An idea to attract and encourage new members

Dave Baker · January 15th, 2025, 01:57 AM

HI Al

You're welcome!

A couple of things about Duckduckgo if I may.

As it comes, if doing an extensive search and you have gone to the next page, it has an irritating way of not returning directly to that page when closing the site visited, but it's easy to correct in the settings. It took me a very long time to find this.

If you add Duckduckgo Privacy Essentials to your browser, or use the Duckduckgo mobile browser, you get access to their email privacy feature which allows you to set up an alias ****@duck.com address, which will forward replies to any one email address you specify and strips out any trackers at the same time. Also it is possible to create any number of throw away addresses for those times a site asks for one and you don't want to risk getting their spam afterwards. I have been using a ****@duck.com address for all online commerce for a long while, no problems so far.

Now, back to this site before I get banned for being off topic.............

Allan Black · January 16th, 2025, 12:50 PM

Thanks Dave, no you won’t lol. That’s interesting, but I don’t need to get that far into it, not yet anyway.

Quote by Andrew: This forum is (as of this moment) running on vBulletin version 3.8.5 (released in 2004 according to Wikipedia) and the current release of the software is now version 6 :Unquote.

Andrew, looks like this may have something to do with why we’re still on v3.8.5 …

While active, the maintenance service enables you to download and install latest updates of the vBulletin 6 software. If your maintenance service has expired, you can download software updates previously released up to the expiration date of your maintenance service. When purchasing a new vBulletin 6 license, a free 1 year of maintenance service is included. Additional maintenance service is available for purchase as an add-on to your vBulletin 6 license.

There’s more answers here .. https://www.vbulletin.com/en/faq

I might be wrong but didn’t Chris H. sell DVinfo a while back ..?
Cheers.

Andrew Smith · January 16th, 2025, 06:43 PM

Crikey. Well, if he's sold it he didn't tell any of us about it. :-o

According to the About page he's still the owner.

Andrew

Allan Black · January 16th, 2025, 08:02 PM

I seem to remember Chris had DVinfo up for sale a while ago .. and there was no takers.

Looks like our ‘maintenance service contract’ expired quite a while ago which is why we never got the new versions for the site..
No cheers for that.

Brian Drysdale · January 17th, 2025, 08:05 AM

A couple of forums, where I'm a member, have updated or changed their website software. Both took a bit of time and the latter was a process that took months, it took a while for Google to catch up, probably not helped by the change in the site's online address.

Allan Black · January 17th, 2025, 06:19 PM

Interesting Brian. In DVinfos case, I’m saying updating to the newer versions didn’t happen because of the ‘expired maintenance contract’ which costs money. How much I don’t know but we could find out.

VBulletin says: You will be able to upgrade to vBulletin 6 directly from versions 3.8.7 or 4.2. For versions earlier than these, you should first upgrade to one of these two versions and then upgrade to 6.0

But we need funds, what about a Go Fund Us page, but who would collect the money? Not me I’m too busy, and there’s a few people here I wouldn’t trust. So will someone put their hand up? Here’s an example how it would work …

https://www.gofundme.com/c/crowdfund...low-by-example

Cheers.

Chris Soucy · January 18th, 2025, 09:41 PM

I haven't given this a shed load of thought, just enough to be dangerous, but................

Is there any mileage to had by asking the 40,000 odd (some of them very odd indeed!) members by email, so just a tad in their face, what it is that they might like to see here on Dinfo that they aren't seeing and why it is that they're not in this discussion too?

Now, (quite) a few of that 40,000 will have dropped off their perch already, heck, I'm 73 in a couple of weeks, the average age of the regulars here must be (insert staggering figure here) but there must be a decent sprinkling of youngsters (he says more in hope than expectation) maybe a prod from the management might elicit some useful insights from the (relatively) kid zone.

Otherwise I'm fresh out of ideas but it has been very noticeable in my interaction with younger members over the last few years that they pop up, ask a question or three then simply vanish, never too be heard from again, why, I do not know. Who does know, really?

CS

Andrew Smith · Yesterday, 04:07 AM

At some stage we need to climb the mountain and hear from Mr "Obstreperous Rex" Hurd.

You can't upgrade the forum software without him. (Is there anyone who knows how to reach him?)

Andrew

Allan Black · Yesterday, 03:51 PM

Hi Andrew, I think Chris H maybe getting posts linked to this thread, but his contact is listed in the front page you found, which for some reason I can’t find. But there’s a Contact link at the bottom of every page which gives you his email address.

There’s a few good updates in version 6.1.0 …

https://forum.vbulletin.com/forum/vb...es#post4498660

Cheers..

January 15th, 2025, 01:57 AM	#16
Dave Baker Major Player Join Date: May 2014 Location: Brandon, England Posts: 475	Re: An idea to attract and encourage new members HI Al You're welcome! A couple of things about Duckduckgo if I may. As it comes, if doing an extensive search and you have gone to the next page, it has an irritating way of not returning directly to that page when closing the site visited, but it's easy to correct in the settings. It took me a very long time to find this. If you add Duckduckgo Privacy Essentials to your browser, or use the Duckduckgo mobile browser, you get access to their email privacy feature which allows you to set up an alias **@duck.com address, which will forward replies to any one email address you specify and strips out any trackers at the same time. Also it is possible to create any number of throw away addresses for those times a site asks for one and you don't want to risk getting their spam afterwards. I have been using a **@duck.com address for all online commerce for a long while, no problems so far. Now, back to this site before I get banned for being off topic.............

January 16th, 2025, 12:50 PM	#17
Allan Black Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sydney. Posts: 2,968	Re: An idea to attract and encourage new members Thanks Dave, no you won’t lol. That’s interesting, but I don’t need to get that far into it, not yet anyway. Quote by Andrew: This forum is (as of this moment) running on vBulletin version 3.8.5 (released in 2004 according to Wikipedia) and the current release of the software is now version 6 :Unquote. Andrew, looks like this may have something to do with why we’re still on v3.8.5 … While active, the maintenance service enables you to download and install latest updates of the vBulletin 6 software. If your maintenance service has expired, you can download software updates previously released up to the expiration date of your maintenance service. When purchasing a new vBulletin 6 license, a free 1 year of maintenance service is included. Additional maintenance service is available for purchase as an add-on to your vBulletin 6 license. There’s more answers here .. https://www.vbulletin.com/en/faq I might be wrong but didn’t Chris H. sell DVinfo a while back ..? Cheers. __________________ Drink more tap water. On admission at Sydney hospitals more than 5% of day patients are de-hydrated. Last edited by Allan Black; January 16th, 2025 at 03:45 PM.

January 16th, 2025, 06:43 PM	#18
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,080	Re: An idea to attract and encourage new members Crikey. Well, if he's sold it he didn't tell any of us about it. :-o According to the About page he's still the owner. Andrew

January 16th, 2025, 08:02 PM	#19
Allan Black Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sydney. Posts: 2,968	Re: An idea to attract and encourage new members I seem to remember Chris had DVinfo up for sale a while ago .. and there was no takers. Looks like our ‘maintenance service contract’ expired quite a while ago which is why we never got the new versions for the site.. No cheers for that. __________________ Drink more tap water. On admission at Sydney hospitals more than 5% of day patients are de-hydrated.

January 17th, 2025, 08:05 AM	#20
Brian Drysdale Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 6,154	Re: An idea to attract and encourage new members A couple of forums, where I'm a member, have updated or changed their website software. Both took a bit of time and the latter was a process that took months, it took a while for Google to catch up, probably not helped by the change in the site's online address.

January 17th, 2025, 06:19 PM	#21
Allan Black Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sydney. Posts: 2,968	Re: An idea to attract and encourage new members Interesting Brian. In DVinfos case, I’m saying updating to the newer versions didn’t happen because of the ‘expired maintenance contract’ which costs money. How much I don’t know but we could find out. VBulletin says: You will be able to upgrade to vBulletin 6 directly from versions 3.8.7 or 4.2. For versions earlier than these, you should first upgrade to one of these two versions and then upgrade to 6.0 But we need funds, what about a Go Fund Us page, but who would collect the money? Not me I’m too busy, and there’s a few people here I wouldn’t trust. So will someone put their hand up? Here’s an example how it would work … https://www.gofundme.com/c/crowdfund...low-by-example Cheers. __________________ Drink more tap water. On admission at Sydney hospitals more than 5% of day patients are de-hydrated. Last edited by Allan Black; January 18th, 2025 at 12:44 AM.

January 18th, 2025, 09:41 PM	#22
Chris Soucy Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Fairfield, Dunedin, New Zealand Posts: 3,693 Images: 18	Re: An idea to attract and encourage new members I haven't given this a shed load of thought, just enough to be dangerous, but................ Is there any mileage to had by asking the 40,000 odd (some of them very odd indeed!) members by email, so just a tad in their face, what it is that they might like to see here on Dinfo that they aren't seeing and why it is that they're not in this discussion too? Now, (quite) a few of that 40,000 will have dropped off their perch already, heck, I'm 73 in a couple of weeks, the average age of the regulars here must be (insert staggering figure here) but there must be a decent sprinkling of youngsters (he says more in hope than expectation) maybe a prod from the management might elicit some useful insights from the (relatively) kid zone. Otherwise I'm fresh out of ideas but it has been very noticeable in my interaction with younger members over the last few years that they pop up, ask a question or three then simply vanish, never too be heard from again, why, I do not know. Who does know, really? CS

Yesterday, 04:07 AM	#23
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,080	Re: An idea to attract and encourage new members At some stage we need to climb the mountain and hear from Mr "Obstreperous Rex" Hurd. You can't upgrade the forum software without him. (Is there anyone who knows how to reach him?) Andrew

Yesterday, 03:51 PM	#24
Allan Black Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sydney. Posts: 2,968	Re: An idea to attract and encourage new members Hi Andrew, I think Chris H maybe getting posts linked to this thread, but his contact is listed in the front page you found, which for some reason I can’t find. But there’s a Contact link at the bottom of every page which gives you his email address. There’s a few good updates in version 6.1.0 … https://forum.vbulletin.com/forum/vb...es#post4498660 Cheers.. __________________ Drink more tap water. On admission at Sydney hospitals more than 5% of day patients are de-hydrated. Last edited by Allan Black; Yesterday at 06:35 PM.