Donation

[Admin]

Guys! Don’t let’s make this a big problem the forum is here now, open and accessible to all as was the request of many.
The principal concern is for Roy and for the further population of site members, If you know of any having difficulty registering please let us know there email address and we’ll sort it.

[Basil Henriques]

Guys! Don’t let’s make this a big problem,The principal concern is for Roy and for the further population of site members,

Irrespective of your take on it, it IS a BIG problem, you are making financial contributors the "ELITE" by your rhetoric even.

BTW Converting ALL of the posts on the old site to text and making a searchable archive isn't a big deal so why isn't THAT also a PRIORITY as well as principle concern that you state ? after all, the members you seek have made considerable informative posts on the last forum, it would be insulting to give those posts a lessor priority than reinstating the members who MADE THEM..
IMHO

[Dave Nutt]

Do you ever wish that you hadnt raised a point?

[Basil Henriques]

Dave you said that even £24 wouldn't put you off, or me.. In fact I'd finance it completely if we could evolve into a useful community to promote steel guitar and help beginners and others with advice and schooling, to me at this point in time that DOESN'T seem to be the objective.
The "Dollar Sign" is much too prominent in the general philosophy IMHO.
The ethos of the BSS Didn't used to be that..

Those of us that ALREADY subscribe to the BSS newsletter are now being asked to further subscribe, or at the very least being cajoled and embarrassed into doing so by the weight placed on the verbiage about those who've ALREADY paid..
One doesn't need a degree in Psychology to interpret the intent.

[Dave Nutt]

Baz, call me naive but I honestly aint looking at it like that. I see what your saying, and I certainly wouldnt want the focus of the BSS to become, commercial above everything else.
I guess my point, (possibly debatable) was to make sure that whoever has taken on the task, gotten of their arse and worked to set us up a new site should not be financially out of pocket, simple as that.

I knew when I first wrote that it would be controversial, I didnrt mean it that way, it was obvious that rumblings where starting to show. I thought it best it be debated.
Dave.

[Basil Henriques]

Bob Adams has done us all a service setting this up and I suppose in deference to him and his contributions to the UK Steel Scene, we should sit back and not be as impatient and impetuous as I am..

Betwixt Bob's Stirling rebuild work on guitars that simply can't be faulted, I sure his guiding of the rebuild work on the BSS home site will eventually be equally stunning.

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

My take on this topic.....
I think on this ,and most other things we are concerned with here B0b has got it right on the US forum,so IMHO we could do a lot worse than follow his example and learn from his experience.
For my part I don`t care who knows how much I pay so I say, Bob or Uncle Roy,whoever is responsible for it, I have 25 hard earned pounds I wish to donate but I dispise Paypal, can you please give me an alternative way to enable me to make my donation??? Thank You JD

[David Hartley]

I know there must be costs to running and maintaining a forum. I tend to agree with the last posting which says.

here's my take on the issue :
i'd have a set nominal entrance fee like b0b & the steel ring do : 5 or 10 £
Donations are usually on a voluntary basis unless the administrator sends out a "help ! please send in something - thanx "
personaly, i m not favorable to a monthly, trimester or semester suscribtion fee
in order for it to convince me, the quality contents & participation by members of the forum will have to justify that
yes a 5% commission on instruments & stuff is only normal
i reckon i gotta put my mouth where my money is.....................

An initial joining fee and a donation if anything is sold using the assistance of the forum.
Much like the SGF I think 2.5% donation for a sale is suggested as below

Use of the Classified Ads section to sell steel related items is generally free*, but most folks send a donation when they sell a big ticket item through the Forum. The conventional donation amount is 2.5% of the selling price of the item ($25 for a $1000 instrument, for example). You can send your donation by check or money order payable in US funds to:

A monthly subscription won't work in my opinion. As I say, I don't know what costs are and what donations pay for. It should be made clear somewhere. Unless I have missed something. I was just sent a link to register to this new forum and joined but don't remember seeing any joining donation fee. If something is failing at the server and needs maintaining or other costs need paying for then a CRY for HELP is acceptable and I am sure most would help to keep a successful forum running.

I did read briefly about letting members know who has paid and who had not and amounts donated etc. What's the reason? I am sure more small donations are as welcome as one larger one.

Anyway, I have not as yet made any payment to the running costs to this forum as nothing is clear.

When it's clear I will contribute if I feel it's fair and the forum is interesting enough to WANT to return on a regular basis.

I visit the American forum most days for a few minutes.
I rarely visited the old British forum but since being invited to this new one I check in once or twice a week.
Not a lot changes in that time therefore that's why I visit less.

So, in summary guys,
let's have a clear joining fee or donation request fee.,
Lets have a fair and clear donation request for a sale made using the forum.
let's have more contribution to postings and replies, and make it a fun place to visit.

Also, let's all do our best to visit John Davis's meeting in October.
I wouldn't like to see him give it up due to attendance.
So, let him know if you can come.

Bye for now..
David.

[Admin]

Hi David this is not a paid or profit making site and there is no intention to make it so and the for sale section is and will remain free for all to make use of.
The BSS urgently needed a stable platform with its own domain and without the old issues causing it to hemorrhage at an alarming rate, it is now maintained (almost) 24/7 and largely as a labour of love!
The whole donation saga has now been well thrashed and the subscription button is there only as result of previous comments. The matter is down to the individual to support or not as they wish, (I do likewise with the SGF) I thank those who have seen fit to contribute but have no issue with those who don’t.
For the record of our 106 members there have to date been 16 supporting contributions and no subscribers ( purely to let you understand the scale)
Look forward to a chat with you at Barford / Ireland. Appreciate your posts and thank you for taking the time on them. See you soon. B

[David Hartley]

Hi. Bob, I think you should remove the big red admin as your name as it don't look friendly!
Have it as bob Adams with an Administrator under your name.
Also, let's get some more aviator pictures uploaded. It's nice to see who everyone is.
Which brings me to another question bob, I will email you now.
Regards, David..