Can we have a Discussion About the forum .

Now , don't get me wrong ,I am very thankful for this forum and the HCV Club that makes it available .
OK , Seems the Server is once again Struggling to cope .
Probably 6 months back there was a change to a different server , and about the same time there was an attempt to upgrade the forum .After a couple of days offline The upgrade was not successful. From what I can see , this version of the forum set up is over 6 years old ,So many new ones have been released .
The reason for this thread . I have watched the Build up to the Geelong Show. Here we are 4 days after the event and not one single photo been posted .
Why ????
Guys that went been too busy to post.
Is it because of the forum setup with having to use a photo hosting site making it just that bit harder .
I know on Adams Vintage trucks Australia Facebook Group .Photos were getting posted there from saturday morning .By Sunday night there were Albums with over 300 photos in them .
So how many times do you read here people struggling to post photos .
To join the forum now, Moderators / Club officials now have to check each application and manually Approve new Members .
These guys are Unpaid volunteers ,So they now have extra workload because the forum approval systems is not good enough .
So after wading though all that ,what do you all think ?Would an upgraded style of forum be a good thing ?
We all know something like this comes with a price tag Would members be prepared to support the upgrade and future running costs ?
Would you pay 50 cents a week = 25 bucks a year for a forum that is a big improvement on what we have now .Wot Sez you ,as Swishy would say ?

dunno Ian perhaps the first thing to find out is have people been trying to post photo's from Geelong before people rehash the whole show
Do you feel that might be why numbers have dropped off because the forum is to hard to use ?
I would think perhaps the first thing to do might be try and find out what people think with out everyone getting into a bun fight because some people wont happy having to pay for the forum perhaps?

On a different note are you going to be floating around towards the end of next week I will be going past on the way to Allora meeting thought I might swing by and say gudday

Paul

don't no much about the technical side of the forum but I know some one will show us their photo's when time permits, I would think the usual Photo posters have got posting photos mastered. Have had more trouble getting on to the forum the last couple of weeks. Making a user pay forum wouldn't worry me but I would think when it happened there would be a mass exodus of members and that would end all the forum problems , that would only leave a few die hard Thats Wot Sez I
Colin

The only issues I have with the current setup is recurring problems with the server and the painful process to load pictures.

I'm sure we're all aware that it will require quite a few pennies to fix the problems but instead of charging forum members a fee, perhaps one option is to ask for a donation. I would certainly donate and I reckon a lot of other forum regulars would do the same, for the benefit of all those who use the site.

Another option might be to allow advertising on the site. I know of several other forums using this method to provide the funds needed to maintain their site. And it doesn't have to be over the top- maybe one advert per page, in the blank space at the top of the screen and keep it truck related.

Hey , I am not suggesting Charging to use the forum ,I am talking about people that enjoy using the forum and prepared to Give to support it . A show of hands gives the club an idea if it is possible to upgrade .
Got to face up to the facts that Facebook is hurting all forums .
So do we stick our heads in the sand and do nothing ,Or do we try and give forum members an easier way to do things .One forum i am on ,uses the latest V Bulletin Set up ,cost under a $1000 per year to run .So that is 40 members here supporting . .And if extra money is collected , I am sure there are many worth while projects that could benefit from spare money ..I haqve seen those Great photos of Ronhorse disappear from the forum ,because his wife accidentally deleted them .Most have Free photo hosting accounts ..I get emails from Photo bucket telling me I am too popular ..Seeing my photos have been viewed X amount of times ,Unless i upgrade to a paid account , my popular photos will be removed .
With the photos saved to the forum , they are always there for future forum members to enjoy .

Forums are fantastic, and they are a superior way for interest groups to collect and file information. Facebook is a 'thought bubble' form of communication. Nothing is collated, and searching is difficult.

I am not a member of the HCVC, and often feel like I'm a 'free loader' in here - my feelings only, and I want to make it clear nobody (except me) has ever suggested this. I wouldn't subscribe to the forum if there was a charge or yearly subscription - I'd consider joining the club before I'd consider paying for the forum by direct subscription.

I do however have a fundraising idea if any of you thought it was needed - a donation auction. I'm a member of a number plate collecting forum which was set up and has been paid for by the one person since 2003. Late last year, a few members of the forum donated a small quantity of high quality number plates and listed the items on ebay, proceeds of which (I didn't tally up the exact amount, but my 3 plates alone raised $400) were donated to the owner of the forum to help offset costs. My reasons for using ebay as the auctioneer was to find as many bidders as possible, thereby maximising the donation. We could have held the auction 'in house' on the forum at no cost, but I felt that almost defeated the purpose. Anyway, just an idea if anyone wanted to follow through with it. I'm sure a lot of us could find an item we don't really need any more and donate the proceeds.

I'm also a member of a motorbike forum, and got all keen at the start by donating to help run it (the owner suggested this, but it wasn't compulsory). My interest has since waned, and now I rarely visit the site. I much prefer the donated item auction idea.

OK Chocs , Point Taken , Quick look at the members ,Show Basically First ten pages of members =15 members per page, so that is 150 members out of nearly 4000 ,have posted the majority of posts .Out of the top 15 posters on the first page ,I don't think Detective or Deadly Dave have mastered the photo posting knack . NR Mack is I know a very Smart Guy ,He is in the top 150 . He asks me to post photo for him .
.Another friend of mine is in the top 150 ,,He, now with internet problems finds it pretty much impossible to post photos here on the forum . But has no trouble putting them on Facebook .I just hope who ever is responcable for the forum, thinks about what is being written here ,and hopefully can give a response .

Great discussion

I have made my thoughts know in writing direct to the HCVC about the problems with the forum about 12 months ago and did not even get a response.

Even spoke with a few at Yarra Glen in November only to be absolutely bagged both privately and on this forum for doing so.

I might be wrong but I believe the people running this forum have got their hands tied by the HCVC. I have heard and read that the committee most of who are not regular contributors or even members of the forum are more interested in pushing the HCVC web site so until the HCVC realise how good this forum was and the valuable publicity it creates I don't think things will change.

Now regarding picture posting from Geelong mine where up on a forum I am a member of on Monday night as it only took about 2-3 minutes to post about 150 pictures nice and simple. They will go up here when I have some spare time as it takes a lot more time to do them.

Ian most good forums are running V bulletin very easy to use with lots of the control needed to run a very active forum. If the HCVC want to look at one running that software www.4btswap.com this is a US site nice and easy.

Trevor

Ianoz here is my attempt at fixing what you said is a problem.

Copy below.

Secretary
Historic Commercial Vehicle Club
17/3/2014
Re-Forum

The HCVC runs what was a fantastic platform for Historic Commercial Vehicles but for the past 12-18 months the forum standards have been allowed to slip until now it has become the laughing stock around the Historic Community.
The forum has become a general daily crap feast with very little actually relating to the movement and as such is bringing the clubs good name down with it.
I believe it might be time for this club to really think about what the forum is doing for the club.
As a forum member who posted over 3000 posts I can no longer put my name to the current forum thus I have now left the forum.

May I make the following suggestions for the committee to consider improving and restoring it to its former glory and iconic status it once had?
1) Turn off the current forum and make it read only so the information is not lost.
2) Start up a new forum on a new server with up to date software that has user friendly photo loading capability as this is a big problem with the current forum.
3) Make everyone re join the new forum but with the addition of a small Forum Member Fee maybe $10-$20 per year thus eliminating the people who are not serious about contributing to the movement via the forum.
4) Eliminate from the new forum the 4 current categories
General Board, Challenges and quizzes, tractors and other old stuff and the model section.
All of these categories have their own forums on the World Wide Web and they are not Historic Commercial vehicle related and were the most dramas and complaints come from. I have too many examples to list here.
5) Make the for sale section post only with all question having to go back to the seller via email or Personal message thus eliminating the current problems.
6) Make all moderators anonymous so they can moderate without the personal attacks.
7) Lastly the committee would need to give stronger directions to the moderators of the forum so it could not be allowed to fall back to the current situation.

Thank you for your time

Trevor Davis

I always look at all of the topics on this forum and appreciate the time taken by members to post photos of event exhibits that I would never otherwise see.
Forum members have been helpful with the problems I have encountered over time.
I have old trucks, however once they are done they end up pages back.
People do have an interest in "Other Old Stuff" as evidenced by the number of looks at this topic.
While not addressing ianoz's concerns I feel it is well balanced as is.
David Syme.