The Boards.ie Subscription

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123819142#Comment_123819142

Yep well aware of how edits work - but deleting posts seems to have vanished a long time ago (or I would have deleted the one above) and multi-quoting with it (although I think there's a workaround for the latter). It also depends on whether you're on mobile or desktop as to how easy each option is - not a problem limited to Boards though… there are many sites (including retail ones) that just can't be operated effectively from a phone.

Either way though, posts drive clicks. Clicks drive revenue. Revenue drives hopefully the survival of the site.

redunited

How does one get a GDPR Deletion, i want my account removed and deleted please.

corkie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123819753#Comment_123819753

I assume by sending either 'Boards.ie: Mike' or 'Boards.ie: Odhran' a DM request to do so or email:-

Contact Boards.ie
General enquiries: hello@boards.ie
For all data-related queries and requests: datarequests@boards.ie

Boards.ie: Odhran

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123814181#Comment_123814181

53 should have come after or with the MRR total.

• Total Customers:714 (this is 714 people paid either once for anuual, half year or monthly)
• Total Revenue: €28,708
• One-time Customers: 661 (92.6%) (Paid once)
• Recurring Customers: 53 (7.4%) (53 people have signed up for monthly or have paid more than once for their sub.) and that contributes to a monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) of €617 (the 53…)

Boards.ie: Odhran

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123817937#Comment_123817937

We will cancel you sub and you can resubscribe with a different card at next renewal. @Boards.ie: Mike

RobbingBandit

How about a trail here on Saturday next take the site offline for 12 hours completely dead no public access to anyone and see how people react non subscribers and subscribers see what the reaction is to no boards.ie

Just an idea.

thesandeman

I've just remembered that Boards has a Twitter account.

I don't use Twitter anymore since Musk took it over but does anyone know if the appeal for subscribers has been posted there?

jj880

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123819875#Comment_123819875

32.4k followers! Most recent post 24 Jul 23. Yes definitely worth an appeal.

corkie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123819875#Comment_123819875

I still have an account!

Last post on the platform was: - Jul 24, 2023

So effectively a dead account.

My account was protected, but having my Youtube account stroke of I enable it again to give youtube a headache about it and to comment on 'Xitter' Age verification been enforced.

savemejebus

I'm still mystified why people think that someone who isn't a current boards user would want to subscribe? Do people really believe that former users who either lost interest or were driven away from the site for technical/functional/moderation based reasons are going to see an appeal and suddenly decide that boards is worth saving for nostalgia's sake and give money?

Or do ye think that people who never were on boards are going to come to the site, be impressed and want to subscribe? I don't think that current boards gives the best first impression, y'know functionally.

Quantum Erasure

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123819911#Comment_123819911

Do people really believe that former users who lost interest ... are going to see an appeal and suddenly decide that boards is worth saving

Some might, although at this stage hardly enough to get us over the line

I don't think that current boards gives the best first impression, y'know functionally.

I made that point a while ago, if they could have stripped away all the boards specific mods and leave a basic site without the glitches, and then roll out a campaign to get more people on board it may have been successful

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123820061#Comment_123820061

It doesn't make sense - come back to this site that you no longer use, with the same problems/issues that you remember, but this time give us money for the privilege.

They've already left. What's the incentive? It's well intentioned absolutely, but it's not realistic.

What we need is an update from @Boards.ie: Odhran as to what happens if the target isn't met (as is likely now) when the designated time runs out? Does the site indeed close as was stated initially, or is there now a Plan C? If so, what is that plan?

Time (and I'd add patience) is running out for vague commitments and statements. I know nothing about him or Mike, but it's time to commit one way or another - is the site going to be here in November or not given where the funding presently is, and given that new subscriptions have largely stalled out?

The posters here deserve to know and get sight of an actual defined plan - especially those who have already committed their support financially.

Enough time has passed since this was all made public in the OP. What's the plan Odhran?

con747

Looks like I've been accused of a few things on the alternative site because I care about Boards surviving. Fair enough, I won't bother posting anything else about trying to save the site. For those that have said what they said well no I'm not a boot licker/troll/plant or a groveller. Nice to see what you all think of here over there though. Think what you want.

thesandeman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123819898#Comment_123819898

Ah yeah. I was one of those who sent notifications. I think I was quite vociferous to poor Niamh that time or maybe Mike had just come on board but it worked as there was radio silence for a while then as well.

@Boards.ie: Mike @Boards.ie: Odhran

Give it a try. There might be a few dormant accounts who might get a reminder.

Quantum Erasure

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123820257#Comment_123820257

It doesn't make sense - come back to this site that you no longer use, with the same problems/issues that you remember, but this time give us money for the privilege.

They've already left. What's the incentive?

The incentive is pure nostalgia, keep a site you once loved going into the future, for a while at least,

If they flicked the switch, day one a couple months ago to vanilla, I would have subscribed, I would be happy to donate a few quid on top of that as well, if i thought it'd keep the site going.

(If they flicked the switch day one 4 years ago to straight vanilla, they probably wouldn't have lost as many users in the last few years with all the glitches...)

New Home

@Quantum Erasure

(If they flicked the switch day one 4 years ago to straight vanilla, they probably wouldn't have lost as many users in the last few years with all the glitches...)

I don't remember if you were part of the group that initilly tested Boards around the switchover before all the customisations were implemented, but I was, and I can tell you I have PTSD* to this day because of it. It was practically unusable - even the current issues are a vast improvement. As I said before, be careful what you wish for.

*might be a slight exaggeration.

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123820533#Comment_123820533

.... But not by much!

You only need to read through the first few pages of the "Welcome to the new Boards platform" thread over in feedback for an unpleasant trip down memory lane of what it was like and all the issues and work still left to do. The thread was titled "Version 1.0" but the state of the site was more 0.1 when it came back online.

It wasn't pleasant and it was actually painful to look at (literally) because of the masses of bright white empty space. I have a post on the first page that summarised a lot of the issues.

This is back when they still had a dedicated developer (RIP) to help. Nowadays they're entirely dependent on Vanilla to do any changes, and as we've seen over the years, that's a slow process and may or may not happen at all dependent on Vanilla's own limitations and Change Management process (and any extra costs involved).

New Home

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123820586#Comment_123820586

I remember it when it was still plain Vanilla, before any Boards "masks" had been applied.

SHUDDERS

waterfaerie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123820294#Comment_123820294

Don't be disheartened by anything negative you read here or over there. They can think what they want but you don't need to let it affect you.

I've been really encouraged by your posts and I'm sure lots of others are as well. Please keep it up! We can't let the negative voices outweigh the positive.

waterfaerie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123820433#Comment_123820433

"The https://keepboardsalive.com/ site also doesn't really provide any information on where or how that money will be used - When I click on "Learn More" I just get linked to a page on Boards that I have no permission to view."

It links to the subscribers' only forum. A few of us in there have asked Odhran and Mike to change it so it links to an update on the main site instead so hopefully they will do that soon.

@Boards.ie: Odhran @Boards.ie: Mike This is what we've been mentioning to you about that link.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123820433#Comment_123820433

I presume the government will take about 18k in vat. The company has to annual company accounts they have to be audited. ProbabIy about 2.5k

https://aroundfinance.ie/how-much-should-i-spend-on-accounting-fees/#:~:text=If%20your%20limited%20company%20is,vat%20review%20and%20submission%20and

Vanilla abd other software licences, it has a part time staff member, I presume they need a laptop andhave server costs. General admin costs, company registration costs

A small soccer or GAA club probably costs 100k to run now.

fofo90

your be taking for a ride lads, the site is closing. Hopefully ye will get your refunds but management will use it to cover current debts.

100k is not out of ordinary for a site like this considering all the licensing and hosting and salaries. That is 100% not the full picture. Its actually seems very small to be honest but hoping I’m proved wrong.

The prices you pay for licensing, hardware, hosting etc never mind salaries or contracts with vbulletin far exceeds 100k.

even to mod bargain alerts and put affiliate links before the post goes live would earn a ton of money on this site

Quantum Erasure

There's 'skimlinks' which does that automatically, I think

We make a small bit of money from skimlinksfor referrals … like €100 every 2 months. 

JayRoc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123829586#Comment_123829586

Is this a conspiracy theory where the lunatic is saying "Yeah, lads, I've looked into it and tbh it all checks out"?

fofo90

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123829689#Comment_123829689

I work in it, I know how these costs add up, licensing probably at least 20k, hosting at least 60k, vbulletin support at least 30 per year. Vbulletin license at least another 20. Never mind the other costs, like Certs and ongoing maintenance

Quantum Erasure

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123829716#Comment_123829716

Boards hasn't been on vbulletin in 4 years,

Green Peter

It was a handful of mods that created this situation over a long period of time, pity management ignored what was going on and turned a blind eye. Methinks it's too late

thatsdaft

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123820294#Comment_123820294

Has it ever occurred to owners that a site that platforms genocide supporters and doesn’t ban obvious Russian trolls might actually deserve to die? Both get banned promptly by Reddit for example

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123830102#Comment_123830102

This will be unpopular so be warned.

What makes you think that anyone cares that much to be trolling on a small, declining (possibly terminally) Irish website? What makes you think that anything said or done here will make any difference or be taken anyway seriously by anyone involved?

Neither side are angels, just as they aren't in Gaza, or - closer to home - Northern Ireland a few decades back.

The only innocents are the civilian victims on all sides.

I really don't get this obsession over it. It's like a contest for some to show how outraged and supportive they are.

Meanwhile we have far more immediate problems right here at home that they don't seem to care anywhere near as much about.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123830102#Comment_123830102

Maybe ask Orwell Road for a digout 😯