When a forum is sold to the corporates like Vert****** this is what happens, because it’s the database they want, not the users. The database is the honeypot for the search engines.

https://www.hockeyforum.com/

This was a huge active forum now it’s absolutely dead…like the Parrot.

It’s had 8 posts in the last 4 months, mostly by people who join, post a couple of times and move on because they get no reply.

This is when the head admin last posted, The other admin appointed 7 months ago has made 19 posts the last one to a 1 post wonder 22 days ago.

The whole place a monument to how the corporates can destroy online communities…do they care no, because it’s slathered in adverts, it’s a billboard sprayed heavily in search engine attractant. Effectively the forum itself is like a huge spambot. It’s quite depressing.

    Thank goodness Dave, that you have publicly stated that this will never happen to this forum. You ensure that by using a totally free hosting. By not forming a Limited Company…….let us talk a little here. It is just my view but to turn a forum into a Limited Company suggests either the owners are worried about being sued, therefore seeking to limit their liability, or more likely, they think it is easier to sell on one sufficient growth has occurred. Sometimes it is much easier to be transparent akin to the way we have tried to raise funds from the forum to be passed on in entirety to Flarum, than raise funds which are passed on to the Limited Company then lost from view.

    I wonder which business model will be around the longest?

      DavecUK It’s sad the way the established forums become irrelevant.

      Some good observations and questions from dfk41

      IMO, which we all know, limited companies despite their limited liabilities, have to be profit driven. The firm will also have to discharge the responsibilities, governance, file tax returns, … within the defined set of parameters; these costs money and hence the profit motive. It’s difficult not to give-in to the temptations of selling, if a good offer comes around.

      The current model, I think, is better, although it creates a dependency, setting in motion a what if scenario. We don’t know how much it costs to keep them going.

      The third option is a non-profit organisation route, whose duties and responsibilities are similar to that of the limited firm.

      Is there a fourth option, which is not profit-driven, not requiring non-profit org registrations and legal responsibilities route, free us from the dependency and yet continue what we do? It will cost though.

      The biggest challenge is finding finances to keep it afloat. We know some one will have to pay to keep the forum running. Either the forum members will have to fund enough to cover all a to z costs or let it funded by sponsors and adverts.

      There are no free lunches, I am afraid. 😊

      let’s not forget we don’t have any control over this. At any point our hosts might decide to switch their servers off and we will need to find another home.

      What coffeetime shows us is that there’s no second intentions behind the scene here. We are here because we enjoy coffee. If our hosts go - we hope they never do! - we will just have to find another home and start again. We have a community, we proved to ourselves we can do it and that’s what it matters: the community. As the saying goes, it’s about the people, not the building.

        MediumRoastSteam I have considered that possibility and already identified a paid hosting plan should anything happen. We can simply take the database, they already have flarum loaded, I could probably have the basic forum running in a day and all extensions functioning and configured by day 2.

        I would then put a signpost on Tapatalk coffeetime.

          DavecUK Without wanting to appear a sycophant I am impressed mightily by your grasp of the forums complexities and what lengths you are prepared to go to achieve your aims. Well done.

          Ian

          @DavecUK Must agree with Eyedee you have put a lot of work into setting the forum up and working hard for it’s continued success. Thanks again

          Steve

          As others have said, a huge thanks to Dave for his time and efforts setting this place up it’s very much appreciated

          When Glenn set up CFUK in 2008, I like to think he did it to further a community spirit for all things coffee related. That said, it became clear, as time progressed, Glenn’s focus began to shift IMO. Glenn was adept in maintaining the image of a forum focussed on a community aspect whilst building the forum as a profitable business evidenced when he sold it for a five figure sum. The new owner bought it as a business which understandably hacked off a number of members who bought into the community myth Glenn fostered. That said, the new owner, after getting his fingers well and truly burned, ceded responsibility for day to day running to the mods. This proved to be a two edged sword. It enabled the mods to ensure the forum wasn’t taken over by a small vocal minority and, as a consequence, it thrived and attracted more paid advertising. Mods knew this would likely mean that at some point the new owner would seek to cash in and sell on which happened recently. The new owners have a very different agenda. They made no attempt to get in touch with CFUK mod team to start a dialogue/relationship - clearly it would seem the past was of no importance to them. It’s a sad story but that’s life - everything is reduced to monetary value - community is a term that is bandied around like confetti but the reality is the opposite. CFUK may continue but its heart has gone IMO which is why the mods decided to withdraw completely and set up this independent, not for profit, coffee community focused forum.

            8 days later

            Here is another dead community 0.5 million posts, 15K members… now less than 6 posts a day.
            https://www.gtaaquaria.com/

            Admins that never post, or one admin that obviously was once a keen member, has not on for 3 months. and last posted 6 months ago.

            Another dead one below, interestingly I see a lot of the same admins and moderators names on many different forums. 770K posts 16K members, 10 to 20 times less posts a day than us
            https://www.sv-portal.com/whats-new/posts/31354/

            This next is a doozy, 4.5 million posts, 67K members…almost dead.
            https://www.migweb.co.uk/whats-new/posts/73391/

            Loved the announcement when they took over and 2 years later…..

            I think it’s important to stop contributing to the other forum. As tempting as it is to say something in some threads. Hopefully, people will find everyone has left come here and elsewhere. I’m not giving them the traffic as it’s a stat they use to get advertisers on board.

              Rob1 Agreed and what’s worse it just adds more bait to the database for advert impressions from Google ads. They really don’t give a crap about the user base. An admin I believe covers 30 or 40 forums.

              If I’m honest, it’s a mystery why the people who are left keep posting there. One day 3 big corporates will own almost all the forums…except ones like ours. Their money is no good here. This is our community, not a commodity!

              I’m still posting there, mainly raising awareness of the takeover. I’ll stop in the new year.

              I couldn’t see a delete account option, to so I’ve just emailed their privacy department removing my consent for them to hold my personal data and requesting they delete my account.

              It’sa small act but it’s one less member on their numbers.

              I’ll let you know how I get on

                I no longer login elsewhere. I haven’t posted anything since we all left that place.