What happened to BOI????

Originally Posted by Mooing Tricycle

If the boi were to go away, would users have the chance to be able to purchase the data contained within the BOI forum? Id like the option, as that is a TON of data that would be lost....

Better yet let's not have the BOI go away.

Originally Posted by Mooing Tricycle

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...3&postcount=58

Well, rich will tell us one way or another.

I don't think non-contributing members can view that post being it is in the Club Room. So........

Originally Posted by WebSlave

Sorry folks, but I've already tried the "withholding services unless payment is made" route and it just didn't fly. It nearly killed the BOI when I tried it, and then nearly killed this site when I tried it with the classifieds. So I have been slapped around pretty hard telling me that people DEMAND that the services on this site must be free, OR ELSE. Of course, I doubt most realize what "OR ELSE" is actually going to mean. I guess I'm just curious about what will actually happen to this site when the BOI does go away. Yeah, I'm certain someone else will try to pick up the BOI concept as a way to funnel traffic to their own site, and it will be fun and games until the realization of the legal jeopardy finally dawns on them when threatened lawsuits force them to think hard about that possibility. Actually, truth be known, had a lawsuit actually taken place early on here with the BOI, I'm certain I would have shut it down rather than have to face that expense again. I wasn't making enough with SerpenCo to have been able to afford it back then. So unless someone has some well heeled financial backing from the start, a lawsuit early on will positively kill the entire idea of a BOI in this business.

Honestly, if I do decide that I have to shut down the BOI, I have to think about how to do it in such a way so as to not piss off those people who have been paying to help keep it open. Quite likely what I will do is to announce the end of the BOI but keep it open to CURRENT paid members only for 1 year from that date so they feel they at least got that service for that year's paid membership.

The way things are looking, this will probably take place on January 1, 2010. The hoped for sale of SerpenCo has not taken place, so funds are going to be a bit tighter than I had hoped for in retirement. Sorry, but I just can't take the chance that a lawsuit because of the BOI will put Connie and myself in financial straits. It is far beyond the time when this site should have been supporting itself, much less helping me make ends meet while in retirement.

So, that's about the size of it...........

Originally Posted by DAND

Better yet let's not have the BOI go away.

It'd be nice!!!

Originally Posted by Mooing Tricycle

It'd be nice!!!

Yep, just trying this on for size. I've dropped all sorts of hints about the possibility of the BOI needing to go away if this site can't support the financial burden when I retire. And I AM retiring no later than January 1, 2010. I know I can live without the BOI, but I don't know if this site can. I'm hoping the thumbnail photo capability I implemented in the classifieds has been beneficial enough to build up traffic there where this site is not quite so dependent on the BOI for viewers. So I want to watch traffic stats for a bit to see what impact the BOI being gone may have here. This site NEEDS to be self sufficient without the burden of legal and financial liabilities that I couldn't handle when living on my retirement savings. This is non negotiable. I've watched paid memberships dwindle away to a bare trickle, so I have to assume that it will only get worse even though traffic has picked up considerably lately. Free is really cool, I know, but sorry, I can't take that kind of financial burden when my income will be drastically curtailed.

Sorry about this, but I know from experience trying to find out answers I need via polls or feedback would be an exercise in futility...

Anyway, this is a test and ONLY a test. If it were the real thing, then this would have to be January 1, 2010 on the calendar....

Originally Posted by Mooing Tricycle

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...splay.php?f=13

Who can see that?

This is what I get with Alicia's link:
Tiger Lilly, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:
1. Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
2. If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.

RICH...you tryin' ta tell me somethin'? Did I expire, or am I "trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?"

Originally Posted by rosebud945

Where did you get that link, because if you look at the index, none of the BOI forums are visible any more. However, under Fauna links, I found this
http://www.boardofinquiry.com/forums/

Do we have to go to this other board now?? If so. WHA! I liked the one stop shopping! LOL!

This link looks like what I thought was the old forum...? Or was that in a dream? It's got way old posts & new ones as well.

I'm sooo confused...

Oh, wait...I just re-read Rich's post...how long is this test going to last?

I'm guilty of being a "free" user of the site, and am not a buyer or seller so the BOI is not usually directly relevant to me, but it is interesting (and often entertaining), and I'd hate to see it go (and obviously I'd REALLY hate to see the site go). I can see I should get my credit card out and make the commitment.
Maybe it would encourage us casual users to join if you could post a "taster" of the BOI which was freely available, but then make the main thing subject to paid membership (as I think the HELL forum once was)?

BTW, just tried to join via the SerpeCo website and it "can't ship" to Fiji, making it so that I can't proceed without setting up a Paypal account, so maybe not today....

Rich, first let me say that whatever you decide to do I wish you the best of luck. Do what is best for you and your family and dont think twice about it. You have already given back way more than you have ever taken from this hobby. Dont ever think otherwise.

The BOI will be missed though. I dont think people realize just how much. The impact the BOI has had on this hobby/industry can be debated til the cows come home, but I for one will feel less secure making purchases online in the future without it.

I think everyone can understand your position on this though and I personally would like to say thank you for the years you did make the BOI available to the community at large. My hat is off to you, Big Guy.