This Forum (and Associated Sites) for Sale/Offer

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

Well Boys and Girls,

The time has come. I started this with some enthusiasm some years back with a "build it and they will come" mentality. It worked, to some extent, but not entirely how I had hoped.

I am glad that there has been much achieved and many positive things have happened, but I have reached the decision that I cannot go on running this site with my own money and time for a few scant donations (which have almost let me break even - thanks to those of you who have donated).

So, the time has come for me to let this all go. That is this forum, the ABU and its website that links into here, Sydney Biodiesel, the software, the licenses, the domain names, the hosting and bandwidth liability - the whole box and dice.

If no one does anything the forum will last for a few months and then one day it will just not be there and will only live in google-cache for a short time. If however, there are any people out there who would like to keep this going, put your hand up, talk to me and I'll see what can be done.

The websites can be run by someone with limited technical savvy, they are not as hard as they look and someone interested could learn how to do it themselves, I have set it up to be this way. Who they go to, how much and whether I hang around for a while to hand over and make sure that the new owner is comfy and secure with everything will depend on who wants it and whether it is a commercial or community interest.

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

Re: This Forum (and Associated Sites) for Sale/Offer

I'll also post a message out in the coming days to the database of people who have signed up on the sydneybiodiesel, melbournebiodiesel and biofuel.org.au sites (there are loads of them who don't play in forums, but want and email every now and then).

[Tim-HJ61 Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tim-HJ61]

Re: This Forum (and Associated Sites) for Sale/Offer

Robert,

Gosh, this is a serious thing.

We can't let this Australian based forum go.

I don't normally look at any of the forum sections apart from the SVO due to my own interests, so I'd not been aware of the thread on costs and certainly not realised the personal costs you had been carrying.

Not sure if it will make any difference to your decision, but I've added my small contribution and have ideas for more.

THANK YOU for your efforts Robert.

Tim

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

Re: This Forum (and Associated Sites) for Sale/Offer

Thanks Tim, your donation is certainly appreciated, but still, I have to bow out of this and hope that someone else will pick up the cause.

I forgot to mention the webstats before:

The forum gets about 2.8M hits/month and served nearly 15G last month, so whoever hosts it, be prepared to cover heavy bandwidth. Of the hits from last month, about 45,000 were unique visitors and 55% added the site to their favourites, which is a very high number for a website. Most of the external links (about 40%) come in from google (I have some good stuff set up to do this which works well) and over 50% are "loyalty links" that is direct from a bookmark.

The other sites (biofuel.org.au and sydneybiodiesel.com) get about 35,000 and 73,000 hits respectively, but significantly bolster the google pageranking of this site.

[joe Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close joe]

Re: This Forum (and Associated Sites) for Sale/Offer

Hi Rob,

this is epic. I can say however I have seen it coming. I'm not sure what sort of costs you are wearing, or what costs will be inherited but I definately think that the wealth of knowledge is worth paying for.

I'd hate to see this go under. I wreckon I would check this site ten times a day. I kid you not!!

If this site goes under people will look back and go..."DO you remember that biofuels site"..."Oh yeah that was legendary!!"

It would be a true loss.

[Tony From West Oz Vice Chairperson of WARFA Find all posts View Profile Close Tony From West Oz]

Re: This Forum (and Associated Sites) for Sale/Offer

While I am not surprised, I did not know that this was going to happen, or at least so soon.
You have created something worthwhile in these sites.

I understand that it must have taken a lot of soul searching to come to your decision.
It would be a great pity to lose you as the forum owner and, if the forum folds, the knoweldge base developed over the past few years.

What would it take to convince you to remain as the site owner?
Is it possible, at all?

What would it take (in terms of financial support for the forum), to ensure it continues to operate? This should indicate the current costs for a new owner and projections for future increases in bandwidth and software upgrades (about every 2 - 3 years I would expect).

I am not in a position to buy the site, but I can make recommendations to others (including WARFA) for ongoing financial support of the site.

What else can we do, to help ensure that the Forum continues?

Regards,
Tony

[Leroy Brown Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Leroy Brown]

Re: This Forum (and Associated Sites) for Sale/Offer

Will indeed be sad to see it go, I have learned SO MUCH from here, it has to be the one of the premium sites for information on the web.

[Fitian Was here Find all posts View Profile Close Fitian]

Re: This Forum (and Associated Sites) for Sale/Offer

Rob,

I thank you very much for all the efforts you have put into this fourms for it to stay available for everyone to learn, enjoy and save money too.

Unselfish and noble actions are the most radiant pages in the biography of souls. ~ David Thomas Thank you Robert.

I do not have enough words to make you change your mind. After all it is your life and none of us can have a say in how you want to live it.

This is of course a very good news for those who want no one else to learn about using VO for fuel. But They are wrong because even without this forums people will continue finding out about it.

Everyone... Please count me in for anything to keep this forums alive.

[Nuddy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Nuddy]

Re: This Forum (and Associated Sites) for Sale/Offer

First thanks Tim for the heads-up on this.
The forum is a wonderful thing. Thanks Robert for your time, effort and money.
It would be very sad if it is allowed to fade away and I hope someone has the dedication to take over from Robert and keep it alive.

If there is no-one who will do it, can we at least keep an archive?

I am a member of several internet 'groups', hosted by Google and Yahoo.

These groups are a poor substitute for a proper forum as Robert has created and maintained but they do require a lot less time and effort and no financial input is required.

If biofuelsforum.com cannot be saved then could the archive be put into a google or yahoo group?

A while back I applied to yahoo and started a group which I called SVO_users
I haven't done anything with it so far.
If biofuelsforum.com cannot be saved then I would be happy for the SVO Users sub forum to go there. I don't know much about these things but if anyone wants to join the group they can
Subscribe: SVO_users-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

[Tim-HJ61 Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tim-HJ61]

Re: This Forum (and Associated Sites) for Sale/Offer

Folks let's not be defeatist and assuming the forum and the sites will close.

Robert is not saying that. What he is saying is that he doesn't want to have an ongoing involvement and is willing to see them continue under someone elses stewardship.

If no one does anything the forum will last for a few months and then one day it will just not be there and will only live in google-cache for a short time. If however, there are any people out there who would like to keep this going, put your hand up, talk to me and I'll see what can be done.

The websites can be run by someone with limited technical savvy, they are not as hard as they look and someone interested could learn how to do it themselves, I have set it up to be this way. Who they go to, how much and whether I hang around for a while to hand over and make sure that the new owner is comfy and secure with everything will depend on who wants it and whether it is a commercial or community interest.

I'm hoping people with such interest and skills have been in contact directly with Robert to see how they can contribute to the future. If not, well, maybe we deserve to lose it....

Tim

[lardy Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close lardy]

Re: This Forum (and Associated Sites) for Sale/Offer

Sad stuff having been a relative new member, i can see the potential of the site it's construction is a wonderful homebrew of info that once you have got over the abbreviations on the pages,starts to make sense then you realise that it's all there for you just waiting for you to seek the correct questions to be answered and sure you will have newbies like me coming on saying how do you do this, how do you do that without searching the answers that are out there, as we are green but in a couple of weeks it all comes good and it's a wonderful tool,
If rob is into staying on as steward/guardian of the site would this be an idea to raise funds (i am sure anyone who appreciates and values the site would be up for something like this) after a say two month trial period newbies like me are asked to contribute a small fee (i am guessing by the stats that the number of new members are known so as a relative amount of fee could derived to cover monthly costs.
I guess for this new members could recieve a forum sticker or some such thing?!
As the alternative is adverts all over the forum promoting bio diesel products pumps,tanks, heating elements etc though this would(rightly) reward the site owner for his blatant hard graft on this forum it would i guess make the whole site more difficult to navigate.
The third option is rather sad giving this forum away rob you deserve our support and i will duly flash you some cash next week upon my pay arriving not a drama your time has value and so does the forum regards Andy

[Guest Close quicksilver]

Re: This Forum (and Associated Sites) for Sale/Offer

Hello,

I like the concept of this site and may be interested in taking it over and buying it. How much are you wanting for it?

Thanks.

[craigcurtin Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigcurtin]

Re: This Forum (and Associated Sites) for Sale/Offer

Robert,

I sent you a PM last week but have not received a reply yet ?

regards

Craig

[Socrates Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close Socrates]

Re: This Forum (and Associated Sites) for Sale/Offer

I just joined an hour or so ago and this is the first thing I read as an official member.


How much effort does it take to run the site? If for sale, how much? Maybe with some further information a person or team of people might put up their hands. Do the associated websites need to be part of the forum. If the forum can run in isolation, is it much to maintain.

Would all members be prepared to donate a few bucks to the cause??

I am if it means we keep going.

Discussion??

[vyper Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close vyper]

Re: This Forum (and Associated Sites) for Sale/Offer

How much are we talking (financially) to keep the website up and running (servers, domain, etc)?

I am happy to contribute a yearly donation.

I have been reading these forums for over a year now, but haven't taken it upon myself to sign up until yesterday.

Come on people, this is one resource we can't let go.