LaverdaForum funding options

Make your ( Admin) life easy as possible. Most people find this site when they a buy a bike and need info or are looking to buy one / parts using the for sale section.Basic viewing ( no access to sales/wanted , pics, downloads etc) free the £5 per annum for all the rest . I had to join/ pay a boat owners forum and I’m sure it was more than a £5 - what Laverda part costs a fiver???I would be more than happy to pay however you decide,Jason
 
helicopterjim said:
Is it possible to allow limited access to non paying lurkers?
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Yes, that can be configured - access limited to specific boards (e.g. General discussion) and/or view only of threads, posts. Many options but I'd like to keep it simple
Patrick said:
maybe limiting guest membership to free for say 2-3 months
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A time limited restriction for guest viewing can't be configured
Dellortoman said:
I think there were about 1000 registered members before we changed to the new forum (can't see how many now).
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I transferred 1612 to this new forum. There are currently 1677 registered - a recent flurry when I reduced guest viewing to thread titles only for a time last week. Forum software has counted 572 unique visitors last month. Google analytics says 250 (may have been affected by the transfer) with an average stay of 4m27s
GregT said:
Another forum I belong to charges for access to manuals and parts lists. They seem to cover most of their costs this way.
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Easily configured, but needs plenty of useful content not freely available elsewhere?
I have the old MSN stuff which is a start but a mixed bag of scan quality and format.
rowdypat said:
Am I right in recalling that the previous iteration of Laverdaforum required you to log in (i.e. register as a member) in order to view photos/video posted by others?
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Yep, login was necessary to view attachments. Could be easily configured here too
Cosi said:
I just won’t be able to buy me a new pair of pantyhose this month
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Thanks Cosi, made me laugh!! 🤣 You're right that folk have previously offered (including Paul LeClair) and I've declined.
mauricejota7604 said:
Just impose a cost that will work otherwise there will be 32 pages debating based on individual opinions.
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😁 Fair point, but wanted to air the topic and explore thoughts
Exmoor beast said:
Make your ( Admin) life easy as possible.
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I like that idea!
 
This forum promotes Laverda ownership and provides a 'meeting place' that would be hard to replace if non members, prospective owners or the multitude of lurkers weren't able to access and develop their desire for the marque. I only took the plunge and bought one after lurking on this forum for 12 months, so I believe the site must to remain free access for the general public. They are the future.

The members of this forum have been great at raising money for members in need. I'd prefer to have a money raising week once a year when we are encouraged to contribute to raise 500 quid.
 
Richard 180.S2.81 said:
This forum promotes Laverda ownership and provides a 'meeting place' that would be hard to replace if non members, prospective owners or the multitude of lurkers weren't able to access and develop their desire for the marque. I only took the plunge and bought one after lurking on this forum for 12 months, so I believe the site must to remain free access for the general public. They are the future.

The members of this forum have been great at raising money for members in need. I'd prefer to have a money raising week once a year when we are encouraged to contribute to raise 500 quid.
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I think that's a great idea - and any excess raised can go towards the following year's costs, and so on. Maybe enough would be raised to cover two years? Who knows - let's just suck it and see. I personally like being able to scamper around on other forums looking for info on various issues. I've learnt some really useful stuff like that. Sometimes I can't see attachments without registering, but I really like the free access factor - it's what makes google your friend! I've never had to pay to access any forum and I wouldn't if I was just doing a brief search, and I'd probably end up not using the internet any more if I had to pay for those visits.

So we risk losing potential new lovers of the marque - and I'm not sure I want to be stuck in a room with all you whinging and moaning old codgers! :LOL::ROFLMAO::LOL:
 
JoePurple73 said:
Could we charge a fee for selling on this forum?
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well - something maybe similar is done on the German Laverda-Forum: We produce our (low cost, low quality, much smaller) Calendar every year since roughly 15 years. We offer it to the participants slightly above cost and ask them to add some donation to the money transfer if they enjoy the forum. The forum costs per year are typically around 350 - 400€ - exactly the amount of money we raise with this activity. We sold the 2021 calendar also to OCT f.e. for their customers - a cheap give-away for them, a good contribution to the forum costs for us.

Personally, I also would like to stay away from a yearly fee as especially the main contributors to spend already massive time to help (like Piet, Red etc.) - why should they are forced to pay for helping others?? If they want a nice Calendar - great. If they are willing to even donate something - even better. But if not, I would not force them to. But who ever feels a value in the forum will definitely spend some money - on a donation base, please, or as a cost-share with f.e. a calendar. We have a team of 4 people (one is doing the design, the administrator is doing the framework to upload pics etc., Ernesto is doing the logistics and I am collecting the money and transfer it to the admin), which helps a lot to put just a bit of burden to several shoulders. Does not have to be a calendar, could be anything else like T-shirts, Key-rings or what ever.
 
Voluntary for the reasons others have already stated, to keep new blood in the flow. Calendar idea a good one as well. I also like that this site is Ad free. Would be good to point that out when requesting donations.
 
£5 is $6.85USD. I am sure there is at least that amount of loose change in my sofa.

Who cant find 2 pennies a day to spend on optional membership in this forum and own a £10,000+ valued motorcycle too?

Better still. Maybe the forum should issue cyber-stock? 100 shares at £5 each? Then some hedge funds can try and short Laverda forum stock, fail and we can all be millionaires.:cool:

I checked and I'm in for $20 annually, no problem. Put a credit card button up for levels of site sponsors. Gold, silver, bronze, etc. No paywalls please! Have the sponsors recognized by a medallion with the status level? Works just fine for other websites.
 
More than happy to pay a fixed annual fee with limited access to the curious. This site is invaluable to anyone with passion for the marque and in these troubled times a welcome escape from the harsh reality of life. I'm sure a paragraph or two from someone brighter than I am explaining the non-profit set-up and benefits of joining would encourage the lurkers to join us.
It's just not acceptable for Rob to fund this out of his own pocket so let's sort this asap.
 
BobSol said:
More than happy to pay a fixed annual fee with limited access to the curious. This site is invaluable to anyone with passion for the marque and in these troubled times a welcome escape from the harsh reality of life. I'm sure a paragraph or two from someone brighter than I am explaining the non-profit set-up and benefits of joining would encourage the lurkers to join us.
It's just not acceptable for Rob to fund this out of his own pocket so let's sort this asap.
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Well said Bob.
I'm not the "someone brighter", but I wholeheartedly support your suggestion.

Alan :)
 
Do we need so many forums? Look at Facebook there are several sites for people to checkout , do we really need all these locations to belong too?
Maybe what should happen is the ILOC forum should join with this one and bring all the information etc under one roof. The ILOC could cover the cost of the forum , lets call it a gesture , to the Laverda 'family' that we all belong to.

just a thought Rob, I'll get me coat,
Andy (ILOC member since 1979)
 
The www has been a huge success because it has mostly been Free to all. I'd like the forum to remain Free to all.
I'm happy to make a modest contribution as proposed however I'm thinking 1600 hundred transactions each year probably calls for administration, not only automated admin, but money attracts regulations, compliances, audits, status for tax etc etc. I like the idea of a fund raising week.
Another way to go would be that the various Laverda clubs sponsor the forum effort: only a small number of transactions and I'd expect memberships would be happy with that use of their funds. Club treasurers?
 
A big 'thank you' Rob for taking this on and congratulations for your retirement.
(y)

I would support both, a solution based on donations, or, one on a yearly fee! At least the one which keeps it as simple and reliable as possible for you.

Cheers
Jo
 
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Hi,

Finland has several forums that work following way. Some time before the annual server costs etc. they start fundraising.
When they have the needed amount they close it. Those forums are easily at least ten times smaller than this one and the total costs
are around 300 euros every year. It has never been an issue to get enought money.

-Jouni
 
Before starting, I accept that the Forum I'm going to relate is for a vehicle vastly different to the current situation for Laverdas, for two main reasons: it's principally UK/European based, though it does have a fair number of further flung members in US and Canada, Australia and NZ and others; it's for the classic Mini which has nearly complete availability of parts.
The Mini Forum has two tiers: basic which is free and TMF+ which costs a fiver (£5) a year and confers various discounts (typically 5%) on parts, oils and some services from cooperating suppliers.

As above, I am aware that this is by no means a perfect fit for our Laverda Forum but there may be some of its model that we could use.
Just sayin'
 
Okay my ten Pfennigs: Charging a regular amount and keeping track of it probably ends up being an administrative pain in the ass. micapeak.com (which is a mailing list provider for those who haven't been around before the WWW) has a pledge drive at the beginning of each year. I have been donating 20odd dollars every year for two decades and still do, even though the annual traffic on the Laverda list is around the same you get here in a day. I don't care how many freeloaders there are, that's what it's worth to me. If need arose I would give more, too. Voluntary donations should easily cover the running cost of this forum, too and it wouldn't deter newbies and scrooges. If they don't you can still think about charging.
 
Laverda1000.de said:
Okay my ten Pfennigs: Charging a regular amount and keeping track of it probably ends up being an administrative pain in the ass. micapeak.com (which is a mailing list provider for those who haven't been around before the WWW) has a pledge drive at the beginning of each year. I have been donating 20odd dollars every year for two decades and still do, even though the annual traffic on the Laverda list is around the same you get here in a day. I don't care how many freeloaders there are, that's what it's worth to me. If need arose I would give more, too. Voluntary donations should easily cover the running cost of this forum, too and it wouldn't deter newbies and scrooges. If they don't you can still think about charging.
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Yes, this would work without creating a lot more work for admin. I reckon there are plenty of us who would donate enough to keep the wheels turning whilst not moaning about those not putting their hand in their pocket.
 
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