NoHomers.net
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 NoHomers.net front portal page. |
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| URL | http://www.nohomers.net and .com |
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| Type of site | Internet forum |
| Registration | Free, Public |
| Owner | Eric Wirtanen, Jacob Burch |
| Created by | Eric Wirtanen, Jonah Flynn, Tino Persico |
NoHomers.net is a large community website for the television show, The Simpsons. It was launched 27 August 2001. Although the site contains many features typical to Simpsons sites, including an episode guide and images, its primary draw is the No Homers Club message board. It has over 13,000 members, 53,000 threads, and 1.4 million posts.
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[edit] History
The No Homers Club (aka NHC) was created by Eric Wirtanen (aka Number One/thecapecoddah) in 2001 with help from Jonah Flynn (aka Tomacco) and Tino Persico (aka Datoupee). It was originally a part of the "Evergreen Terrace" Simpsons fan site (1998 - 2002), which first held the nohomers.net domain. Although the Internet has dozens of Simpsons discussion websites, the NHC quickly gained the support of other fan sites and their webmasters.
After Wirtanen shut down his "Evergreen Terrace" website in 2002 the forums became largely independent and developed a large community. The forum's address was originally club.nohomers.net but the board moved to simpsonsforum.com soon after its creation. In October of 2002 it took its current domain, http://www.nohomers.net. The site can also be reached by using http://www.nohomers.com. Since 2002, Jacob Burch (aka Roarke) has also had a large part in the maintenance of NoHomers.net and as of June 2006 is the co-owner of the website. [1].
The website took its title from an episode of The Simpsons, "Homer the Great", written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Jim Reardon. In the episode, Homer laments that years ago his peers started a "No Homers Club" and excluded him from the group, even though they let in a boy by the name of Homer Glumplich. (This is explained by the fact that it's the No Homers (plural) Club, and they're "allowed to have one.") See here for further reference.
[edit] Forum software
When the forums were first created in August 2001, the NHC ran on the YaBB forum software. However, in October 2001 (after just a few months), the NHC started using vBulletin forum software. As of July 2006 the message board runs on the vBulletin 3.5 platform.
[edit] Episode reviews
One of the things that the site is most famous for (perhaps especially by the staff of The Simpsons) is its threads devoted to critiquing individual episodes of The Simpsons. Users rate an episode 1-5, review it, and discuss it with other forum members. Some users give very harsh criticism while others enjoy each and every Simpsons episode that airs; there is always a debate about the quality of the newer episodes compared to the universally-loved Simpsons episodes from the 1990's.
[edit] Show involvement
The staff of The Simpsons, including creator Matt Groening, has acknowledged the community several times on some of the DVD audio commentaries. They go into detail in the episode commentary for "Homer the Great". The producers of The Simpsons do read the website often. On this commentary, David Mirkin, a former show runner joked that it should be renamed "the worst show ever weekly" forum. In response, the tagline appeared in the forum's default banner until April 2006. (Listen to an excerpt from the sixth season DVD audio commentary).
The staff of the show has also been in direct contact with some site administrators. Al Jean, former and current showrunner, once posted a message to fans about some comments voice actor Harry Shearer had made about the show.
The website has hosted question-and-answer sessions with three former executive producers. In early 2002, Al Jean (who had just become the show runner) answered questions for fans,[1] and in late 2005, Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein answered questions in the first of two moderated sessions, coinciding with the release of the seventh season on DVD.[2] They also took questions in January 2006 for the commentaries for the eighth season on DVD, which they would be soon recording.[3] Another Q&A session with Oakley and Weinstein is tentatively scheduled to take place in late 2006. Weinstein has also made a few random posts in other threads.
In addition, other staff such as show animators Jen Kammerman and Sarge Morton[4]; Bongo Comics writers/artists Bill Morrison,[5][6] Ian Boothby,[7] Chris Ungar,[8] Gail Simone[9] and Jesse McCann[10] have dropped by the site to interact with users and answer any questions about some of the less-frequently addressed aspects of the show. Jesse McCann also took part in a Q&A session in late 2006/early 2007[11].
In the episode, "Sleeping with the Enemy", from the show's sixteenth season, director Lauren MacMullan confirmed that they added a sign in the bowling alley to pay homage to the website. The sign said "N.H.C. Champs! 15 Seasons" and can be seen for about a second.
[edit] Origin of No Homers Club
Boy: Hey Billy! Hey Joey! Come on in. There's plenty of room. Sorry, not you, Homer.
Homer: Why not?
[boy points to sign, "No Homers Club"]
Homer: But you let in Homer Glumplich.
Homer G.: [pops head out window] Hyuck hyuck!
Boy: It says no Homers. We're allowed to have one.
Homer: Oh...
— Taken from The Simpsons episode 2F09, "Homer the Great".
Homer felt really bad about this, and has mentioned that it's his worst memory from his childhood.
[edit] References
- ^ NoHomers.net Al Jean Q&A 2002 (April questions, April answers, May questions, June questions)
- ^ NoHomers.net Oakley & Weinstein Q&A (Oct-Nov. 2005)
- ^ NoHomers.net Oakley & Weinstein Q&A (Jan. 2006)
- ^ NoHomers.net Kammerman & Morton Q&A (Mar-May. 2003)
- ^ NoHomers.net Bill Morrison's first account
- ^ NoHomers.net Bill Morrison's current account
- ^ NoHomers.net Ian Boothby's account
- ^ NoHomers.net Chris Ungar's account
- ^ NoHomers.net Gail Simone's account
- ^ NoHomers.net Jesse McCann's account
- ^ NoHomers.net Jesse McCann Q&A Session
