On 2013-11-07 13:56:23 +0000, David in Normandy said:

On 07/11/2013 14:43, David.WE.Roberts wrote:
On Thu, 07 Nov 2013 14:18:21 +0100, David in Normandy wrote:

On 07/11/2013 14:03, Janet wrote:
In article , am
says...

Somewhat ironically, the site that does offer a means for people to
participate and post is the Garden Banter site! Much bemoaned by some
of the URG regulars for "stealing" posts made on URG. Those of us who
remain in URG could simply move and relocate there?!

For what? Its format is as bad as google groups, far less user-
friendly than Usenet, and it's moderated.

Janet


I think the way forward would be to create and use a phpBB forum. The
only downside I can see is that while you can post images in your posts
they have to be published on photo sharing sites first and then linked
to within the users posts, but that is essentially what happens on URG
anyway.

I think the largest problem is that Usenet is becoming less and less
known to younger generations. Many think that the "Internet" is just web
pages. The added complication of needing a newsreader to access URG is
just another obstacle (not counting Google groups which I've never used
but I gather it has a lot of bad press regarding usability).

Another issue with creating a web based forum would be who would host it
and who would pay for the hosting? There are some free forum hosts which
would probably suffice for the small amount of traffic URG experiences
at the moment, but beyond a few dozen posters they become impractical or
restricted.

Can I just point out that phpBB is just one ( and possibly not the most
modern or functional) set of discussion group software. Note I am not
knocking it.

IIRC there are some where you can include photos hosted locally (but the
overheads of storing large numbers of images can be significant).

I have worked with Joomla in the past, which is a Content Management
System [CMS] instead of just a forum, but it does include a forum
function. I think a CMS is probably what is needed because it can host
FAQ, general articles, links etc. to enhance the forum functionality.

However I strongly agree that if we need a web based graphically rich
discussion group then this kind of forum is probably the best way to go.

Unless, however, we can get some kind of commercial sponsor (a gardening
business, presumably) and/or require a subscription and/or take on
advertising to fund this then I am not sure how we would cover the cost.

Managing any source of funding (unless it is already part of a business)
would be a significant overhead.

Cheers

Dave R


I know some members will baulk at this suggestion, particularly one
based in the Isle of Wight, but Sacha has such a business already.
Maybe such a forum would be both an interesting and a practical
proposition for her? Obviously there would be advertising relevant to
her nursery but maybe such a forum would be a brave venture into a new
world. As an offshoot to the site (linked to it) she could also have an
online sales site for her nursery - thus the more viable the forum
became and the more traffic, the more online sales she'd likely get
from it too. I'm just throwing ideas out there... I'm an ideas guy, so
don't all pounce on me! LOL

Thanks, David but no thanks! While I see the point you're making, my
personal view is that urg should remain advertisement free, with the
exceptions of sig.files rules already in place.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk