retromania
Well-known member
I Googled a particular dishwasher to see if I could find some vintage photos and the link I clicked brought me right back to aw.org! Robert, you're famous!!!
Had to Laugh!
- Thread starter retromania
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strongenough78
Well-known member
I have a feeling that, eventually, any thing googled about appliances will lead to here. Google Sears.com/Kenmore and you'll end up here lol.
Couldn't do it without all you guys!
cehalstead
Well-known member
In 2003, I googled classic appliances and found this site. Had no idea it existed. Been here ever since!
retromania
Well-known member
Ring....ring! Uh, Robert? It's for you!
autowasherfreak
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2008
- Messages
- 3,637
I too found AW through a Google search, LOL.
strongenough78
Well-known member
Well Robert.......
You may not have been able to do it without us, but we wouldn't even be here if not for you, so I call it a draw lol. Hassney, you're gonna love it here. Any questions you have about anything and you'll get an answer, actually a few of them lol. And they're so much fun!!!
You may not have been able to do it without us, but we wouldn't even be here if not for you, so I call it a draw lol. Hassney, you're gonna love it here. Any questions you have about anything and you'll get an answer, actually a few of them lol. And they're so much fun!!!
Btw I have been meaning to ask who is the founder for this s
That's be me
Maybe we should talk about our history for a bit, since I don't believe its really been discussed in great detail...
We actually started in 1999 on a Yahoo Group forum called ClassicAppliances, Jeff Lefever created that group. While forums on free public websites can be great, they are generally not crawled by the major search engines (such as goggle) and are lacking features such as the ability to search through posts, etc. So being a software programmer I thought I should look into how a website is created. Picked up a few books and started programming.
After 3 months of spare-time programming on the evening of May 20th 2001 I launched www.classicappliances.com. Everything I wrote from scratch including the discussion forum software which we called "Applianceville".
Here is a image of our original homepage, its from the wayback machine and unforutnately a few of the images are missing but you can get the idea...
[this post was last edited: 3/10/2011-10:16]
That's be me
Maybe we should talk about our history for a bit, since I don't believe its really been discussed in great detail...
We actually started in 1999 on a Yahoo Group forum called ClassicAppliances, Jeff Lefever created that group. While forums on free public websites can be great, they are generally not crawled by the major search engines (such as goggle) and are lacking features such as the ability to search through posts, etc. So being a software programmer I thought I should look into how a website is created. Picked up a few books and started programming.
After 3 months of spare-time programming on the evening of May 20th 2001 I launched www.classicappliances.com. Everything I wrote from scratch including the discussion forum software which we called "Applianceville".
Here is a image of our original homepage, its from the wayback machine and unforutnately a few of the images are missing but you can get the idea...
[this post was last edited: 3/10/2011-10:16]
Here was our original 2001 log-in page, I thought it was so cute then, but now ugh lol
Here is what the discussion forum look like, like many discussion forums of that time period it was not thread based but for the time worked well...
Notice how in 2003 we were up to post #26,300, and this post today is #<a name="bott">502,970</a>
Notice how in 2003 we were up to post #26,300, and this post today is #<a name="bott">502,970</a>
In 2002 I redesigned the home page...
I created this website to be more vintage washing machine related. But with the name "classicappliances.com" on average only one out of every 25 emails I would receive would be about a washer/dryer or dishwasher. Most were about vintage stoves, ranges and refrigeators. So in 2004 I decided it was time to re-write the forum software into a more modern threaded format and change the name of the website to automaticwasher.org (as shown in the image below).
And here we are today, only two months from our 10 year anniversary!
And here we are today, only two months from our 10 year anniversary!
Thanks for the history Robert......should there be a "History" icon on the home page for future members to wonder where it all began?
I found AW thru Youtube.....and actually not enough info was posted about this site, I was viewing machines for almost 2 years before I came across a request to check out AW....and you guys were here all along.....I wonder how many more are out there like us that don't know AW exist......and a shame too....to think what so many are missing......
but I have often wondered how it all began, and what it was like in the beginning!
Many Thanks for all of this Robert.......and to the members who offer help and ideas along the way.........
should we plan a Anniversary party?.......this is too BIG to be overlooked!
I found AW thru Youtube.....and actually not enough info was posted about this site, I was viewing machines for almost 2 years before I came across a request to check out AW....and you guys were here all along.....I wonder how many more are out there like us that don't know AW exist......and a shame too....to think what so many are missing......
but I have often wondered how it all began, and what it was like in the beginning!
Many Thanks for all of this Robert.......and to the members who offer help and ideas along the way.........
should we plan a Anniversary party?.......this is too BIG to be overlooked!
franksdad
Well-known member
I too found AW on Google
Retromania and I had been talking about my mom's 1971 Lady Kenmore washer and his neighbor's older model Lady Kenmore washer. Retromania asked me if I had a picture of the 71 LK. I googled 1971 Lady Kenmore washer and was directed to Automatic Washer where I found a picture of my mom's 1971 Lady Kenmore and my mom's 1961 Lady Kenmore thanks to posts by Revvin Kevin. I showed this to Retromania and he said he had been to this site also. My sincere thanks to Robert and everyone involved with this site. Not only have I enjoyed strolling down memory lane, but I no longer feel like some kind of "freak" because of my life-long fascination for washing machines and my love for vintage washing machines! Jim
Retromania and I had been talking about my mom's 1971 Lady Kenmore washer and his neighbor's older model Lady Kenmore washer. Retromania asked me if I had a picture of the 71 LK. I googled 1971 Lady Kenmore washer and was directed to Automatic Washer where I found a picture of my mom's 1971 Lady Kenmore and my mom's 1961 Lady Kenmore thanks to posts by Revvin Kevin. I showed this to Retromania and he said he had been to this site also. My sincere thanks to Robert and everyone involved with this site. Not only have I enjoyed strolling down memory lane, but I no longer feel like some kind of "freak" because of my life-long fascination for washing machines and my love for vintage washing machines! Jim
retromania
Well-known member
I second what Fransksdad said!!! I too thought I was freak because I had this facination with washing machines and other vintage appliances. I didn't know anyone else who shared my intense interest in them. Although I am not a mechanic and have never restored an appliance I have found this website to be everything and more.
Many thanks, Robert.
P. S. I recently signed up for Vacuum Land. I also love old vintage vacuums and especially Electrolux cannisters since that's all my mother and my old aunts ever had and when mom moved to an apartment at a local assisted-living in 2008 there was quite a discussion who was going to get her vacuum cleaner (I have 4 sibs). Guess who got it? Nevermind the family silver, china and 68 years of keeping house.
Many thanks, Robert.
P. S. I recently signed up for Vacuum Land. I also love old vintage vacuums and especially Electrolux cannisters since that's all my mother and my old aunts ever had and when mom moved to an apartment at a local assisted-living in 2008 there was quite a discussion who was going to get her vacuum cleaner (I have 4 sibs). Guess who got it? Nevermind the family silver, china and 68 years of keeping house.
The History The Present & The Future
<span style="font-size: small; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks for sharing the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">History</span> with us Robert I also approve on what yogitunes said, maybe there should be a history section for future users and for people already on here who know little about the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">History</span>. It might be worth considering? Seeing its been going since "1999" </span>
<span style="font-size: small; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I totally agree franksdad & retromania, maybe the word freak wouldn't be the right word
I say we are unique, though I know where you guys are coming from, for years I felt silly for having the fascination on washing machines/dryers, you name it, until my close friends and family would embrace it with me and they found it rather cute, which lead them to asking me for advice etc. </span>
<span style="font-size: small; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Since then I have no problems in admitting my love for washing machines. I don't see any different to blokes liking cars, planes, because think about it, most blokes will collect cars, restore & paint them, so why would it be different for those who do it on Washers </span>
<span style="font-size: small; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I found out about AW.org two years ago, after looking at many pictures of old washers. It wasn't till this year I had the courage to become a member (as I'm shy) and I recognized a few named from YouTube who were already on here. Since then, this is the place to be!</span>
<span style="font-size: small; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks for sharing the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">History</span> with us Robert
I also approve on what yogitunes said, maybe there should be a history section for future users and for people already on here who know little about the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">History</span>. It might be worth considering? Seeing its been going since "1999" </span><span style="font-size: small; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I totally agree franksdad & retromania, maybe the word freak wouldn't be the right word
I say we are unique, though I know where you guys are coming from, for years I felt silly for having the fascination on washing machines/dryers, you name it, until my close friends and family would embrace it with me and they found it rather cute, which lead them to asking me for advice etc. </span><span style="font-size: small; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Since then I have no problems in admitting my love for washing machines. I don't see any different to blokes liking cars, planes, because think about it, most blokes will collect cars, restore & paint them, so why would it be different for those who do it on Washers
</span><span style="font-size: small; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I found out about AW.org two years ago, after looking at many pictures of old washers. It wasn't till this year I had the courage to become a member (as I'm shy) and I recognized a few named from YouTube who were already on here. Since then, this is the place to be!
</span>retromania
Well-known member
'Unique' sounds nice, but the region of the US where Jim & I grew up 'freak' would the term that fits. No exageration. If you would like to cruise over to ATT, I'll explain in more detail. Thanks.
