In order to try and drive this place on I want to move from a free web forum software to something a bit, well, better.
We currently use phpBB. Its fine for free but I would really like to move to a paid forum software platform.
I dont particularly want to put my hand in my pocket for this, and I am not expecting you to either.
My masterplan involves affiliate links provided by skimlinks.
How this works is if you buy anything online you just start a post, paste the link into the post, refresh the page and proceed to buy the item from link.
We will get a small % of the sale price and you wont notice a thing. Your price does not go up.
Typical example : ebay.
Find your product, copy the link or basket into a new post here.
Close your existing link, click the post you have just made an purchase.
Phpbb’s lack of features and ease definitely has kept it in the 2000’s. It’s not good for image uploading (not your fault Andy!) and while it’s very flexible and free it’s a ballache to maintain.
Moving to something else Pros
Interface and image upload much more modern and easier to use
Hosting & server maintenance taken care of
Moving to something else Cons
Users have to ‘learn’ a new interface
Users already happy knowing how to use this one (rare we see anyone with issues)
Cost (and I say this knowing you’re forking out for some hosting to keep the existing one running)
Fiddly to operate the money-earning link thing on a mobile device (NYLOC is 40% desktop / 60% mobile)
The risk of the links not earning enough to cover the software / hosting costs
I see both sides. NYLOC nearly switched to a couple of alternatives over the years but we never pulled the trigger. I don’t really know if it would be worth it now anyway - hate to say it but phpbb just works, albeit clunky. I’m one who always wants to change stuff, but then there are plenty of people who won’t self-checkout at the supermarket… horse / water etc.
I’m a phpbb luddite I’ll be honest, I like it because it’s clean and not fussy. There are other forums out there which are on newer software and they just feel bloaty and clunky to use, but that may be down to implementation rather than software.
All that said, you can’t stand still for the luddites and where I’m happy to crop, resize and upload my images independently of the forum and use IMG tags to post them, not everybody is - and if that’s choking the contributions from potential new members then it must be changed and I’ll support it whichever way we go.
If the skimlinks help support and fund that, then count me in.
I’d much prefer to just PayPal across a donation than to have the skimlink section - the site is worth something to me, so I’m happy to pay towards its upkeep. But that’s just my opinion.
I’d contribute too, have you crunched any numbers for uptake vs £ contributed? I think SELOC is maybe £15. I really can’t remember. Only cost of 3 pints or so
Sorry late to this, but I’d contribute, it’d not be huge amount, and site important to me, grateful it’s here and to community and your efforts especially Andy.
I don’t post much on hear at all and I have yet to make a meet. So not sure if I have any weight. I would probably be happy to contribute. I started on the old Lotus BBS of yore and I really didn’t get the conversion to the ‘other’ site but spend more time there I must admit. Anything that makes image posting easy as well as easy navigation for me. I prefer lists as I learnt on Windows!
