Funding of forum

[lockers]

Hi,

I've been working with eastsax to get the forum hosting renewed for another year and the time has come for open discussion on funding the forum going forward.

The costs are not huge, around £40 a year max, so there are some ideas that i would like to poll and discuss.

Please let me know your views and I'll work with eastsax and anyone else interested in administering the forum.

Thanks,

lockers
Alan Loughlin
IT Manager @ Essex Cricket although supporting eastsax in personal capacity

[afinetickletoleg]

I appreciate that this is now an unofficial forum but would it hurt for the club to show some goodwill and cover the costs?

[essexfan548]

Good point - many of us here are members and fund the club.

This website is more useful to me than some of the 'freebies' we are offered which assume we are all middle-aged men.

[lockers]

I paid for next years hosting personally, I want the forum to be kept going and help eastsax whenever i can.

Im not sure if a second year and/or ongoing covered costs by the club helps the forum maintain unofficial status, but interested about the poll results and everyone's views regardless of my opinion. More importantly, i can't afford to pay for the hosting and I think i can be safe to say neither can eastsax, so a solution needs to be agreed on that makes it a viable forum.

[neil]

While I know it is a small amount I can see that the club may not wish to be associated with a forum where their employees are routinely insulted

Even though I don't post here often I would' be quite happy to pay a small annual fee to keep it going

[yesteryear]

Like Neil I don't post on here very often but do look on here frequently to find a lot of information that is NOT available on ECC website. I find it informative and easier to navigate than ECC site. Missed it while it was down.

I have not voted in the poll as I am unsure what some of the options mean.

Does item one mean an additional user account and/or forum features not available to non fee payers?
What will a small yearly fee give us? will it only be access to the site without ability to post?

I would be happy to contribute £1-2 annually but would need to know what would happen to any monies raised above the cost of the forum.

My opinion to advertising would be a definite NO. Can't stand adverts especially those that pop up of flash.

Thanks Lockers & Eastsax for the work you have/are doing to keep the forum running.

[lockers]

apologies for not explaining better.

An example on the £1-£2 extra features example would be that only people who pay get PM functionality, poll capabilities or access to certain forums. There are other add-on that can be sourced for this forum system, so it could be that only paid for accounts get access to this, picture uploads, email (@essexoutfielder.co.uk) - all open for debate.

The small fee example is "either or", read only unless paid or no access unless paid. The cost would be based on the choice, £0.50 as a post  cost would more than cover the yearly fee based on the volume of posters, no access unless paid would be more like £0.20. (gross estimation here)

The only thing i intended by my poll is to see the hosting is covered, surplus only used for the benefit of the forum and/or to cover future years. No profit or anything like that, run in a community fashion and kept transparent.

The poll can be re-done, as it was just made on the back of getting the forum back up and discussion with eastsax a little while ago.

[DT]

Let's have a poll at the end of the year - the poster who posts the most rubbish as voted by us all has to pay for next years fee - there at least 3 in contention here straight away!!!

But for now, well done East Sax / Lockers - good to be back!!!

[frank21]

I THINK WE CAN GET SOME ADVERTISING ON HERE WHICH WOULD NOT AFFECT THE IMPARTIALITY OF THE SITE LIKE LOCAL SPORT SHOPS, RESTERANTS AND PUBS ALL BUSINESSES WHICH WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE EXPOSURE. SORRY FOR THE CAPS. THEN YOU COULD REFUND THE COST THAT YOU HAVE INCURRED AND SET UP AN INDEPENDENT REVENUE STREAM TO KEEP THIS SITE GOING FOR YEARS TO COME. ALSO LESS HASSLE THAN GETTING MONEY FROM LOADS OF FACELESS/CONTACTLESS MEMBERS.

[frank21]

HOW EASY FROM AN ADMIN POINT OF VIEW IS IT TO PUT ADVERTISING UP ON HERE?

[holidave]

i agree with Neil

[lockers]

the most common advertising module for "simple machines forum" is already installed, so it would be a case of choosing how to work it in terms of positioning, size, rotations etc...

[frank21]

i SUPPOSE WHAT I AM ASKING IF THE FORMAT OF THE ADVERT IS PARTICULARY DIFFICULT FOR THE ADVERT PROVIDER (IE IS IT A JPEG AND AT WHAT AMOUT OF PIXCELLS ETC).  IF IT IS IT WOULD BE QUITE EASY TO APPROACH BUSINESSES FOR SPONSORSHIP, WITH  IDEAL NUMBER BEING 4-6 IN TOTAL THUS ALLOWING COMPANIES TO DROP IN/OUT WITHOUT TO MUCH STRESS ON THE CASH FLOW

[nat]

Blimey for £40 per year it's not worth worrying about. There must be a few of us who can divvy up the cost.

[afinetickletoleg]

Blimey for £40 per year it's not worth worrying about. There must be a few of us who can divvy up the cost.

I agree and also agree that the absence of advertising makes it a lot more appealing.
I have no complaint about chipping in but surely the club could cover this out of petty cash to show some goodwill to their supporters that use it.