Bitter sweet accomplishments today. It was a dream of my dad's to have a place where he could easily and openly communicate with his customers (Land Surveyors) and help professionals solve problems from the field. In March of 2007, I began building Land Surveyors United Community during a time when Myspace was still the primary social network. Every single day since then, I scroll through applications to join at least 3 times a day and decline most due to lack of seriousness in the answers they provide. Over the years, I have had over 63,000 applications to join. I protect the integrity of the network by letting in only those who I feel will contribute- i don't just let in anybody.
Today, dad and I accepted our 10,000th member to the community and although he is no longer in physical form to celebrate this monumental occasion with me, I know he is all around me today. I have dreaded the sadness I assumed I would feel on the day that we crossed this threshold. Now that it is here, the sense of accomplishment far outweighs that sadness. I know he is proud.
Building a community for people who are not like you is a anthropological challenge like no other. Even though I am no longer a land surveyor, a community for surveyors was a culmination of my dad's life's work, so even after he passed I continue to keep it alive and continue to make it the best it can be for the members. It is the largest body of professional land surveyors in the world and if you have even the slightest clue what a surveyor is, you can imagine how this sort of thing could have a dynamic impact upon all construction worldwide. This has no doubt been the most difficult and time/ labor intensive project I have ever taken on. Today it is worth it. I am grateful for such a terrific group of #surveyors who care about the legacy that they are building for the future of their profession and will ultimately leave behind, just as my dad has.
I remember when we first accepted our 100th member and how excited my dad was. He said "Wow man...this is really happening! I can't wait until we reach 10,000 members. You and I will take a trip to Costa Rica to celebrate sitting on the beach." Maybe that is where he is today as I know he can choose to be anywhere he wants to be these days. Most of the time, I can feel him with me. At the top of the site, every one who visits reads "Dedicated to the Memory of Skip Farrow (1953-2015)" with every page load. The way i see it, that is about 7000 time per day that my Dad's name is said or read all around the world. Skip Farrow Here' to you dad!!! We did it! Land Surveyors United
In honor of this occasion, I rebuilt the Member Directory in order to make it easier for you guys to track one another down and collaborate.
Would you like to meet other land surveyors near your location? Are you looking for other surveyors who use the same equipment that you use? Are you just hoping to track down other land surveyors at your company? This tool is our Member Directory (mobile rover version here), which will allow you to quickly filter contact with other members based on the information you are trying to find.
Thoughts
Keep up the great work Jaybird!
Thank you Doug.... just seeing this. Hope all is well! Give me a call sometime..