My current clients have announced that they are “demerging” the UK part of their business and are making plans to sell off various bits and pieces. I think that this means something along the lines of “sink or swim on your own, you unprofitable pommie bastards”.
One of the bits that is for sale is the part I’m working for – Ample. Ample is the financial information web site that was formerly known as III. This was supposed to be one of the success stories of the UK dotcom boom, but it never really worked out like that. I think that III must hold the record for the highest number of London Perl Mongers that have worked there at one time or another.
I thought that honour went to Oven?
I may be a bit behind the times, though.
Oven could certainly have been in the running had it survived longer. As it was, at one point, there were definitely at least four London.pm members, and maybe seven or eight who could be dragged along to meetings.
Fotango’s currently not doing badly (I’d say a solid four), but it doesn’t seem to have much of a historical record.
I remember a large eBookers clan, at one point. However, the BBC has definitely seen a lot of people at various times, so I’d say that probably takes the award. (I can think of four people without having to really concentrate; there must be more if people went looking.)
I can think of six people from london.pm who have worked for III/Ample. I may have forgotten some and there amy have been others who have come along to the occasional meeting.