Donations: Heads up Admin

[Poly Hive]

I am possibly a bit known for being blunt.

Admin?

Last month you were over 100% for donations. So why does this month kick off at 0%?? Where is the carry over?

I think you seriously need to organise this better. It is an issue that is liable to bite you as the forum I ran cost 0%

PH

 

[BKF Admin]

The software does it on a monthly basis.

Costs to date:

Software owned licence £140
Server monthly costs £9,paid until next Feb £108

Donations to date £185,that includes one member who has never posted but has donated £50

As for your forum that cost nothing: It was full of Google ads,you had no control over the database tables so if the host packed up as many do you would of lost all the posts and all the forum members.

Also the software your forum was running is the most hacked forum software on the internet,whilst we are running the same software as the BBKA forum,not the cheapest but the best by miles.

Just maybe beekeepers stopped posting on your forum because at times you appeared a little "Blunt" as you call it ?

I have just read through some of the terms of service that your host asked you to abide by:

********.org provides the free service to host your forum on our servers.
There are certain restrictions that we do not allow you to post on your forums. ******.org reserves the right to delete or block access to any content that you post

If our system detects anyone placing any type of paid advertisements on their forum, it will result in immediate deletion of your forum without notice. This includes (text links, banners, buttons, pop-ups, pop-unders and exit-pops).

*******.org reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the Service (or any part thereof) with or without notice.

IF THE TERMS OF SERVICE DESCRIBED HERE ARE NOT FULLY ACCEPTABLE, YOU MUST IMMEDIATELY TERMINATE YOUR USE OF THIS WEB SITE.

The above is the reason why it costs money to run a good forum.

When I started this forum I paid all costs myself and am still happy to do so for the benefit of everyone who uses it.
Donations are made by members who want to help me with the costs,I dont think I will be hoarding bayer shares under the bed or having holidays in the Caribbean from donations anytime soon.

 

[Jenxy]

Admin, you are dead on about the packing up thing. I am a member of another forum.. (totally unrelated to bees..) and two weeks ago, went to log on and the whole thing gone. The guy that started it up had to start all over again, before it packed up there was tons of technical stuff relating to the subject, now all that has gone and less then a quarter of the original members have found their way back. The admin has now gone for a "paid for " forum, but the damage has been done. It would be a real shame for that to happen here.

 

[MrTrueman]

Give me a shout in Feb and we will host you for ?0. We have plenty of servers

 

[BKF Admin]

Thanks MrTrueman I may well take you up on that,nice company you have there.

Now that the software is all paid for it would be a great help.

Are your servers based in the uk and Do you have any Linux boxes ?
Also do you do a nightly backup of databases.

 

[Hombre]

The software does it on a monthly basis.

vBulletin is written in Php using a MySQL database? I suspect the bit of software doing it monthly is a MySQL select statement of some sort. Given that the table has appropriate columns to allow it, you should be able to report it how you wish it to be. After all, I doubt that you actually recalculate the figure all the time, but probably write away a result table each midnight, or some such, and serve up that temporary table when it's required.

I to am a teller of hard truths and as PH says, whatever your sentiments, unfortunately you will find that while most of us don't give a toss and appreciate what you do, you will have silent detractors who will point out that all is not as transparent as they feel it should be. Whatever the rights or wrongs, they could at some point in the distant future begin stirring and make life uncomfortable. If at some time in the future you found yourself with more than a few years costs covered, you could consider financing a new server to supersede the one offered for use by Mr Trueman (kind gesture) as it gets older.

Also the software your forum was running is the most hacked forum software on the internet

This and other remarks were a little defensive indicating discomfort, actually much the same sort of discomfort that PH sought to advise you about in his inimitable way. You only thought it was blunt, because he told you it was thus. Let us not make the mistakes of the other place. Listen and debate without respondents needing to feel they are being cornered.

What was the forum software PH? PhpBB2 had been subject to exploits of CAPTCHA code, but phpBB3 was much improved, for example. I didn't have the pleasure of witnessing your forum offering.

Regards,

 

[BKF Admin]

This and other remarks were a little defensive indicating discomfort, actually much the same sort of discomfort that PH sought to advise you about in his inimitable way.

Maybe the fact that I lost a free hosted forum a couple of years ago that was running phpbb with over 62,000 posts and over 10,000 members may have something to do with it ?

The discocomfort I feel is in no way down to the financial assistance I am getting from members in support of running the forum,its more the fact that any forum will always have one or two members that will find something to complain about.

Being "Blunt" I would say that even if I stopped donations and continued as before paying for everything myself some members would still find the time to moan.

I cant see what the problem is ? I give up my evenings to run a forum that is free to everyone and takes donations towards its costs on a voluntary basis and yet some members seem to fear the future success that the forum may have and have put it upon themselves to advise me of future potential problems.

I see you have both said you are tellers of hard truths,without trying to insult you both I believe its just an excuse for plain arrogance.

I am the type of person that if a lady says does my hair look nice I will say she looks fantastic whilst I asume you would tell her she looks like a dogs dinner and be proud of yourself for telling it as it is?

I am more than happy to take criticism regards how the forum is run if it is of benefit to other members,but if I had been asked what member I expected to jump in and agree first I would of said yourself Hombre.

I realise that rather than moaning the original post was an offer of guidance but these type of threads often turn sour with someone getting upset.

 

[Poly Hive]

I was not moaning.

I am blunt. I find that being unblunt causes immense confusion.

Why my forum died I have no idea but I really don't think my bluntness caused it Admin and I truly think that was a low blow.

PH

 

[BKF Admin]

Sorry PH I was not trying to offend you,Maybe I was being a little to defensive.

I think maybe it was because as people become more internet savvy they are starting to avoid free hosted forums.

It may also of been because I have had more time to devote to the forum than you had.

You certainly have oodles more experience with beekeeping than I have and for that I am very grateful that you are a member here with your contributions and help you give up to other members myself included.

 

[MrTrueman]

Thanks MrTrueman I may well take you up on that,nice company you have there.

Now that the software is all paid for it would be a great help.

Are your servers based in the uk and Do you have any Linux boxes ?
Also do you do a nightly backup of databases.

Yes UK boxes and backups not a problem.

 

[Hombre]

If my comments have caused any offence, please accept my public apology as that was not intended. I accept that my judgement, in this retrospect, has been seen to be poor.

I fully support Admin in his endeavours and appreciate his large investment in both time and effort.

Regards,

 

[BKF Admin]

Thanks Hombre I apreciate your support comments.

 

[Crg]

vBulletin is written in Php using a MySQL database? I suspect the bit of software doing it monthly is a MySQL select statement of some sort.

The proper way to backup a MySQL database isn't a select statement but it is straight forward and easy if you have access (ie not some "free" hosting service).

Also the software your forum was running is the most hacked forum software on the internet,]

This and other remarks were a little defensive indicating discomfort

very_offtopic: Not to mention amusing as this forum is written in PHP. PHP doesn't really lend itself to secure software.

Anyway, back on topic I have no problem if the Admin actually makes any profit of running this forum. It is after all, optional to put money towards it, and it shows how much money is given each month. Not only that but it is run better than other forums.

 

[Hombre]

I have to agree with you Crg,
Unload and Load. to dump/restore the table structures and data. A select statment wouldn't do much in the way of saving data would it. As you said, it's well off subject.
It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge my error. I don't know quit what I was thinking at the time. In the realms of things incremental I guess.

I agree Admin is doing a super job. No complaints there.

Regarding *security*, the problem wasn't that PhpBB was written in Php, but that PhpBB2 used a version of CAPCHA code that became particularly vunerable. PhpBB3 used a much better algorithm and was therefore less vulnerable to hacking by robots, but free hosts were unlikely to take the time and expense of updating the underlying application software. vBulletin is of course also written in Php and uses a MySQL database. Not sure what version of Php4/5 or if it is compiled with the Zend compiler.
Things have moved on, but Google for "A study in scarlet php", originally written about 10 years ago regarding Php programming vulnerabilities. Practices have changed somewhat since to improve matters, but the document is still relevant.

Apologies to all for moving off thread. Don't you just hate loose ends?

Regards,

 

[hedgerow pete]

apart from all the techno stuff which i have no idea about what so ever i think its a good idea to donate to the forum to keep it going and to keep it ad free, as for the money if admin has any spare and does not need to replace computers and soft wear why cany he keep it as wages to cover his time to work the forum, i know i dont work for free evan my hobbies are financially examined, you get nothing for free of any good.
i have one announcement to end with , for the last few months last year i was unemployed and only got a job in late feb and will be making my first afforded payment next week and will be doing so very greatfully aswell

 

[BKF Admin]

A good example of why I dont like free forum software can be seen on the Biobees forum.

It looks like they may have a problem,go on the forum homepage and click any forum.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Yep forum is not working.

Also with all those adverts + other stuff it is a VERY cluttered and confusing site.

 

[FenBee]

A good example of why I dont like free forum software can be seen on the Biobees forum.

It looks like they may have a problem,go on the forum homepage and click any forum.

The Biobees forum is working, but you have to register to see the posts. I guess it is their way to make your register and sign on to read the information.

 

[jon]

It has been giving a 404 message for about a week so something is not right.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

If you log in it works OK.

But I am sure the site, simpley by the owners free and open work (anti BBKA) you do/did not need to be registered to look at the site.

Like this forum, you at least get X times before it asks to to register, and even then just clear your history and you can view again (but not post)

But why does the BBKA still make their site all hush hush!