RapidWeaver Classroom is no longer in session.
“I hate goodbyes.” -Lloyd Christmas, Dumb and Dumber
RapidWeaver Classroom is closing its doors after 16 ½ years. Since 2008, I have had the privilege of combining my passion for creativity in the web design space with my love for teaching. I’ve been honored to provide training to so many all across the world, and to even communicate with many of you personally — by email, phone, Skype or Zoom. I’ve learned about your careers and your personal lives, and witnessed your pursuits as you created something to share with others. It has been an honor to play a small role in what each and every one of you have created over these years.
When I decided to create RapidWeaver Classroom, the biggest obstacle for me was to produce content that would always feature my voice. I am a fairly private person and skew towards the introverted side, and the idea of putting myself out there in such a way was frightening to me, and I wasn’t even putting myself on video! I am so thankful for the encouragement I received time and again, which made it easier and easier to keep going.
It’s amazing to consider how much life has happened for me in this period of time. I was newly married when I launched RapidWeaver Classroom, and now have three kids and have moved homes five times. Your support has enabled me to be home with my family every day, and to provide them with what they need, and for that I am eternally grateful.
“You know what happens if we don't take that chance? -What? -Nothing.” -William Wallace, Braveheart
I took a chance 16 ½ years ago, not knowing what the outcome would look like, but I saw a need and had an idea of how to provide for it. I’m taking another chance now, and as this door closes I am opening another. In the near future I will be launching THE GPT HUB — an educational resource and community with a focus on AI. My vision is that this will be a resource for everyone; with an emphasis on customized AI tools, safe and ethical use, and the sharing of knowledge for productivity, efficiency and safety. I feel strongly that there is a great need for this, and I am nervous and excited to take the chance that this is what is next for me.
I would love to share more about this with you all as THE GPT HUB nears its launch later this year. If you are interested in knowing more, please sign-up here.
“I think of what everyone did for me, and I feel like a really lucky guy.” -Pat, Silver Linings Playbook
I believe that the strength of RapidWeaver has been its community — in particular the 3rd-party developers. Without them, I wouldn’t have been a RapidWeaver user or educator all of these years. It’s important to me to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have contributed to the RapidWeaver ecosystem, no matter how big or small your contribution. Thank you all — RapidWeaver Classroom would have never existed without you.
Then there are some devs in particular I want to single out.
Isaiah at YourHead — Thank you for Stacks, and Blocks before that. And Collage. And Accordion. I wish you all the best with Stacks Pro and I will be following its development closely.
Adam at Elixir — Your skills are unmatched. Attention to detail was evident in everything you created, from the marketing of a product, to the product itself, to the product’s tutorials and documentation. You designed me a theme for the first redesign of RapidWeaver Classroom, and I loved it. Thank you for the themes, stacks and icons that were a pleasure to use. Thank you for Foundry — I’ve enjoyed working with it more than any other piece of software, probably ever.
Joe at Weaver’s Space — Your dedication to and care for the community is incredible. You listen to what people want and you deliver, whether it be through new products, improvements to existing ones, or education and support. I’m convinced that either a) you don’t sleep, or b) time moves half as fast for you as it does for the rest of us. Thank you for so many fantastic products that made building websites better — there are too many to count and they have been a consistent part of my toolbox for a long time. I look forward to seeing what is coming from you in the future.
Greg at Chillidog Hosting/Software — You are one of the exceptional developers that has made this community so great. It's been a pleasure to use and teach your products for SEO, forms, photo galleries, etc. RapidWeaver Classroom has been hosted on Chillidog for many years, and the server has been practically bulletproof. Your customer support exceeds expectations and I know I've personally uttered "wow!" at the speed with which you've responded to me. Thank you for your contributions to my business, and the RapidWeaver community as a whole.
Marten at RapidWeaver Central — I enjoyed our Skype calls and was always inspired by how you combined your humor and design skills. Your products saved me a lot of time and produced impressive results. Thank you for your encouragement during difficult times, and for taking on some of the consulting work that I couldn’t get to. All the best, my friend.