6 replies to this topic

[Kudzu]

Since the existence of this forum appears very much in doubt, I am looking at alternatives. I set up a new forum that works with my blog but I am not happy with it. You can not post photo's and that is a large part of this group.

I am seriously looking at setting up a Google Group. I have one that our local group of paddlers use and it works well. You can access it by a web page or you can use it as an email list and receive an email of each posting. It has it's good and bad points but it's free and doesn't require me to do much at all. It's a different type of board than a typical forum like this, but I do not want to host another forum. I spent more time behind the scene than I did in the actual forum.

Since I don't know what to expect I will announce any changes on our Facebook page and I will provide a link on the website.

[woodman]

Maby we could "also" piggy back on to Old Sparkeys Forum and get a skin-on-frame category listed.....

[Hirilonde]

I suppose that having a plan may be good, but with Frank trying to work things out I hope we can just stay here.

[Kudzu]

Maby we could "also" piggy back on to Old Sparkeys Forum and get a skin-on-frame category listed.....

I want and need a forum dedicated to my business for support. I need something I have control over and I can feel free to advertise in.

I suppose that having a plan may be good, but with Frank trying to work things out I hope we can just stay here.

No disrespect to Frank but I am not convinced. It dissapered with no warning what so ever and there is nothing to stop this happening again.

[Frank Hagan]

Google groups work, but remember that this website came about because of the sudden demise of the old MSN Groups. Google has been known to pull the plug on their offerings too (remember Wave?). The only way to ensure that you have control would be to pay for it; you might look into hosted forums done by the software companies. Invision has one using this software at http://www.invisionp...ect_package.php (the $20 a month plan would work for you, I think) and vBulletin has several partners that offer forum hosting with their software.

But with control, comes the management issues you ran into before. I do have to say that the management features in Invision Power Board (this software) is the best I've seen. Their spam service keeps most of the spammers away, but you have to pay for the software ($175 I think) and then pay yearly to renew the license ($49).

[Kudzu]

I guess I have not said Thank You in a long time but I really appreciate your hosting my forum. I hope you work things out because I really like having this here.

Just in case I did set up a Google Group that I can actually imbed into a web page on my site. I like having a back up plan.

[Frank Hagan]

I guess I have not said Thank You in a long time but I really appreciate your hosting my forum. I hope you work things out because I really like having this here.

Just in case I did set up a Google Group that I can actually imbed into a web page on my site. I like having a back up plan.

That's completely understandable - you should have a contingency plan in place. Beyond what just happened with my server, something like a natural disaster or someone pulling the plug upstream from me could have the same impact.