Thanks for all the support in helping us get to 500,000 members!

We're still growing and adding 2,000 people a week and we're proud of just how helpful this site has been over the last six years to DBAs and SQL Server developers around the world. And with our brand new look and feel, this is a great time to celebrate this milestone.

It was just in January of this year that we crossed the 400,000 member mark, so it's been a great year for us and we'd like to celebrate this with you. I've been offered these prizes as giveaways for the event and I'm looking to spread them around to our members.

• A SQL Professional Toolbelt license from Red Gate Software
• An 8GB iPod Touch
• A Pair of Audio-Technica Noise Canceling headphones.
• 10 (or more) SQLServerCentral.com Polo shirts

I may regret this, but I want to give these away to people that can actually use them and we can send them to. So I'm going to ask for some stories. Short, a few sentence or a paragraph about what you like about the site, why you come here, how we've helped you.

Be creative and we'll judge the entries (Tony Davis and myself) and award the prizes. I'd like to get entries by this weekend and announce winners next week.

We've rewarded a number of you before, so if you write for us as an author (articles, not scripts) or we've paid your way to PASS, we'll declare you ineligible. Sorry, but I want to spread out the rewards. Besides, we'll reward you with other stuff over time.

Thanks again for the support and please let us know what you like and don't like about the site as we move forward. Feedback is always appreciated!

Steve Jones