$100 we're paying for a better banner ... heck I knocked that one up in an hour or so but I was also getting the forum up and running.
$100 I'm serious, see what you can come up with if you got some paint skills.
I also have another website
www.weareallabouttrees.com.au that isn't quite finished. That's going to be marketed for all the tree lovers that get scared when you pull out a chainsaw.
Iorek, many forums, many players, here's the difference.
AS ... heavy on chainsaws and logging, wood heating etc, not much arb talk.
TB ... heavily ISA and USA focused, not much general everyday chit chat .... has been referred to as the library SSSHHHH. Some people tell me they're not confident to post there, they might be looked down upon as a noob.
TreeHouse (masterblaster's lounge) is just that, it's like you have to be his friend or don't visit. He can turn on you like a myxied rabbit and have a gang of hoodlums following too.
He started that forum whilst he was an AS member, flogged AS members then got banned for it from AS. Here's an interesting article on mob mentality. You might want to bookmark the home site.
http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/lani...6.2_index.html
So what's the difference we are shooting at?
1. I'd like to see a well linked and referenced site that has parts which regardless of posters is loaded with documents and info ... hence the Tree Fact Factory and the Regulations area. Imagine being able to search for the regulations in your town etc. There's not one site I know of i can send people to ... to get that for every locale, so lets build it.
2. I'd like to see the people qualified to talk about something doing that ... not trolls or guestimators arguing rhetoric and egos.
3. Genuine home-owner help from #2 above.
4. A place where pros can discuss their issues indiscriminately of sponsors and arb organisations. Later perhaps by region, an Australian forum, Europe forum, US forum etc
5. Fair fun and just moderation independent of old friendships and hidden agendas. You will notice heavy bias in moderating on other forums toward certain members.
6. And most important happening already. A place where suitably trusted and qualified people can post, link, discuss and scrutinize for improvement their reports and real life consultative issues behind closed doors where trolls and trouble makers cant see. Many of us pros need a place for that and an open board ain't it nor is some perverse powder room full of wannabes.... we do not have a place like that anywhere else but we do here, however you gotta show ya credentials and history.
7. A professional site where real life issues will be posted and delegates etc from govts and authorities invited to comment ... a work board. We want public clarity and scrutiny. Also a place our customers can come to!
8. More marketing and exposure than existing sites offer targeted to the regions required to get a fair balanced board ... more europeans, more Aussies etc. With my skills in marketing I can do that, home right in on what we want.
I hope this helps you understand what we are about.
Regarding the look of the board ... well this is a vbulletin board out of the box ... all good things do take a little time and I cant do it all on my own, so if you have some skills you are most welcome to help. Maybe in Announcements I should start a wish list and as we accomplish certain things we cross them off etc.
Many cars look alike but it's all about how you drive them.
Sorry about the long post but I do hope it helped answer some of your questions. This is cheers here
and this is maybe schnaps there
