Dear ScoobyNetters,
After 8 years at the helm of ScoobyNet, it is with a mixture of sentimental sadness and optimistic excitement that I can announce ScoobyNet has been acquired by Internet Brands, Inc., which operates leading automotive web sites such as CarsDirect.com, GreenHybrid.com, NewCarTestDrive and Wikicars.com.
ScoobyNet is getting bigger and better all the time, and my personal business commitments have increased significantly in the last 12 months, so I decided to open discussions with a selection of the many interested parties.
As many of the old timers here will know, I originally took on ScoobyNet as a labour of love, and as such, had a very clear view of the type of company I was willing to hand the keys over to. I wanted to be confident that the community would be in good hands going forward, and after hundreds of conversations with many, many different potential buyers, it was very clear to me that Internet Brands are the perfect fit, and I'm delighted to be working with them.
The plan is to maintain ScoobyNet as a stand-alone site, while leveraging Internet Brands’ technology and content resources where they can enhance the site. There are no changes planned for ScoobyNet at this point – other than moving to bigger, faster servers – and I will continue to play an active role in the community and in the growth of the site, certainly for the near future.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to PM me. There is an FAQ about the acquisition below, and we’ll be discussing the topic in the forums. Also, beyond any questions you might have, I'd enjoy hearing any ideas you might have for the future.
Finally, I just want to take this opportunity to wholeheartedly, and warmly thank our fantastic moderators, and all of you for your support of me and ScoobyNet over the years. I've always tried to put the community first and do exactly what I think you all want. While you can't please everyone all the time, on the whole I really hope I achieved that.
Thanks for a fantastic chapter of my life.
Simon
FAQ’s
Q: Why did Internet Brands buy ScoobyNet?
Internet Brands’ mission is to empower consumers to make better decisions about buying and maintaining their most important purchases, such as cars and homes. ScoobyNet’s users offer outstanding advice and support for Subaru owners and drivers, newbies and veterans alike, which should be a very good fit with the rest of the Internet Brands Automotive sites.
Q: Will ScoobyNet become part of another Internet Brand site?
A: Internet Brands plans to keep ScoobyNet a separate, thriving site and to continue expanding its content, community and traffic.
Q: Is Simon going to continue at ScoobyNet?
A: Yes. Simon will continue his current level of involvement on the site and in the community, certainly for the near future.
Q: What changes can we expect to see on ScoobyNet?
A: It's hard to predict far into the future, but for the time being, ScoobyNet will remain essentially unchanged. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The main near-term addition you’ll probably notice is that Internet Brands will figure out with Simon the most logical places to put links to relevant content on other IB Automotive sites. Beyond that, Internet Brands plans to brainstorm with the admins and moderators of ScoobyNet about improvements that would make the site more useful.
Q: How will the acquisition help ScoobyNet?
A: The main benefit will be having more infrastructure and technology resources behind the site. Better servers and hardware will mean better performance for the site and admin tools. And more technology resources will mean faster bug-fixes, quicker turnaround on site changes and more frequent updates in site software, like vBulletin or photo-posting applications.
Q: Will my ScoobyNet log-in or password change?
A: No you will still access ScoobyNet as you always have.
ScoobyNet Acquisition Announcement
& hope scoobynet contiues in the way it is currently going, all for the better of course.
