History of ADS and ADSIC
Beginnings
Around the end of the 2004 National Championship, North Penn Scholastic Phil Cerami had an idea to begin compiling scores into a database. The idea became reality in February 2005, in which Cerami founded AcaDec Scores. ADS was originally located at [acadecscores.xwiki.com].
The Orignal ADS Bloc
ADS formally started operations on February 27, 2005 with the admission of Pennsylvania, Nebraska and Texas.
The site expands
Within mere weeks of ADS's formal opening, help arrived in the form of several decathletes and coaches. Adam Cornish, Kort Everett Jackson, Katie Varner, Philip Lenharth, Christie Stephenson, Dillon Foley and Chris Yetman were just a few of these new users joining ADS. Within a few months, the site had archived nearly all of the National Results, a large portion of the state results, and a selection of regional results. Since Cerami could not manage ADS on his own, associate score comptrollers came into play at various points of time. By Nationals 2005, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Alaska, Minnesota, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Arizona, and California had joined the ADS Bloc, raising the total number of member states to 13.
More people help
As 2005 rolled on, Don Wilmot and Chris Crisman-Cox joined up to help. 2006 saw Michael Bancroft, Philip Lenharth, and Ian Ynda-Hummel join in and help, in which Cornish and Lenharth were associate comptrollers from February 2005 - March 2006, when Cornish continued with Michael Bancroft. The ADS Bloc grew again, adding Georgia and Mississippi to its list, making the total 15. This would be the final expansion of states in the ADS period.
Spam Hits
Around March of 2006, a tremendous amount of SPAM hit the site. Comment boxes filled up exceptionally fast. The problem only got worse, and Kort Everett Jackson stepped away as associate comptroller on March 8, 2006, allowing Adam Cornish and Philip Lenharth to continue on as associate comptroller. Jackson returned briefly in April 2006 to the site to defend it, but the SPAM continued, culminating in the final major update to ADS on May 7, 2006. The update consisted of Nationals scores, which were were uploaded by Ian-Ynda Hummel, who was the last de facto associate score comptroller. The last entries were as follows:
5/7/06
Ian Ynda-Hummel - Formatted the school scores and added overall individual scores for 2006 Nationals. I have the rest of the individual scores and I'll get them up soon.
--Individual scores are all up.
Michael Bancroft - Fixed a minor set of typos listing Alvin Chen as being from California.
The site ceased all editing activity the same day.
A chance encounter leads to version 2.0
After a long summer, Kort Everett Jackson returned to DemiDec and became exceptionally active in the forums again. Upon rediscovering the plight of ADS, Kort Everett rapidly built Version 2.0 in a attempt to revive the once glorious AcaDecScores section. On October 24, 2006, the second edition of ADS launched, which was located at [1]. Kort attempted the enlistment of Adam Cornish, but Cornish, noting the failure of xwiki software before, declined. At the same time, David Gilman stepped forward offering the idea of MediaWiki.
Shortly thereafter, Xwiki shut down ADS 1.0.
Attempts to revive ADS
With no recourse but to contact the owner of the first ADS page, Jackson contacted Phil Cerami. Communcations quickly broke down, and Jackson had no choice but to find an alternative, and fast.
Botched Attempt #1
After a few attempts at communication, Kort Everett Jackson then opened up a Wetpaint account, and announced its presence on February 5, 2007. The idea was universally panned before it even got off the ground completely. After a few criticisms, and a YTMND fad reference later, the Wetpaint account was officially abandoned.
Botched Attempt #2
Kort Everett Jackson, after the Wetpaint failure, contacted Dan Berdichevsky for help. Dan referred him to Tom , who said he could create a database for the scores. Unsure about the status, Kort launched his free site, and "gave the keys" to David Gilman. The site rejected MediaWiki code, and was ditched.
Success at Last
After a long struggle, Gil's server came online, and the MediaWiki install finally clicked into place and began operations during on March 15, 2007. When prompted by Gil for a name for the new site, Jackson supplied "AcaDec Scores and Information Center", defending his reasoning of the name by suggesting an expansion of ADS to include biographies. Jackson and Gilman became the first system operators of ADSIC, and Cornish rejoined the group on March 22, 2007.
First Major Victory for ADSIC
On March 25, 2007, Gilman successfully petitioned for the re-opening of the original ADS to transfer scores over to ADSIC. The transfer has long since been completed.
Current Status
Since the opening of ADSIC:
- total page views are over 14,000 (as of 5/6/07) with 68,545 edits to pages (current) and 1,911 articles (also current).
- Membership has increased from 2 members to 54 (as of 8/15/07), and is expected to grow even more.
- A constitution is expected to be finalized soon (as a guidebook).
- Scores are added almost everyday.
- The First official logo was created and installed on May 6, 2007.
- The Official Seal of ADSIC will be unveiled soon.
Logos, past and present
 (Un?)official Logo of ADSIC, created by Ian-Ynda Hummel |
 Concept Idea for ADSIC Logo using a light blue and red |
 Last logo to use Red, First logo idea to use Cobalt |
 Last of the Pentagonal Logos, actually consider for use by ADSIC, rejected for a circular logo. First to use "goldenrod", and the "Law and Order" text |
 The Current and Official logo of ADSIC. Adopted May 6, 2007 |
