The BOI will be coming to an end on 02-02-2020

Rich, have you considered allowing someone else to take over the site? I get that it has worn you down and retirement is in the wind. I’m close to retirement myself. I really would hate to see the BOI gone for good.

Originally Posted by Pasodama

I know/knew this is plan B, vs. shut down, but my understanding, is that the BOI's survival is, now, (in your words) "up to us". IOW If the amount of contributor level memberships (for the site, of course) go up, the more likely it is that the BOI will survive (when you revisit this in 02-02-20). Did I misunderstand or is this correct?

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Well, I would be foolish to let go of the BOI if it proves out to be worth keeping. I'm just saying that this concern of mine actually started in 2005. Then reached a head again in 2009. We now have 139,000 registered members here, an extremely thin minority of which are finding this worth supporting.

In my shoes, how do you think 2020 will look?

Exactly. I wish that it will be different, but I am not holding my breath.

Originally Posted by WebSlave

In my shoes, how do you think 2020 will look?

Exactly. I wish that it will be different, but I am not holding my breath.

I know exactly how you feel and it is quite understandable for you to feel the way you do.
Am keeping fingers crossed.

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RGM Inc uses the BOI one of us check in at least every other day to see if there is any new posts we feel it is an extremely valuable asset and since we don’t use Facebook and because bad guys are weeded out so quickly here, we’d really like to see it continue.

Originally Posted by WebSlave

I presume there are a number of people who would prefer FaunaClassifieds to survive, even without the BOI. Yes? No??

For me, yes, of course! Obviously, many of us would like to see the BOI stick around, but if it's not to be, I will still continue to purchase an annual membership, even if it's for the classifieds only.

Heck, I don't buy a lot of animals these days, and I sell none. If I'm willing to purchase a membership, and don't even use the classifieds, I don't think it's unrealistic to expect those who make money here, to help out.

Kathy

Originally Posted by Insomniac101

For me, yes, of course! Obviously, many of us would like to see the BOI stick around, but if it's not to be, I will still continue to purchase an annual membership, even if it's for the classifieds only.

Kathy

YES...I'll stay and contribute with every year, without fail!

Lynn Peterson
Big Time Reptiles

I would hate to see the BOI go and the thought makes me sad, but I totally understand Rich's position. Forums in general don't seem to be what they were 5, 10, 15 years ago, or at least it seems that way to me. So many people are on facebook or other sites like that. And with those sites being free to use, it doesn't come up on a lot of people's radar that a site like the BOI needs to be supported.

I'll stick around and contribute as long as the BOI is still around though!

Although my first reaction to reaction to reading that the BOI might go away was "oh no!", that is born mostly out of nostalgia I suppose. I've been here pretty much since day one, although I have taken breaks from the hobby over the years occasionally and I no longer participate nearly as much as I used to, this is literally the only "message board" style website I vist, and has been for years.

Perhaps the online community, reptiles especially, has evolved to the point that sites like this are no longer desirable commodities. That is entirely possible and you will probably find that nearly all of the other mainstay sites/message boards of the reptile world have either died completely off or are ghost towns ripe with digital tumbleweeds rolling around.

Having said all of that, I have never once paid for access to a hobby website, and I won't start here unfortunately. If the BOI ends, it was a good run....if you have to pay to access it, then I won't lose any sleep over losing access.

Hello hello! If It's alright, I have a few thoughts on this matter. I'm not an active conversationalist in the community, but I do care deeply for the website as a whole; I apologize if that precludes my being able to weigh in, but I would like to speak of my experiences as a more casual user of Fauna.

I would like to start by saying thatif not for the BOI, I would likely cease in getting new reptiles.. The adage of doing one's research is moot when there's nowhere to get that information from, and I have been burned too many times to boldly go where no one has gone before. As someone who doesn't dabble in social media, the BOI is instrumental in how I research potential sellers: it is, in fact, how I found FaunaClassifieds in the first place. But in spite of my wonderful experiences here, and my constant recommendations of this website to other herpers I know IRL, I was not aware that there was more I could do to support the site as a whole.

I don't know how many people realize that support for Fauna has been falling, and I think more visibility in that area would benefit the website. Another site I support (mynoise.net) has a banner showing their current funding level for the month in various places throughout the website. It acts to remind users that their actions have a cost, without being obtrusive or obnoxious. At least in my personal experience, users are more likely to donate (in the instance of free-to-use or nonprofit services) when they are confronted with the reality that a website is vulnerable to the realities of server costs and hosting fees -- especially when it is a website with an invested community, or one which provides a service not replicated elsewhere.

And Fauna has bits of both of those things.

In my experience, people don't tend to notice problems with a site until the 504s start. I believe many of us are lulled into a false sense of security that the websites we use will be there for us- that everyone else is footing the bill, and that there isn't anything an individual person can do to impact a situation. Therefore, I think the registered users of Fauna would benefit from a wake-up, shake-up roll-call linking everyone to either this thread, or one similar to it in perhaps the news section. Users value transparency and honesty, and if more people- newcomers in particular- were aware of the troubles you've had with the BOI and in keeping Fauna open, I think more of them would be willing to do what they can to support the site. Had I not come to the BOI to search up a name, I wouldn't have found this thread, after all- and for many people who primarily dabble in the classifieds, they may not be aware that there are issues brewing under the surface to begin with. From a purely end-user perspective, then, I think we could stand to be more conscious of the website's needs.

(Fauna is free, it costs $$ to host this ad, consider making a donation if you found buyers/sellers/benefited from fauna et al, our subscription model offers these perks, etc etc. There are a lot of ways to remind people that the webhosts aren't made of money and that the site is a service, not a guarantee.)

In addition to the subscription model currently offered, and the ability to purchase adspace, I also feel that (if Fauna management were open to it,) the website would benefit from a place to send Donations! I know that when I'm either not in a position to set up a subscription for service, or I do not use the service enough to warrant paying for it on a monthly basis, when available I instead opt to donate directly on a one-time or per-use basis to show my appreciation! Less-frequent users of the site may be drawn to that option over subscription models- and as some use the site more over time, they may move to buying a subscription in the future, too. Either way, some money is better than none money, and I doubt that there's a dearth of people willing to donate -- I think that many, like me, are a combination of not thinking about it, and not being aware of the options. I certainly want to support this website!

(There are also myriad ways to encourage donations and membership perks- some sits paywall icons or wordcount of posts, install limits on how many photos you can use and all of that, but if you'd rather not you can try the positive reinforcement route of giving donators little "donator" titles in addition to the membership roles, perhaps giving out little profile banners or things you can purchase for your donation like a badge stating if you're a snake breeder or an iguana collector or something. There are a lot of options is my point! It depends on what the users would be open to and what the staff want to implement, of course!)

In all, I personally think the hobby would change for the worse if Fauna were to go away, BOI or no -- but I think the BOI itself is a huge asset for the community, and one I would hate to see disappear. Facebook and other websites are all well and good (not,) but none of them can match the history and the level of accountability found in the BOI. Even if things do tend to go awry there from time to time, this is where the community gathers to feel each other out. I don't believe another website will replace that any time soon. I feel that the BOI is one of Fauna's strengths, in addition to the wonderful organization of the classified's section and the fact that this site boasts more variety in available species than any other site out there. I consider Fauna one of the touchstones of the community, at least personally, and of the big three classifieds sites (morphmarket, kingsnake, and fauna,) I consider this one to be the best of all three in terms of user engagement, variety of content, and overall quality of experience. I think there's a lot of good in the people here, too, and that counts for a lot.

But all that said, I understand the need for funding and the desire to rid yourself of a perpetual headache in the shape of a legal liability. I am far, far too familiar with being on the receiving end of a job that feels thankless, like a hole in the wallet and an ache in the head. And I will support and respect whatever decision the Fauna Admins decide to make on this issue one way or another as the decision they found necessary, because at the end of the day, it's their site and their rules, and they must do what's best for their own well-being first and foremost.

I will also say that on the first I will be purchasing a subscription to support the site in light of this article. And if you read all of this, thank you very much for your time.

Originally Posted by onebigmoth

But all that said . . . .

And, well-said! Thank you for taking the time to offer your valuable input.