If you're an member of the Experts Exchange community, you've probably heard of this Netminder character.

For those who don't know, Netminder is one of EE's two Senior Site Administrators (along with Computer 101), joining the EE community 10 years ago today (Oct. 29, 1999), probably using that nifty new browser update everyone was raving about back then (Netscape Communicator 4.6.1).

It wasn't long before Mr. Netminder and his <evil twisted grin> were asked to be a Moderator, and by November 2002 he was named Site Admin -- AKA kingpin of our community volunteers.  

Netminder has gone on to become a cornerstone of Experts Exchange, but if you're an avid member of the community, you already know all that.

What you didn't know about Netminder ...

He's a banana slug. Yep, the Netminder is a proud graduate of UC Santa Cruz ... so if someone slithers through your Q&A thread and deposits sticky *laughing* trails behind, you know who did it.

"If Netminder wasn't giving me a hard time, I wouldn't think I was doing my job right," EE Marketing Director Jonathan Hoekman said. "He really is a key element to the success of our site.  All joking aside, even though he does give us plenty of butt chewings, there is no question that his heart is all about EE and his goal is to make the site the best it can possibly be."

Luckily for Jonathan and Co., Netminder enjoys giving the corporate office a hard time on a regular basis. In fact, Netminder spends as much as 18 hours a day on EE, according to his better half, and still finds time to tend to their garden.  Something else I bet you didn't know about Netminder -- he loves roses and fresh, homegrown veggies.

"He has a heart of gold and nerves of steel," his wife says. "He has the greatest tolerance level of anyone I have ever met whether it be in business or his personal life, always thinking of others first and himself last, yet not afraid of speaking his mind nor voicing his opinion."

Thanks to that persistence and dedication, from Netminder as well as all of our Badgers, the EE community has remained strong -- enduring recession, dot-com busts, and, well, another recession.

"Without him being that rock," EE Creative Director Mark Barbir said, "EE wouldn't be where it is today."

Something else you didn't know about Netminder? He's also done time as a high school basketball coach and referee.

The coaching background comes in handy in training new volunteers on the site. The officiating background comes in handy when users are acting foul in a thread. But that's what good Admins do -- they lay the smackdown when necessary, not because they enjoy it, but because they respect the concept of community ... and making that community the best that it can be.

"For me, knowing Netminder is on duty," Customer Service Manager Chris Hiatt said, "is my safety net if you will."

And that "Net" has been in place for 10 years and counting, making EE more than "just a website."

But enough from us here at the EE headquarters. Let's hear your favorite Netminderisms and stories from fellow Badgers and Experts in the EE community.

Share your congrats in the comment section below. Just be sure to watch out for skunks and remember that Ooops is not a four-letter word.

Here's to 10 years of Netminder!

Thanks for everything our friend.