Cliffs Note Version (The Short Story)
This Forum is relatively expensive to operate. It does not run on a home type of PC type but a large state-of-the-art GoDaddy server that runs in a data center with 24/7/365 support with over 99.9% uptime. We have two part time computer gurus that help us support the Forum, Phil and "Krash", that upgrade and maintain the Forum as required.
We added a Donate button at the top of the Forum which some folks have noticed. In the past, Bus Conversion Magazine subscribers have always indirectly supported the Forum. However, not everyone that uses the Forum subscribes to BCM as they have no interest in the magazine. Someone suggested recently that we add a Donate button for those people that are not subscribers but still want to contribute in some way to keep the Forum alive. We decided to wait until the upgrade was complete then we added the Donate button.
So if you enjoy the Forum and find value in it, please consider contributing to it to keep it alive. You can donate $10, $30, or $75 for a 3 Month, 6, Month, or 12 Month plan. For a donation you can use PayPal or a credit card.
The Whole Enchilada (More Info)
Recently we upgraded the server and the software the Forum runs on. Both were very outdated and it was taking Phil a lot of hours to make changes on the old server and eventually he was unable to upgrade the Forum software on that old server. There was no longer any technical support available for the software and many things took much longer than they should have. So we had to make a decision if we were going to continue to operate the Forum and if so, we would have to upgrade the 10 year old software and hardware it was running on.
So we made the bold decision to do the upgrade to both the hardware and the software. We also hired a Forum Software expert, "Krash" to help with the upgrade because Phil did not have the time to research it and do it himself. Thankfully with the help of Krash, we were able to pull this off with only about an hour of downtime late one night.
Before the upgrade, Krash moved the entire Forum over to a test server and upgraded it to the new version of software where we did extensive testing to ensure everything moved over and everything would work. It took quite a bit of tweaking but we were able to do the upgrade with very few hiccups. After that we shut down the Forum and moved all of the data over to the new server where the upgraded software was already installed.
As you can imagine, this was no easy task and took a LOT of time. The Forum software had not been upgraded in several years and was significantly past due for an upgrade which is why it took so much work.
Going forward we want to upgrade it more often so we will not have to take such big steps which will help minimize risk and will be much easier each time making these incremental upgrades rather than large upgrades as this one was which corrupted some of our data as you may have noticed. We still have a few bugs to work out but we are slowly making progress.
So again, if you are not a current BCM subscriber and you feel the Forum has value to you, then please consider a small monthly stipend to keep it going or a larger one time donation perhaps annually.
Periodically, I will post the donation amounts here so you can follow our progress. It matters that people find value in the Forum and are interested in keeping it alive. Those that do make a donation will have a virtual badge next to their name on the Forum.
All of the donations will go directly to supporting the Forum either for software, hardware, or to pay for the time Phil and Krash spend supporting the Forum. This money will not be used for anything else. The more money we can raise, the more we can improve the Forum.
If you have any questions about making a donation, feel free to post it here or use the Contact Us tab at the top of the page and use the option for Online/Forum BBS.
We received two donations so far. Thank you for helping keep the Forum alive.
We just received another Platinum Donation. Thanks TV. He too wants to keep those wheels a rolling.
Gary
Another happy customer. Thanks TB.
BTW, we have a Document on our Document page (of course) of a Bus Lubrication Chart that Gene Lewis put together. Thanks Gene. Be sure to check it out. We try to share info like this which is helpful to bus people.
https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/documents/
Gary, I'm not interested in making "monthly"donations. How about also offering a fixed amount. Like 25,50,100. Or also have a $1000 for guys like Cliff with loads of money.
Quote from: chessie4905 on October 08, 2018, 10:42:31 AM
Gary, I'm not interested in making "monthly"donations. How about also offering a fixed amount. Like 25,50,100. Or also have a $1000 for guys like Cliff with loads of money.
Good idea. We will consider that.
Gary
What are the categories of donations being used? We see the "Platinum" banner, but what is the criteria for achieving that and any other metals? Silver and Gold have an Eagle quality to them, but there is also Rusty Steel. :o
Quote from: DoubleEagle on October 08, 2018, 12:44:48 PM
What are the categories of donations being used? We see the "Platinum" banner, but what is the criteria for achieving that and any other metals? Silver and Gold have an Eagle quality to them, but there is also Rusty Steel. :o
Click on the Donate button and you will see the different levels. We are working on perhaps offering some other options in the next few days if you want to hold off a bit.
Quote from: Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM on October 08, 2018, 10:59:12 AM
Good idea. We will consider that.
Gary
yup. it could be called the Clifford Level 1, 2 or 3 button :)
Will bottles of Holy Water be sent for appropriate donations?
Substitute rusty radiator contents from the next luvrbus horror story?
happy coaching!
buswarrior
We have another donation. Thanks so much for your Donation RG.
If others wish to make a Donation to keep the Forum alive, please choose the Donate button above to keep the wheels rolling.
Keeping the Forum alive is a team effort just like the guys in this photo.
Gary
I just became a Platinum Donor myself. If I can do it...anybody can.
I know it is hunting season for some of you but take a moment to sign up now.
We have another new Donation from GA. Thanks so much.
We also changed our system. We removed the recurring monthly Donation option due to the hassle of having to set up special PayPal account so now we have 3, 6, and 12 month Donation levels. Choose the Donation amount you are interested in and choose the level you think you can afford to Donate and you too will receive a special badge beside your name in the Forum for the duration level you chose.
As mentioned earlier, all Donations go directly to supporting the Forum you have come to enjoy.
Chose the Donate button now at the top of the Forum to see the new options. If you enjoy the Forum and want to see it continue, please make a payment today.
Gary Hatt
Publisher
We have a new Donor. Thanks CA. I appreciate your support.
For anyone else who feels they get value out of the Forum and wanting to Donate to "Keep the Forum Alive", click on the Donate button at the top of this page and every $ you donate will go directly to supporting this Forum. Either to help out Phil and "Krash" or for the hardware and software needed to keep it going.
Supporting the Forum will keep you informed about the safe way to work on a bus, not do stupid things like this guy...
It looks like he is putting an extension cord on his 50 amp box. I did the same thing off my air conditioning unit.
Quote from: Geoff on October 20, 2018, 02:48:51 PM
It looks like he is putting an extension cord on his 50 amp box. I did the same thing off my air conditioning unit.
Yeah, but were you soaking your feet in a puddle at the time? :o
I'm sure he had the circuit breaker off. But then, it's just a picture so nobody knows what risks he was taking. Plus I don't know how a subscription to Bus Conversion Magazine is going to answer the question.
Quote from: Geoff on October 20, 2018, 04:45:04 PM
I'm sure he had the circuit breaker off. But then, it's just a picture so nobody knows what risks he was taking. Plus I don't know how a subscription to Bus Conversion Magazine is going to answer the question.
Guess you will have to sign up to find out. ;)
There has not been much activity in the Donations section. :'( You can donate one of the three following amounts...
Silver 3 Months $10.00
Gold 6 Months $30.00
Platinum 12 Months $75.00
As you will see by the Medallion next to my name, I am a Platinum Donor. I review the Forum almost daily to see what is new.
If you enjoy using the Forum and want us to keep it alive like I do, please make a donation so we can keep it going.
To see where the money goes, click here and then click on the note in red.
https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/forum/index.php
Gary, you got to talk to Ian over at BNO?
Are you paying too much for stuff?
BNO seems to purr along without a magazine or a collection plate to subsidize it?
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
I wouldn't call it purring.Few posts there. Picked up a little recently.
I did the Gold because I can do it 2 times a year the 75.00 a year was a better deal.I'll keep trying to help
chessie, all the more reason for the call?
The forum should be earning it's keep on its own?
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
Could be the magazine is sucking the money out of the enterprise. Hard for a lot of print rags to stay in business. Look how thin the FMCA magazine has gotten with so many members supporting it.
I figure my donation was worth it with the info I've received over the years. Maybe some on here that don't have a coach, sold it, never did have one or own a s&s don't think any donation is worth it. Whatever. To each, their own.
Quote from: chessie4905 on October 28, 2018, 12:01:02 PM
Could be the magazine is sucking the money out of the enterprise. Hard for a lot of print rags to stay in business. Look how thin the FMCA magazine has gotten with so many members supporting it.
I figure my donation was worth it with the info I've received over the years. Maybe some on here that don't have a coach, sold it, never did have one or own a s&s don't think any donation is worth it. Whatever. To each, their own.
It was worth it
Quote from: chessie4905 on October 28, 2018, 12:01:02 PM
Could be the magazine is sucking the money out of the enterprise. Hard for a lot of print rags to stay in business. Look how thin the FMCA magazine has gotten with so many members supporting it.
I figure my donation was worth it with the info I've received over the years. Maybe some on here that don't have a coach, sold it, never did have one or own a s&s don't think any donation is worth it. Whatever. To each, their own.
The magazine has supported the Forum for the past 6 years that I have owned it. I do not sell buses on the side so the only income to support the Forum now is magazine ad sales and subscriptions, which is not much anymore and it still loses money every month. We stopped printing the magazine and went all digital in June because we were losing so much money. Going all digital has helped but the Google Ad revenue of about $100/month from the Forum is not enough to support the Forum and does not even come close to paying for the upgrades we did earlier this year in both hardware and software.
That is why we set up a Donate button, especially for the folks that do not subscribe to
Bus Conversion Magazine.
We have another fellow that appreciates the Forum. Thanks WP for your donation.
Just like this store, we work a lot of hours per day and days in a week.
Gary
I got the digital magazine for 3 years do I get a Wooden Donor badge :)
LOL I do the magazine too but never figured out how to read it yet
Quote from: luvrbus on October 29, 2018, 06:46:10 AM
LOL I do the magazine too but never figured out how to read it yet
Cliff if you want, just call me each month and I will read it for you. How about that. ;D
Quote from: Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM on October 29, 2018, 09:19:28 AM
Cliff if you want, just call me each month and I will read it for you. How about that. ;D
Lol I like the email version
Quote from: Dave5Cs on October 28, 2018, 07:46:04 PM
I got the digital magazine for 3 years do I get a Wooden Donor badge :)
As noted earlier, magazine subscribers are already considered Donors as subscriptions support the Forum already. This Donation system was put in place for those folks who are not subscribers to the magazine, however if you are a subscriber and feel the urge to support the Forum, then by all means we will take your Donation.
Wooden Donor badge. Funny guy. ;D
Please note that I posted the incorrect amounts in a previous post about the Donation. They are as follows...
Silver Level
3 Months
$10.00
Gold Level
6 Months
$30.00
Platinum Level
12 Months
$75.00
Sorry for any confusion. No you can click on the Donation button above make your Donation to support the Forum to help keep it alive.
Gary
Everybody needs to get the mag. That being said, are you guys set up with Paypal??
Quote from: muldoonman on November 01, 2018, 05:39:01 AM
Everybody needs to get the mag. That being said, are you guys set up with Paypal??
I agree, everybody should subscribe to the magazine but some people who read the Forum do not seem to be interested. Yes, we are set up with PayPal.
Gary
As soon as I am able to read the old MAK bulletin board, I said I would donate $100. But it doesn't seem to be happening. I guess I'll just take a subscription to the magazine.
The people that should be donating should be the people asking questions. I answer 99% of the time, I think I've had one/two questions for the group in the last 13 years (not to mention the 13 years before the last 13 years when I really had questions as a newbie bus converter, except I was the two stroke guru thanks to my employment with Detroit Diesel).
I shake my head reading the articles in the mag, lots of people writing that are doing things wrong. No review, like the this Bulletin Board offers. MAK hosted some great conventions, but the writing was on the wall when the the sponsers realized that your average bus converter was on a budget. No sales, no more conventions.
Geoff
Quote from: Geoff on November 01, 2018, 03:10:22 PM
As soon as I am able to read the old MAK bulletin board, I said I would donate $100. But it doesn't seem to be happening. I guess I'll just take a subscription to the magazine.
The people that should be donating should be the people asking questions. I answer 99% of the time, I think I've had one/two questions for the group in the last 13 years (not to mention the 13 years before the last 13 years when I really had questions as a newbie bus converter, except I was the two stroke guru thanks to my employment with Detroit Diesel).
I shake my head reading the articles in the mag, lots of people writing that are doing things wrong. No review, like the this Bulletin Board offers. MAK hosted some great conventions, but the writing was on the wall when the the sponsers realized that your average bus converter was on a budget. No sales, no more conventions.
Geoff
Goeff,
I am very happy that you are volunteering to proofread the articles before we publish the magazine each month to check them for accuracy. We have a skeleton crew and the magazine is still losing money so having you help us check the content will be a huge help. Nobody else on our staff has the technical background that you do so it will be nice to bring your expertise into the articles as we definitely want to provide accurate information. Plz PM me your mailing address so we can get you in the loop when we are ready to finalize the next issue. Thanks so much for offering to help.
Then when we get as big as Time Magazine and are starting to make money, I will put you on the payroll. As of right now, I do not take a penny out of the magazine for the 50+ hours I put into it each week. But after we start making a profit, I will be able to pay myself a small stipend and will share some with you too.
As far as the entries from the old MAK bulletin board, Phil was looking in to that but I think he hit a roadblock with incompatible formats. However we will gladly send the info to you so you can re-type it all in if you wish then all of the old information will also be in there as you wish.
Gary
You better check...Time magazine isn't doing that great.
Quote from: chessie4905 on November 01, 2018, 04:27:24 PM
You better check...Time magazine isn't doing that great.
Hummmm. Just like BCM aye? :o
Just one of several sources on their decline.
https://www.wired.com/beyond-the-beyond/2018/02/dismal-tale-wretched-decline-time-magazine/
Why am I having deja vu?
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
Lol.
Geoff has a new job I see this morning 8)
He can use the money earned to buy a Prevost. ;)
Wow and I thought this was going to be a boring Friday,lOL
Geoff has a new job and a Prevost( probably because of all the money he will make) from Gary.
BW is speaking French again...
And Cheesie is starting a new time magazine.
Good for you guys. :) 8) :o
Quote from: buswarrior on November 01, 2018, 06:41:52 PM
Why am I having deja vu?
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
I gotz a pill for that lol ;D
Quote from: Dave5Cs on November 02, 2018, 07:56:28 AM
Wow and I thought this was going to be a boring Friday,lOL
Geoff has a new job and a Prevost( probably because of all the money he will make) from Gary.
BW is speaking French again...
And Cheesie is starting a new time magazine.
Good for you guys. :) 8) :o
Not exciting enough, the peeps i'd like to hear are all gone...
Thank you James C. for your Donation to support the Forum. It is people like you that will keep the Forum going in perpetuity.
If anyone else feels the Forum is a valuable tool for researching problems and just following what is going on then click the Donate button today to show your support.
Gary
Thanks so much Richard G for your Donation to keep the wheels rolling on this Forum. I am glad to hear you feel it is valuable. Your money will go to good use supporting the Forum and the people that support it.
If anyone else feels the Forum is a benefit to them, please make a Donation to keep it running. Click on the Donate button to make you donation. To read what the money will go towards, click on the red note at the top of this Forum and it will explain where the money goes.
Thanks again Richard.
Gary
Thanks GA for your Donation to keep the wheels rolling. We appreciate it tremendously. If anyone else has a hankering to support this amazing Forum, you can click on the Donate button above and show your support.
Gary Hatt
Quote from: Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM on November 16, 2018, 08:10:07 AM
Thanks GA for your Donation to keep the wheels rolling. We appreciate it tremendously. If anyone else has a hankering to support this amazing Forum, you can click on the Donate button above and show your support.
Gary Hatt
Hey...how about a subscribers button..?
Quote from: eagle19952 on November 17, 2018, 10:18:38 AM
Hey...how about a subscribers button..?
Hummmm. They all disappeared. I will have to ask Krash what is going on. Thanks for pointing this out to us.
Gary
Gary, I'm confused. If I choose to donate, let's say the 3month plan, does if bill me $10 per month for three months? Total of $30 donated? Or just $10 and that equals three months of support?
Quote from: Scott & Heather on November 21, 2018, 07:38:07 PM
Gary, I'm confused. If I choose to donate, let's say the 3month plan, does if bill me $10 per month for three months? Total of $30 donated? Or just $10 and that equals three months of support?
Scott, you will pay $30 one time for the 3 months duration. We had problems with recurring billing so we went to one time payments only and you can renew every 3 months.
Thank you TD Harden for your donation to keep the Forum going. We deeply appreciate it.
Also, if anyone signed up for a recurring donation and your medallion is no longer under your name, your recurring donation has expired. We had to turn that feature off because it was causing too many problems. So if you set yours up for auto-monthly payments, please set it up using the new system and choose the 3, 6, or 12 month plan.
Thank you for your support.
Gary Hatt
Thank you GA for your donation to keep the Forum Going Foundation. We appreciate your support.
If anyone else is interested in keeping the Forum alive and feel you benefit from reading it then make a Donation today.
Thanks everyone that donated for your support.
The Management.
Another happy customer who finds value in the Forum. Thank you DZ for your contribution to support the Forum.
If you find value in the Forum, then click on the Donate button at the top of the Forum and sign up for a 3, 6, or 12 month duration for only $10, $30, or $75 respectively.
We plan to make even more improvements starting in January but we need your support to do this.
Thanks again DZ.
A section for stickies would be useful for common adnauseum repeat questions.
Hey, I represent that remark!
Actually it's a good idea. Only thing is on the forums I go to that use that it ends up taking a whole page before you get to the new posts and I don't know how you'd get around that.
Jim
Quote from: Jim Blackwood on December 08, 2018, 07:32:32 AM
Hey, I represent that remark!
Actually it's a good idea. Only thing is on the forums I go to that use that it ends up taking a whole page before you get to the new posts and I don't know how you'd get around that.
Jim
You combine them all in a single post called FAQ's/Sticky's
Thank you RG for your Donation to keep the wheels turning on the Forum. We have a couple more Donations but I like to spread out the Thank Yous a bit to keep this thread on the front page to remind everyone about this.
If you find value in this Forum, please click on the Donate button above and let us know.
Gary
Gary maybe I missed it but is there a goal to get to? I've seen where there were links to gofundme to reach the goal for that year and we would donate to that. Unless I missed it, it just seems a little random to donate misc amounts not knowing where the finish line is.
My apologies if it was already put out there.
Quote from: Branderson on December 12, 2018, 12:37:34 PM
Gary maybe I missed it but is there a goal to get to? I've seen where there were links to gofundme to reach the goal for that year and we would donate to that. Unless I missed it, it just seems a little random to donate misc amounts not knowing where the finish line is.
My apologies if it was already put out there.
Good question Branderson. There is no financial goal. It costs us over $2000/year to maintain the Forum because we have it running on a large GoDaddy dedicated server. I pay Phil and Krash a small stipend to maintain, back it up, to clean off spammers which can be a big problem at times, and to make small improvements over time.
If we get more than that we can add more bells and whistles that people have been asking about. The magazine profits used to pay for the Forum but BCM is now just about breaking even so it can no longer afford to support the Forum and I do not sell buses or own a Cavern so I cannot put outside money into it.
I do not expect the Donations to fully support the Forum but the Donation was suggested by one of our members as a way for people to support the Forum that use it but do not have a subscription to the magazine. If you are a subscriber to the magazine, then your Donation is already covered.
There is definitely nobody getting rich on the Forum. Our advertisers in the Banner Ads do not pay for those ads. They only pay to have their ads in the magazine and we do this as a bonus to them which helps them get more sales, but we do not profit from their ads on there. Google Ad revenue helps, but that only brings in about $100/month which helps.
I hope that answers your questions.
Isn't there a Prevost along with that goal?🏁
Quote from: chessie4905 on December 13, 2018, 06:24:52 AM
Isn't there a Prevost along with that goal?🏁
Yes, if we get enuf Donations, everyone who made a Donation will get a new Prevost. ;D
We are all getting rich ... with Bus Knowledge
Soooooo come on you cheapskates and buck-up some bucks and I am not telling you again. If you don't pay to play your Bus will not start the next time you try. Seriously Gary can do a mind-meld and mental telepathy thingy that ain't pretty. It can hit you at any time especially when you are not looking.... Just sayin.....
Quote from: eagle19952 on November 17, 2018, 10:18:38 AM
Hey...how about a subscribers button..?
I agree you need a subscribers button so I don't look like the freeloader I am. :D but i do subscribe :)
Quote from: eagle19952 on November 17, 2018, 10:18:38 AM
Hey...how about a subscribers button..?
Sorry, somehow I missed this post. Here you go.
Subscribe here: https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/product/subscriptions/
Quote from: Dave5Cs on December 13, 2018, 03:07:25 PM
We are all getting rich ... with Bus Knowledge
Soooooo come on you cheapskates and buck-up some bucks and I am not telling you again. If you don't pay to play your Bus will not start the next time you try. Seriously Gary can do a mind-meld and mental telepathy thingy that ain't pretty. It can hit you at any time especially when you are not looking.... Just sayin.....
Thanks Dave. ;)
Quote from: eagle19952 on November 17, 2018, 10:18:38 AM
Hey...how about a subscribers button..?
I don't think that is what Donald was suggesting,at least it wasn't what i interpreted. :)
You have mentioned a few times that when you are a magazine subscriber you are "supporting" the website. I thought he was suggesting a button indicating "the subscribers " like you have a "donor" button. ie: Plattinum, gold, silver, bronze, mag subscriber.
So us subscribers of the magazine get some recgontion and don't look like "dead Beats" :)
Quote from: Paso One on December 14, 2018, 11:40:49 AM
I don't think that is what Donald was suggesting,at least it wasn't what i interpreted. :)
You have mentioned a few times that when you are a magazine subscriber you are "supporting" the website. I thought he was suggesting a button indicating "the subscribers " like you have a "donor" button. ie: Plattinum, gold, silver, bronze, mag subscriber.
So us subscribers of the magazine get some recgontion and don't look like "dead Beats" :)
Ohhhh. The Forum and the Subscriptions are two different software packages and names and email addresses used for the Forum are not always the same so that would be a monumental task to set this up and it still would not be accurate. We estimate that less than 10% of the folks who read the Forum are subscribers to the magazine unfortunately, which is why we set this Donation button up in the first place. But we will consider this perhaps in the future when we have more time and money.
Or everyone that is interested could do what I just did: I added "BCM Subscriber" to the Personal Text section of the Forum Profile. 8)
Interesting comments from Ian over on BNO.
Quote from: chessie4905 on December 14, 2018, 05:44:23 PM
Interesting comments from Ian over on BNO.
Yep, interesting, alright, maybe everything is cheaper in Canada. Like many others, I signed up for this site and two others, but BCM's has the highest level of postings, by far. There is merit in the idea of merging forums to avoid duplication of postings, but the owner's of each prefer to have control and not surrender to someone else, apparently. BNO used to be busier, but that is not the case now. Facebook has put a dent in many forums. BNO offering to take over is sort of like bankrupt Kmart taking over Sears, who in turn, is in decline.
Quote from: chessie4905 on December 07, 2018, 10:40:56 AM
A section for stickies would be useful for common adnauseum repeat questions.
Gary asked me to look into this. There is a sticky section at the top of each board, admins/moderators can make any topic a sticky. Sadly, no one reads stickies.:'( A FAQ would have to be compiled manually, and you'd have the same problem. It's quicker and easier to post a new topic or repeat an old question, than to read through stickies or FAQs. There's not much can be done about human nature.
Human nature is readily managed by MODERATING...
Someone re-arranging content so that it is complimentary to the community, and readily searchable later... everyone fell into line and fashioned their posts to match the lead.
Used to happen a lot, doesn't happen much anymore.
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
Well, that too. This Bus Topics board is pretty much a catchall for all sorts of topics, and it's difficult for moderators to impose any kind of discipline on a forum that's been around as long as this one. Moderation is one of those too little/too much things, it's difficult to strike a balance that makes everyone happy.
Quote from: Krash on December 14, 2018, 08:34:04 PM
Well, that too. This Bus Topics board is pretty much a catchall for all sorts of topics, and it's difficult for moderators to impose any kind of discipline on a forum that's been around as long as this one. Moderation is one of those too little/too much things, it's difficult to strike a balance that makes everyone happy.
That I agree with to much moderation it becomes a old Yahoo page or another board no one go to ,lol but most of the moderators here seem to be on Face Book though that's JMO
Quote from: DoubleEagle on December 14, 2018, 05:34:50 PM
Or everyone that is interested could do what I just did: I added "BCM Subscriber" to the Personal Text section of the Forum Profile. 8)
I like this.
Thanks BF for your donation to keep the Forum alive. We all appreciate it.
If anyone else likes the availability of the Forum and you are not a BCM subscriber, please donate to keep the Forum alive to create a place for folks to pose questions and answers for everyone out there.
Gary
Quote from: Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM on December 14, 2018, 11:47:59 AM
Ohhhh. The Forum and the Subscriptions are two different software packages and names and email addresses used for the Forum are not always the same so that would be a monumental task to set this up and it still would not be accurate. We estimate that less than 10% of the folks who read the Forum are subscribers to the magazine unfortunately, which is why we set this Donation button up in the first place. But we will consider this perhaps in the future when we have more time and money.
might I suggest Diamond, Emerald, Moissanite and CZ :)
Thank you RP for your contribution to keep the Forum alive. We appreciate your help. Soon we will have a surprise for everyone that donates to the Forum. I will announce it after we get time to roll it out. Keep those Donations coming as every little bit helps. Note: If you are already a subscriber to Bus Conversion Magazine, you are already helping. To subscribe today click here. https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/product/subscriptions/
If you have never subscribed before, you can save 50% on your first years subscription by using Coupon Code NewForumSubscriber50off.
Thanks to MC for your Donation to keep the Forum alive. I hope you are enjoying the comments by many about bus conversions.
I hope everyone is enjoying the new year. I am at the Flxible rally in Joshua Tree, CA this week. About 11 buses here so far. This is the pre-rally, the official rally starts on January 10th (tomorrow). They allow all kinds of buses and there is still plenty of room so stop on by.
Gary
Quote from: buswarrior on December 14, 2018, 08:18:24 PM
Human nature is readily managed by MODERATING...
Someone re-arranging content so that it is complimentary to the community, and readily searchable later... everyone fell into line and fashioned their posts to match the lead.
Used to happen a lot, doesn't happen much anymore.
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
Used to happen before we had so many posts so thanks for offering to organize all of the content on the BCM Forum. We were looking for another Moderator anyway. With over 379,000 posts it shouldn't take you very long to categorize all of the posts by topics and sub-topics. Let me know when you are finished so we can share it with the community. Contact Phil and he will set you up as a Moderator and then we can get you started. ;D
P.S. Like all Moderators, this is not a paid position but you should be able to deduct your time from your taxes as this is a non-profit organization.
Gary
Thank you LD for your donation. We definitely appreciate it. If anyone else is enjoying the Forum feel free to donate now.
Gary
Careful what you wish for?
8) 8) 8)
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
Quote from: Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM on January 15, 2019, 08:14:07 AM
Used to happen before we had so many posts so thanks for offering to organize all of the content on the BCM Forum. We were looking for another Moderator anyway. With over 379,000 posts it shouldn't take you very long to categorize all of the posts by topics and sub-topics. Let me know when you are finished so we can share it with the community. Contact Phil and he will set you up as a Moderator and then we can get you started. ;D
P.S. Like all Moderators, this is not a paid position but you should be able to deduct your time from your taxes as this is a non-profit organization.
Gary
Thank you BA for your Donation. Another fellow who wants the Forum to stay open for everyone to read. We really appreciate it.
The Management
Thank you DF for your wonderful donation. We appreciate that people appreciate the value of the Forum. And remember, if you are already a magazine subscriber, your subscription covers your Donation already. If everyone who reads the Forum was a Bus Conversion Magazine subscriber, donations would not even be necessary. Thanks everyone for your support.
BTW, on Valentines day, we will once again offer 50% off 1-year subscription to new members. Be watching the Forum for the announcement so you can sign your "Significant Other" up for a great bedside reading magazine. It also cures insomnia. ;D
Thank you LD for your donation. It is people like you that keep this Forum going.
This Forum now has 379612 Posts in 31796 Topics by 5569 Members. This means we have a LOT of searchable content. Nobody else has as much valuable information as our Forum. This is a great go-to resource when you have ANY questions about bus conversions.
Thank you BVH for your donation. It is people like you that keep the Forum going.
We appreciate it very much. Keep those donations coming.
Gary
Thank you RK for your Donation so we can continue to collect questions and answers about bus conversions to help each other out.
Gary
Thank you Andrea for your generous donation to the Forum to keep it running in perpetuity. Soon, we will be offering our Contributors a special prize for your interest in supporting the Forum.
If others want to Donate, please choose the Donate button at the top of the Forum.
SYOTR
Thank you, Dennis, for your generous donation. I am tickled you are enjoying the forum and want it to continue as it has been for the past several years.
This Forum is a great asset as there are tons of information on here. Use your search tool at the top of the forum to find information about any topic you are wondering about.
Keep those posts coming and if you have not subscribed to Bus Conversion Magazine yet, you are missing out on a great periodical dedicated to the Bus Nut community.
Gary
Thanks, James for your Donation to keep the Forum going.
If anyone else appreciates us keeping the Forum going that is not a subscriber, feel free to make a donation so we can keep it going and to be able to continue approving it.
Gary
Thank you RG for your continued support of this Forum so we can continue to exchange advice for converting and maintaining a bus. For some of us, we would be at a loss without this method of sharing advice.
Keep those Donations coming in. So far we have received over $1000 which are directly used to support this Forum instead of paying for it out of my own pocket which I have been doing for years.
Gary
Thanks very much DW for your donation to support the Forum. With supporters like you, we will be able to keep the Forum going and will be able to help ward off hackers which have been a problem in the past which sometimes cost Phil many, many hours working into the night to prevent them from locking everything up.
Gary
Thank you RG for your continuing Donation to keep the wheels rolling. It is supporters like you that keep the Forum alive.
Gary
Thanks Richard for your donation. Your contribution will keep the Forum going so people can search the Forum for information on over 350,000 topics.
I appreciate your support.
Gary
I want to thank Richard for another Donation to keep the wheels rolling. There is a ton of useful stuff on here which takes money to maintain and we try to keep our uptime over 99.99% which requires a big sever and want it to have the capacity to respond as quickly as possible. Big servers are not cheap nowadays and they get backed up every night so nothing will get lost like has happened in the past.
We will soon be offering our Donors something special for helping to keep the wheels rolling. We will be announcing it soon. We are getting the kinks worked out if it now and it should be ready to activate soon so keep an eye on this thread.
If you thought about becoming a Donor, now is the time to do it so you can take advantage of this new offer.
If it's a free Eagle, I'm not interested.😘
Quote from: chessie4905 on August 12, 2019, 01:20:57 PM
If it's a free Eagle, I'm not interested.😘
Ok, then it will have to go to someone else. ;D
Thank you RG for your continued support of the Forum. It would be very difficult to keep the Forum going if it was not for Donations from people like you that feel you benefit from the Forum. If anyone else is interested in Donating to the cause, click on the Donate button at the top of this Forum and help support this great resource. Unfortunately, unlike the previous owner, I do not sell buses on the side so my income is provided by sales of Bus Conversion Magazine. If you are not a subscriber, plese help us out keep the Forum going by becoming a Donating member.
BTW you can search the Forum for past topics by clicking in the Search field at the top of the Forum and type in something like "Eagle" and you will find all topics containing the word "Eagle".
Gary
Thank you MB for your contribution to the Forum. With people like you, we can assure that we can continue to keep the Forum alive.
If anyone else who is not already a subscriber to BCM feels they are getting great value out of reading the Forum would like to help guarantee its success and help contribute to improving it, feel free to click on the Donate button on the top of the Forum and become a supporter.
Thank you RG for your generous donation to help keep the Forum going. We appreciate people who appreciate the forum. There are 388,163 posts on the forum so far. That is a LOT of valuable information about bus conversions.
Don't forget everyone that we also have a very valuable magazine that you may be interested in as well with even more bus conversion information in it. For more information click here https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/magazines/ to start reading today and also have access to over 100 back issues. Use Coupon Code 2019veteransday for a 50% discount for your first year.
The Management. 8)
Thank you RK for your Donation. Your Donation will help keep the wheels rolling. If anyone else appreciates the Forum then we will be glad to accept your Donation too. Or as an alternative, subscribe to our magazine to as that helps indirectly.
Gary
Gary,
Is the forum self supporting or does BCM provide support here? Just curious because I'm a current member on BCM and assumed that contribution covers both sides.
Quote from: windtrader on November 21, 2019, 06:27:34 PM
Gary,
Is the forum self supporting or does BCM provide support here? Just curious because I'm a current member on BCM and assumed that contribution covers both sides.
Unfortunately, the Forum is not self-supporting. Because
Bus Conversion Magazine barely breaks even anymore, and I take no money for myself, we are asking for donations to keep the Forum in the black. I do not buy and sell buses on the side as the previous owner did as that helped back in the day.
Google Ads help, but they do not cover the cost of running the Forum. Our server costs about $100/month (for the magazine and the Forum) and both Phil and Krash work for peanuts to help keep it going. Banner Ads at the top of the Forum are included in the price of the ads we run in our magazine, so that does not directly go to supporting the Forum. But by itself, the Forum is a money-losing proposition but I keep it going because it is so helpful to so many, just like the magazine.
If you are a subscriber to BCM, then there is no need to Donate towards the Forum. Ads in those magazines help defray the cost of the Forum.
I hope this helps explain the financial side of things.
It's a shame that you got stuck holding the remnants of BCM, Gary. I think a lot of us appreciate you sticking with it. Maybe you should change the legal status of BCM to a non-profit charitable organization. You might be able to pay yourself a stipend then. To think that in 1996, I heard the then Editor of BCM describe the magazine as a "Cash Cow". :o That must have been because of the big ads by bus conversion suppliers, who have now diminished in number.
It helped a lot back then that not many forums and their use was in its infancy. The print media is dying, including books from what it was. Everyone gets all they need on their smartphone anymore.
Thanks Gary for providing insight to the two monitors covering the unique bus conversion community and happy to hear my contribution aids both causes.
Quote from: DoubleEagle on November 23, 2019, 03:22:28 PM
It's a shame that you got stuck holding the remnants of BCM, Gary. I think a lot of us appreciate you sticking with it. Maybe you should change the legal status of BCM to a non-profit charitable organization. You might be able to pay yourself a stipend then. To think that in 1996, I heard the then Editor of BCM describe the magazine as a "Cash Cow". :o That must have been because of the big ads by bus conversion suppliers, who have now diminished in number.
I bought the magazine because I thought I could resurrect it by taking care of customers better than the previous owner and making improvements in the magazine. I feel we have done both. After the decline in subscriptions from having to drop the print magazine, it is slowly increasing again, but it may never be what it was in it heyday when a lot more people were converting buses.
Now it is mostly people converting school buses on lower budgets but the conversion business is still going strong. I just want to be able to break even and be able to buy fuel for my bus to travel.
You are correct, it is not as easy to get the larger advertisers like Prevost now, but the smaller ones are definitely being helped by the magazine and we are in discussions with more people on a regular basis about advertising. With 1 million page views per month on the website, the banner ads are drawing in some business.
Thanks for your concern.
Quote from: windtrader on November 24, 2019, 03:20:47 PM
Thanks Gary for providing insight to the two monitors covering the unique bus conversion community and happy to hear my contribution aids both causes.
And thank you too. If everyone that read the Forum subscribed to the magazine, we would be doing much better and would not have to rely on Google Ads or Donations.
Unfortunately, only a small percentage of the Forum users, are subscribers now. We continually try to improve the magazine, but with a limited budget, there is only so much we can do and depend on our readers to send in articles to share stories and ideas with other buse nuts. Articles are becoming harder to obtain too. So if you have any stories to tell, by all means send them in and we will extend your subscription from 1 to 5 years depending on your article(s).
Thank you Joel Clark for your Donation to keep the Forum alive. We really appreciate it. Most people think there is great value in the Forum and I am glad you support that theory.
Gary
Thank you Chris G. for your Donation to keep the Forum going. We definitely appreciate it and glad you enjoy reading this great source of information.
Thanks so much Merle for your contribution to keeping the Forum alive. We appreciate it.
Gary