Today I was going down the memory lane. I visited my very first post in this forum 2007: Conclusion not Resolution. That was my first trial post early in the year in my newly acquired forum in Adlandpro. That was it; I just wanted to see what it felt like to make a post and I put in so much in the article because I needed to see how members will react to it. "If I’m joining a network group with a global coverage like Adlandpro, then I must make sure I present something palatable enough" I told myself.

I waited the first day after posting, there was no response but at least I had 5 views from members. Mmmm, what could have been my mistakes? Maybe some grammatical errors, I tried to proof-read the text again, sure, I detected a couple, but could that be enough to disqualify me? Mmmm, maybe they don’t like African participants here! I went back to the User Terms and Policy, nothing like that! I was still unsure of my sins when I left the cyber café that evening, dejected!
Then my heart leaped with such unspeakable joy when I went back the next day to find a response from my first community friend and poster Jill Bachman.

Jill wrote: Hi Sam. This is an abolutely MAGNIFICENT post!  Thank you for sharing your heart and clarity!  I totally concur with everything you have said  I wish you a wonderful and prosperous 2007.  May we all share your vision to make it the best year ever! God bless,  Jill

Wowwwww!! I was thrilled and supercharged. Jill did the magic and succeeded in fanning the desire in me to sustain the forum even from an African location with very poor internet facility. I was really inspired as she followed up in my subsequent 3 threads.

I know what it means to try to impress only to find out that nobody is interested and I am sure everyone knows this fact too. Now, think of the day you received a surprise but pleasant gift from your loved one! What was your feeling like? How about the day you paid an unscheduled visit to an old pal after such a long while? Can you remember how happy he jumped in great ectasy?

There is an African adage that says: A man’s surprise gift from another can make a large (positive) opening for him. Also Lara Andres tells a story of how a little girl smiled at a sorrowful stranger; and the smile seemed to heal his sorrow.

Many of us are concentrating on known and popular Forums while leaving the new comers at the mercy of mother luck. There are quite a number of interesting new forums where we can encourage the owners by adding our posts, even if it means congratulating the owner for doing a great job and maybe adding a few words of correction and advice on how to succeed here. After all, what will be the fate of Adlandpro if we fail to encourage and retain the new members. According to my friend Niel Sperling, ‘Neworking is a game of numbers’. For those of us with internet marketing at the back of our mind, we need every member of the community for a vibrant and successful marketing.

Why not delight a member today. Make a positive and pleasant difference in a member’s countenance by encouraging him or her. Search for a new forum that interests you and make a suprise post today. After that please come back and inform us of your new findings so we can be part of it. You’re surely going to bless a lot of Adlanders.

Thank you for your response.

Thank you Nephew, i enjoy your reading your posts so very much, but i detested a hint of aggrivation in your last post about traffic and city life? if i may, in Ephesians 4:22 - it reads watch out for the reapperance of your old self (speaking of one who as Baptized into the Spirit of Jesus) this can also be a tool for one to learn in any case, Often when we go back into situations with family, lifes situations, we revert to old ways that we thought we had put off. Think about these things in advance. Write them down. Pray about them. Ask others to pray about them. Be proactive. Just as you are doing Sam and Outsmart Satan. For you Nephew-Sammy.