Well, its been a while. As I come forth to write this introductory post that marks a new frontier for AXP, I remember the old times, the bad times, the good times, and I ponder the better times yet to come. We’ve certainly had our shares of ups and downs, and before this moment I can’t exactly say we were going up. But, in much secrecy and with much discretion, we’ve been working on something that will be the biggest change we’ve ever undergone. It was March of 2004 when AXP started, and over 4 years later, here we are. Still holding on strong.

So, what’s this change? Well, we’ve long neglected what our front page and main site content really meant. We’re a community, but at that, we’re a community of great people. We’re a community of enthusiasts and experts who have multiple thoughts on many things that interest us. I think this is what has always made AXP unique; the intriguing interest every member here displays about the same common topic: technology. We were once exclusively a Longhorn forum, focusing on the great things to be found in Microsoft’s pre-release versions of the next-generation Windows; being the first to uncover Desktop Aurora and Preview Pane Aurora, having displayed the first tech demos, releasing the final, uncrippled XAML file. But that was then, this is now.

AeroXperience is, again, about enthusiasts. Version five does not only bring a new face, it brings a new model. A new content system. We have long depended on news from around the web, regarding a limited number of topics. Now, we’re leaving the content to the experts, to the enthusiasts. With Version Five, AeroXperience has become a blogging portal for our most qualified experts and enthusiasts to blog about their passions, interests, and to present it in a way that we can all read, relate, and opine. Basically, our front page has become our main focus and is now the greatest asset to our community of amazing individuals.

It has been with the help of many that this has come to be. I’d like to especially thank Bryant Zadegan (our Editor In Chief, also head of Public Relations) for his outstanding leadership throughout the project, Adam Maras for the amazing design, Sam Johnson who did an astounding job on making this design a reality through the skinning and modding of IPB and WordPress, and the whole administration, who are the backbone of our enterprise. In mentioning the administration, I refer to myself (Victor Mach), Stanimir Stoyanov, and Robert Storm.

You may miss a familiar name, and it is with a great nostalgic goodbye that I inform all of you that Sean O’Sullivan has decided to leave the administration. He played a huge role in AXP’s history, and I would like to bid him an especially honorous fairwell. He will be missed amongst staff, but it is my hope that he won’t be missed amongnst us, as I’m sure he will continue to be present and particiapte in the community. Sean has been with us since the very beginning; he went from being our site maintenance expert, to news poster, and worked his way up to the administration through demonstration of his great personality, amazing intrapersonal skills, and exciting enthusiasm. Sean, you will be missed, and you have been a great part of us. Thank you for everything!

With this last note, I will present to you AeroXperience v5. It has been a great journey behind the scenes to get this out on time and the way we wanted it, but here it is. I hope everyone enjoys the new AXP as much as we have enjoyed making it a reality.

Victor Mach

aeroxperience | Founder, Senior Administrator