Website Membership

[Paul Sheridan]

In response to the email about paying a membership fee to upgrade to the next stage web site, I feel this would be a good move.

What would be even better in my view, would be to possibly make this the main DOC website. I know I opened a can of worms with my post (Why do we have three web sites?)

We all have one main thing in common...our love of Duttons, being a friendly bunch of like minded people, we should all come together and fully represent our interest, this can be better managed if we are united.

Kind regards

 

Paul.

  

[Dave Adams]

I believe that MrG runs and pays for his own site and as such it's not up to any of us whether it stays or goes, it's his baby and he says what goes or stays. I don't mind it and will encourage him to keep it as long as he feels the need. the problem is the official DOC forum site, it looses topics after a "period" and searching for topics is not a great experience. this Ning format is popular.......because it's here. if this forum was by another forum provider we would be looking at keeping that one. I don't think this is the best format, i like the topic based searching that is mrG's forum. To search this forum for additions to old posts (if you don't notice them the same day) is a pain in the bum.

I like the community feel of this site, not the posting/indexing system. I would like to see a better forum for the DOC generally, possibly with a live chat facility for when there is enough members on-line. But change for changes sake almost never works. And enough of the DOC's members never use the forums, that they could complain that an additional cost to run one for those that do is unfair.

It's not a problem to have three or more sites, but the DOC site needs updating or changing to something which will produce a searchable archive for future members to use, i am not for revolution but for progressive change, and if it came to a vote on this or a "mr G's" forum as the only option this forum would not get my vote. And before i would vote for it i would like to see what the "full" version of a Ning site looks like

 

Adrian..Your right about the amount of response to this subject.....odd isn't it?

[Dave Taylor]

Before we go off topic here, let's remember that Tim Walker has funded the site this year to keep all the data photo's and Video's. The full version does have a live chat room.

The ID theift on the DOC site, clearly this is an issue that needs to be kept to the front of all our minds, I reported this to Ebay last night blatantly this is an MK Indy / Dutton ringer. It the DVLA, Insurance and POLICE that need convincing here. If this was a £200,000 footballers car that had been rung someone would react. But we are looked on as hobbists having a winge.

This is something that Adrian holds close to his heart, and as such this discusion re ID theift is another topic.

[Adrian Southgate]

If Tim has already funded the site for the year why haven't we clubbed together to pay our way?

Tim, if you PM me your paypal details I will chip in. Can't have you bearing the brunt of this alone matey.

 

Ade

[Terry Game]

Hi Guys

 

I would be happy to pay increase to DOC fees, or contribute to webb site. Always the best of the lot.

 

Terry

[Adrian Southgate]

We do get a club magazine but it relies solely on 'customer' input.

I have already submitted two articles (well shorts) but havent even had them uploaded onto the website yet (4 weeks ish)

I am currently writing another on the trials and tribulations of registrations, the DVLA and transferring vehicle identities  and how WRONG it is...

Can't help but feel a little hypocritical as I put a new body on mine not so long ago.

If anyone feels like putting pen to paper and writing something all the details are on the OC website.

[Tim Walker (The Bodger)]

Adrian

Thanks for the offer but as i said when Ning announced the change in service I was happy to pay the subs, for the lite version (only £17), for the initial year. I created the group as I had been using NIng communities with work and found it quick and easy to use. The idea was to add to the online resources available to us mad duttoneers and i wouldn't want the site to be detrimental in anyway to the other sites we have at hand.

Due to work and family commitments (story of a duttoneer's life!) I've not been able to commit time to the cars (Melos done 40miles this year and S3 still on stands in Mother's Backgarden) or the site but Dave T has been brilliant in administering the site (Thanks Dave :) ).

I'm pleased that so many Duttoneers, old and new, have found the site helpful.

 

Thanks

 

Tim The Bodger!

 

Adrian Southgate said:

If Tim has already funded the site for the year why haven't we clubbed together to pay our way?

Tim, if you PM me your paypal details I will chip in. Can't have you bearing the brunt of this alone matey.

 

Ade

[Adrian Southgate]

No worries Tim. Thanks for starting the site in the first place.

If you do need a hand with owt, give us Bolton lads a shout. Just wait for the weather to get into double figures again... :-)

[GODSPEED]

Thought I'd pop over and have a sniff about and discovered this thread, very interesting :)

 

I'll be honest and say that I think you will be shooting yourself in the foot by creating anything official for the DOC via NING. I hadn't realised they had introduced pricing plans. I relayed my concerns when duttonowners first appeared that there was no way to backup the site yourself - This is the main reason I moved away from free hosting on the forums (from InvisionFree) Once you are locked in (tempted in by no charges) they have you by the short and curlies. Do they now let you download your community data for backup or export if required? That is the key factor, control over your own data.

 

You see the thing is a forum may seem boring but you can do just about anything you want with the data to move it about from board to board or host to host. Infact it doesn't have to be just a boring forum at all - There is a whole community who have created as open source all the features that people find useful - blogs,photo albums,calenders,galleries,garages, shout boxes, chatrooms,skype integration,rss feeds. The features you can add to forums are numerous.

 

When you pay out of your own pocket for hosting there is a fine line between how much bandwidth/disc drive space your site uses which obviously impacts on the features provide.

 

The duttonforums is coming up to a revamp stage anyway so we will see what can be accommodated. All three sites compliment each other in my view and these two keep the vital ingredient of independence like other online sites for various car marques.

 

Thanks to the posters for the feedback on the DF's as well.

 

All the best

 

G