Could someone tell me what just happened?

We've accomplished a lot in twelve months. These are some highlights.

• AUP breaches very much under control
  A year ago, commercial postings, commercial web pages, and commercial use of APANA email addresses were not uncommon. Through application of a simple ``inform the user, the admin, the RC and the MC'' system, people have become aware that AUP breaches are simply not tolerable and have ensured that they do not happen.
• Trial by lawyer passed
  At various times throughout the last year we have been forced to face the possibility of becoming involved in legal disputes. This forced us to carefully examine our procedures and policies with the help of legal advice. This process has left us with a much better idea of our obligations and a much more legally watertight set of rules and regulations.
• Regions progress
  Each of our regions has faced adversity over the past year. These adversities have taken the forms of apathy, operational difficulties, major AUP breaches, blood, frogs, vermin, wild beasts, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and slaying of the first born. However most of these difficulties have been overcome through the efforts of the Regional and Management Committees and have allowed our regions to continue to expand. In as much as the consolidations of the past year have allowed regions to stabilise, the prospects for growth in the coming year are all the more promising. This is not to say that regions have not broken new ground. This last year has seen the installation of our first 128K ISDN interactive IP connection and our first 64K ISDN newsfeed. Almost all regions have in fact continued to upgrade their connectivity and hardware. Our network is something to be damn proud of.