| Author |
Message |
    
Cindym
My Weather
| | Posted on Saturday, December 08, 2007 - 09:30 pm EST : |   |
Clique? I don't think so. I've been around here since April and have yet to see any indication of that type of jr. high behavior you find on other boards.
Cindym
- Louisiana,
Zone "8b"
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Heirloomgardens
 Supporting Member
My Garden Journal
My Garden
| | Posted on Saturday, December 08, 2007 - 10:11 pm EST : | |
You know, that's a good point. I can see how some people who aren't regular posters (or are just lurkers) might think that way because when you're not up to speed on who is who and what so-and-so did last month, then it might seem a little cliquish. I get that feeling a little when I go into forums I don't visit very often, like Clematis or Dahlia and such, but I think that - as Blaine has probably figured out, too - everyone is actually very friendly and is happy to let people jump right in like they've been here all along. Other sites are definitely different in that respect.
I  GB! |
Heirloomgardens
- Massachusetts,
Zone "5b"
|
Loretta
Supporting Member
| | Posted on Saturday, December 08, 2007 - 11:33 pm EST : | |
Did someone say Bullie?
Loretta
- NJ,
Zone "6"
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Malgorzata
Supporting Member
My Garden
| | Posted on Saturday, December 08, 2007 - 11:58 pm EST : | |
Cindy, I have been here since 2005 and BEHIND the scenes I was just recently referred to as a "newer" member, which suggested my opinion as lesser. Always met with respect face to face though so hard to say ...
Finally the open discussion has started and hopefully the misunderstandings and misinterpretations can be cleared out. One reason for the present financial problem is that it was not openly stated but always new members had to figure it out from...nagging about more support. We are all here because we like it here, like the people, like the site, like the form of it. Now lets try to preserve our little internet corner without ironic comments but with respect for different opinions. Some common sense wouldn't hurt either. If $20 were the average membership how many payed members would be necessary to support the site in the form it exist now? Is 100 enough? 200? Is 300 realistic? Can we really do it on membership alone? As with any big changes some will like it, some won't. Some will stay, some will move on. We are all here because we care for the site and would hate it go. I wasn't here at 2002. It is almost 2008. With all the work involved, hard cash and time no wonder EJ said "ENOUG!". It was not a surprise and predicted from some time. Only "When?" was the question. Personally I vote for $$$ support from informed volunteers and outside filtered adds. With the pros gone (I do not believe they would pay) the site would lean towards Social forum talking about beautiful flower pictures and ones health. Not that it is wrong but is it the direction we want to take?
Malgorzata
- Fukuoka-Kyushu,
Zone "8/9"
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Gardenfiend
Supporting Member
My Weather
My Garden
| | Posted on Sunday, December 09, 2007 - 04:17 am EST : | |
Oh Malgorzata, thank you for your clarity - it is needed! I think we are all confused about the dimensions and even the nature of the problems.
Gardenfiend
- Germany,
Zone "7a"
|
Mimi
Supporting Member
My Weather
| | Posted on Sunday, December 09, 2007 - 07:44 am EST : | |
Treat it as a magazine(s) subscription you buy... That sits & gathers dust. I am sure we all refer here more than to a magazine. Tis the Season ya know.... Give it as a gift to yourself.
Gb has a ton of people that just stop by here & ask ONE question... A ton that have posted less than 50 things. The "lurkers" as ya say... If you look at the core of this site , you will find that the membership numbers do not reflect the truth of how many people are REALLY here.. Some go back a few years with just one post. That number is way off. Look at the amount of people that are always helping others, if all those gave what they could afford, it would help I am sure.
Mimi
- Wisconsin,
Zone "4b"
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Bulliedeux
My Garden
| | Posted on Sunday, December 09, 2007 - 11:08 am EST : | |
guess what.... I do like the group participating in this thread. I hope I can settle in and stick around for awhile.
It seems you're all cut from a little different fabric that I've ran into before. After I made the earlier post, I half expected to be smacked around a bit but it seems my current observations were taken at face value. That's really all I meant was to point out how things may look to newbies (me :) ).
Thanks!
I'm sending EJ a PayPal vote of confidence and continuity this morning too.
Digger and Loretta !!
Bullie power!!
Meet Chubbs and Lizzie and they send bullie love...
Bulliedeux
- IL,
Zone "5b"
|
Gardenfiend
Supporting Member
My Weather
My Garden
| | Posted on Sunday, December 09, 2007 - 11:50 am EST : | |
Blaine you have posted a number of good sense, perceptive comments that show you've been around and know the (forum) world  . I have been listening.
I'm sure you'll find, as I have, that GBs is a forum in a thousand. People genuinely are friendly and welcoming here. Amazing as it seems...
Gardenfiend
- Germany,
Zone "7a"
|
Growit
Supporting Member
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
My Time
| | Posted on Sunday, December 09, 2007 - 12:13 pm EST : | |
  Sorry couldn't resist.
Growit
- Hampshire,
Zone "8/9"
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Bulliedeux
My Garden
| | Posted on Sunday, December 09, 2007 - 12:16 pm EST : | |
thanks, may I have another? ;)
Bulliedeux
- IL,
Zone "5b"
|
Heirloomgardens
Supporting Member
My Garden Journal
My Garden
| | Posted on Sunday, December 09, 2007 - 12:18 pm EST : | |
I haven't received any posts via email since last night, so I guess that maybe the suggestion to remove that feature has at least been temporarily duly noted. LOL.
LOL! That's a cool move, BTW.
Heirloomgardens
- Massachusetts,
Zone "5b"
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Susanq
Supporting Member
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
My Garden
My Time
| | Posted on Sunday, December 09, 2007 - 12:18 pm EST : | |
Others more knowledgeable than I on websites and spam have made some wonderful comments.
EJ, I vote for whatever you have to do to delete features or little used functions. Trim down the site to those areas most used. I miss the fact that you usually only post as administrator now and you rarely have time to post as a gardener/friend. You can't continue to be our benefactor either. As much as I would miss this site in its current form I think you need to think of yourself and Mrs. EJ also.
SusanQ - Zone 4b-5b Wisconsin |
Ej
Supporting Member
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
My Garden
My Time
| | Posted on Sunday, December 09, 2007 - 12:24 pm EST : | |
Everyone has summed up in one way or another why I haven't taken further steps. I have all the same concerns. My biggest concern is how do I pay for things and keep participation/membership up? Second is how do I reduce the work load?
Things I will be doing in the near future and as time permits will be the following. In random order.
1. Gallery albums that have the old URL's such has myname.gardenbudies.com or http://65.18.154.219/myname.com will be moved over to the new album site. This will give me ONE area to maintain vs. 50.
2. Make high cpu and memory using links only available to supporting members. Such has 1|3, Search, New Messages, Birthdays, basically all the links in the upper nav bar.
3. No more free albums. If you currently have an album and are not a supporting member you will have 30 days to become a supporting member before your album is removed.
4. Spell check has been turned off to speed up posting.
5. Clarify the supporting membership page.
6. Place a reminder box on pages to support Gardenbuddies and seek other methods to make members aware that their support is needed. Gardenbuddies offers it's registered members more photos, more information, more entertainment, and more reading material than any magazine, website, or journal with over 200,000 pages available. These pages could make you the best gardener, or find you crying along side a member's as you experience with them as they share a personal loss. Or you could find yourself laughing so hard your side hurts as your spouse comes into the room to see what's up. But maybe mostly you like the assurance you can sit with a child or grandchild and look at all the wonderful photos and know that moment will be one of remembrance.
7. This is a single association (Gardenbuddies) made up of several communities (forums). Each and every community must participate in supporting the association. From occasional members to the experts, They all have a degree of responsibility to support their association.
I hope its easier for members to support this site than to move on to another free forum.
Thanks
Ej
Ps. for everyone that emailed me I hope this answers your questions. Thanks for caring...once again.
Ej So.Cal. Zone 10a
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Cindym
My Weather
| | Posted on Sunday, December 09, 2007 - 12:52 pm EST : | |
Bullie, this one's for you. 
 }
Cindym
- Louisiana,
Zone "8b"
|
Maggiepie
| | Posted on Sunday, December 09, 2007 - 12:52 pm EST : | |
I have a few thoughts on the comments being brought forward in this thread.
Having been part of newsgroups , mostly related to Outlook Express Stationery, I have found that the fastest way to sour a group is to divide it into the 'thems' and 'us'.
To me a donation is just that, a donation given freely and asking nothing in return.
A membership fee quite different, you pay your fee and expect something in return.
I wouldn't mind betting there are people either posting or regularly lurking that would find it hard to find an extra 5$ for a magazine subscription nevertheless 25$ for web space.
Would anyone want to see such people miss out because of a few dollars?
I am a relative newbie to the group but one of the nicer things about this forum is the harmony and generosity that seem to exist on all levels.
Malgorzata has made some very good points and I too would like to know just how many members would be needed at 20$ per membership to keep the server up and running.
Maggiepie
- New Brunswick,
Zone "4b"
|
Ej
Supporting Member
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
My Garden
My Time
| | Posted on Sunday, December 09, 2007 - 01:18 pm EST : | |
Helen with reluctance I am temporarily posting financial for Gardenbuddies. It will be removed in a day or so. The number of gardenbuddies needed depends on the amount expected to recoup. Yearly or since the beginning?
Ej So.Cal. Zone 10a
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Bulliedeux
My Garden
| | Posted on Sunday, December 09, 2007 - 01:34 pm EST : | |
Thankyou CindyM ...
and thank you to Ej.
Not that it matters I concur with the rules you've lined up and think it will server you and the members well.
Bulliedeux
- IL,
Zone "5b"
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Maggiepie
| | Posted on Sunday, December 09, 2007 - 01:35 pm EST : | |
Hi EJ,
Thanks for the financial statement, it makes the problem much more real when you can see actual figures.
It seems to me that you would need an income of approximately 5,000$ per year to keep the server going smoothly with some leftover towards a new server when it becomes necessary to replace it.
That would work out to 200 paying members per year @ an annual fee of 25$.
Is it possible to have clickable ads in a column down one side of the web page?
The way google does it in gmail?
I am sure people would be quite happy to click on a few ads a day to bring in extra income.
Maggiepie
- New Brunswick,
Zone "4b"
|
Gardenfiend
Supporting Member
My Weather
My Garden
| | Posted on Sunday, December 09, 2007 - 01:55 pm EST : | |
Ej, thank you! That's all I can say.
No - one more thing. I've heard from someone with a lot of technical knowledge that SPF would be the wrong kind of bot trap for you because it will use up even more memory. There are other ways that he tells me are both cheap (free) and easy to implement. You probably know all about this, but in case you don't, maybe he could help.
Same for e-mail spam filters.
Gardenfiend
- Germany,
Zone "7a"
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Gardenfiend
Supporting Member
My Weather
My Garden
| | Posted on Sunday, December 09, 2007 - 02:03 pm EST : | |
No, not finished yet.
Apart from still wishing for small, unobtrusive ads and links to affiliate shops, to help defray costs, I just wanted to show you
THIS
(which I discovered by accident. I'm not a shipspotter  ) The donation box is visible on every page you click to. That way it also kind of suggests you might as well donate more than once a year, while you're at it.
Gardenfiend
- Germany,
Zone "7a"
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