Are we now considering a "vote" on not just being members to participate here on the forum in addition to the club membership but a toll also for the site??
After being involved in online forums for 3 decades there is so much that could be posted related to failures and successes over the years but that is too much (at the moment to type) to post here. Please consider that people in general today expect the internet and information to be free and open to everyone - like it or not.
We have recently been reminded in a number of discussions here on this site that forums like this one, for many are the "old way" - If so this may limit or cap the number of possible participants in the near future and possibly continue to whittle away at our numbers here over time. Currently it appears that there is a three – to maybe five to one ratio currently for those just watching to those that are members and that is before you introduce a charge for access if that were to take place. Would be interesting – other here should have access to the data– to see how many members actually post on a regular basis. Currently it appears that there may be a little more than twenty or maybe a little more?
Many have voiced their concerns about the limited number of people and participants that have returned after the crash. If your business had a fire and it burnt your building to the ground, how many of us would rebuild the business, stage a new grand reopening and tack on a membership fee to gain access to the business?
A few have offered comparisons of other clubs and their sites. Would suggest that no two memberships, backgrounds and limitations are the same. MCA is another example of what members only forum can look like and they have allot more representation, participation and involvement from the 48 more model years than we do here. AIs out membership (forum or "club") more like MCA or like the BMW club?
In closing it would be interesting (have noticed it is missing from the list at the top of the page) there is no “Donate” option like many of the sites that use similar software. And in turn wonder how many, considering the comments made, would use it if available. Most of our brethren forums (CJ registry, Boss 302....) pay their overhead with those finds while having an open, no membership requirement. Of course charging would mean moneys would be flowing into the site and the tax ramification that would bring with it since the site is not part of the “business”.
Sorry for being verbose but figured some other things should be considered and/or at least mentioned as this conversation evolves. Our choices , if we’re giving them, have ramifications and the internet heals and forgives slowly.
Best wishes to all as the path forward evolves.