The Actuarial Outpost is an actuarial-oriented web-based community. It has three basic subsections: jobs listings, actuarial news, and by far the most important, the discussion forums.

History

Pre-Outpost background

Actuaries in North America usually belong to two major organizations: the Society of Actuaries (SOA) and the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS). Both of these organizations have their own web forums. Historically, the SOA's board was restricted to registered members, who had to use their real names. This was resented by most as it removes any semblance of anonymity. Further, it was very strictly moderated. Being that the actuarial community in North America is small, the lack of identity protection caused much self-censorship, and the SOA forum stagnated. Amongst many actuaries, it is still known as the “desert.”

The CAS web-board originally allowed for anonymous registration, and had a lower level of moderation, especially in the forum known as the “Water Cooler,” which was dedicated to non-actuarial topics.

Due to its lower level of moderation, the CAS board attracted its share of trolls. At one point, complaints were made to the CAS moderators about these trolls. The trolls responded by intensifying their level of troll-like activities. This resulted in a severe crackdown by the CAS moderators, in which numerous warnings were handed out, many users were banned—properly or not still remains a matter of contention—and threats of actual discipline by the Actuarial Board for Counseling and Discipline (ABCD) were intimated.

The formation of the Outpost

In protest, two members of the actuarial community, Traci Christian and Glenn Cooke, formed their own web-board called The Rebel Outpost. There was a mass exodus from the official CAS board to this forum. The “Rebel Forum,” as it was soon called, believed in a policy of anonymous registration and very low levels of moderation. Very quickly, most of the internet activity related to actuaries was to be found on this site.

The site survived on contributions from various members, referred to as Site Supporters. Eventually, however, the cost of maintaining a site that received such significant traffic became too expensive. On March 1, 2003, Traci and Glenn entered into a sponsorship relationship with Claude Penland representing D.W. Simpson and Company, one of the largest actuarial recruiting firms in the world. In return for sponsoring the site, D.W. Simpson became the exclusive actuarial recruiting company able to post advertisements on the site. Individual jobs, however, were still open for posting by others. It was around this time that the name of the site was changed from the “Rebel Forum” to the “Actuarial Outpost.”

Transfer of Administration

Nevertheless, the strains of administration became more and more pronounced, until in 2005 Traci and Glenn passed the administration of the site to Tom Troceen, a D.W. Simpson employee. The change in administration has proceeded very smoothly, and the site continues to grow; both in membership as well as influence.

Structure

The forums are broken into five major sections:
;Actuarial Discussion Forum: This section contains individual forums relating to various areas of actuarial practice such as property & casualty, life & health, pensions, risk management, etc. It also contains forums for software support, job postings, and the ability to communicate with various candidates during the elections held by the various societies. There is also a forum specifically devoted to helping newer actuaries along their career path with advice on interviews, resumes, and similar items.
;Exams: This section has forums specific to the various actuarial exams, wherein candidates can compare study methods, ask questions, and receive guidance from each other or more experienced actuaries. The forums also have links to old actuarial exams, various free tests questions, and a network of hundreds of actuaries who have been through the actuarial exam process. Further, these sections are frequented by many of the authors of the various study manuals in use, and most are very gracious in answering students' questions.
;Cyberchat: This section is for non-actuarial discussions, including politics, various surveys, sports, and a special forum, known as “The Reef” where nearly anything goes—a place where actuaries may “let down their hair” as it were.
;Around the world: This section contains country-specific forums catering to actuaries of other nations, languages, cultures, and laws.
;Website Ideas - Comments: This section is where one may suggest, or complain, to the board administraton.

=Common "AO-isms"===
As with all message board communities, the AO has developed its own unique character and style. The following are some common "AO-isms" used by members of the community:

:Clank!: First used to taunt a Syracuse fan over the number of free throws missed by their opponents in the 2003 NCAA chapionship, the term has spread in use to a general mocking term whenever someone fails to make a point with a post.
:Super-Bowl-Never-Wases: First used to taunt a Philadelphia fan over their losses in NFC championship games, the term "Never-wases" is now applied to any perception of failure (i.e., "Exam-Passer-Never-Wases)."
:Meltdown: Used in response to an exceptionally hostile or virulent post to indicate the original poster has lost control.
:Your a Moran: A phrase with 2 deliberate misspellings, one based on a well-known photo circulating on the internet. Often used in a self-depreciating way as a response to someone pointing out a spelling error or gramatical mistake.
:42: A number always included in poll options, probably named after a poster of the same name.
:Sockpuppet: An emoticon created by Tom Troceen for thse posters who often say "let me get the sockpuppets out and explain it to you."
:NTTAWWT: "Not That There's Anything Wrong With That," a winking reference to a "politically correct" desire not to offend any group.

== References

External links

Main Site

Actuarial Outpost Discussion Forums

D.W. Simpson

Glenn Cooke