Mr K
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,993
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Jan 19, 2006 23:42:14 GMT
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Skodanorman and i where just discussing the idea of it being possible to donate towards the forum, not only would this be a way to help solve the problem of the 'Connection busy' warnings that we all experience from time to time but it could probably also allow some cool new features on the forum.
I'm nothing to do with the running of this forum and am purely sticking my nose in, but I'm sure with some money we could have some cool features...e.g. a virtual garage to allow us to do blogs on our cars, and more hosting space for pictures from shows.
Another thing this would allow is things such as runs of stickers (like guz did) which need the initial cash to get them started - but in turn bring in a income for the forum to keep it here.
Also, show stand and events, i don't know if, or how much it costs to have a stand at a show, e.g. RCS, but if it does cost then this would cover it (i am still pretty new so forgive my ignorance if they are free, or you have a different way of payment in operation)
So, lets here what you guys have to say on this matter, and what ideas you lot have.
Again, i apologize if this is a stupid idea
Nick
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Last Edit: Jan 19, 2006 23:44:53 GMT by Mr K
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bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,945
Club RR Member Number: 71
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Donations and Ideasbstardchild
@bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member 71
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Jan 19, 2006 23:59:40 GMT
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Not stupid at all - good points - well made
Stickers - cool if price was not outrageous and people were aware fund supported running of the forum it would be OK
Change the status of members who support the up keep of the forum to sponsor to recognise the support.......
This forum is good cpompared to some I go on - tad slow sometimes but not unbearable
Paypal payments OK ;D
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Sounds good to me...although I don't post much,i'm lurking all the time.... never copied so many pictures from a website before!
No paypal for me though....cheque O.K.? ;D
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ILIKELURKINGME
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slater
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 6,390
Club RR Member Number: 78
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Donations and Ideasslater
@slater
Club Retro Rides Member 78
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Hotwire has it all planned out i think. RRv2, virtual garage blah blah etc.
I think its good to be able to donate but you definatly don't want the forum relying on them to survive!
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Won't be doing straight up donations. Might be doing an added feature subscription service... although that does make it harder to walk away from if ever I get too curse word off with the petty nonsense that goes with running a forum.
Shows don't cost anything to have a presence at, but the banners cost me a reasonable amount last year (thanks to 104ZS for fronting the cash)...
The main cost of the forum is my time, but when I look at the readers rides forum and find half the people have ignored the simple rule, when I find members being bullied by other members and when I find wildly off topic posts and when I find a lack of respect for my efforts to promote the forum I wonder to myself why the hell I bother.
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Shortcut
Posted a lot
I won't be there when you cross the road, so always use the Green Cross Code.
Posts: 3,037
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The main cost of the forum is my time, but when I look at the readers rides forum and find half the people have ignored the simple rule, when I find members being bullied by other members and when I find wildly off topic posts and when I find a lack of respect for my efforts to promote the forum I wonder to myself why the hell I bother. I can dig that! The rules for posting in the readers rides section seem pretty clear to me, it takes a certain wilfulness to fail to observe them!! If it was me I'd delete all those that don't comply, but then lightness of moderation has always been one of this places best attributes, apart from the content o/c. I go on the big Dr Who forum Outpost Gallifrey (yes sad) and they have donating members who can then opt to have a supporter banner, noone seems to regard those that don't as second class members so that might work here. As far as I'm concerned, maximum respect to H/W for everything he does here. I know from running the Club Pug web site and forum how much time it soaks up! I don't do any other car forums so I'm no expert but I have noticed a few people mentioning here that RR has acheived a certain status online, which is only due to hard work and diligence by H/W. Keep it up!
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This space available to rent. Reach literally dozens of people. Cheap rates!
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dp
Posted a lot
DP Race Tech
Posts: 1,044
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hotwire in da house: The main cost of the forum is my time, but when I look at the readers rides forum and find half the people have ignored the simple rule, when I find members being bullied by other members and when I find wildly off topic posts and when I find a lack of respect for my efforts to promote the forum I wonder to myself why the hell I bother.
That's the #1 reason NOT to charge for this forum!!! I surf more than this forum (like you did not suspect that) and as soon as a Forum start to charge, "members" start to expect things, like 100% moderation, no bad topics and most of all that the whole thing should be a democracy where everybody (who payed) MUST be able to decide how the forum should be run, who should moderate, etc. this have more than once ended up with the "owner" just dropping the ball and turning it over the loudest members and from then on it's down the drain....
Keep the Forum free and YOU decide, YOU pick your moderators, YOU remove users at will, YOU decide the rules, basicaly YOU are the ruling dictator of the Forum and these are 9 out of 10 times the best Forums on the web. A owner of the Forum with a direction that he forces on the users (with a firm but gentle hand), a vision for how HE want it to look, who will moderate and how it all will work etc. its the ONLY way to go IMO...
Not saying that I don't want to pay for a service like this but experience gives that it's most often better for all if it's for free...
DP says: If it's not broken, don't fix it......
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Last Edit: Jan 20, 2006 13:30:21 GMT by dp
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I'm in full agreement with HoTWire, 104ZS and DP
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MWF
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,945
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Jan 20, 2006 10:51:08 GMT
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What causes the connection busy message to appear?
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bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,945
Club RR Member Number: 71
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Donations and Ideasbstardchild
@bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member 71
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Jan 20, 2006 10:58:48 GMT
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What causes the connection busy message to appear? Too much activity Too many users Server overload
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Jan 20, 2006 12:32:19 GMT
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I'm thinking along the lines of dp here. Also HoTWire, the only poblem with this place is it heightened the benchmark for other forums. Its great. I don't blame you for getting tired of it from time to time though, its natural its getting a big thing now and sadly incidents do happen and people just don't read stuff, I know this after producing a technology guide with pictures for academics that gets ignored! The way I see it with this place, its popularity must be making RR a bit of a recognised trade mark type thingy, how about selling stuff? I'd be interested in a mug with RR logo on and covered in best/random quotes from the forum or members cars, i can feel a project coming on! id have a couple of these. Hmmm
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it doesn't matter if it's a Morris Marina or a Toyota Celica - it's what you do with it that counts
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Jan 20, 2006 12:52:28 GMT
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Yea, just set up an RR paypal account for HoTWire or somesuch, I'd happily tinkle money into it now and then
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Mr K
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,993
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Jan 20, 2006 14:55:18 GMT
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I apologize if i have touched on a sore subject here... it was just an idea. I agree with the problem about the readers rides section, is it possible to make it so that you have to enter date, make, model etc etc in and it auto generates the tittles? i realize this would then mean replies would follow the same format, but quick reply wouldn't (would it?) and can you not password protect the proper 'reply' button so only the person whom started the tread has access to it for when hes/shes updating. Only an idea. I see Hotwires point, in that as soon as you start receiving donations things start to get more complicate - and i defiantly don't think you should pay for a membership, as dp says, it will only cause snobbery and people will expect a democratic system, which would ruin this place. RetroRides is an excellent forum, and the only one i have any time for, i was merely suggesting a way to solve the problems such as this connection error one and after reading Hotwires comments on this in the 'gaps and errors' section i was merely thinking of ways to cover this, as Hotwire should not have to put any money of his own in, as he already puts enough time in (and we have to give him a chance to work on his car!): Fingers crossed I'll be able to get the funds together for new hosting over the next couple of months. I was also thinking just the other day that it would be cool to have some external stickers (like the window stickers Guz did, but for the outside, and maybe a few designs) from RR and this seemed like a good way of raising the revenue for ventures like this so i thought i would suggest it, however i am only the new kid here, and don't want to upset any of the 'elders' who have been here a lot longer. Many apology's.
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Last Edit: Jan 20, 2006 14:58:08 GMT by Mr K
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dp
Posted a lot
DP Race Tech
Posts: 1,044
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Jan 20, 2006 15:08:42 GMT
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ratlookreliant in da house: Many apology's.
I don't think you should aplogize, the pot needs stirring every now and then, we all need to be reminded of what the people running his show is doing to keep us all with one of the best Forums around, atleast on the topic on Retro Cars....
I think the idea of making a shop with T-shirts, sweats, hats, stickers, etc. with the RR logo on is a good way for the owners of this forum to recoup some of the money spent on servers etc, much better than charging for the use of the Forum....
DP says: Sometimes we all take a good thing for granted......
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Jan 20, 2006 15:14:05 GMT
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We have this : www.cafepress.com/retroridesforum/I'll do some mugs in the future... I only get $1 per product, mainly because it is more about promotion and letting the members have a real life piece of the forum rather than raising cash.
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Jan 20, 2006 15:19:29 GMT
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Hotwire, there should be a link to the R-R shop from the homepage or somewhere equally highly visable.
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Jan 20, 2006 15:23:36 GMT
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Yup,.. I only recently added the new things to it .. before it was just the white T-shirt.. and it was in every newsletter ... I'll add a link in the new version of the site.
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Jan 20, 2006 15:27:02 GMT
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What about a joint collabaration with Lewis and his website? I am presuming that he has the facilities/abilities to make such items such as clothing and other such items... it's a vauge idea but one that can surely only help both websites.
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Jan 20, 2006 15:33:09 GMT
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He is useing the German equivilent of Cafepress... they offer more colour choices for T-shirts .. I don't know what the quality is like or how the delivery works out .. if it's good I might move the store as I'd like more choice in colours.
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Jan 20, 2006 15:42:43 GMT
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We have this : www.cafepress.com/retroridesforum/I'll do some mugs in the future... [glow=red,2,300]I only get $1 per product, mainly because it is more about promotion[/glow] and letting the members have a real life piece of the forum rather than raising cash. Thats the prob specially if they sell in bits then times wasted all over-the-shop. but get a load in sell em on you cafe thingy or we send a paypal payment all at once, just think if all 1000 menbers bought one, or more! unlikly i know we can all afford a few squid for a mug etc. I have got a few ideas anyway so when i get chance i'll drop you a pm
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it doesn't matter if it's a Morris Marina or a Toyota Celica - it's what you do with it that counts
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