Pioneering Online Community Site Delphi Forums Has New Owner

Oct. 24, 2011 - PRLog -- Internet executive and entrepreneur Dan Bruns has recently acquired Delphi Forums and plans to build on its rich heritage as one of the first internet brands. The deal also included Talk City, another social site with deep roots. Both services had been owned by social software provider Mzinga Inc., where Bruns was a Senior Vice President.

"Now, as an independent company, we are focused on making Delphi Forums the best place on the net for groups that share common interests and passions," Bruns said. The communities that call Delphi Forums home discuss topics ranging from parenting to motorcycles to science fiction.

Bruns says he is committed to building a growing business based on a core of passionate, dedicated members. "Delphi Forums has long offered a strong sense of community, where enduring bonds are created both by enthusiasm for a topic and loyalty to fellow members," Bruns said.

The news has been received enthusiastically by Delphi Forums members. Lloyd de Vries, a longtime member and host of The Virtual Stamp Club on Delphi, said "I have great hopes for Delphi Forums now that Dan is back in charge."

Delphi Forums and Talk City were instrumental in laying the groundwork for modern social media. Delphi Forums was home to some of the earliest online communities, many of which continue to thrive today. Talk City, founded in 1996 by a group of ex-Apple executives, continues to host chat rooms that attract participants from across the globe.

Bruns was one of the original executives of Delphi Internet Services, the precursor of Delphi Forums, and has been involved with Delphi in various capacities ever since. He oversaw the sale of Delphi Internet Services to Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation in 1993. After re-acquiring Delphi in 1996, Bruns moved its vibrant online communities to the Web. The company expanded to provide white-label community applications for corporate clients and eventually merged with Well Engaged (the company that built the software behind the WELL online community) to create Prospero Technologies, which Bruns led as CEO. Prospero was acquired by Mzinga in 2008.

About Delphi Forums

Delphi Forums is a thriving network of member-created, member-managed online communities. Anyone can create a forum, and participation is free. Unlike other social media sites, Delphi Forums members organize themselves around specific topics. Members discuss their shared interests on easy-to-use message boards, in real-time chat rooms, through blogs, and via flexible self-managed member profiles. These interactions create a rich and valuable resource of content for those seeking information, advice, or support. Forum hosts have access to powerful moderation tools, allowing them to grow active communities while keeping troublemakers out. Through premium DelphiPlus and DelphiExtra subscription plans, members can purchase advanced features and limit advertising. Talk City is a chat hub where chat leaders, or "Room Owners," create chat rooms to cover topics of shared interest or simply to create a virtual space for social interactions.

Contact:
Delphi Forums
news@delphiforums.com
978.494.0876