Basic info

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Synchromesh

Basic info

Postby Synchromesh » Sat Oct 03, 2015 8:42 pm

Given a lot of us left another website on the basis of the owner and his connections, for the sake of transparency it would be good to know who's behind this one?

Who else is involved with the running of the site and who are the moderators?

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akirk
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Location: Bristol

Re: Basic info

Postby akirk » Sat Oct 03, 2015 9:03 pm

Hi - assuming that I accurately recognise your avatar, then a big hi!

this thread may help: (link to page 3 & relevant post)
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2&start=20

basic answer though is:
- I had a conversation with Mr C-W regarding our disquiet about the commercial purchase of the old forum.
- As I (in my work) run a web company and have my own hosting servers & a certain amount of coding skill - I offered to set up a new forum.
- Last Sunday I bought a domain (having done a search for something fairly generic), added the hosting to one of my servers
- added PHPBB 3.1 (new version to be responsive) as it carried over familiarity
- threw open the doors and waited to see what might happen!
- I am funding this as I have the hosting and own many domains, so the cost is cheaper for me - should it get enormous, we may have to look at alternatives, but for now there are no issues
- I have made a committment that it should not be owned by a commercial organisation in this sector (technically my company owns the hosting etc. but we are a web company and there is no conflict!)
- I also believe that it should be independent of other organisations (e.g. IAM / RoSPA / etc.)

As we have seen it is remarkably easy for a community to up sticks and move, so there is no huge commercial value in having the 'ownership' of a forum as such there is little incentive to try and build something to sell... instead it is about building it for the value of the community and AD

At a personal level I love creating organisations and seeing them grow - that is what I do professionally in web & business consultancy, and I have a track record in businesses and setting up charities - including the umbrella charity for 4x4 Response (http://www.4x4response.info/) which I set up in 2008 and then stepped down as a trustee once it was up and running c. 18 months later. So, no commercial interest for me, I just want to see the same atmosphere we had at ADUK - a free, independent space to discuss AD...

Team is simple, Mr C-W / Jont- / me
If we get larger it might have to grow, but as the philosophy is a light-handed approach, hopefully not an issue :)

happy to answer any questions...

Alasdair

Synchromesh

Re: Basic info

Postby Synchromesh » Sat Oct 03, 2015 9:15 pm

Hi Alasdair

Thanks for the detailed reply. I haven't had the time to keep on top of this whole migration so missed the original post, but in any case I think its good to have everything written out here, in the obvious section, for future reference.

My next question is: is there any reason why we shouldn't publicly give away the name or web address of this place in the old place? Not being able to think of one myself, I've done so, but can delete if you'd prefer?

James

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akirk
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Location: Bristol

Re: Basic info

Postby akirk » Sat Oct 03, 2015 9:26 pm

Hi James (it is you! :))
no issue at all, other than:
- I didn't feel that I could promote it - happy for others to do so
- The new owner might remove it - he says he bought the site for the other pages, not the forum, but I can't see the google relevance remaining high with a defunct forum... people linked to ADUK for the forum - I have done nothing to promote this forum, yet Google has already picked it up - so it will be interesting to see what happens...

more than happy for my intentions to be asked / challenged / etc. I do realise that in today's world everyone thinks commercially, but I do like having a few places which are resolutely non-commercial, I appreciate that one day in the future the cost of running this could get high - but if so, then that is a discussion for the community to decide what happens - but we are a way off that, and I can cover quite reasonable hosting costs, so the intention is very firmly to keep this open / free / non-commercial...

so feel free to promote as much as you wish - we are still a little bit in 'opening mode' with nothing here other than the forum, but when I have a few moments we will dress up the home page as well...

Alasdair

Gareth
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Location: Berkshire
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Re: Basic info

Postby Gareth » Sun Oct 04, 2015 6:18 am

Synchromesh wrote:is there any reason why we shouldn't publicly give away the name or web address of this place in the old place?

In that thread, Chris Kay has already suggested it isn't ethical, and I have suggested it is rude to do so without the owner's permission.
there is only the road, nothing but the road ...

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akirk
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Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2015 6:58 pm
Location: Bristol

Re: Basic info

Postby akirk » Sun Oct 04, 2015 7:39 am

Gareth, I can see that perspective... However:
- while it would be wrong for Mr CW or me to promote it as we set up this forum, I believe that it is not wrong for someone else to answer a question with an honest answer, quite different to going on there and actively promoting this forum and suggesting that people move over...
- you keep people on a forum through making it the place and environment they want, not through restricting mention of other places...
- a forum doesn't own its members, or control what they say, yes there can be 'house rules' to make it a pleasant place for all, but members don't need to seek permission before posting...
- the owner ultimately has the option to delete the post if he doesn't want it...
- I think there is an honesty and openness about not hiding that many people have moved...

All perhaps nuances, and I can understand and respect why someone would choose not to mention it, however I do think that it is okay for members to choose their own action on this... i don't think it would be right for Mr CW or me, so we have stayed off PH and ADUK threads, but if someone else makes that choice, that is their decision...
Alasdair


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