ShopTalkForums Looking For New Owner

[doc]

After 17 or 18 years, I have decided to remove myself from the forum business. I'm getting old and tired. And, I know, someone can do a better job than me. It's time for a change, i think.

Most of you who have been around for awhile have a pretty good idea of the things that have been important to me. No ads. No BS for members from STF. Minimal "lounge" activity. Maximum technical Input. Mostly info, little noise. I am very grateful that members have, more or less, supported this approach. I hope a new owner will continue the same basic approach. However, I recognize that a new owner will be able to do whatever they feel is best. And i encourage that.

Here's the deal. I paid $3500 for STF way back when. I would like to get my money back. However, I am willing to do this deal at $0 to the right person. I assure you, we can work something out. You will own the forum and the domains. You can do with it what you want. I will have no input. It will be your forum. You can change it, improve it the way you want or sell it and make a buck. The forum can support itself through donations.

In my mind, the right person for this will have a real interest in the topics and have a desire to continue the forums, should have pretty good computer knowledge and has the time to spend 15 minutes EVERY DAY fooling with STF. I can do some front end training. Won't take very long.

If nobody surfaces in the next few months, I will likely close the forums at the end of the year. I hope that doesn't happen. Please contact me here via pm if you are interested.

Thx.

[Lo Cash John]

WOW!!!

Something to ponder...

[Clatter]

This is really sad news.

Here we have the best forum by far for the advanced VW enthusiast.

As facebook and their ilk move us away from a community forum to an individual-based 'look at me' platform,
it's inevitable that these smaller forums fade away.

I really, really love this place and visit it still every day.
I also understand that it's a labor of love, and a lot of work for little pay.

i'd try and talk you out of quitting Doc if i thought it would do any good.

Hopefully someone can come along and carry the torch.

Thanks for all of your service to us.
It's been very much appreciated.

[doc]

Thanks for the kind words.

For the record:

STF won't go away, no matter what. It's just time for me to find someone younger who will do a better job.

I have never made 1 penny from STF. Not that you couldn't. I simply chose the other route.

It is the members that give the forum life. My suspicion is that the content here will be relevant for a long time to come, in spite of the big guns. Nothing wrong with shiny pics, but real expertise and experience is hard to come by. They'll be a long time catching up.

Just sayin'.

[Max Welton]

Most of you who have been around for awhile have a pretty good idea of the things that have been important to me. No ads. No BS for members from STF. Minimal "lounge" activity. Maximum technical Input. Mostly info, little noise. I am very grateful that members have, more or less, supported this approach.

I think of this as a high signal to noise ratio and I wholeheartedly support it. We need more of it, not less.

Max

[doc]

Max,

Posts like your current one are the real heart of the matter. So much to be learned. That's the meat and potatoes of the thing. Thanks to those who have contributed so much of their time and knowledge over the years. I promise that others have learned and are grateful. You didn't do it for nothing.

[Lo Cash John]

What about a joint "committee" to keep it going? I don't know that I have the time and more importantly the computer/software skills for the job but I'd be glad to help where I can.

I actually came to this forum to see if there was talk about the Forced Induction Forum needing a moderator because the former has been absent for a little while. I'm all for helping out as much as possible as I think this well of knowledge is WELL worth the effort.

[doc]

I guarantee the new owner will want to review our moderator situation. It's something i have done a poor job of. Fortunately, the forums have been good at "self moderating". Several members are constants that have endlessly contributed to keep things bumping along. But, I guarantee the new owner will be looking for folks to help. Lo cash, you're on the list.

For members who care, stand by for new thinking. I'm not going to sell it to one of these buy your forum just to sell ads. The money here is really the very last thing in the list. A new owner might do something different with the format or the moderators or might open a lounge. Hey, I'm never going to.
This is gonna work out for the better, I think.

[Lo Cash John]

Keep us posted.

[blue72beetle]

For the love of God don't let Vertical Scope get ahold of it.

[Scott.Keith]

Hey Doc! Considering I was one of the owners you bought it from I might be interested... i know I've been absent the past few years, but we should talk...

Scott

[Clonebug]

Hey Doc! Considering I was one of the owners you bought it from I might be interested... i know I've been absent the past few years, but we should talk...

Scott

Scott...as in Scott the Viking?????

[doc]

No. Different guy. Scott the Viking was great!

[Lo Cash John]

Off topic:

Just asking out loud and I know nothing about forum hosting or software.

How hard would it be to host pictures here?

Are there any updates to the forums software that would make it easier to add pics into the post? That's part of the beauty of Facebook is that it's so easy to insert a photo or photos. With forums you have to go host it somewhere, then copy/paste a link.

[doc]

STF has been hosting it's own pics for 10 years. Current size of pic files is enormous. It creates issues when making updates, etc. But there hasn't been a need to host pics elsewhere in a long time.