New admin needed

[J. Wilhelm]

Hear ye, hear ye!

Order! *hammers gavel on the bench* Oooorder!

Alright... So this is what we have as far I can discern. And correct me if I'm wrong, but we have 3 options


1. Running a privately run server from the UK, specifically by a brassgoggles.co.uk member is the latest option that Mr. Skummins has set forth. The server is owned by Mr. Skummins, it's not operated by any internet hosting service whatsoever. It does require freezing the current brassgoggles forum into a read only mode (isn't that the same as we'd have to do should we move to an ad supported forum though?)

2. The other option was set by forth by Von Corax: hosting on a BG member funded commercial server albeit with with lower capacity than the system which is hosting is now, but with a fairly low cost compared to the current provider. An updated version of the SMF software would be provided (SMF 2.x.x?) so the brassgoggles forum functionality would remain intact. The additional advantage being that the commercially hosted server would most likely be located in the Americas hence less regulation.

3. The third option is to move to an ad supported platform like sparegoggles at forumotion.net or equivalent. Bandwidth and storage are low, but it always runs in updated software, and it's 100 % free, thus guaranteeing the forum's existence for many years into the future, and brassgoggles is not tied to the fate of a single individual. While the members are not required to provide funding, we can't export brassgoggles' SMF database to the new forum. Thus the current BG will remain just an archive we can reach by way of links. One idea is simply to move to sparegoggles.forumotion.net, which is already running and Phoebsky has provided us with a set of keys to the venue. BTW,  we need to respond to Phoebsky on this, as they graciously have come back to hand over the keys.

Please ladies and gentlemen, restart your deliberations! We can continue our puns elsewhere in the forum!

[Deimos]

So will there be a poll set up for this...eventually?

Right now I'd have to go for Door #3.... I don't like ads (hate 'em, hate 'em, hate them)  but moving to Sparegoggles seems to be the only practical way to ensure
BG's continuance, both from and infrastructure aspect and a financial aspect.

[J. Wilhelm]

So will there be a poll set up for this...eventually?

Right now I'd have to go for Door #3.... I don't like ads (hate 'em, hate 'em, hate them)  but moving to Sparegoggles seems to be the only practical way to ensure
BG's continuance, both from and infrastructure aspect and a financial aspect.

I concurr. Besides the money, and old software, the problem is that the administrators eventually leave, and when the forum runs aground there's no one in the machine room to fix things.

Von Corax' solution is my second option though, if he can pull it off. It seems to be an ideal in terms of preserving brassgoggles.co.uk as it is.

As much as I like the idea of a brassgoggles member running a server from his house, and being 100%  independent, there's an inherent risk that failure (eg power failure, death, revolution, zombie apocalypse, or somebody sneezed on you and you died of COVID) would shut down brassgoggles.co.uk with no recourse at hand.

[Deimos]

....

Von Corax' solution is my second option though, if he can pull it off. It seems to be an ideal in terms of preserving brassgoggles.co.uk as it is.

As much as I like the idea of a brassgoggles member running a server from his house, and being 100%  independent, there's an inherent risk that failure (eg power failure, death, revolution, zombie apocalypse, or somebody sneezed on you and you died of COVID) would shut down brassgoggles.co.uk with no recourse at hand.

Ditto for Door#2 .... Hard practicalities aside  I am all for von Corax running the machinery....except we'd have to have his clone in a closet somewhere precisely for all the contingencies you mention :-p

[Sorontar]

If we need a formal poll, run one.

If those are the three options (and they sound like reasonable implementations of the options being dicussed so far), then I think 3, 2, 1.
For 3, the ads are an annoyance, but BG is not reliant on them so individuals can ignore or filter them. The only condition is that there has to be some way of the mod/admin team being able to report in appropriate ads to the host.
For 2, the cost is an issue but the support and backup of being "commercially hosted" is important.
For 1, it is big risk if things go belly up. While I would commend any BG member who is prepared to comit to hosting it, it won't be part of a network and have the security and reliability that we would expect from 3 or 2.

For 3, I am sure we could get the new site established, then post a single "we're moving" email to all the contact emails of the present BG members. If need be, we could possibly set up accounts in the new site for all the current usernames that have posted with the contact details and tell current BG members they have to go to the new site and either 1) create a new username (if they want a change) or 2) use the current name and do an "I have forgotten my password" check to get in and set a new password. Of course, throughout this, only the admins should have access to the contact details of members.

Sorontar

Sorontar

[von Corax]

One more point in favour of #2 is that, if necessary, it could eventually be converted to an ad-supported model.It would not be perfect, however, as there would be either too much revenue or too little, and in either case someone would need to deal with it. On Forumotion (option #3), if there's too much ad revenue they pocket the difference, and if there's too little they can simply pull the plug.

[J. Wilhelm]

A strange thought occurred to me. By way of links, "pointers" and purchased domain names one can link one forum to another. Thinkoof them as passageways. I was wondering whether Brassgoggles could exist as a network of forums, with registration taking place within a core forum, the Archive being an "adjacent" venue, likea  Library, and as the forum grows continue acquiring venues to form a "Steampunk Campus."

[SeVeNeVeS]

Looks like spare goggles' settings have been jiggled a little by Pheobsky

New member registered 2020-08-29.

I would say if not already registered, give it a go.

https://sparegoggles.forumotion.net/

[J. Wilhelm]

Looks like spare goggles' settings have been jiggled a little by Pheobsky

New member registered 2020-08-29.

I would say if not already registered, give it a go.

https://sparegoggles.forumotion.net/

Every one should register. Will make communication easier later.

[SeVeNeVeS]

Looks like spare goggles' settings have been jiggled a little by Pheobsky

New member registered 2020-08-29.

I would say if not already registered, give it a go.

https://sparegoggles.forumotion.net/

Every one should register. Will make communication easier later.

As a further experiment, I have just registered with a different name and e-mail address, awaiting admin conformation e-mail at the mo'. 10.45 UK time 31.08.20

[Cora Courcelle]

Looks like spare goggles' settings have been jiggled a little by Pheobsky

New member registered 2020-08-29.

I would say if not already registered, give it a go.

https://sparegoggles.forumotion.net/

That would be me then, mind you its so long since I originally tried to register at spare goggles that I'd forgotten the password, however it seems to have accepted the whole 'forgot your password' rigmarole and I logged on OK.

[Deimos]

I just registered also...same name and email....waiting "Admin Confirmation"

[Prof Marvel]

My preferences

Start with #3, spare goggles
- switch to this first, use links & archives, & etc
- get admin & mods changed over to new team if possible
- run with spare goggles and get the cost of BG off of members
- see how it goes and AT WORST it will buy us time for

possible option 2
Von Corax setting up "something else" ....

yhs
prof marvel

PS has anyone else ever used The Wayback Machine to archive an entire forum?

[Pheobsky]

Sparegoggles has now been handed over My last little tweak before I left was to make it so you can register without mod approval.

...I am out of touch & no longer a regular on the forum, so take this with a pinch of salt.... Regardless of where the main forum ends up, I would council you to retain an established backup location. Whether that is the facebook page, sparegoggles or an underground bunker somewhere north of reykjavik... it just means that if anything happens, you have a way of working out what happened & how to proceed.

[James Harrison]

I vote for underground bunker north of Reykjavik.

[Cora Courcelle]

I vote for underground bunker north of Reykjavik.

Eg er sammala!

[Prof Marvel]

Sparegoggles has now been handed over My last little tweak before I left was to make it so you can register without mod approval.

...I am out of touch & no longer a regular on the forum, so take this with a pinch of salt.... Regardless of where the main forum ends up, I would council you to retain an established backup location. Whether that is the facebook page, sparegoggles or an underground bunker somewhere north of reykjavik... it just means that if anything happens, you have a way of working out what happened & how to proceed.

Our Eternal Thanks Pheobsky!

Who is the new SpareGoggles Boss?

Go In Peace,
Live Long and prosper,
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff,
Non Carborundum Illigitimi

prf mrvl

[Deimos]

Sparegoggles has now been handed over My last little tweak before I left was to make it so you can register without mod approval.

Our Eternal Thanks Pheobsky!

Who is the new SpareGoggles Boss?

Go In Peace,
Live Long and prosper,
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff,
Non Carborundum Illigitimi

prf mrvl

You forgot:  "Farewell, and may the blessing of Elves and Men and all Free Folk go with you." 

[J. Wilhelm]

May your path be free form Orcs... What? It' just seemed the right thing to say!

[Prof Marvel]

May your path be free form Orcs... What? .....!

ummmmm

Free Form Orcs?

are they all like , um, Blobby Orcs,  or more like Picasso Orcs?

prf mvl

[von Corax]

May your path be free form Orcs... What? .....!

ummmmm

Free Form Orcs?

are they all like , um, Blobby Orcs,  or more like Picasso Orcs?

prf mvl

Orcs doing parkour?

[Cora Courcelle]

Orcs doing parkour?

They would be sooooo good at that, and if they met an obstacle they couldn't go over they'd either go through it or knock it down 

[J. Wilhelm]

I meant "rom."    Well, it's not like Orcs had much discipline anyway. I guess Orcs could be free-form.

[Prof Marvel]

Does anyone know if we have a New Admin for  the SpareGoggles ?

yhs
prof marvel

[Kensington Locke]

I agree with the idea of subscriptions based service over ads if a dedicated revenue stream is required to keep the lights on and things running (although we should probably ask the membership before we move to that model).

Exactly. Put it to a vote after comparing to ad supported sites - just look at sparegoggles.forumotion.net!

I know ads are unpalatable, but we must be practical about this. What ads are we afraid of? It's not like we're moving to Facebook... With all the stuff that is happening you never know.

Ads today aren't like the old days.  You put a rectangle on your page and Google puts whatever they want on their based on the user's history with Google.  So not moderating ads or making deals with vendors to run ads. 

Or you cut specific deals with vendors like Steampunk Emporium and run ads for their stuff because they cut a big check.

Or you do a hybrid, free accounts get ads, paid accounts don't.

Specking of check, how much does it cost to run this place?  How much does it take in on donations?

If you're looking for an admin for someone to take over ownership, financials are key.