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Some 18 months have passed (I think) since the Subscribers fund was established. At the time, UKW was an impoverished operation, running on a shoestring and good will. The group now known as the Subscribers had sufficient altruistic instincts to recognise a good thing when they saw one and wished to contribute to our future. At the time, I naturally assumed that my contribution would be used to help maintain and run UKW. Unbeknown to us at the time was that admin was busy securing the future of the site……..
So…. I see no real future for the Subscribers. You no longer have to be a Subscriber to be a member of Repairs@, so that little bit of coercion no longer works. You no longer have to be a Subscriber to be a signatory to the UKW Charter. The active recruitment into the repairs@ programme as part of Project X has no doubt swelled the numbers with the carrot of work, perhaps as yet with little regard to UKW as the site currently exists. The whole nature of what we are doing and how we are doing it has changed.
Time’s up for this group as it currently stands. Our great failing to date has been what to do with the funds. We still (with respect to Martin’s thread) have no idea. My own wish was to build a Tech liberary, or Technical resource – an idea which has been rebutted on more than one occasion, but is now being picked up on by the “business” side of the site. I don’t mind, so long as we can do something about it.
We’re obsolete as things currently stand. Put the monies available to one side and let them accrue some interest. We will then have a discretionary fund for odd purposes and needs as they arise.
Sorry,
Chris.Re: A Radical Thought
I can’t come up with a singe argument against what you say Chris, I simply agree with your train of thought.
So where next.
Kevin
Re: A Radical Thought
Now for a change Im not in agreement with both Chris and Kevin. Being a non moderator, I saw this subscriber forum as a way to register my opinion without the need for hiding my identity, and in the knowledge that what is said stays within the exclusive club. Perhaps where we have gone wrong is that topics which should be discussed in the subs forum now find themselves in open forum – I dont have a problem with that either, as long as I have the option. I have always had great respect for Ken’s attitude that UKW should be free, but we little people still have to work in an industry full of deceit, rogues and stitch-up companies. In time we may eliminate this but at the moment its the norm. If we have an excess of money in the pot, take Kevins idea and prop us up at the next meeting with some of it. As I understand it, those that subscribe should get something out of it – say free training when in the future this has to be paid for. I volunteer my money because I agree with the principal, those that don’t, have the option not to subscribe.
Re: A Radical Thought
I thought the original idea was a “Slush Fund”. There was even consideration to be offered to Pat-UK regards some crazy woman taking him to court.
As it stands, we ought to think of something, and I really don’t know what. We have had some little initiaves, but I suspect they might not have been taken up. Problem is there aren’t many of us in here and as you only ever get a small percentage of a body doing things, the useage will be inevitably low.
The future?
Encourage more in here, make it more lively
Allow contentious or delicate posts to be put up in here and maybe approved, before timing them to hit the public forums (that was the original idea)
Publicise the accounts of Subscribers forum
Keep members informed of the direction and heading of UKW
Run ideas past us who are in here, such was when the training was 1st mooted, asking us if there is any mileage in it and our opinions. (I only used training as an example, project X could be another example)
Close the forum as a bad Iidea and refund the balance, leading to……
If the money has not been put to good use to date, use it to cover some of the costs toward the next meeting, or if it is felt it should be paid back, use it to settle the hotel bill of those of us who qualify.
I personally don’t decry the loss of what it potentially £100 odd to date. However I suppose something ought to be done.
Ideas please??
Alex
Re: A Radical Thought
Dales-Electronic wrote:I volunteer my money because I agree with the principal, those that don’t, have the option not to subscribe.
I’m with Ian all the way on this :tup:
Re: A Radical Thought
Very depressing thread this is! I can’t say I agree with all that is being put forward but everyone is entitled to their own opinion, indeed that is the mainstay of this site the freedom to express oneself openly and in doing so to accept the support or criticism your view bring forth.
Mr P is a splendid chap who has the widest shoulders I have ever known, but I think having his hair cut has made him a bit pessimistic with regards to this forum. There is a place for the subscribers and I think the problem is that more people are needed in here to swell the ranks and make the whole subscriber thing more viable.
Ok so there is a bit of money in the pot, so what, why are you in such a hurry to spend it? Did you subscribe just to get something back or to show support for the site and the hard work done by Ken and his cronies bringing it to us? Just because no really good ideas have come up yet doesn’t mean there isn’t one round the corner.
Since it’s inception when Martin was pestering everyone to join nothing has been done! Why has the whole subscribers thing been put on the back burner? Why not try to encourage others to join?
The chances to increase the subscriber membership have gone by with nothing done about it, I hope that my opposition to Mr P’s idea to make the CD thingy members only if it came off has nothing to do with his present stance, in my opinion repairs@ and project X should have been on the proviso of subscribing because these things actually can increase the work and income of the individuals and if they don’t make more of a profit from them in the year then give them their subscription back if they want it.
Lets face it the subscribers are in a club, others may come to the site and use it but it’s your club. Ken and his gang are very busy looking after the site, cooking up new deals and schemes and in all honesty I don’t really think that they have the time to devote to this forum and push it to others as is needed I think what is needed is for someone to volunteer to take on the internal advertising for the subscriber section with a view to swelling the ranks.
Re: A Radical Thought
RS wrote:Since it’s inception when Martin was pestering everyone to join nothing has been done!
Thank you Richard for recognising the first part of that statement, however I have to argue a little about the tail end of it. In as much as some things have been achieved at least, well, kind of anyway!
As you go on to say “it is a club” and that is the core and hopefully the strength we can gain from it as the months go by. OK so UKW Ltd has lots of things going on at the moment, but we Subscribers can do our own thing in tandem as long as we keep the faith and bang our heads together once in a while in the hope of inspiration.
Alex reminded us quite nicely over its very original concept of being a “Slush Fund”….that, gentlemen is what we have! Lets keep it and let it grow.
Meanwhile if, at any time, one of you gets a flash of inspiration, then for Christ’s sake tell us here and we will have the wherewithall to do something about it (or at least stand in judgement over)
Meanwhile can I ask Kevin* to put all that money into a high interest account…so we can at least accumulate whilst we speculate 😀
*Love your new avatar by the way Kev 😉
Re: A Radical Thought
there some points i agree with and disagree with here, at the end of the day im like all of you/us a business man, i expect to get soemthing for my money, aimlessly paying for something with no clear direction or outcome from a business point of view is a dumb ass thing to do. Putting the funds into an interest bearing account is a prudent thing to do, keep accquiring funds with no purpose for them has no point at all does it ??
Re: A Radical Thought
Originally, Alex is correct, the idea was to have a fund for any legal requirements, but that was in the days of the old mailing list before UKW actually went on the web that we discussed that. Mostly because of a certain Mr Trubshaw and, as it so happens, we could have been doing with it to get Kev out the crap he got in defending others. One of those little things in life that still irks me somewhat and I still have to reach closure on that little escapade with a t**t of the highest order doing over (as it were) not only a collegue, but a friend to boot. Sadly neither I not UKW was in a position at the time to help, even though we saw it coming.
Some in the industry now know that we have a slush fund for such instances, that alone is a benefit in and of itself. 😉
However as is often said in here, we don’t get mad, we get even. 😈
But onwards and upwards.
Not just a few weeks ago Dave, Kevin and myself (can’t remember if we spoke to Sean about it at the time but I think I did) were procrastinating over this very topic and trying to decide if the subs fund would ever work for any goal. We concluded that, were we to do this again, we would probably never have had this in place.
But, on balance, I can see two sides to this and I can see it of being use. It’s just to yet find its place.
I don’t see any harm at all in the fund growing for now while we analyse what we want to do with it.
But to give you an idea of where it has to go and the way I’ve thought on this for a bit…
Whatever you decide to do and, there’s been a few decent ideas floated already, it has to bring a benefit to all and not just a select few. That’s why I would not agree with the idea of paying part of meeting costs or something like that as it only applies to those that can attend, which could be limited beyond any one members control. Ideas where someone does not want to take part, just because they don’t, is a different thing entirely.
So my take is that it has to be something that can save or benefit us all as a group or community. That’s what UKW has always been about, that’s the standard we’ve hoisted since day one. I see no reason to change that.
K.
Re: A Radical Thought
something i would like clarifying is the running of the site ie its hosting costs etc are met by whom at this present time ?
By UK Whitegoods Limited. 😉
What we (I) can make or keep totally free, we (I) will.
Sorry, just the way I work. If I can get someone else to pay for it rather than those that can least afford it then I will. Which is, after all, what I always said I’d do.
K.
Re: A Radical Thought
ok so if i understand this correctly the subs dont go towards the sites hosting costs?
Re: A Radical Thought
I can see your point there Jeremy but ask yourself what do you get out of the site? Is it worth your while looking at the site at all, how do you use it? Do you use it for the tech info or the latest gossip and warnings or just to chat with others in the trade?
Being a business man I would have thought you would see the difference between what can be done with £5000 against say £20,000. We are not kids who have got our pocket money and it’s burning a hole in our pockets, I think from just using the site you are getting your monies worth, the cost is less than the cost of a daily paper and the info that is available on site, or from the hundreds of others reading the posts can be invaluable to your business.
Some of the points brought up by Mr P are quite revealing and I wonder if there has been some off screen chat going on with the view to getting rid of the subscriber’s section? I would agree that in some cases it would prove more lucrative to make the offers available to all, particularly the things that Dave keeps bringing out; with more people to view them they could prove to be more attainable in respect of discounts and bulk buying.
But the whole question is should it go on? IMHO yes it should, stop worrying about what is happening with the subs, something will turn up that will make it more important that it was there when we needed it.
I think the site has lost some of its impetus since it started with repairs@ and project X, not because they are bad things but the forces that drove the site are, through necessity, having to concentrate on these projects to ensure their success. And also most of the moderators spend a great deal of time (for free) checking and answering post (both public and trade) and some running around to meetings for the betterment of the trade members so how can they be expected to do all this, run their business and have anything like a social life? And do you think it will get better? I don’t; because going by their record they will have something else in the pipeline. (http://www.worldwidewhitegoods.com) Perhaps!
To round up I think everyone who subscribes is getting more than what they are paying for. I know that the ones who don’t subscribe get most of it anyway but that is the nature of the site, you by subscribing are showing your loyalty and appreciation to the site.
In the end no one is forced to subscribe and you are free to stop at any time, if you are concerned about the cash that is building up make some suggestions on Martins thread (http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/modules.p … pic&t=9382) there was talk of having a meet abroad some time back use it to subsidise it, anything just don’t expect others to find the solutions, put your own thoughts forward.
Richard Scanlon Snr
Re: A Radical Thought
wow what a response, i wont procastinate but get in the real world, no one pays for something they dont want something back in return, im not being obnoxious towards the overall goal of things here but at the end of the day money is money wether its a quid or 100000 quid. Im merely asking questions to get to a point like it or lump it.
Re: A Radical Thought
RS wrote:
Some of the points brought up by Mr P are quite revealing and I wonder if there has been some off screen chat going on with the view to getting rid of the subscriber’s section?Certainly not Richard. I wrote the piece as a sister article to Martin’s excellent post. I could not see how to make my points in that thread without dragging it wildly off topic (A UKW posters speciality).
I have concerns about how our “club” is changing and what is being offered to the various groups within the site.
Reading the posts so far, there is a concensus for the current status quo, so I will continue to subscribe – it is a pocket money option and makes me feel all nice and warm inside that I’m putting something a little more into UKW.
In the meantime, I suggest that we divert our attentions to Martins thread and deal with the issues raised in that.
Regards,
Penguin45.
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