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Saluting Our 10-Year Volunteers

November 23, 2012 · by Anna Rohleder

It's not just technology, web standards or even our history as a company that makes Opera special. We also count ourselves lucky to have many dedicated volunteers who support our work all over the world.

This week we'd like to single out two of those volunteers in particular who have been active in our user forums for over 10 years. Both Steve and Bhikku Pesala have spent the last decade helping others solve problems, optimize their browser - and generally get more out of using Opera.

Steve and Duke

We weren't able to get Bhikku Pesala's reflections on his work in time for this blog post, unfortunately, but our conversation with Steve follows below.

How did you get introduced to Opera?

That was in 1999 I believe. At the time it would still fit on a 1.44 MB floppy disk, and was 16-bit.

In 2002, I saw a review of the Opera 7.0 Technology Preview (aka Alpha 1) and decided to try it. I joined the forums to report some bugs I'd found. I was one of the voices suggesting Linux should be the second platform Opera 7 was made available for. (And I like to think I'm the person who invented customizing the browser, though that may not be completely true.)

Even though there was no documentation or discussion about it at the time, I read through the UI files (which at that time were still in the program folder) and figured out what they did to a large degree. And so when there was a user who asked about modifying something or other, I responded and told him how to do it. He came back and asked how I did that, so I explained that the UI files were basically a sort of very basic script where you could change the buttons, menus, or keyboard. He was pretty excited by that prospect and replied saying he wasn't going to be getting any work done that day. Once lots of people in the forums started customizing their browsers, Opera moved the UI files into a "profile" subdirectory, then they set about making it easier with the drag and drop buttons and the dialogs for editing keyboard and mouse setups.

For a while in the old forums I was one of 4 people in charge of writing up the "Tips and Tricks" section. We did have a pretty good list, but really I need people to ask me questions - to give me stuff to think about - to come up with my best ideas.

Where have you found the motivation and effort to stay active for so many years?

I just like helping people. You can see the "Customer Service" post in my blog. Basically, I'm here because it feels like I'm actually doing something valuable.

Do you have any good stories from your time as a moderator?

There was one time when there was a database error and lots of missing posts. I could see from who made the last post that someone had posted, but their post simply didn't appear in the thread. So I went to the user's About page and clicked their post count to see where the post went - but the search results said the post really was in the thread (even though I couldn't see it). Finally I just decided to start replying to what I could see of the post in the search results and asking them to repost. I'm sure that looked really weird to other users ...

Then there's things like unclosed tags in threads - someone asked me about one particular thread she couldn't see the last page of. I couldn't see it either, but previous pages were fine, so I told her all she needed to do was make enough posts so that the error was no longer on the last page. (I think it ended up being 43. Not so sure I would have made 43 posts in a row just to get one of the game threads back, but she did.)

What is your favorite Opera feature?

You mean I can only pick one?

:p:

I guess I'd have to say the ease of customization. I set it up the way I want to use it, and I don't have to get someone else to create a custom menu or button for me - it's simple enough I can do it myself. My copy of Opera is really my browser, in a way that none of the other browsers could ever be.

We'd like to thank both Steve and Bhikku Pesala for all their devotion and hard work on behalf of Opera. You guys are the best!

Readers' comments 37

Left under the original article, as archived.

  • Sami SerolaFriday, November 23, 2012 12:36:24 PM

    Thank you very much Steve and Bhikku Pesala for all the voluntary contribution :party: :wizard:

  • TamilFriday, November 23, 2012 12:56:09 PM

    http://files.myopera.com/Tamil/Smilies/Applause.gif -

  • Mağruf ÇolakoğluFriday, November 23, 2012 12:59:22 PM

    Both of them are working for Opera since many years and thanks them :smile:

  • Kr0pr0XFriday, November 23, 2012 1:12:46 PM

    nice work fellas!!! :yes:

  • SoumitraFriday, November 23, 2012 1:52:57 PM

    :up:

  • d4rkn1ghtFriday, November 23, 2012 2:17:41 PM

    :up:

  • GalileoFriday, November 23, 2012 3:13:59 PM

    :up: :ninja:

  • CoyoteeFriday, November 23, 2012 3:47:56 PM

    :up:

  • slackwrdaveFriday, November 23, 2012 3:55:39 PM

    Nice job volunteers.

  • SteveFriday, November 23, 2012 5:09:12 PM

    Ah, I was hoping to see Pesala's comments too. :sad: Still, thanks Espen, Tamil (for starting the original 10 year thread), etc.

    PS - if anyone asks ... Duke is a friend's dog, I was house-sitting at the time.

  • Bud McDonnellFriday, November 23, 2012 9:41:19 PM

    Well done, Steve! :cheers:

  • WordsFriday, November 23, 2012 11:26:18 PM

    Deserved recognition. You guys are great! :cheers:

  • intropamyliSaturday, November 24, 2012 3:47:13 AM

    it is verry special for me an opera o diba mas ayos dito kisa sa facebook dahil this opera you have meet of another ather people :3

  • intropamyliSaturday, November 24, 2012 4:00:58 AM

    Pag demon smIlieS ang palaging nasa isip mo iwan qo lang ha.

  • H82typSaturday, November 24, 2012 5:52:13 AM

    Steve, congratulations :cheers: and thanks for all the help!

  • H82typSaturday, November 24, 2012 5:54:43 AM

    Will we be seeing Pesala's comments anytime soon?

  • Phillip Robert O'ConnerSaturday, November 24, 2012 6:44:35 AM

    It nice 2 See Some ordinary people mention on choose opera blog.
    Keep up work the Steve and pesala :bigsmile: I :heart: Opera

  • Yeni SetiawanSaturday, November 24, 2012 8:07:46 AM

    :up: :up:

  • intropamyliSaturday, November 24, 2012 11:47:13 AM

    Yeah.,,,,

  • Chukwueke chinwokeSaturday, November 24, 2012 10:15:09 PM

    OPERA IS THE BEST WEB BROWSER ON PLANET EARTH...........GOSH! I'M IN LOVE WITH OPERA**.... U GUYZ ARE THE BEST

  • intropamyliSunday, November 25, 2012 2:48:31 AM

    jejejeje ahm

  • arsenaloyalSunday, November 25, 2012 5:28:10 AM

    This is what I like about opera. It takes time to appreciate people and listens to them instead of just steamrolling them.

    Thanks to all the Mods and Helpers.

  • Adonis @ my.opera /friendspartyworldSunday, November 25, 2012 5:07:38 PM

    Originally posted by arsenaloyal:

    This is what I like about opera. It takes time to appreciate people and listens to them instead of just steamrolling them.

    Thanks to all the Mods and Helpers.

    it takes time :yes: but if you like what you are doing, you take that time.

  • EJSunday, November 25, 2012 5:15:38 PM

    Thanks alot guys! We need more people like Steve and Bhikku Pesala.

  • SuntanaMonday, November 26, 2012 12:56:19 AM

    Whoa! Since 1999? I didn't even have a computer back then. And I had only heard of IE.

    Anyway ... Kudos Steve ... Pesala! http://files.myopera.com/Tamil/Smilies/Clap.gif - :headbang:

  • intropamyliMonday, November 26, 2012 2:08:30 AM

    I'am pilipino at bilib ako sa lahi ko.,,,,

  • intropamyliMonday, November 26, 2012 2:13:35 AM

    Hi evryone what's up.,,,,

  • intropamyliMonday, November 26, 2012 2:15:16 AM

    Anyway opera long time no see.....

  • intropamyliMonday, November 26, 2012 2:17:02 AM

    Whathappess it is happess

  • celalMonday, November 26, 2012 10:16:49 AM

    opera'ya çok memnunum iyi'ki varsın seni seviyorum güzel dostlar var niçe iyi yıllara operay'la

  • michal takacMonday, November 26, 2012 7:55:08 PM

    :up: Opera :up:

  • scipioTuesday, November 27, 2012 9:19:15 AM

    :party: congrats, sgunhouse and Pesala.

  • intropamyliTuesday, November 27, 2012 10:54:21 AM

    Happines to nyht is very okay,,,,,,

  • ErikTuesday, November 27, 2012 6:57:26 PM

    Oh, I've received help from one of them, many thanks ! Opera is my favorite browser, I just wish theres was no title bar ! ...but thats a windows thing I think :p:

  • Fathima Rifqa GhaffarWednesday, November 28, 2012 2:15:36 AM

    Well Done Guys!! :-(( My smilies being dissaled. :'( :'(( Help me Opera!!

  • Padam D MgrSaturday, December 1, 2012 10:01:59 PM

    Multi window browsing at a same time is asowme feature.

  • Michael A. Puls IIThursday, December 6, 2012 6:15:09 AM

    :up:

About this article

Published inChoose Opera
DateNovember 23, 2012
AuthorAnna Rohleder
Tagsforums, volunteers
OriginalInternet Archive

The Red O » Developers » Choose Opera » Saluting Our 10-Year Volunteers

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