The Management Team are pleased to announce that the successful candidate for the post of Database Manager is Andy Sinclair, MM0FMF. Andy’s sense of humour and commonsense will be familiar to all who use the Reflector. He will take up the reins immediately.
The Management Team wish to thank the unsuccessful applicants, the decision was by no means an easy one.
In reply to G8ADD:
Excellent news; thanks for taking on this pivotal role Andy.
Also, thanks to Gary for his hard work over the last 9 years - particularly as he was never actually “into” SOTA so it was very much a selfless task. I (we all?) owe him a beer!
73
Richard
G3CWI
In reply to G8ADD:
Congratulations and good luck Andy on your new role as database manager.
Yes Richard, I think we all owe Gary a pint or two.
73
Roger MW0IDX
In reply to G8ADD:
Well done Andy - you have already shown us mere mortals your credentials by blinding us with IT science on the reflector on several occasions - you now can make it official! 
73, Gerald G4OIG
In reply to G8ADD:
Congratulations and best of luck–it’s a task I think we all appreciate greatly!
73
Jason
HL4/W2VLA
In reply to G8ADD:
Andy,
Good luck and well done. Certainly the best man for the job.
73
Robert G0PEB
In reply to G8ADD:
Congratulations Andy,
Oh BTW his surname is not Sinclair (AKA Spectrum zx81) its Gates!! and his 1st name is really william not Andy HiHi
Good Luck
73
Tony
In reply to G3CWI:
…mind you, I will give him until next Thursday before the honey-moon is over and someone is asking how much longer we have to wait for a new database.
73
Richard
G3CWI
Congratulations Andy on getting the job as SOTA database manager. Will you be adding filters in the SOTA dtatbase in aid of the Hunter and Explorer awards?
Jimmy M3EYP
In reply to G3CWI:
In reply to G3CWI:
…mind you, I will give him until next Thursday before the honey-moon
is over and someone is asking how much longer we have to wait for a
new database.
So long? 
I was hoping it would be available now 
Well done Andy - please apply a little of ‘if it aint broke don’t fix it’ 
.
Roger G4OWG
Sounds like a coachman’s sabbatical to me!
I guess that is the last time Andy does any SOTA activations. He will be locked in a small cell with a slide rule and an abacus every weekend. Just how does the rule of nines work if you are using hex, Andy? ;0)
Congratulations Andy, & best of luck for the future.
73,
Mark G0VOF
In reply to G4OWG:
Well done Andy - please apply a little of ‘if it aint broke don’t fix
it’
I think Microsoft have changed the industry standard… it is now “if it ain’t broke, fix it until it is”
Andrew
M6ADB
PS: I think the word is “congrats” Andy. Once you have your feet under the terminal, it might be useful to publish a “wish list” and your plans?! Plus a call for help when appropriate.
I think Microsoft have changed the industry standard… it is now
“if it ain’t broke, fix it until it is”
Sounds about right for microsoft lol
Well Done Andy
73
Matt M3WDS
Many thanks for all the messages of support. I only hope they’re justified.
The man who deserves the real thanks is Gary for putting together a proper system in the first place. Taking over something that works well is easy. So I shall be doing my best to ensure that I don’t do anything to jeopardise that.
A couple of things. If you are expecting a plethora of whizz-bang new features very soon, then don’t. My priorities are to ensure I can backup and reinstall what we have now. Then to ensure I understand how all the bits fit together. That will involve input from Gary training me as I come up to speed and working on any issues I’m not able to fix. If we do this right, then nobody will spot when Gary finally relinquishes control.
Of course there are some areas for improvement but I don’t see there is any need to change things about just because I can. Any changes will be introduced gradually and have a small impact. Completely changing the site simply because some shiny, new Web technology is the current rave does not appeal to me and is very unlikely to appeal to the users either.
A number of people expressed interest in this position, and others have “outed” themselves on the reflector as having very useful knowledge. It would be crass to ignore them and I’d like to be able to draw on their experience and knowledge later on when changes do need to be made. Or as marketing people would say “leverage the collaborative resources to deliver synergistic, best-of-breed web deliverables.” 
I can’t think of much more to add now other than as a regular user of the reflector and now member of the MT I’ll make sure that if I write anything in any official capacity then I’ll say so. If you don’t see anything in the sig then it’s my personal opinion.
And once more, thanks to Gary for all he’s done in the past.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to M6ADB:
I think Microsoft have changed the industry standard… it is now “if it ain’t broke, fix it until it is”
Until now I only knew the MS slogan: “it’s not a bug, it’s a feature!”
Regarding Andy’s appointment: I wonder this is appointment an acknowlidgement award or a penalty for him? He will have definitely less time for HAM radio, especially SOTA - and his newly married spouse… Thanks for him for his future activity on behalf of the SOTA community.
73: Jóska, HA5CW
Thank you Andy for the bravery and dedication to the cause. I see that the honeymooon period is short lived here in the SOTA family. Please know that as you pass the hours away at your keyboard, those on the summits will be thinking of your efforts fondly.
Stu
In reply to MW0IDX:
In reply to G8ADD:
Congratulations and good luck Andy on your new role as database
manager.Yes Richard, I think we all owe Gary a pint or two.
73
Roger MW0IDX
Oh Goody! I will be in the Crown in Stockport on Friday
Of course I didn’t even drink until the SOTA database came along.
Gary G0HJQ
(Retiring SOTA database admin?)
In reply to G0HJQ:
Oh Goody! I will be in the Crown in Stockport on Friday
A good choice - but don`t forget the Magnet just up the road as well!
In reply to G0HJQ:
Of course I didn’t even drink until the SOTA database came along.
Patently not true! I well remember a somewhat boozy session at a pub in Wokingham almost ten years ago when SOTA was but a crazy notion that Richard and I had dreamt up. Somehow, through the alcoholic haze we managed to put together a database design that has served SOTA well. Thank you Gary for all your efforts over an extended period of time.