feed is not only to inform subscribers of a new article, but to offer them part of the article in the feed along with a link to the full article and its source.

The Supernatural World Newsfeed

Paste the url in to your newsreader and you will receive updates as and when they happen, it's that simple.

Originality:

One thing I have always prided myself on is being original, my ideas put in to practice. I have never subscribed to copying from other sites, far from it, I actually try to avoid it.

Over the years Lionel and I have consistently looked at the way the site appears to members and guests. Some improvements are finite, sometimes so small they go unnoticed. Some improvements are big, a total facelift in some instances. Either way, we have always come up with our own ideas, listened to members, and of course, asked for feedback from Russ and the team.

Some of the work has been huge in scale, none more so than the current front page.

I believe our front page news system is as good as any out there for a site of this kind. It offers a sleek, easy on the eye experience and is incredibly easy to move around. We offer search in 3 different ways, date, keyword and category.

Our news keyword search is a genuine search system that DOES what it says; searches through thousands of news articles using the keywords offered by the reader. Not only does it search through article titles, it searches the actual article itself - something that any search system should provide. Some only search article titles, this is completely pointless and something we wanted to avoid.

We also offer search by date, a much more refined search system that offers articles from the date specified by the reader.

The third method, and probably the easiest form of search for a particular type of story is by selecting your category from the menu on the front page or the forums. These categories were specifically chosen and have been added to as and when was necessary. Sadly they are no longer unique, but originality isn't always people's strengths. Many new sites have taken this idea and used it as their own.

The Supernatural World will always be original, plagiarism is a poor excuse for a webmaster!

Copyright:

Not many webmasters are aware of copyright laws, they know they exist, however, they seem ignorant of what the law actually means. The Supernatural World, like so many other sites, has, from time to time been guilty of breaching this law and now is the time to stop. The following passage is from a support topic regarding this very topic.

An aspect of this site which needs to be pointed out is the use of copyrighted material. The Supernatural World contains material(s) which are protected by copyright laws. Members are advised that the reproduction of such material may only be done so if they follow strict guidelines.

•All articles reproduced on The Supernatural World must carry a source link to the copyright holder(s).

•You are permitted to use only a small portion of the copyrighted material(s).

The Supernatural World reproduces such material for non-profit, educational and news reporting purposes and as such we believe this constitutes "Fair Use" of such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.

Members are advised that any reproduction of a material(s) or image(s) will be removed immediately should a source link and/or image credit is not forthcoming.

The portion of the copyrighted material(s) that you may reproduce is dependent on the size of the original article. A small article of only a few paragraphs would only allow for the reproduction of one paragraph. Whilst the portion we may produce is not exact, it's vitally important that our use of copyrighted material(s) satisfies the limitations as stipulated in the 17 U.S.C § 107.

Clearly some sites seem to struggle with the word "portion", The Supernatural World doesn't and will continue to use copyrighted material in a respectful and appropriate manner.

Moderation:

Something that has always been true of The Supernatural World is the fairness with which members are treated. It's a very rare occurrence when a member is banned or even suspended. I have always tried to instil an air of tolerance which actually allows members far more freedom to express themselves. It's true that previous administrations have been guilty of excessive moderation which has given rise to unrest on the forums, this, I hope, is something we have left behind.

The Supernatural World is not associated with, or affiliated with any other site, we are an independent site and therefore we treat each and every new member on face value. Past histories with other sites is not something we concern ourselves with, this leads to a far more relaxed atmosphere to new members and guests alike allowing them to settle in unhindered.

A Final Word...

It has been an absolute pleasure running and owning this site for the past 7 years. We've had our fair share of ups and downs, that aside the site stills continues to grow and that proves to me that it has all been worth it. I've been steadfast is my methods, even in the face of opposing views with regards what is best for the site I have tried to maintain the site in the same vane as I did when it all first started.

I'd personally like to thank all members, past and present, for their loyalty, time, and more importantly, their presence on the site. No community can thrive without the efforts of its members, this site is no different.

I would also like to thank past and present moderators and administrators for all their help with maintaining and running the forums. Their time on here is voluntary which means they are taking time out of their busy lives to help me and the site, something I am extremely grateful for. I believe after 7 years the current administration is how it should be, Russ has been a major part of this site for 7 years and it's only right that he is the current Administrator of The Supernatural World.

Another massive contribution to the site has come from Lionel. He has been responsible for much of the sites coding, most of which he has written himself. With contributions from me I believe the sites code has created a incredibly sleek, unique, and above all, easy to use site that offers a huge array of information and features.

Whilst many people feel my obsession with numbers is misplaced, I pride myself on them! Along with myself, a lot of people have played a huge part in creating a very large, successful and fun site that offers members and guests a unique insight in the world of the supernatural and paranormal. I'm incredibly proud to have amassed such a huge membership, to have accumulated thousands of articles, to have hopefully enlightened people and offered advice and assistance when required.

More importantly, I have met and spoken to people from all corners of the globe whom I would never have met had the site not been around. We've had our differences, but we've had fun along the way.

A huge thank you from me, here's to another 7 years.

Thank you,

Brendan.