Agreed ..... and it may be controversial
......... but I actually think the tiny £12.99 'VIP Membership' annual fee should be a compulsory contribution to both the infrastructure / operational costs of this Forum and the time and resources made available to all by Admin / Moderators.
The breadth and depth of 'ownership support' and camaraderie on this Forum has never ceased to amaze me
Although I don't disagree, I doubt the forum would be where it is now if the Membership was compulsory. I've often clicked on forums that charge to join, and just clicked straight off. The fact that most VIP members will of only paid to use the Sales section suggests they got it spot on.
I was chatting to
@Pauly at the last show, and he mentioned that they started this place as a laugh, which considering where it is now, must of been the best 'laugh' they've had in a long time. I don't know if you can make a living from a forum, but personally I've learnt a lot of technical information on here, and it's the first place I click when I turn on my laptop, or phone. I love the banter, and it's got me out the poo with information loads of times. Plus where else in the world would you get people actually volunteering to relay parts we buy up and down the UK for 'beer' tokens. Thoroughly decent guys.
I'm a paid member of several forums, but all the others are on a professional capacity to do with my business. I get asked to join to help with technical questions in my field, and to be fair, 50% of my yearly work comes direct from certain forums, but I cannot be myself on those, and have to be totally professional, plus many of them spiral into deep political debates, arguments, and locked threads, so not much fun at times.
Also, i've actually met some really top guys and a few are good mates now that pester me 24/7 on WhatsApp
when you consider I have a personal reputation of being a grumpy unsociable sod, this has surprised even my own wife. (by the way, i'm not unsociable, or grumpy. I'm just at an age where I cannot stand BS or morons, so choose my mates wisely)