The evolution of UrbanPlanet.org

[Neo]

What started out in 2003 as a site known by very few as SkyScraperAmerica.com has turned into something none of us really expected. Through the years we have grown a tremendous amount, requiring upgrade after upgrade to our hardware and software to allow for the extra traffic. I have been amazed at what the community here has grown into and continue to be elated by our future. We have a few things on the table for our future, some in testing, others simply in my head, but with all of the change I attribute all of our success to each and every member on UrbanPlanet.org.

I wanted to take you all on a tour of what you would see by going to UrbanPlanet.org beginning in 2004. All images aren't working so some things are off. I am missing the 2.1 version of the UP homepage and I also could not give you a screenshot of our SkyScraperAmerica.com days, but I wanted to archive these screenshots so that we can all see just how much UP has changed over the years:

April 2004:

September 2004:

December 2004:

April 2005:

April 2006:

February 2007:

January 2008:

January 2009:

December 2009:

January 2010:

[nowensone]

That's pretty cool you guys used to host SimCity files (based on April 2004 screen), it's a wonder I didn't discover you then, I still load up S.C. every now and then to relax. Also some irony in the original name of SkyScraperAmerica seeing as how sckyscraper fanboism is, ahem, frowned upon here.

[Neo]

That's pretty cool you guys used to host SimCity files (based on April 2004 screen), it's a wonder I didn't discover you then, I still load up S.C. every now and then to relax. Also some irony in the original name of SkyScraperAmerica seeing as how sckyscraper fanboism is, ahem, frowned upon here.

In hosting the SimCity files we also attracted a lot of unwanted demographics on the net that steered away from discussions that are now prevalent on UP. The name change from SkyScraperAmerica to UrbanPlanet was made for the reason you mentioned. It has been amazing to see how organically the site has grown, what you see today certainly wasn't planned by any of us but it just happened to result in what you now see. Members certainly have an impact on what this site evolves into.

[dgreco]

awesome timeline, I think the coolest thing, besides the evolution is the fact that in april 2004 you have 7 users on at once, and now february 2007 you have 806 users on at a single time. Speaks volumes to what everyone has done at UP.

[nowensone]

Neo, if you wouldn't mind could you give a little background on UP, such as was it your brainchild, did you personally develop the initial versions, is there a prior history between yourself and the August '03ers (You, metro, UL, etc.), is this the subsidiary of a larger company or is it still ran out of a shack with occasional visits to a server farm, etc. If this is buried somewhere on the site I have not yet found it! Thank you.

[Neo]

awesome timeline, I think the coolest thing, besides the evolution is the fact that in april 2004 you have 7 users on at once, and now february 2007 you have 806 users on at a single time. Speaks volumes to what everyone has done at UP.

Actually that is a bug that is producing those high numbers. The real number is around 450, I am working to resolve the bug causing the higher than normal user count.

Neo, if you wouldn't mind could you give a little background on UP, such as was it your brainchild, did you personally develop the initial versions, is there a prior history between yourself and the August '03ers (You, metro, UL, etc.), is this the subsidiary of a larger company or is it still ran out of a shack with occasional visits to a server farm, etc. If this is buried somewhere on the site I have not yet found it! Thank you.

I don't think UP was so much my brainchild as it was everyone else's brainchild. I have certainly had a hand (or the only hand) in the development and business side of it, but other users have had an equal hand in it such as Metro.m, Cotuit, Spartan, etc. We have a remarkable staff and userbase that I could not have asked any more of. I am user #1 but you will notice that Metro.m is user #3 which registered a couple of days after we launched SSA. I later appointed him as an administrator of the forums and he has done an exceptional job, as has all of the global moderators and moderators of all forums. Most of us came from SSP and SSC looking to create something a little more professional and without all of the drama.

UrbanPlanet.org is a subsidiary of UrbanPlanet Institute LLC, a company I created a couple of years ago as the result of our success here. We have been self-supportive since the company was created through advertisements and membership fees. In being so we are able to offer continuing upgrades and new features that may otherwise not be possible. I have at times contracted work out to custom developers to offer options not available on other forums such as individual RSS feeds for our forums/cities, development maps, etc. There are some really cool things coming up that I think in time will be extremely beneficial to all UrbanPlaneteers!

While we are a corporation it is still ran from a shack as you say. Our staff is dispersed around the globe so all of our functions are handled solely on the Internet. I actually started out hosting SSA on a little $20 hosting account and worked my way up through all the plans possible until it came time to lease hardware so we now lease the equipment required to run UrbanPlanet.org.

Hope this answers your questions!

[dgreco]

Actually that is a bug that is producing those high numbers. The real number is around 450, I am working to resolve the bug causing the higher than normal user count.

I don't think UP was so much my brainchild as it was everyone else's brainchild. I have certainly had a hand (or the only hand) in the development and business side of it, but other users have had an equal hand in it such as Metro.m, Cotuit, Spartan, etc. We have a remarkable staff and userbase that I could not have asked any more of. I am user #1 but you will notice that Metro.m is user #3 which registered a couple of days after we launched SSA. I later appointed him as an administrator of the forums and he has done an exceptional job, as has all of the global moderators and moderators of all forums. Most of us came from SSP and SSC looking to create something a little more professional and without all of the drama.

UrbanPlanet.org is a subsidiary of UrbanPlanet Institute LLC, a company I created a couple of years ago as the result of our success here. We have been self-supportive since the company was created through advertisements and membership fees. In being so we are able to offer continuing upgrades and new features that may otherwise not be possible. I have at times contracted work out to custom developers to offer options not available on other forums such as individual RSS feeds for our forums/cities, development maps, etc. There are some really cool things coming up that I think in time will be extremely beneficial to all UrbanPlaneteers!

While we are a corporation it is still ran from a shack as you say. Our staff is dispersed around the globe so all of our functions are handled solely on the Internet. I actually started out hosting SSA on a little $20 hosting account and worked my way up through all the plans possible until it came time to lease hardware so we now lease the equipment required to run UrbanPlanet.org.

Hope this answers your questions!

[dtown]

Thats a neat timeline. THis website has improved a lot, even just in the time ive been here.

[sfmartin]

So what's next

[Captain Worley]

Neat thread. I was wondering the history of the site, myself. I'd seen references to SSA and had no idea what that was refering to at the time.

Thanks for the history lesson.

[dimebag1980]

Wow! Much larger and more colorful than ever! I joined on my 26th birthday, March 1, 2006, so I've been here just a few days over 1 year. In only that small time there have been a few changes, but a lot of growth no doubt.

Congrats, guys! You really do have a great thing here and you've (Neo and monsoon, and of course all the mods) done an excellent job at keeping this a place for people to come and share differing viewpoints. All the while you've kept the riff-raff out (with the exception of me, of course!)

Edited March 6, 2007 by SBCmetroguy

[tamias6]

Out of all the message boards, I'd have to say UP is the most professionally managed one of them all. That professionalism and the resultant environment encouraging stimulating and thought provoking conversations is what cemented my decision to become a member and is why this is by far my favorite message board. Neo, and the rest of you, thank you for your hard work at operating and maintaining this site to such high standards. I wish you the best of luck and continued success well into the future.

Tamias6

[wolverine]

Oh man, memories. I remember those days when urbanplanet was so small.

I also remember the chaos the SimCity sections brought with the "unwanted demographics"

Anyone remeber kornsnakez or yochillout? Horrible times, horrible times!

[Cotuit]

Anyone remeber kornsnakez or yochillout?

[Spartan]

Indeed

Hey Neo you need to include a picture of the old "tan" layout too.

[dtown]

LOL, i was reading through old threads a while ago and found posts by kornsnake. I laughed pretty hard when i read that he was 11.

Edited March 8, 2007 by dtown

[Neo]

Hey Neo you need to include a picture of the old "tan" layout too.

Unfortunately the screenshots on this post are all I have. I need to remember to take a screenshot of the site before a new version is unleashed to the public!

[Trae]

Actually that is a bug that is producing those high numbers. The real number is around 450, I am working to resolve the bug causing the higher than normal user count.

I don't think UP was so much my brainchild as it was everyone else's brainchild. I have certainly had a hand (or the only hand) in the development and business side of it, but other users have had an equal hand in it such as Metro.m, Cotuit, Spartan, etc. We have a remarkable staff and userbase that I could not have asked any more of. I am user #1 but you will notice that Metro.m is user #3 which registered a couple of days after we launched SSA. I later appointed him as an administrator of the forums and he has done an exceptional job, as has all of the global moderators and moderators of all forums. Most of us came from SSP and SSC looking to create something a little more professional and without all of the drama.

UrbanPlanet.org is a subsidiary of UrbanPlanet Institute LLC, a company I created a couple of years ago as the result of our success here. We have been self-supportive since the company was created through advertisements and membership fees. In being so we are able to offer continuing upgrades and new features that may otherwise not be possible. I have at times contracted work out to custom developers to offer options not available on other forums such as individual RSS feeds for our forums/cities, development maps, etc. There are some really cool things coming up that I think in time will be extremely beneficial to all UrbanPlaneteers!

While we are a corporation it is still ran from a shack as you say. Our staff is dispersed around the globe so all of our functions are handled solely on the Internet. I actually started out hosting SSA on a little $20 hosting account and worked my way up through all the plans possible until it came time to lease hardware so we now lease the equipment required to run UrbanPlanet.org.

Hope this answers your questions!

[WAJAS]

Anything new to add to this topic see as its been more than ten years?  I only really use the Orlando side of the forum, which seems to be its own isolated community as far as I can tell.  I became interested recently in who actually runs this platform and if it is even active outside of our little hole.  @Neo

Edited May 6, 2018 by WAJAS98

[Neo]

On 5/5/2018 at 1:43 AM, WAJAS98 said:

Anything new to add to this topic see as its been more than ten years?  I only really use the Orlando side of the forum, which seems to be its own isolated community as far as I can tell.  I became interested recently in who actually runs this platform and if it is even active outside of our little hole.  @Neo

Here is the last 30 days of traffic represented on a map of the US (we do have a bit of international traffic, but by in large... ~85% ...it is domestic so I'm only showing that here which ends up representing about 75,000 unique visitors):