End of an era ?

[Chris Site Founder]

Due to ill health and family issues I am looking at retiring - from my real job and on here.


I have a few options with what to do with the site and the OC

1. Close the site completely - Facebook to take over, easy for me but not fair on those who have paid.

2. Pass it over to someone else - easy for me, a big training job for who ever takes over.

3. Stop paid memberships at the end of this year (2018) and then open the site to everyone - probably the best option.



We still have a number of mugs, keyrings, truck stickers and membership cards.

They could be sold to keep the site running, Charity donations to cease.


Comments please


Chris

[123hotchef]

option 3 gets my vote,  hope it is treatable Chris

[Nooks]

Firstly, a massive thanks for putting this all together and supporting it and us over the years.

I think Option 3 as well. Too much information accrued here to just flush down the toilet, but keep an open mind on option 2 as well, just in case somebody knowledgeable comes forward.

Those of us who are still running the older trucks rely on these pages.

As for Facebook, I looked into it years ago but never signed up 'cos of the amount of info they wanted off you and the agreements you had to sign up to. Now look what's happened (as in the news recently).

[danby]

Add my thanks as well. Are there running costs to the club and website? Are we likely to find somebody to run it (well or not all)? Is there a lot of work for whoever runs it? Can the work be split and shared or is that the recipe for a mess? Will all the existing data such as "how to" be able to be saved for future after closure?
As for Facebook etc, I will not have anything to do with any of those organisations/ type of schemes (as has been recently justified) so would request deletion of all my data if we go there.
I (and others) run a classic and as they age and die, the membership will naturally decline in numbers. If I had to buy new then I don't know what I would buy. Cue for a topic???
Thanks for giving us time to think about it all.
Keith

[douchecalamondaes]

I think Chris knows what he has done for me over the years, from my first stupid questions about CV boots and other little things, to knowing my way around a K74 so well now that I keep I dont know how many running, at least 10 and have done some of the most extreme mods in the UK to them.  Back when I joined, facebook didnt have much on L200's, and 9/10 people were asking questions and not answering them.

the facebook situation is improving, but there is no database of  knowledge and no organisation of events.

personally I hope the OC continues in some form or another, in particular the AGM's workshop meets, spares department, and stickers

I am happy to help where I can, I can take over spares department as I have a ridiculous amount of K74 parts, amongst other things, aswell as a constant stock of new spares from milners on the shelf, but organisationally I am useless 

I dont know whats up chris but if I can ever be of help dont hesitate to ask

[jasoncambs]

This forum is a bible of information . I still reading through and learnt so much . If i can help within the owners club i would be more than happy . 

[pipfit]

I have never bothered with Facebook.Have learned a lot from here hope it carries on Option 3 For me
Pipfit

[shamo stag]

option 1 first as last

[jimmy]

Hi I have just seen this sorry to hear about you health problems Chris in one way or another the site has got to stay visable it's sutch valuable source of information especially for the classic and is far simpler to search for answers than face book but like all forums face book has done a lot of damage were does Steve Dublin sit on this and just how mutch running does the forum take ?? I am guilty for not being particularly active but still have the l200 and the interest certainly in the classic
Ian

[Chris Site Founder]

The membership admin takes quite a bit of time.
Dealing with new and bogus Forum names takes a lot of time.
Site maintenance takes some time too.

I have decided that the membership system will stop at the end of this year.
We have some money in the bank to run for about another 2 years before we close.

I still have lots of stuff to sell - see my posts in the For Sale section (Mugs, Stickers, filters, Wind deflector, bonnet scoops   etc etc

Chris

[jimmy]

The membership admin takes quite a bit of time.
Dealing with new and bogus Forum names takes a lot of time.
Site maintenance takes some time too.

I have decided that the membership system will stop at the end of this year.
We have some money in the bank to run for about another 4 years before we close.

I still have lots of stuff to sell - see my posts in the For Sale section (Mugs, Stickers, filters, Wind deflector, bonnet scoops   etc etc

Chris

Thanks for the answers Chris
Ian

[Supersnail]

Sorry to hear of your health and family issues and hope you resolve both soon. I have been a member for twelve years and though I have never met any of the members, some of you feel like old friends, without the help and guidance of this forum the truck would have cost me an even bigger fortune than it has. Option 3 seems to be the best to me as it would be a shame to lose the vast amount of knowledge contained in it ,besides I hate facebook and everything it stands for. Best of luck for the future and thanks again. Pete Sidwick.

[Scratchy]

Sorry to hear of your health issues, hope all goes well in the future. I too favour option three as facebook and the like are unpopular with so many people. Good luck and thanks.

[Chris Site Founder]

I have decided to stop membership and open up the site 1/1/2019

I will still need to sell mugs, stickers and keyrings to keep the place going !


Chris

[rob h]

Sorry to hear this Chris. I can't say I have been like an active member but every time I have needed help with my truck your page has been there for me. I hope now we can be some form of help for you , I am sure you only need to ask. Which ever you decide to do it has to be in your best interest and don't worry about this page. Good luck with All of the problems you face.

[OverdriveOne]

Add me to the messages of thanks, Chris. Thanks for starting the site and still being here when I returned a decade later! Not so many endure, it's a lot of work.

I hope the site will continue successfully as you gradually step back, it's one of the best I've used in many aspects. I'm not a technophobe, probably the opposite but there's a place for tech and digitization. Deeply rooted in people's private, personal and leisure lives are not such places IMO, so I'm disappointed to find that much has been sucked into the globalist Borg hive of social media, where it can "Successfully" be monitored, assessed and influenced. I'll be sure to be uninvolved with that content, so hopefully there's adequate action here for now. There's certainly a huge vault of info that needs to remain available.

Ideal would be your option 2 but that would be a difficult task to engineer in terms of maintaining the quality. So, I'd have to say option 3.


Thanks again, and good luck.

[mounty]

Thanks for running a great site Chris, all the best,
Craig

[elvisjohn]

chris so very sorry to hear about your health etc , would be such a shame for the site to close , stevedublin would be an ideal replacement , had some brill camps out ,

[Al McL]

Option 3

[paulw]

sorry to hear of your health chris. You have done a great job. Reckon option 3 is favorite

[MWood]

Really sorry to here about your ill health fella!
I know it couldn't have been an easy decision for you to make with regards to the forum, really glad you decided to keep it going and open it up!

There had been just too much knowledge amassed on here (especially the older models) to just hit the delete button on. You and this forum have got me out of a scrape so many times now, i honestly don't know what i would have done without you... all of you.

You should become the CEO, letting moderators (The Board) take over the day to day running, setup a paypal money pool for donations towards site upkeep? That should be enough to keep the wolf from the door!
Leaving you free to drop by as and when you feel up to it for a catch up and natter?

Anyhow,
All the best Chris and thank you so much for starting and running this amazing forum.

[Nooks]

Just wondering if and how club discounts from suppliers would continue to work - an open site would mean anybody could find the discount codes. Would Milners etc be happy with this? On the other hand should we be thankful for what we have had to date and accept that the discounts will stop. Personally I'm not too bothered which way it goes, but it is something that should probably be considered before D-Day.

[Chris Site Founder]

That is an issue I'm still working on.
To get a discount you need a membership number - I have at least 600 membership cards left.
So it will be free or for a sum I could send out  a card, sticker, key ring and mug to enable members to get the discounts.

Chris

[Kappa......]

Hi Chris been a long time but still lurk in about.. an can’t get on site on my laptop for some reason but if I can help at all with anything drop us a email an I’ll see what I can do..

[Chris Site Founder]

I will now reject all new payments and just allow people straight in to see the whole site.

I have no more stickers left, just Keyrings, Owners Club cards, mugs and a few thermal mugs - Owners Club cards being required for discounts with our sponsors.

Costs

Owners Club card £2
Owners Club card & keyring £3
Owners Club card, keyring & mug £5
Thermal mug costs on request.


No record of members will now be recorded - it will be up to you to keep your Owners Club card secure. (This will get around the new Data Protection laws as we will hold no personal data)

Please email or PM me to become a free member


Chris

[Chris Site Founder]

Well guys, one year on and we are still here 

The current funds will keep the site running one more year - if you would like to donate (ANY ammount) please send to Paypal - chris@L200.org.uk.

I still have mugs, keyrings and membership cards - everything else has gone.

Personally I have a set of 5 Alloys and BFG's for a classic shape at £250 - to be collected from West Yorkshire.


I wish you all the best for 2020 - maybe we can last another after that ?


Chris

[Navman]

I keep pushing the forum on Facebook Chris, as I know full well, as a resource this ids much better than trying to search for info on facebook, which has no structure for searching info. hopefully 'we' can keep it going, I will give it another push later, so you might get an influx of members.

Carl

All the best for 2020 Chris

Carl & Christine. 

[Davipon]

Well guys, one year on and we are still here 

The current funds will keep the site running one more year - if you would like to donate (ANY ammount) please send to Paypal - chris@L200.org.uk.

I still have mugs, keyrings and membership cards - everything else has gone.

Personally I have a set of 5 Alloys and BFG's for a classic shape at £250 - to be collected from West Yorkshire.


I wish you all the best for 2020 - maybe we can last another after that ?


Chris

Morning Chris,
Am back here for the usual reason.......help needed for old truck. If the paypal address is still active I'll happily send a couple of bob over to help admin costs.
All the best in this odd year!

[Chris Site Founder]

http://www.l200.org.uk/community/index.php?board=222.0

Paypal - chris@L200.org.uk - it all helps, at the moment this site will close at the end of the year.

Many Thanks

[Freeway]

Chris how much would all the members need to cough up to keep this brilliant site going for at least another 5 to 10 years ? I think any amount isn't too much

[Davipon]

http://www.l200.org.uk/community/index.php?board=222.0

Paypal - chris@L200.org.uk - it all helps, at the moment this site will close at the end of the year.

Many Thanks

Done a bit. Take care.

[Chris Site Founder]

MANY THANKS

Chris

[Chris Site Founder]

I have just paid for what will be the final years hosting

The OC is now £80 in the red

I retire in June, so will see if I can drum up some sponsership to help

Chris

[Freeway]

I am more than happy to chip in £100 if it would help at all

[Chris Site Founder]

Many Thanks but, way too generous :-)
If people just dropped 2 quid in the pot it would help

Chris

[Chris Site Founder]

or bought a mug/keyring/thermo mug ?


Chris

[danby]

If we all give a couple of pounds how long will it be before we are in the red again? I would rather give a bit more now and not have  the same request next year, although I appreciate that somebody will have to hold the funds, and we should not have a big fund. Perhaps aim for a couple of years funding. It might also be worth reminding members how to actually pay the donation.

[Chris Site Founder]

The site costs around £120 a year to run

4x4 companies are no longer paying to advertise - they get too much free through Facebook

If you would like to donate a couple of pounds - its Paypal to Chris@L200.org.uk (Gift/Family option please)

A mug costs £3 to pack and post, a keyring £1 + the cost of the mug and/or keyring (£1 each) - that is break even on these items

I will try source funding from a few other places - The website is 20 years old this year (March in fact)

Regards and many thanks

Chris

[Freeway]

Chris ive chipped in £50 to try to get things moving as i think the site is well worth keeping running. i hope between us all it must be worth as you say a couple of quid from each member for the valuable info this site brings. Come on chaps dig in and lets keep it going hey.

[rodeast24]

Hi Chris iv bunged in £30 for hopefully keeping the site going, as im not on Facebook, cant stand it,, It would be a great shame to loose all the great content. And I hope all the other members and users chip in a few quid to keep it going.