Past: Timeline
This page gives an overview timeline of IshCon's origins and evolution.
| Date | Milestone |
| Summer 1999 | Chris H. and Tony Z. meet in an online Yahoo! Groups chat devoted to Ishmael fans. They discuss what needs to happen next, and the idea for a real-world gathering is born. |
| November 5-6, 1999 | The first IshCon conference is held in Richmond, Indiana, attended by about 30 people from about 7 US states. |
| May 17-19, 2002 | The second IshCon conference is held, again attended by around 30 people. |
| November 9, 2002 | The IshCon.org community website is established, providing news, discussion and other interactive features |
| December 2003 | IshCon.org forum user "ledbetter" reaches his 1,000th post on the site, becoming the first "Silverback" within the forum's artificially defined user levels. |
| February 28-29, 2004 | Chris attends the Ishmael Austin Weekend, a conference in Austin, Texas organized by Alex P, who had attended the 2002 IshCon. |
| May 2004 | The 1000th user joins IshCon.org's online community |
| May 28-31, 2004 | The third IshCon conference is held in Richmond, and includes presentations by Dr. Alan Thornhill. |
| September 4-6, 2004 | The IshCon 2004 Fall Gathering is held in Northwest Pennsylvania. A more informal camping event, it brought together many IshCon conference alumni for talking, cooking, singing, hiking and more. |
| November 21, 2004 | The IshCon.org forums are shut down due to excessive fighting and personal attacks on the site. They re-open a few days later to begin the healing process. |
| March, 2005 | The IshCon.org forum structure is reorganized to promote a more flexible approach to the discussions there, with an emphasis on distinctions between debate and dialog. |
| May 27-30, 2005 | The fourth IshCon conference is held in Richmond. |
| 2005 - 2007 | IshCon.org users begin to collaborate on new kinds of local and regional projects, including gatherings, works of art, and educational opportunities. |
| January 2007 | The IshCon.org forums are shut down and this transitional site is posted. Former users create new websites to continue the conversations. |
| Onward | An earnest desire to save the world drives IshCon's work forward, with more exciting things to come. |
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