New fee structure

John L said:
Is there any possibility if the donations keep coming that you may be able to renew hosting for 2 years or anything?
Some providers do provide some discounts for renewing for longer periods.
Is there any chance that the search function could be replaced with a google custom search box or similar? I find that if the search is a little obscure/imprecise that google targeted at the site gives pages of results where the A2OC search finds nothing...

The club is a fantastic resource and I am glad that the target has been met and hope that it carries on like this!

John
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Hi John

Thanks for the feedback. We will investigate the multiple renewals suggestion. We've been pretty happy with our current host so see no reason not to tie us in for more than one year. I will also look into the search suggestion. The default vBulletin 4 search is one of its weak points - and a custom Google search is one option to improve things quickly. Longer term we are looking at alternative search systems.

Thanks
 
To all moderators, have a fantastic 2014.

It was time to renew my membership on the German forum.
So it's also a good time to make a new donation to this "family", so I did.
Perhaps a good intention to follow, even when you're payment isn't overdue :)
 
So when does a donation become a membership fee?

If it's 'expected' at a certain point, 12 months after the last 'donation', I'd assume it to be a fee.

If you lose something you previously benefited from (a title or large avatar or whatever), then again, I'd suggest that it wasn't a donation, but a fee.

It's time to make the playing field level for all and to properly move to a fee system, rather than relying on the generosity of people. Why should some people benefit from free access, paid for by the generosity of others? No-one is talking about stopping read-only access (as all the co-owners and moderators can confirm, when we discussed this at our Loughborough meeting in April 2013), but the irony is, people would ultimately pay lower amounts than they currently do, when it's spread over the wider user-base.
 
ben said:
Hi,

That's very generous of you.

We will reset the donor title expiry based upon the last date that a donation was received. For marketplace access, we will keep a running total of donations for that member to date, and so long as the cumulative total since their last donation is greater than £10, then the member will retain their access for the remaining period.

For example, assume a member donates £5 in January 2013, and then another £5 in July 2013 - then the member will maintain their Donor title until July 2014. However, they will only have marketplace access from July 2013 to January 2014 - at which point they would need to donate another £5 to maintain their access.

This is about as fair as we can run the system without unnecessarily complex procedures.

Thanks again for everyone's generosity. It allows the club to continue providing a reliable web service and to invest in new facilities to keep the site as usable as possible for its members.

Ben
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I know this has been gone over time and time again but isn't this a membership but just on a voluntary basis as you have to be reminded to re-donate after a year or you lose something ??????:confused:

Phil
 
the grim reeper said:
I know this has been gone over time and time again but isn't this a membership but just on a voluntary basis as you have to be reminded to re-donate after a year or you lose something ??????:confused:

Phil
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3 days and nobody from the 'executive' or committee or whatever they're calling themselves these days can be bothered to respond to you Phil - not ideal is it, especially when the vast majority of that group have been online in the last 3 days.

Anyway, what we seem to have here is a frankenstein-style mish-mash of a situation. As you rightly point out, we've effectively got a fee system in place, but with all of the drawbacks of the donation system (i.e. no restrictions on posting, no onus on becoming part of the 'family' etc) and none of the advantages.

I've still not had an apology for the shameful behaviour of the executive in their actions to me last November and it seems they're all on a conscious effort to blank me where possible. We seem to have a leader-less ship - floating aimlessly and slowly going under. I know that the winter months are always quiet, but this year more than usual.

Hey ho - perhaps you'll get a reply, perhaps not. Perhaps the committee will move to proper elections this year as promised, as opposed to being in office after being voted in by each other, or maybe they'll not bother. Who knows - they're certainly not making any news available to the site users.

Mike
 
Review of funding model

Last August the A2OC administration team agreed to follow a voluntary donations model for club funding with an annual review. This decision was based on a consultation with the membership and a democratic poll as per this thread:

http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread...p-consultation

The membership's response to the donations model has been beyond anyone's expectations, with nearly £2500 pledged for the running of the forum and to assure it's future protection.

This will be reviewed in August with a further open consultation and a vote on the long term funding options for the club. This is fair and democratic, because regardless of the success and popularity of the donations model to date, there are members opposed to this concept and who favour a fixed fee for all persons who wish to fully participate in the club forums. A 'pay to play' option if you will.

Until this review takes place, no further voluntary donations will be sought with the exception of those relating to marketplace access which will remain in it's current format.

As a result of the stunning generosity of the membership, we do not require more funds and currently have our static operating costs covered for the forseeable future plus contingency funds for any unforeseen circumstances. Thanks to this generosity, the club is in a considerably safer position than it was a couple of years ago.

When we originally debated the requirements for a funding structure to be introduced, it was considered that a formal committee would be necessary in accordance with guidelines for managing a fee paying organisation. Therefore it was agreed to form a committee from the current admin team in the first instance, with fully democratic voting after the first year.

With a donations model being implemented, this formality is not required. It will however be necessary if the memberships decision is for a fixed fee or subscription model for the club in the long term.

Again, this will be decided when we hold a formal review later in the year.

Therefore, the formal committee of the forum will be dissolved. Key roles of webmaster, treasurer and social secretary will be retained while administration of the forum will continue to be managed by the team of moderators as normal.

Advertising for club donations on forum pages will be removed with the exception of the marketplace, and we'll look forward to the review in the summer.

Meanwhile we would seek proposals and feedback for the investment of club funds in preparation for the review. Already we have had some excellent suggestions including member competitions with prizes, regular charitable donations, investment in social activities and registering the club as a charitable trust.

We thank you for your ongoing support and the quite staggering generosity of the membership these last few months which could not have been anticipated. It's the membership of A2OC which makes it a fantastic resource for the enjoyment and preservation of this outstanding little car.
 
Funding review

Hello everyone. We did state we would review the funding model after a year. That didn't happen for a variety of reasons ( one being I didn't get my finger out if I'm honest) however we'd like to do this now to have the communities views on the long term way forward.

The response to the donations campaign was frankly staggering in its response and generosity. At the present time our treasurer Ben advises we have a little over 4000 pounds on hand. A stark contrast to 2012 when we were looking at the prospect of being skint and unable to continue to forum in its previous format.

This assures the club's long term financial future and we have static costs covered for the next 6 to 7 years so the team is very grateful.

We're in a position now to plan ahead and consider the long term future of A2OC as we will hopefully enjoy classic car status in the not too distant future.

We've also debated some investment of the club funds and we've asked for feedback on this before. In addition we'd like to open this for discussion again linked to our desired way forward for financial support of the club.

Ideas the 'back office has in no particular order:

* Udating the forum software to a more modern platform ( Ben will outline what this means plus estimated costs)

* Financial support for socials and hospitality including prizes for cars attending events

* Annual charitable donations

* Prizes for forum contributions ( eg a paid subscription to Audi Driver)

* Reintroduce the merchandising section

* investment with Audi and other partners to preserve long term availability of spare parts

These are just a few things being rolled around. This could become an incredibly long post so that's pretty much enough for now.

This is an opportunity and invitation to debate these issues. In a nutshell regards funding do we continue the status quo and rely on voluntary donations with campaigns as and if required or are there other desired directions.

We know from last year's experience that we cannot satisfy everyone's wishes here but hope to secure a future which the majority agree with.

So over to the community for input and debate. The intention will be to give a couple of weeks to think this over then we will set up a poll to decide the way ahead.

Thanks everyone for making this great wee community what it is.
 
This is great to hear.

I certainly think an improvement in software would be a wise investment. A platform that allows us to upload photos easier would be a huge help if that is possible? I feel it would certainly add more to the posts on the forum.

In terms of funding, I for one have no problem making an annual donation. The enjoyment I get from the forum on a daily basis is well worth a fee.

I think the current rules regarding paying a donation for advertising in the classified section should be reconsidered (but I’m not sure if that is up for debate?). As parts for the A2 become scarcer I don’t think we should be limiting the number of people that can advertise parts they have available on the forum. I understand that they are able to advertise of they pay the £10 fee but if the item is of low value they may well just advertise it on ebay etc and then open it up to the masses making it more difficult for forum members to obtain. Therefore any hindrance to those parts being advertised is not beneficial to the community as a whole.

Best wishes

Steve
 
Hi,

That all sounds great and I will do all I can to support and contribute to any ideas / options (as will many of our members I am sure)

One thing that I think is essential, from the list you have started, is the connection to Audi, especially for parts.
There used to be a rule that a manufacturer would maintain stocks for all models until they hit 10 years after the last one rolled off the production line.
If this is correct then Audi must be thinking of offloading some A2 stocks. I would hate to hear that they have done that without us having a chance to look at options as a club. So that is one thing on the list that I am hoping we will be doing, at least just "talking to Audi" about things like that.

As for the merchandising I think that the club seems to be going from strength to strength and so increasing our merchandise (sensibly, with items that will cover their costs) would be great.

I think that the thanks you expressed at the end of your message are "back at the committee and Mods IN SPADES". A club needs good members but that alone is not enough, it needs level headed and fair management and that is exactly what I think we have.

We have the great members, the great management, our great cars and a great (and active) forum. So for me 2015 is likely to be an exciting time, looking forward to it.

Cheers
Steve B
 
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It is good that the funding has sustained the club.
I was more than happy to make a contribution when I first joined because I valued the information buried in the forum and the wisdom of its members

I understand the concern of A2Steve, regarding the possible restricting of who sells parts on the forum.
Not sure what the answer is here but I feel better if true contributing members gets access to the A2 Forum marketplace.

I am sure there will be many other opinions that may sway my view. Let loose the debate!

Steve is absolutely right about the importance of communicating with Audi especially as we need to try and ensure either access to old stock or even extending availability (highley unlikely).


Geoff
 
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Some great ideas, especially Steve's regarding contacting Audi about spares (Before all the traders do it and exploit us on ebay!)

Maybe the forum could have a 'Genuine Parts Shop' in collaboration with Audi? That way Audi have a way to get rid of A2 stock and the forum can make a profit, whilst members here make a saving on prices too.

I will also be making donation to the forum very soon!
 
The pay wall for the marketplace is of course open for debate and has been subject of much already!!

This was introduced as the market place was incurring a great deal of work for the admin team. There's an argument that fixed fees for everyone wishing to use A2OC nullifies this problem but the donation route was the preferred option which allowed free access and participation but meant we had to introduce some controls for people trading so we can protect the club and individuals alike.

The issue of a 10 pound fee to trade small items or low cost parts is well known. Similarly why have a pay wall for wanted adverts?

The main problems arise because people will always find a way to wriggle around the rules. For example we could have a free low cost section and we'd have people posting A2 wheel nut for sale - 50p. PM for details of my other items.

Having people's PayPal details via the donation framework gives protection on any potential dispute.

We also need to have an element of control over people breaking A2 for spares to assure the spirit of the forum and our aim to preserve the car is maintained.
 
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Great to hear that the donation drive was successful :) And huge thanks to all who work behind the scenes to keep things running - I know there is a lot of time involved.

murdo said:
* investment with Audi and other partners to preserve long term availability of spare parts
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I think this is a key point in keeping our cars on the road in the future. Audi's 10-year stock availability for spare parts will be running out this year so it could start to become a significant problem. I know people aren't keen on breaking cars, but if Audi stock disappears it'll become the only option.
 
Bump to keep this a fresh thread for anyone logging in and promote discussion. See #27 onwards.
 
murdo said:
Bump to keep this a fresh thread for anyone logging in and promote discussion. See #27 onwards.
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I'd like to see merchandise reintroduced with the option of both Mens and Womens items.

Perhaps there are companies out there that provide the option of ordering via the A2OC website, but that the payment is made directly to the merchandiser.
This would eliminatie any delay in sending because the responsible person hasn't checked emails/isn't around and also the need for anyone involved in the forum having to vist post offices/hold stock. Of course there is always the option of someone voluntering to hold a small amount of stock of regularly requested items so that they can be purchased at events.

.
 
A music friend of mine uses these guys for his branded clothing merchandise.

Mens and womens are available and also custom branded accessories. The forum can set up their own merchandise store and members order from the store, but spreadshirt deal with everything from there.

I think the forum would earn a percentage of each sale.

(I am not connected to this store or have any links) just mentioning a company that i have ordered from.

www.spreadshirt.co.uk
 
Perhaps it is not part of this discussion but I would certainly like to see name badges at socials and ADI/AITP.

The three events I attended I only really knew three people by their forum names. The rest of the people I met I wouldn't really know who they were on the forum?

A name badge with their "forum name" and first name underneath, perhaps?

I would also like to suggest that when people post on the forum they have their name or name that they want to be known by at the end of the post? Not mandatory of course, but if we set an example perhaps others will do this.

It is not that friendly to reply to a post by user XYZ390 (for example only - no such member) and to have to start the reply with "Hi XYZ390"

As I say, I am not suggesting that this could be a rule, but perhaps we could encourage it by leading by example?

Just a few things to consider perhaps?

Steve B
 
Hi Steve i'm(read we) are working on a downloadable template for members to pop on the dash of their A2 at socials with their details and car spec. Should have it for the first socials this year. cheers mike and vonnie
 
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