UKC

Just did the survey and noticed there was a few questions regarding a subscription service or increasing adverts etc

is UKC actually struggling? Or just trying to best leverage their assets (squeezing it dry, baby!)

Thinking realistically about UKC, the use of logbooks for my own memory and for beta farming for routes i want to do, meeting partners who have become good friends, the cool photos and massive amount of information I've learnt about climbing from asking and answering questions on the forum...it's probably the best site I use regularly on the web. It's certainly enhanced my climbing experience.

If UKC was actually struggling I would be more than happy to donate via PayPal or something similar. Lots of podcasts i listen to have a similar set up. It's free to listen but they say "donate if you enjoyed the episode" should UKC do a similar drive?

...though if it's just someone can buy a 3rd Porsche I might not feel so charitable. But it someone at UKC is struggling to make mortgage payments, I think we could do a whip round

In reply to Kemics:

One forum I also frequent has a traffic light 'financial health of the forum' post every 3 or 4 months. It is advert free and supported entirely by donation, Green means it has sufficient funds for the next 12 months, Amber is the next 6 months and Red is insufficient for the next 6 months. It is a totally non commercial site with no salaries to support.

In reply to Kemics:

You can donate to UKC here:

Http://www.justgiving.co.uk/CuChullainBeers

In reply to Kemics:

Thanks for your message and concern over UKC finances. We are doing fine so no panic.

The questions in the survey were aimed at testing the water for some ideas we have moving forward but we are a long way from implementing any major change which might be implied by the questions. The provisional results we have got back tend to show very strongly that people don't want subscription based, or extra paid-for content.

The adverts question is much the same. It is nice that you tell us that the advertising coverage is about right and this is what the answers to that question have confirmed. People have resoundingly rejected the idea of a paid for advert-free version.

To instigate a donate button would fundamentally change the nature of the site and isn't something we are contemplating. I appreciate the fact that you would give generously though

Alan

In reply to Alan James - Rockfax:
>some ideas we have moving forward

Oh dear. You got a dislike for using that phrase.

In reply to Alan James - Rockfax:

Alan, I think there's the world of difference between a subscription and a donation. I think it's a worthy suggestion and one that I for one would contemplate.

In reply to nniff:


I agree. I wasn't suggesting that although re-reading my post I can see that isn't totally clear.

Subscription, community support by donation and advertising offer three different models for financially supporting a site. We also have Rockfax which accounts for 50% of the business and gives us a proper financial platform to work from. Without this the site would struggle for sure, but Rockfax has been there from the beginning. The support from advertisers is also increasing over the last 2 years, which is great, and the site readership on the way up too (April was our first million visits month).

So things are fine and we have no real need to change. We appear to have got the level of advertising, and the content of the advertising, about right (93.7% 'about right', 4.7% 'too much' from the latest survey).

I think a donation support model would change the dynamic of the site and would be tricky to work in conjunction with advertising and physical product sales although not impossible. It may be something we consider but for the moment there is no need. The results from the survey though are just useful for future planning and "ideas moving forward" (agree with aln, nasty corporate speak!)

Alan

In reply to Alan James - Rockfax:

The title got me thinking... how about some buttons to make it easy to donate to bolt funds... many climbers may not know how and it would be good for the site to encourage such donations.

In reply to Alan James - Rockfax:





Long may that continue.


PS. 'future planning' is right up there with 'previous experience'!