@Job, Cadet - Thanks for creating the new NOTIFY US thread! It's mysterious that the powers that be are willing to invest in upgrading the forum software but aren't willing to address the issues that concern forum members and moderators.
If the issue is lack of $$$, wearing my professional software development hat, I'd be willing to offer upto 2hrs/week of effort for a time to follow-up on or solve bugfixes and complaints about the existing forum software as configured here.
Originally Posted by job
Traveler,
Cadet and I have nothing to do with the overall running of the business. We are volunteers. We appreciate your offer to assist, but I honestly do not think it's a lack of funding. I honestly don't know what it is, but the support just isn't coming through clearly for the moderators and the posters right now.
We are very sorry for the inconvenience, but we are just as frustrated as the posters.
I am going to move my answer over here so as not to continue to hijack KML's thread.
As Job said thank you for volunteering, We all make the same amount of $$$ here. And I can triple your pay if you would like.
I am not sure if the problem with the notifications is a hard issue or a simple one. We are only gate keepers for the forum owners and the issue I believe with them is that number one they have very little tech expertise. Michelle is older than me and Job and she has not been involved with the forum for many years. She posts more on facebook than here.
That all being said - I am not sure what she really gets out of running this. I am also not sure that UBB software is something that is paid for, I believe it is free.
So the costs are limited to paying for a server to host the site.
The notification issues are possibly with the server and possibly some sort of issue with email addresses and the huge amount of members that likely now have hacked e-mails.
All of these things are something that we can not control.
Anyways if anyone wants to discuss this or anything else.
"Back in the day" - this forum was a conduit for new clients to MWD practice. I still clearly recall Christy's welcome message. A great many people were helped by her services with professional help that is well beyond the capabilities of an anonymous peer community.
A good friend of mine who I met here was one of the people who was helped and guided by MWD's team. They ended up not being able to save their marriage but became a much stronger and whole person who saw things a lot more clearly than they had in the past.
I do believe that this software is indeed free and undoubtedly the relatively few albeit annoying technical issues could be solved by someone who has knowledge of, or the ability to search into issues for UBB. I would expect that the issue with notifications are because they're not paying for an email service that this board could connect to. The edit button is undoubtedly just a configuration tweak. But that's just a guess based on 40 years building and supporting software.
There would be costs though to host the server, costs for consultants when they upgraded etc. There are also costs when issues from here boil over and the MWD team has to get involved so certainly not a "free" site. It's often said that if you're not the customer, you're the product.
From a business point of view, I'm not seeing the cost/benefit any more of this place. Back in the day before there were so many options for communities to connect, yes. Many other similar forums have moved to various public and semi-private homes. I would doubt that a fresh client has gone on to make use of MWD team's services in a couple of years now.
A lot of days I feel like we're mostly just a few old-timers hanging around the pub at the end of the night hoping that nobody wants to do karaoke. The occasional person wanders in, all the old folks at the bar stare at them curiously and they quietly leave.
On BD H52, W50 T27, M26 S21, D23 BD-9-Mar-16 D-15-Jan-18 Final-19-Apr-18 I am a storyteller. The story may do you no good. But a story is never for the listener. It is always for the one who tells
I do believe that this software is indeed free and undoubtedly the relatively few albeit annoying technical issues could be solved by someone who has knowledge of, or the ability to search into issues for UBB. I would expect that the issue with notifications are because they're not paying for an email service that this board could connect to. The edit button is undoubtedly just a configuration tweak. But that's just a guess based on 40 years building and supporting software.
Agreed--that's my take as well. If the powers that be don't have the time and interest, I wish they'd give our existing mods more power as they obviously care and have proven themselves, or recruit new volunteers. The Newcomers section has declined this past year--I see 14 active threads in Jan'22, vs 27 in Jan'21, vs 43 in Jan'20, vs 49 in Jan'19. Can't blame that all on technical issues, but at least some of the technical issues seem straightforward with a little elbow grease.
Ahh well--things beyond our control. Use that energy to make my bed!
If the powers that be don't have the time and interest, I wish they'd give our existing mods more power as they obviously care and have proven themselves, or recruit new volunteers.
Fort the record I already spoke to Michelle about this a few weeks ago and got an answer of
Why would you want to do that?
So we will see what happens, and as far as some of the issues on the board - I also think its based on outdated thinking, the edit button is - self imposed because of some issues in the past. The administrator or owner doesn't want it to work.
thank you Cadet and Job for the tireless and often thankless job of moderating. I know I'm not alone is saying that we appreciate everything you do for us! xoxoxo
M 20+ T25+ S ~15.5 (BD) BD 4/6/15 D 12/23/16
"Someone I loved once gave me A box full of darkness. It took me years to understand, That this too, was a gift." ~ Mary Oliver
so certainly not a "free" site. It's often said that if you're not the customer, you're the product.