Forum

[Christel]

Hi All,

I would like some feedback on the future of the forum.

Posts are few and far between, we have some issues on the board, I am not the woman to sort them out.

The server renewal is coming up in about 10 days time which will cost money, in fact the forum is costing money throughout the year.

If the forum is not that important to people anymore then perhaps now is the time to call it a day?

Thoughts?

[bradaz11]

i'd prefer it didn't disappear, but understand it costs money.
personally i'm not posting much as i'm not shooting much.

[billgatese30]

Similar to the above. I don't post much (never have on most forums to be fair!) and don't get to shoot as often as I'd like either. While I too would prefer it stayed, I know hosting and server fees aren't cheap and software will quickly outdate itself and require upkeep (both in money and personal time for the Admin).

[Mauserbill]

Hello
Agree with previous posts, I have noticed a distinct lack of posts this last 3 months, could be down too the site problems and access.
I for one would think it a shame to lose the site.

[billgatese30]

I must admit I've been guilty of drifting to another open tab while I wait for this one to load, get distracted and forget to come back to see read the thread which has loaded in the background!

[dromia]

Basically there are not enough members supporting the site both in posts and in donations.

The site will never use advertising to fund it and the donations over the years have rarely met the costs.

Therefore the future of the site is in members hands.

As always we have the faithful few who will respond to posts like this and give shillings to keep it because they value it but they haven't been sufficient.

We are still getting members joining but in the main it is to abuse the forum by solely using it to flog their wares, they join post away 'till the requisite number of posts is obtained and stop posting 'cept when they wish to use the buy and sell.

If every active member paid a couple of quid a year then the site would be viable, but that never happens.

Sites like these are called dinosaurs by the young, at my age nearly everyone is young, preferring to use morally corrupt platforms like shitebook and twatter.

Such is fashion and the weakness of humans, nothing lasts for ever but what forums such as these do contain is a wealth of knowledge, experience and practice that has been freely given. It has been appreciated by a few and has helped them greatly. All that resource will be lost if the site comes down.

The site is still visited by regular traffic which never post, they are either just checking in to look at the for sale section or taking a lot of time to browse and search the content, which they no doubt use but never value the source sufficiently to contribute or engage.

The success or otherwise of places such as this is dependant always on the membership.

I also think that the decline of places like this is a reflection of the death throes of legal gun ownership and shooting in the UK which we are witnessing and experiencing at the moment.

I do think we should also send this message out to all active members via email to ensure that everyone has a chance to contribute to this decision.

We know from fraught experience that people rarely read forum information posts and just go to their bit of interest.

Christel has been asking for a while now for help with the system, there have been a few come forward offering assistance some for reward and others freely. The site cannot afford reward and life can intervene in the freely given time so we are still struggling with the software.

I don't know when the world became so selfishly self centred but it has, is it a generational thing? Different values?

Anyway my thanks to those of you who have and who will respond to this thread.

[johngarnett]

Hi all,
I would be very sorry to see The Forum go. If I have a shooting problem I'm pretty sure I can gain an answer here. As Dromia says there is a wealth of knowledge here.
I'm not well up on how these forums or fora (?) work but I am glad there are those that do.
May I ask the costs versus number of members therefore economic donation? I have never known if my contribution was adequate or an insult!!
I shall understand your decision and I continue to be grateful for your presence on my screen.
Thank you
JohnG

[Christel]

Any donation is welcome and very helpful.

Problem lies in that I used to cover what was missing which was not a problem while the Shooting Shed was active.

[1066]

It's a real shame to see the forum fade away, but like dromia says, shooting in the UK is in it's death throws. We are constantly attacked from all sides with never any forceful rebuttal by the associations, all preferring to keep their head down and hope their little empire is not effected. Likewise the dire apathy of shooters themselves with the "I'm all right jack" mentality thinking that what ever the latest daft bit of legislation it won't directly effect them - How many shooters have completed the latest consultation on banning crossbows? Not many I guess?
I really appreciate the effort Christel, Ovenpaa and dromia have put in over the years and I've enjoyed visiting here and contributing at times but unfortunately I think the forum is doomed.

[BestDrugDoc]

Many thanks to all who have been making this forum work - much appreciated.
I would be sad to see it go - it has its pros and cons but is a great source of knowledge and experience which would be a significant loss to the shooting world.
I would also be interested in the cost and the current number of members to see if my contributions have been in the right ball park and to guide us on what is needed.