MacCentral
Encyclopedia
MacCentral was a web site that provided news and information covering the Apple Macintosh, originally as an independent entity and later as the news service for Mac Publishing
Web sites, including Macworld.com and Playlist, before being subsumed by Macworld's own brand.
MacCentral was founded by Canadian businessman Stan Flack and James Dalrymple as Associate Editor in 1994. In 1998, MacCentral Online acquired MacGaming. MacCentral Online was purchased by Mac Publishing
in 1999. In March 2001, Macworld folded the trade-focused MacWEEK
into MacCentral MacCentral was folded into the Macworld
brand over a period of several years.
In June 2008 it was announced on the MacMinute
news site that MacTech's Community News Scan and Macsimum News will act as caretakers to the archives of MacMinute
News and Forums which is where most of Stan's faithful went upon the demise of MacCentral forums. They also announced they would continue to host the MacMinute Forum. Stan's Lounge is crowded with MacCentral and MacMinute
faithful in honor of Stan Flack and all that he did for the Macintosh community.
On December 10, 2008 James Dalrymple announced that the name MacCentral lives on. With permission from MacWorld the old MacCentral Forums are now open at www.maccentralforums.com. Eight years of MacCentral forum history can now be researched. (Update, eight years of forum history is now just that, history. Or toast. Someone tripped over the plug and since 2009 the database is no more. This is a lesson to future users of the internet. If you value something, make a local backup.)
Café forum. And then, with the shutting down of the MacMinute forums in May 2008 the majority of forum members moved to MacCentral Cafe or any number of other places on the internet.
Mac Publishing
Mac Publishing is a publishing company based in San Francisco, California, and is wholly owned by the International Data Group. It is the publisher of Macworld magazine and numerous web sites, including and .- History :...
Web sites, including Macworld.com and Playlist, before being subsumed by Macworld's own brand.
MacCentral was founded by Canadian businessman Stan Flack and James Dalrymple as Associate Editor in 1994. In 1998, MacCentral Online acquired MacGaming. MacCentral Online was purchased by Mac Publishing
Mac Publishing
Mac Publishing is a publishing company based in San Francisco, California, and is wholly owned by the International Data Group. It is the publisher of Macworld magazine and numerous web sites, including and .- History :...
in 1999. In March 2001, Macworld folded the trade-focused MacWEEK
MacWEEK
MacWEEK was a controlled-circulation weekly Apple Macintosh trade journal based in San Francisco founded by Michael Tchong, John Anderson , Glenn Patch, Dick Govatski and Michael F. Billings. It featured a back-page rumor column penned by the pseudonymous Mac the Knife.Founded in 1987, it was...
into MacCentral MacCentral was folded into the Macworld
Macworld
Macworld is a web site and monthly computer magazine dedicated to Apple Macintosh products. It is published by Mac Publishing, which is headquartered in San Francisco, California...
brand over a period of several years.
In June 2008 it was announced on the MacMinute
MacMinute
MacMinute was the name of a web site that provided news and information focused on Apple Inc and the Macintosh Operating system. It was founded by Canadian businessman Stan Flack in 2001 to "keep you up-to-date on everything that is going on in the world of Macintosh as soon as it happens"...
news site that MacTech's Community News Scan and Macsimum News will act as caretakers to the archives of MacMinute
MacMinute
MacMinute was the name of a web site that provided news and information focused on Apple Inc and the Macintosh Operating system. It was founded by Canadian businessman Stan Flack in 2001 to "keep you up-to-date on everything that is going on in the world of Macintosh as soon as it happens"...
News and Forums which is where most of Stan's faithful went upon the demise of MacCentral forums. They also announced they would continue to host the MacMinute Forum. Stan's Lounge is crowded with MacCentral and MacMinute
MacMinute
MacMinute was the name of a web site that provided news and information focused on Apple Inc and the Macintosh Operating system. It was founded by Canadian businessman Stan Flack in 2001 to "keep you up-to-date on everything that is going on in the world of Macintosh as soon as it happens"...
faithful in honor of Stan Flack and all that he did for the Macintosh community.
On December 10, 2008 James Dalrymple announced that the name MacCentral lives on. With permission from MacWorld the old MacCentral Forums are now open at www.maccentralforums.com. Eight years of MacCentral forum history can now be researched. (Update, eight years of forum history is now just that, history. Or toast. Someone tripped over the plug and since 2009 the database is no more. This is a lesson to future users of the internet. If you value something, make a local backup.)
MacCentral chronology
- September 4, 1995 Stan Flack publishes the first monthly issue of MacCentral using DOCMaker.
- June 1999 Mac Publishing, LLC, the publisher of Macworld magazine and Macworld Online, purchases MacCentral Online.
- February 2001 In a move to assert the dominance of the Macworld brand among its brands including MacCentral.com and MacWEEK.com, Mac Publishing redirects Maccentral.com traffic to a subdomain of Macworld.com.
- May 9, 2001 Stan Flack leaves MacCentral to publish MacMinuteMacMinuteMacMinute was the name of a web site that provided news and information focused on Apple Inc and the Macintosh Operating system. It was founded by Canadian businessman Stan Flack in 2001 to "keep you up-to-date on everything that is going on in the world of Macintosh as soon as it happens"...
News on a new web site. - April 14, 2008, Stan Flack, MacCentral founder, passes away at his home on Prince Edward Island.
MacCentral Forum
Despite the rebranding of MacCentral, a cadre of loyal readers continued to maintain a presence in the MacCentral Forum, a community that remained in operation without being prominently linked to from anywhere on Macworld's primary site. Those forums were shut down in 2008, with many of the forum members relocating to the MacMinuteMacMinute
MacMinute was the name of a web site that provided news and information focused on Apple Inc and the Macintosh Operating system. It was founded by Canadian businessman Stan Flack in 2001 to "keep you up-to-date on everything that is going on in the world of Macintosh as soon as it happens"...
Café forum. And then, with the shutting down of the MacMinute forums in May 2008 the majority of forum members moved to MacCentral Cafe or any number of other places on the internet.
MacCentral Forum chronology
- January 31, 1998 MacCentral Reader Forum opened.
- March 26, 2002 Beginning of what becomes the Forum 2002 Mosaic Project. This community project culminates with posters and signed canvases being sold at Macworld Expo. MacCentral Forum members elect to give the proceeds to United Cerebral PalsyUnited Cerebral PalsyUnited Cerebral Palsy is an international nonprofit charitable organization consisting of a network of affiliates. UCP is a leading service provider and advocate for adults and children with disabilities, including cerebral palsy...
. - January 16, 2003 Beginning of the thread to create MacCentral Forum Mosaic 2003.
- August 8, 2003 Beginning of the thread to create MacCentral Forum 2004 Mosaic.
- December 14, 2007 Forums integrated into the Macworld website as MacCentral Alumni.
- January 3, 2008 Forums changed to read only.
- March 3, 2008 Forum database made inaccessible by Macworld.
- November, 2008 Stan's Lounge is moved to MacTech servers and quickly becomes a haven for lost MacCentral and MacMinuteMacMinuteMacMinute was the name of a web site that provided news and information focused on Apple Inc and the Macintosh Operating system. It was founded by Canadian businessman Stan Flack in 2001 to "keep you up-to-date on everything that is going on in the world of Macintosh as soon as it happens"...
Forum members. - December 10, 2008 James Dalrymple announces that the old MacCentral Forums are now in read/write format at www.maccenralforums.com
- April 14, 2009 The anniversary of Stan Flack's death finds the MacCentral/MacMinute forum operating within the MacTech website. Stan's Lounge is still averaging over 300 posts per day.
- April, 2011 Average posting in the forum is down to 30 per day.