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Posts: 6441
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy
Closure is postponed
We have received some serious offers of investment and help that need to be considered. It is clear that the forum is of great value to the many who don't post a lot, which distorts the engagement statistics i.e. meaningful traffic is high but content generation is low.
Like running an online newspaper for free. It's an overhead without other revenue channels, which we don't have. Members add value by creating content.
However, if this help is to be invested, then it is logical to consider keeping the forum running but only if it can do so without significant costs, maintenance and time overheads. The software and server platform are getting old and need complete replacement.
I have postponed closing until I have explored the options. Please register with the FaceBook page in case the forum is attacked again. Any updates will be posted there as well.
Great news! I would contribue a lump-sum to save the foro, and would happily pay a yearly membership fee afterwards. I could also contribute time, if that helps (I'm somewhat IT-savvy, although it's been a while since I've worked with databases).
"Anything you do can be fixed. What you cannot fix is the perfection of a blank page. What you cannot fix is that pristine, unsullied whiteness of a screen or a page with nothing on it—because there’s nothing there to fix."
I would also gladly donate some money to keep this place going. It is too much of a jewel to lose. Not only as a resource but as a place to congregate and truly be our "flamenco selves".
Wonderful! Let us know when you come up with requirements for financial support, and a means to provide it. I'm a member of one very good forum on another subject that has annual membership fees. This one would certainly be worth it to me.
The forum I mentioned doesn't have a hard paywall. There is some free access, even allowing posting. The distinctions among the vaious paid levels are unimportant to me, I just pay what I think it's worth (which is more than the minimum level).
Simon, my wife and I just returned to Washington from a few days celebrating her birthday at a lodge in Shenandoah National Park. We deliberately avoided computers and E-mail, so I was surprised when I returned today and read about the possible demise of the Foro. I would gladly contribute an annual fee if you come up with a way to forward it to you. I would prefer something like a bank-to-bank transfer, as I don't like posting my credit card information on the internet, even when it supposedly (but never really is) secure.
Hope something can be worked out to keep the Foro going.
Cheers,
Bill
_____________________________
And the end of the fight is a tombstone white, With the name of the late deceased, And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here, Who tried to hustle the East."
Count me in for a donation or organized regular contribution. I’ve been lurking here for ten years and it would be a shame to lose the Foro. I’ll happily contribute towards its continuation. :)
Thanks Simon for the closure postponement and also thank you for keeping the forum alive for these many years.
I'm not an active poster but I can say I'm an active lurker. It's the only forum I visit and to see it disappear would be difficult to bear. I am with so many others that express their determination to keep this forum going (or a brand new one altogether) by donating startup funding and agreeing to a subscription fee of some sort.
The vast majority of us don't live in Andalusia but I find this forum keeps me in touch and up to date with the world of Flamenco; after all Flamenco has reached the global stage. And the discussions (some would refer to them as BS) can be downright entertaining, the mud slinging alone would be worth the price. As said earlier, I don't post hardly ever but I've become familiar with the active posters both players and luthiers and their sharing of information is extremely appreciated and that also is worth the price.
So again Simon, a very grateful thank you for all your time, effort, and financial resources for keeping alive this very unique forum and count me in financially to help with any needed funding.
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