Hi Mark
I've been thinking and want to ask if *money* would help in getting additional bandwith and speeding up the board connections at busy times?
I subscribe to a magazine and I spend less time looking at that than I do on here each month :D
I'd be happy to pay or join the site as an advanced member if it would help.

I am occasionally able to help a poster but most of the time I come here to read other peoples views and pick up ideas and support. I value being able to do that and if there is anything that would help then I'd be willing to do that.

I understand that you probably wouldn't want to go down the route of all people having to pay before being able to post and that situation would deter most of the "guest" posters but is there something that could be set up on a voluntary system that may help ?

Sara

I'd be lost without the board too Sara, if there is anything we can do then I'm sure a good few of us would. I've tried to understand what is going on but although people have tried to explain, cant seem to get my head round it. Still if I can do my bit I will. Ja:)kie

I agree with you Sara ..and have suggested payment twice now ...I find the trouble with the site is beginning to get me down ...today I have tried to post 3 messages only to be told that the server was busy I gave up with those particular posts in the ned

Also ..I realise Mark is a busy chap ..but maybe some feedback would be a good idea?

Melody

I'd second that sara, this board has such a nice 'community' feel that I'd be lost without it too.

BTW- you want to go carefull about doing too much of that thinking stuff, I've heard it can be Very Dangerous!!! :D

I have tried to post advice a couple of times and not got through, which is very frustrating, but I have to say I'm not sure if I agree with having to pay to help with advice - it seems somehow to go against the spirit of the board......

LIndsay

I agree Lindsay. If you charge visitors to ask questions then they are not going to come here and if they get in for free and we have to pay to help them that would not be fair.

Just my thoughts on it. John

>>>> If you charge visitors to ask questions then they are not going to come here and if they get in for free and we have to pay to help them that would not be fair.

I agree many visitors would not pay to ask a question which is why I suggest a voluntary subscription for those who wish to pay it providing it was going to help connection I wouldn't be happy paying only to find that I still couldn't get connected

If you feel that you (and this isn't only aimed at you John) only ever post advice and give more to the board than you take then I understand why you would not want to pay to post (you should be paid to give it lol but that's another topic :D)
I come here to learn from people and I want to know when I am worried about something I can get on here quickly and ask a question and I want to know that others such as yourself John can also get connected and help me quickly.

I am looking purely from my point of view - I use this board like a dog magazine questions and answer page. I PAY for being able to do that on printed paper so why not here?
I take much more from this board than I give - I help point posters looking for a Golden Retriever Puppy in the right direction and occasionally I feel I have enough knowledege to offer advice on another thread but mostly I ask questions, make friends, learn from others and get encouragement for showing. Many other of the posters I'm sure are like me who take more than they give but we all help to make the board what it is and give it the "family" feel it has which is what makes this board so special.

I would miss this board if it wasn't here and if people continue to have problems getting online then the board runs a risk of dying a death. You only have to look at the last few weeks to see the number of posts and topics covered has gone down - people get fed up and don't bother posting. I want to do something that may help NOW before it's too late and we lose the board we know and usually love and end up with an inferior board that not many people visit anymore because of the problems.

There is no system that could be set up completely fair to all. It cannot be chargeable for visitors to ask questions or the board would not work as it does now. I don't know how to make a *fair* system for us all but maybe someone can come up with something that improves it for all of us :D

Sara

Have to say (looks nervously over her shoulder ......) today there has been NO sign of that dratted Parkins woman! Usually I have probs reading and posting in the morning , unless I am on here at 7am ...today it has been all sweetness and light......



Melody

same here too Melody - I hope it's because something has been sorted and not because people aren't even trying
Last night was terrible. I came on here about 10ish and it took ages and ages before I could get on and then when I finally did there was only a few new posts made in the evening because everyone else had had trouble too I suppose.

I've had no probs this morning, either, it's great!

I reckon something has been sorted....being optimistic :D

Lindsay

Sorry to disappoint - I must've had all the probs for you today :rolleyes: At least it keeps me quiet :rolleyes:

If I get on, I try to read everything as quick as I can so don't get much chance to post :d weyhey says everyone :D
Dot

She's been a pain for me today:(

Glad to see Parkins has been labeld as a WOMAN
can see reasons why!!!!!!!!
I often have trouble getting on the site because of Mrs Climber

:D Climber, Yes I think Ms Perkins is a woman but don't forget she lives with her equally evil paramour Max User :D

I've had terrible trouble getting on the board off and on all afternoon. By going to the home page it is possible to click on a page showing all the new members that have subscribed in the past 28 days when you see the amount of them there are one can't help feeling that perhaps it should not be necessary for the regular posters to put their hands in their pockets to improve things.

I take back all I said this morning ...its been b awful ALL evening

The problem as I see it Sara is that there is just more people viewing the site than the server allows. I say viewing because it matters not whether they are members, guests, lurkers or just floating surfers who just happen on to find the board. The minute the board opens on their screen they are using server resources.

I have been posting on Champdogs since before this board started and I’ve see an awful lot of people come and go. That the board is addictive is to most of us beyond dispute but people do fall by the wayside and others come along to take their place. But, and this is where the problem comes in, the site is only addictive after a person has been on it for a while and starts to become part of the “Champdogs Family”. If they have to make a payment then I believe most if not all would not be around long enough to become addicted to the board, they would take their posts to a board they could use for free and without new people coming here to replace those who drop off then the board will stagnate and finally die.

I really have no idea how this board is financed but as far as I can see, the only source of income is from the advanced member’s fee! Most boards have some form of advertising and whilst I would not be in favour of intrusive pop up adverts opening all over the place, some small dog related adverts could do the advertisers and users quite a bit of business and also provide money to improve the service. We have all seen boards swamped with adverts to the extent that the content of the board is lost but with other sites it works well.

Just my thoughts, John

I don't know what can be done for the best John - I just worry it'll stagnate and die if we (everyone from guests to regulars) struggles to get on to post in the first place

I hear what you're saying about all sorts of surfers (members or not) taking up server space and about people coming and going. I've seen that too in the time I've been here (before this particular board too)

maybe some adverts is the way to go ???? The traffic this site generates should make it a viable option for advertisers.

It'd be nice if Mark responded about whether becoming an advanced member (voluntarily) would help at all or not. I'm not trying to cause trouble at all and I wouldn't like to see an enforced payment structure for all as I do believe (as you do) that it would deter posters but as other posts over the last week show there are some of us who would pay a contribution if it meant we could get on here everytime we try.

Sara

I think it's important to realize that when someone does a search on a dog breed or breeders, this site is on the top of the list. Now imagine all the people in all the world looking for a dog, and maybe they have a question or two about the breed they're looking for...........it's a huge traffic jam!

I've recommended this site to loads of people and I know that most of them come and have a look. My dad looks on here every now and again and although he gets annoyed with it being busy he's always very impressed with the level of knowledge of the posters.

He compares it to the queues at M&S at Christmas - it's always franticly busy because it's the best and everyone wants quality food (or in the case of Champdogs quality advice).

I love this site and have made so many friends on here and got so much good advice - I've also saved myself a fortune in vets fees which can't be a bad thing

Keep up the good work Mark and Leigh - we love you

Fiona
x x x

Hi Fiona,

You always have nice messages just read another one of yours.

Are you just nice or is it something you put in your tea?

I think it may be perhaps just you. If you have a recipe I would really like it. Of course not for me but for some grumpy people I may encounter during my week.

PS How is the Fund raising going? Has your family come round Ok?

Keep smiling.

BFN

Pam

Please please dont mention adverts because I for one would disappear I hate sites with adverts you spend all your time closing down windows its worse than a water torture
Im sure Mark is on the case so to speak and all will be resolved,but hey if you want to become paid up members why not go for it.

Pop up adverts like that are far to intrusive Mattie but a small dog related advert in the corner is a different matter. One thing is certain, something has got to happen and whatever it is it will cost money and somehow that money has to be funded. I dont expect Mark to dip into his own pocket to fund the thing and as I said, I really dont know where the funding comes from. I guess at the end of the day Mark will do what he feels best.

John

I look at it in a different way. I dont think we would be paying to give others advice, I think we would be paying to be able to use the board whenever we wanted. jmo:)

Well I got a new message yesterday after finally getting on & managing to post a reply. When I hit the reply it said *connection to server has been lost* & my reply got lost as well!! I am having trouble getting on after about 2/3 pm GMT but I don`t know what the answer is. It`s not too bad for me, having 24hr connection but it is for people who have to pay by the hour for internet connection as a lot of time(and effort) gets wasted. Just think we & the board are suffering & hope it can be sorted before it`s too late.
Christine, Spain

Thank you Pamela Things are going really well at home at the moment which is probably why I'm so happy. Jonathon has just been assessed for his reading and has gone from a reading age of 5 when he left school to a reading age of 11 in just 5mths. Teaching him at home is obviously working

My mum's still sulking but as I said to my sister I let Imogen down once, I won't do it again.

Fiona
x x x

The copious ammounts of Jack Daniels in my coffee are also helping :D :D

LOL Fiona

Fiona,

Pam's post reminds me. I never got the bank details for sending a donation. Can you send me them sometime please? How's it all going? Are you doing some sort of training for it?
Dot