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Post by Jenny on Nov 8, 2006 3:45:56 GMT -5
Hi Folks, As most of you know, Chuck and I are working on building a new website. The first leg of the site will be a new forum called Frontier Freedom, which will eventually link to our home page, blogging network and online magazine. The new forum will be very similar to this one, but with a new name and a new look. Folks often say, "But I'm not an Alaskan" when they hear about the current forum. We thought Frontier Freedom was more descriptive and captured the spirit of what we're all about here. We would like your suggestions, as we are setting up the forum now. This is your opportunity to tell us what you would like to see in the new Frontier Freedom forum. This is your forum ---- a place we want you to enjoy visiting and spending time with other members. A place where you can feel comfortable asking lots of questions, offering advice, or just keeping in touch with friends. Here are some of the things we'd like you to tell us. Please make a reply post to this, or if you prefer, send a PM to Chuck or me. - Tell us what you like ;D (or don't like
 ) about the current Alaska HOMESTEADING Forum.
- What topics would you like to see in the Frontier Freedom forum that are not covered here?
- Do you have a preference for colors? We'll probably stick with a lighter color (something like we have here) for the background for text. I think the black or really dark backgrounds with the light text are hard to read. But, we're open to suggestions.
- Any other suggestions or ideas?
We hope to hear from you in the next couple of days since we're setting it up now. We can always tweak things as we go along, too. Take care, Jenny and Chuck |
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Post by ugashikrobert on Nov 8, 2006 11:51:06 GMT -5
Chuck/Jenny:
I hate to answer a question with a question but what is the mix of your current participants in terms of location, ambitions, and what they want out of your forum?
I suspect you will find a far ranging mix from hard core bush rats looking for similair experiences to curious pavement pounders whose only desire is to read about it. You need to provide an atmosphere that attracts both. I think your choice of topics provides a good balance of both. I consider you current list of topics very good in the spectrum it covers. Don't have any color preferences being a function over form type of dude. Just make sure it is readable.
I suspect one of your bigger drawing cards are details from people living in the real "bush". The problem with acquiring input from the people who are really living the good life is most of them don't have input via a medium like this. I don't know how but you need to do something to promote intrest as there has been times when activity was nonexistent.
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Post by Jenny on Nov 9, 2006 3:02:41 GMT -5
Thanks for your input, Bob. Glad you like the site and ideas. You're one of those folks living in the real bush, so we hope to hear more from you on the new forum, too. We get lots of personal e-mails from folks asking about alternative energy, so I hope you'll be able to post more about that on the new forum once we get it going. It is hard to spend the time needed to keep the forum going, and keep up with all the necessary tasks of living in the bush, isn't it? We used to subscribe to Countryside magazine. Once, a couple of years after we moved out here, I called to renew our subscription. We had a push-to-talk radio phone at the time, and the woman was so interested in our lifestyle. She asked us to send articles for the magazine. I told her we'd started many and taken pictures, with every intention of finishing and send them in "someday". But everyday life just kept getting in the way. She said that's the way it always is. The folks they run across who are "really doing it", as she put it, never have enough time to sit and write about it. It's really been a balancing act for Chuck and me. And now with winter and shorter days settling in, we have to limit the internet time. Chuck is planning on getting or wind generator up in the next few weeks, so we're really hoping that will keep the batteries charged enough so we can spend more time on the site here.
Again, thanks for the reply and your input on the forum.
Take care,
Jenny
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Post by cookiecache on Nov 9, 2006 17:18:20 GMT -5
Hello, I haven't been on your site for a while, and I think the new changes are going to be quite the improvement. I would highly encourage you to "lean" toward people that want to know about wilderness living skills, but not just for Alaska. I'm what many call "hard-core bush rat, but there aren't enough of us to support your site. Would it be possible to post how-to videos like canning, taking care of wild game, working with logs, etc. on your site so that people can come here for high quality instruction in these backwoods skills? Perhaps these could even generate a little income if a paid (cheap!) membership is required to access them.  |
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Post by Jenny on Nov 10, 2006 1:03:14 GMT -5
Bob, you were asking about the mix of folks we have here. I don't really know, but I suspect you're pretty much right on the money about it. It's hard to know for sure, but I think we've attracted a good mix, and hope to do better with the new forum and general site once everything gets going.
Cookiecache, thanks for your input, too. Chuck and I have been thinking about videos like you suggested, but were not sure if there would be any interest, or how we would do what your talking about, but I'm sure there is a way. Making videos or DVDs would come a little later. We're also not sure if we would sell them directly (most likely plan at the moment) or present them like you suggested. We just haven't looked into the technical aspects or costs of that yet. Sometimes I wonder if anyone is even interested at all in any of this sort of thing, and if we're just wasting our time trying to get the new site going. Then at other times, it seems like there are many people hungry for any information they can find on topics like the ones covered here.
From the personal e-mails we get, lots of folks really do want to know more about what life is like for folks in the bush, even though there are many folks here who have more experience than we have in different areas. We're thankful for all the really great advice from our members.
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Post by Stumpy on Nov 10, 2006 11:31:27 GMT -5
I would be interested in Cookiecache's suggestion as I am hoping for his dvd to come out. I would think it would be something those of us who are interested in the lifestyle but would not be considered a bush rat or close could understand more. It would be worth paying for in my mind.
My 2 cents
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Post by firethorn on Nov 10, 2006 13:09:39 GMT -5
Hi, I have not been on in awhile but I did want to offer my opinion. I went to the site and could not figure how to PM you. I hope this gets to you. Here are two links to sites I am on a lot. They are very easy, fairly different, and you can see how they work. I will list some things I like under each link. www.diaperswappers.com/forum/There is the ability to to leave feed back on transitions. Being able to trade, sell or buy from like minded people is great. Being able to see that they have done these things with integrity gives a measure of confidence in making that decision. It also helps to make one accountable. lots of smiles! gives our words a bit more clarity. I can say something that may come across harsh but with the right expression one can see I am kind hearted, sad or excited. LOTS of smiley choices! Ease of surfing from one topic or the other. Being able to "subscribe" to a topic you have started or have responded to, makes keeping up with the conversation so much easier. You get a message to your e-mail telling you there is a response to the specific topic. One can choose to turn this off of course. www.thebabywearer.com/forum/index.php Here you have to be around a little while to have the right to enter certain discussion. This is good. Helps eliminate lurkers from making false transactions and the like. Advertising one personal business or crafts ETC. Helps us support one another. Being able to have an avatar helps make it "ours". Privacy is extremely important! Hope this helps. If you have any questions please ask. I would love to see this work out for all of us, especially you guys. C This is the day that the lord has made. |
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Post by Jenny on Nov 10, 2006 13:37:34 GMT -5
Goodmornng Firethorn and Stumpy,
Glad to see both of you back, and thanks for the suggestions. We appreciate knowing that there are folks interested in what we are trying to do.
The new forum will have many more options than the one we have here. Firethorn, both of the ones you linked above are vBulletin, which is a pay forum. I don't think we'll be able to do quite as much with the one we've chosen, but it will definitely be much more than this one. You can have your own avatars, as you can on this one. The list of smileys that comes with the standard download is more extensive. We will take advertising as soon as we learn how to do the codes and such. We also eventually want to have as part of our site (a link from the forum, but not the actual forum) an online mall or auction. There are many small family business around, and we would like to provide an outlet. That's beyond what we can do at the moment, but one of the plans.
You will be able to subscribe and unsubscribe to topics. On this one, if you go into your profile, you can set it up to receive an e-mail for PMs or topics in which you have posted, but you don't have the flexibility you'll have in the new forum.
To PM someone here, you can click on the pm picture on the left under their name.
We do have a place here to buy, sell or trade, and will have that on the new forum, too.
Initially it will be set up so that when you register, you will be sent an automatic e-mail. You'll click the link, which will take you back to the page to log in, and will have the option for it to "remember" you and log you in each time you visit the site. If we have problems with spammers, we may have to go to a registration where members have to be approved by us, but that's a pain for everyone, so we won't do that unless we have to.
Right now, we're playing around with the options at the new site, trying to learn our way around so that it will run smoothly for all of you when it's up and running.
Take care,
Jenny
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Post by frostbite on Nov 12, 2006 23:10:51 GMT -5
Greetings Frostbite here. I have been on this forum many times and have seen that other members were on at the same time. There were times I would have liked to ask someone a question that I had at that time, the PM's are great, but did you consider having a IM chat request that could be sent to members that are signed on the forum? It would enhance the postings with Live IM's. Just a thought.
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Post by arlene on Nov 13, 2006 8:35:09 GMT -5
Jenny and Chuck, please count me among those that would dearly love to have videos available. I'm an avid reader, but when I'm trying to learn about new things I need to be able to see it (or get my hands in there). You know how it is.. the mental picture you get while reading can often be different than the actual experience. If you HAD to charge something for viewing them, a paid member section is used on a lot of sites.
For folks like me (have to be pretty selective about where the money is going) it would be better if we could choose a video that we can download individually and save to home pc, or disk. You could charge per video (if you have to), and I wouldn't have to worry about trying to go back to a video that I needed to review, only to discover that my membership expired (and might not be able to reup at that time). Or worse, that no one was watching it for a while and it got removed.
A benefit to you would be that it's probably less expensive than producing and distributing hard copies of videos. That would make the vidoes less expensive for us as well.
Just my two cents *g*
Arlene
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Post by ugashikrobert on Nov 13, 2006 19:22:47 GMT -5
Chuck/Jenny:
One of the things you might do is send each new participant a optional survey that asks what there interests are. Its always cumbersome for some when enrolling and dealing with passwords etc so an email or PM asking if they would mind a survey in hopes of improving the board might help.
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Post by cookiecache on Nov 21, 2006 16:41:28 GMT -5
Ah, there seems to be interests in videos on how to do things. The video I'm working on now is "Pressure Canning Wild Game and Other Meats." There seems to lot of miss-understandings about home canning (in jars) meat. I am wondering if this site could use something like "Quicktime Broadcaster" to allow people to click on a streaming video presentation. If this is a paid service, myself, as well as other, could provide the video for a portion of the revenue. Of course DVDs could be offered by mail order, but I think the biggest market would be people that just want to click, pay, and have it now.
I thought about setting-up my own website for this purpose, but I think it would be better if I offered video products to sites that are already up and running. I would much rather make the videos and let you worry about running a website.
I think there are numerous people that would like to learn these backwoods skills by watching someone else do them rather that just reading about them.
(Chuck and Jenny: You are correct in thinking that it is expensive to get started in producing the videos. About $10,000.00 for a basic set-up)
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Post by Jenny on Nov 24, 2006 14:01:57 GMT -5
I have another question for our members about security and registering for the new forum. The new forum will give us several options for new member registration. Since it's a different format from this one, all of you will have to register again on the new one. The reason we're concerned here is because of problems we've been seeing lately in so many other forums. Some are just getting overloaded with porn and other spam. Another forum I visit sometimes has been hacked three times recently. The latest completely destroyed their forum and all the records, member lists, posts, etc. Not the end of the world, but still a pain.
Some of those forums have finally decided to go to a system where all new members have to be approved by the administrator before they can actually join and post. We'd rather not do that if we don't have to. If we did, I think the way it would work is that you'd have to send us a brief e-mail saying something like why you want to join, then we activate your membership. It's just to make sure that you're a real person. Spammers don't ususally go to the trouble to do that. They'd jsut go to another forum with easier access. Nobody really likes that system, but it is more secure. Unless most of you think we should do that, or unless we start having problems, we probably won't do that.
Another option is to have one of those visual confirmation things where you look at an image of letters and/or numbers, then type in what you see. This is SUPPOSED to keep out computer-generated spam. I've heard that sometimes this does not work, and it certainly does not keep out human spammers. Lots of sites that use that system still have porn spammers registering and sending out porn e-mails to the members.
So, our thought is to start out making it fairly simple ----- use the visual confirmation when you register, then you'll be sent an automatic e-mail. You'll click on the link, and then you are registered and activated. We're small, so probably won't have much trouble, but we could, especailly since we discuss things like hunting, trapping, and we are family, Christian site. Let us know what you think, or if it would keep you from joining if you had to get admin. approval. We could usually get that done within 24 hours unless both of us are away at the same time. But then we could probably set it to have a moderator take care of it temporarily.
Thanks,
Chuck and Jenny
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Jerngen
Cheechako
Cheechako
Posts: 22
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Post by Jerngen on Nov 29, 2006 17:03:48 GMT -5
Hello again. As far as changes go........ I would like to see more activity! LOL  The only thing that I can think of is to encourage people to post different links they find about living in Alaska or just Alaska information in general. Those of us who don't live there yet LOVE to read all the information we possibly can concerning just about everything there. As for security, I think the visual/email confirmation will work well. But I don't really care which route you choose I intend to stay regardless |
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Post by blueberry on Nov 30, 2006 3:01:49 GMT -5
I'd suggest not being overly concerned about spammers/bots et al until and unless they happen. Sometimes the whole admin approval thing keeps me away...I waited over two weeks to be " approved" at another homesteading site and it basically turned me off the place. The letter thing sounds good for a start and then I'd suggest more security measures if you began having problems.
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) about the current Alaska HOMESTEADING Forum.
The only thing that I can think of is to encourage people to post different links they find about living in Alaska or just Alaska information in general. Those of us who don't live there yet LOVE to read all the information we possibly can concerning just about everything there.