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Forums
Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2025 5:39 am
by EasyRider
I use a Hayabusa forum, But its at risk of being lost forever.
Over the last 3 or 4 years less members have been using it.
Its has loads of great info on there, which will be lost forever if the forum goes.
How much time, work and money is needed to keep a forum going.
Anyone have and info on this.
The owners son is looking to pass it on to someone else.
Re: Forums
Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2025 7:45 am
by Stu
Depends on the software used and it's size really as to how much it would cost
Got a link to it?
Re: Forums
Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2025 8:45 am
by owl
I used to own a Rocket III forum, and I had a policy of strictly no sponsorship or advertising. I made revenue to go towards costs by voluntary contributions, and I had patches and badges made up for various levels of subscribers.
I kept it going for about 12 years or so, but got fed up with the amount of time it took me to administer. Nobody else stepped up to the plate to take it on so I wound it up.
Running costs, from memory, ran to about £400GBP a year, plus accountancy costs of around £350 a year (because I really couldn't be bothered to try and sort out corporation tax liability myself). Then you have the costs and bother of setting up a limited company to start with, because you really don't want to take the risk of a libel action because of what one of the contributors posted.
All in all, it was too much stress and bother for too little reward.
Once you have a good following, then you could accept advertising & sponsors to help with the costs, but as I said, I didn't want to be beholden to anyone.
Re: Forums
Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2025 11:27 am
by burridge01
owl wrote: Sat Jul 26, 2025 8:45 am
I used to own a Rocket III forum, and I had a policy of strictly no sponsorship or advertising. I made revenue to go towards costs by voluntary contributions, and I had patches and badges made up for various levels of subscribers.
I kept it going for about 12 years or so, but got fed up with the amount of time it took me to administer. Nobody else stepped up to the plate to take it on so I wound it up.
Running costs, from memory, ran to about £400GBP a year, plus accountancy costs of around £350 a year (because I really couldn't be bothered to try and sort out corporation tax liability myself). Then you have the costs and bother of setting up a limited company to start with, because you really don't want to take the risk of a libel action because of what one of the contributors posted.
All in all, it was too much stress and bother for too little reward.
Once you have a good following, then you could accept advertising & sponsors to help with the costs, but as I said, I didn't want to be beholden to anyone.
And with all the agg you have just described, we appreciate Stu even more.Shame more people don't respond in kind by sponsoring this very forum
