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.

  

[Adrian Southgate]

So guys, come back to me with the costs and I will makes balls roll (oh er mrs)

I can propose a change of site at the AGM at Stoneleigh but in the mean time how much will it cost?

Also, there is a lot of information hosted on the existing site which will have to be kept open as we own the domain at the moment and would probably want to keep it, integrating this site within the existing if possible.as a sort of readers cars section, I can probably make this open inside the existing site with a bit of html jiggery pokery but I doubt I could make it work the other way round due to the way this site is structured.

[Gordon McLaren]

In order to pay for the site upgrade would a small increase in the DOC membership fee be out of the question, say upto £15 a year. I know I save this much on my insurance alone by virtue of being a member. Alternitavely as was mentioned a few months ago only a small donation from all users of the site would be needed to be donated thru paypal or something similar. Would certainly be happy to contibute to get the site back upto full strength again

[Tim Walker (The Bodger)]

 

Hi Guys Sorry for delay in replying. Busy with work and stuff (haven't even had time to send off the DOC membership renewal Cheque! on its way soon promise).

I haven't had any emails from NING regards further content removal but the page personalisation options have disappeared.

I've emailed support so if they get back to me i'll let you guys know.

There are 2 upgrade options that you can see in the link below:

 

http://about.ning.com/plans/

[Adrian Southgate]

Thanks for the link Tim.

I will pass the relevant info on to the committee by email but realistically we can't expect a commitment before Stoneleigh. The more bodies we have there on the Monday the better.

 

In the mean time do we want to chip in and take the plus package, someone else can do the mathematics, i'm crap at it.

I'm happy to stump up a few quid to get the plus pack features

[Dave Adams]

i like this site, but some aspects of the ning format are not as good as other sites, mrG's site works well as a reference site, the DOC site works as a chat site (could be improved) this site feels chatty but a little irritating to follow threads that do not appear on the first page. i will still use them all it's not a problem for me but a site that combines the best of all sites is what is needed.....just my two pennorth.

I like my Dutton and spend a lot of time letting folks know that, i also think the other three sites are doing the same in their own way, this site is not better or worse than the others, in fact Mr g  has experience of Ning sites and opted to not use them.

 

I don't think we should impose this format on the club with out some sort of meeting of as many members as possible, not necessarily at Stoneleigh, does anyone know how to code websites / forum pages? we could design some to suit our selves if anyone could do that.....but then we are a car club not a computer club. 

 

It's not the forum site that is important but it's active members and the comments they make, we on here would,  i am sure continue with a different forum site were it to be imposed on us and this one removed, but would everyone move?

[Paul Sheridan]

We all have our preferences on the web, as some one said in the other discussion, use what works for you! (my personal preference is Mr G's format,)  BUT.... I would much rather that we all work togehter, to fine tune, one united site where we can all fully represent the Dutton Marque. If this can be done with the pro version of Ning and can be funded from our membership subscription, then that would be a positive move.

What should be in a club website ?

1. Your own page, to show off your pride and joy

2. A simple chat forum (like existing DOC)

3. A technical section for reference purposes

4. A products section, products used and reccomended (or not!!)

5. Suppliers section

6. A section for our German and French friends (do we have any in the USA?)

7. Sale and Wanted section

 

Get the Idea ????  Come on members, have your say.

 

The reason that my page on this site, does not have any of my Phaeton rebuild or mechanical modification pictures on it, is that I have always posted them on Mr G's and it has always seemed pointless doubling up. As there has been very little traffic on that site this year, I have seen no point in updating the post. Hense my reason for pushing for one site.

[Adrian Southgate]

I can draught an email for all members but to add all the emails would be a bit of a pain.

This sort of thing really has to be put to the committee if we are expecting the club to fund it. Then it can be put out to a member vote. Yes I know its drawn out and takes ages but its the accepted way of doing things.

As I stated above, in the mean time are we all willing to chip in and get the site upgraded to plus status?

I can do HTML and coding, flash and a few other bits not to a professional standard but certainly acceptable for the small businesses I helped out a few years ago.The biggest issue these days is browser compatability so the simpler the better.

My idea would be to keep the existing DOC site and fit this inside it as a separate entity, like the chat forums. If people have the option which way they want to view threads then it will work on all levels.auto cross posting on all forums is another idea  which may be viable.

I do find it strange that this subject produces more posts than saving a threatened vehicle or stopping a possible ID theft.

[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?

[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