Begging Letter

[colin.hepburn]

Originally Posted by davebms

hello all ,,the link goes to Microsoft office outlook I don't use that email system option B ?

thanks dave

Hi Dave
Just copy the email link and go to PayPal send and request and enter your donation and any notes you want don’t forget to change it to friends and family or you will be charged for using PayPal
hope that helps
Colin

[davebms]

thank you all done (I hope)

dave,,, the other dyslexic member

[Richard]

Originally Posted by bob orbell

OK Richard, I am hearing you, you know the lack of posting from certain members annoys me, and I shall say no more on the subject, I am, as you know always willing to help any member if possible with the exception of one who will remain anonymous. Bob

Thanks Bob

[Baggy Trousers]

The countometer credits me with 376 posts in almost 20 years, so I'm hardly a prolific contributor, but I have to wonder how many of the alleged 3,000 forum members are "active" in the sense that they ever visit the forum. Certainly, despite signing up, about 75% of that number have never made an appearance here and not many of that number have made it beyond "junior member" status. For that reason, I do not think the membership list constitutes a potential source of income. Regrettably, quite a few of those who were regular contributors are no longer to be seen; Shane and Black Stuart were visible until fairly recently, but where are John and Jake the dog, Primalsea, Muffinman, Shian7, Martin 213, Darren D and the many others who made our lives more interesting? I know the good Dr Ivymey is still around - albeit it elsewhere - but it is saddening to see the forum so reduced.

What is clear to me, however, is that its fortunes will be revived by neither advertisements nor a membership fee. I joined the club when I began building my 6550 in, I think, 2001; an exercise which rekindled an interest started in the early 'fifties when HiFi was young, exciting and relatively cheap due to the excess of war-surplus electronic kit then available. But the metal valves were not nearly as interesting as the glowing glass equivalents! My particular interest was amplifiers and as a schoolboy, I was commissioned to build a number of these by people anxious to avoid the sales tax applied to finished products. I think I have recounted one of my less successful ventures in this field. Like the radio hams - CQ, CQ - the hobby of building these things has dwindled in general participation - along with just about everything else which requires some direct social intercourse and does not involve a computer. I have wailed this lament before. Things have not been helped by the universal adoption of the characterless PCB. But perhaps that's just me showing my age . . .

Anyway, I'll match Philip's suggested contribution in thanks for the fun and support I've had here for so many years.


PS I wrote this before reading the later comments on the subject. I do not mean to be unreasonably critical and fully subscribe to the notion that people are free to engage at whatever level they choose. Nevertheless, it does seem odd that one might go to the trouble of signing up but not subsequently to participate in the affairs of the body to which one has just subscribed.

Futhermore, the "oil-leaking" Commer van was from the people who also produced the Commer TS3, the finest 2-stroke, opposed piston compression ignition engine made in this country. So there!
Yes, yes, I know about William Doxford, but his were very large marine engines, so hardly comparable.

Normal service may now be resumed.

[pre65]

Originally Posted by Baggy Trousers

Martin 213,

Sadly, Martin died some years ago.

He and his lovely wife (mainly the wife) organise a few fests at South Witham.(Lincolnshire)

[vitalstates]

I am a bit late to this party, and hardly to be considered a prolific poster, but nevertheless feel the need to mention something. The thought that occurred to me was thus:

The forum has minimum throughput(in comparison to many audio forums) and therefore it's bandwidth needs ought to be relatively modest.

Having small processing needs and consequent administration involvement would indicate little need for hands on intervention and administration...unless I'm missing something fundamental.

The question that then pops up in my mind is:- isn't the infrastructure far in excess of requirement and couldn't the same thing be acheived at far less cost?

I ask with some, but limited experience of running forums. As an example, with a minimum offering web server hosting package that offers the usual goodies(including free forum software, e.g phpbb), a reasonable forum of this level of requirement might be run for something less than a quarter of the figure mentioned, probably even less.

If it happens that the above paragraph holds water then isn't it reasonable to consider the forum as an added cost for the business to which it is aligned.

I do appreciate the community aspect, over and above any commercial connection, but do feel the cost is unduly high.

[Richard]

Hi Ed,
I can't itemise the expenditure in keeping the bb running and backed up but don't think an amount of less than £1 per day is very much.
I'm not sure if Matthew does it all himself, I think he pays for the website to be done and may need expertise for the bb too, but like I say, it's not much is it.
I can assure anyone wondering that the Mods don't get paid and no-one will be getting rich on that amount if that's what you're wondering
Cheers, Rich

[Greg.]

The availability of the archive seems to me to be a major aspect for the interested member. There is a lot of things to remember there. It all seems pretty good value to me.

[vitalstates]

Originally Posted by Richard

Hi Ed,
I can't itemise the expenditure in keeping the bb running and backed up but don't think an amount of less than £1 per day is very much.
I'm not sure if Matthew does it all himself, I think he pays for the website to be done and may need expertise for the bb too, but like I say, it's not much is it.
I can assure anyone wondering that the Mods don't get paid and no-one will be getting rich on that amount if that's what you're wondering
Cheers, Rich

All good points Richard, although I didn't think for a minute that mods get paid for their input.

£1 per day is not a lot indeed but nor is 20p per day, which is what prompted me to post. If the site was struggling at the cost mentioned then I was merely suggesting an alternative approach...e.g:

https://top5hosting.co.uk/

to address Greg's issue then any one of the examples in the link could quite easily cater for any archive requirements.

As it happens there would seem to be support for the original request so my post does seem a bit academic.

edit: I do admit I hadn't factored in the possibility of Matthew using outside help to maintain the site, which would obviously affect the cost.

[ZakB]

Although only an occasional poster due to young kids, a house to rebuild and a demanding job, I very much appreciate everyone who posts here and their collective wisdom. Thanks to Matthew for running things and to all of you for the help you have given me and others.

Donation sent.

Zak