Alan Gouger started AVS Forum, hired David as a new admin of the forum back late 90's, they entered into some sort of co-ownership as far as I understood, and I came on back in 1999 when I joined (I think I was like the 8th member of the forum) and started the Special Guest feature which built up forum membership - Alan will give me credit, David gives credit to no one. I moderated there 1999 -2003 and since then no interest in moderating anywhere. Initially I moderated the Audio forum, but I quit after a few weeks over a disagreement with David on moderating. Later that year I tried posting under another name, but my PC had memorized my original forum name and posted under my original name, and several members welcomed me back, and a few weeks later Alan asked me to moderate a new Tweaks forum. The Tweaks forum is still available to post and find the original threads and posts:
https://www.avsforum.com/forum/28-tweaks-do-yourself/index193.html
By late 1999 I started a new Special Guest feature, with Paul McGowen, PS Audio, as my first weekly Special Guest. Within some months Dave moved the existing Special Guest threads into a new and separate AVS Special Guests forum, and I continued to have weekly Special Guests with sole control and no interference from David or anyone else on my guests or moderating.
During my moderating days I was contacted almost daily by companies wanting to advertise and I told them I had no ownership interest and put them in touch with David as a forum owner handling advertising. Alan often thanked me and gave me credit for building up the forum membership.
In early 2003 I scheduled Tributaries as a Special Guest - David told me I couldn't have them as a guest because AVS had an exclusive advertising contract with Better Cables - I brought in only 1 more guest that year (2003) and I lost interest due to David's demonstrated commercial interference with my bringing in Special Guests - and Dec 2003 the forum was shut down and later erased out of existence! So unfortunately all of the Special Guests threads and posts have for years been unavailable as the forum was wiped out of existence!
Cool - someone remembers me! HA!