Making the Rotary Forum a paid subscription site

[getut]

I was trying to explain this to Ron over the phone.

No matter how hard people want it to be otherwise, the PRA and the gyro community are NOT one and the same. The gyro community is served BY the PRA and the community would live on without the PRA, although that would be at great cost to all of us.

No matter how much any of us, myself included, want to see the PRA succeed and overcome its troubles, it should not do so to the detriment of the best example of success in the gyro and rotorcraft community (this site). That is not helping the ***community***, it is helping the organization at the expense of the people who make up the community. Fixing the PRA can be done without that... and in fact needs to be done without that because we DO in fact need the PRA. But Two way discourse by all has to be able to continue. I hope the PRA fixes its issues and I want to play in part in helping it do so with donations of money and also time if there is any way I can help, but don't mess with the successful recipe of this site other than to add to it with a PRA section. Don't put any piece of what already exists behind a paywall.

I know our Chapter 13 has a plan to become more visible at local fly-ins and really start working to drum up members both to the local Chapter and the National PRA.

 

[billygyro]

I will donate to both the PRA and the Forum! I think we all should.. Enough Said !


Thank you,each and all for making the sport better. I for one Love the info and people here on the forum.

Ron this is for you! Thank you for all that you have done and the time that you have spent to help out. I appreciate the devotion and the sacrifices that you have made towards this sport. I do recognize the time taken from your family and your personal time to be a part of this community.
Ron is not the only one that has done this, there are a lot more to thank as well.

I am grateful to all that devote there time here to help others.

just my 2 cents.

 

[E6B]

Pat, you're missing the same point many others are. The proposal would leave reading the forum free.

Perhaps, if it was free to look in past threads for the answer, but cost $20 to ask a question for the 50th time, the "search" function would get more use!

Copy. But there are always unasked questions. Then someone here will start a competing free forum to address those and you lose.

I might add that banner ads are a palatable option. Heck, there may be some FW pilots here who drag real-world banners along the beach or around stadiums for extra bucks.

Also, Paul, you didn't address my suggestions. I'm just trying to help.

Pat

 

[Exterminator]

Paul, I didn't even take that away from what Scott said. It sounds as if the site will remain completely free with maybe a paid PRA section.

What I said was the Forum would remain as is,, FREE ,no change in content, However, there will be a PRA members only section added.

If you are a PRA member their would me know charge whatsoever to enter the members only section...

 

[Penguin]

I'm only a student gyro-tard but I think I can shed some light on this question by my experience in another venue - amateur radio. I'm a licensed ham - KD4DPO - but no longer active. Why? Because the hobby died out (it's on death watch by any measure) due to a lack of young blood. Rather than promoting themselves to the curious, the clubs priced them out of the market. With declining participation, the FCC is now selling off the bands allocated to amateurs.
How does this apply to the gyro sport? Look at the grey in the crowd at your next gathering. Who will be active in 10 years? 15? How many young guns are building, buying and flying? I can count them on one hand at Wauchula - a very active area.
The sport needs to go in exactly the opposite direction - price for inclusion, not exclusion. Put the magazine on the web for free to build interest. Use dues to develop a scrutineer program; publicize safety records; lobby for legislative change, e.g. revisit the ultralight weight limits to promote the use of safety equipment.

 

[barnstorm2]

The sport needs to go in exactly the opposite direction - price for inclusion, not exclusion. Put the magazine on the web for free to build interest. Use dues to develop a scrutineer program; publicize safety records; lobby for legislative change, e.g. revisit the ultralight weight limits to promote the use of safety equipment.

Larry,

All VERY good suggestions.

This thread is about the forum, which is not the same as the PRA, although some sharing of resources could happen in the future.

I don't wan't to steal this thread topic away with PRA topics but so far:

PRA does lobby for legislative change. One of my completed projects as a PRA BOD member was to have the PRA join with the AAAA and increase it's interaction with the EAA on issues dealing with rotorcraft, small airports and light sport aviation. PRA officer Greg Gremminger is dedicated to watchdogging all related legislative issues.

The PRA does also promote safe flying and about 8-10 years ago took some 'heat' because it promoted the use horizontal stabilizers in gyros and also refused to publish aircraft in the PRA manufacturers list that had not had at least one FLYING example.

The PRA also has an incident response team that lends expert knowledge to the FAA and NTSB when a homebuilt rotorcraft incident happens. This team is recognized by the FAA and NTSB investigators.

here is a DRAFT welcome kit that lists some benefits of belonging to the PRA:

CLICK HERE TO SEE DRAFT WELCOME KIT


Can you tell me what a "scrutineer program" is?


.

 

[Riff Raf]

Tim if you haven’t noticed but my guess is the last 3-4 pages of this thread have a lot of PRA and form talk in them.
It has somewhat deviated from Ron’s main objective.

I wish you would be up front in this thread and tell everyone what the plan (for the PRA/form) may be so there would be less speculation here, It just might put this thread back on track.

 

[Laura W-P]

OH MY GOD !!!!!!!!!!!

What the hell is wrong with everyone ?

A simple poll ! Let's start another.....

Which hand do you use to wipe your ass ?

OMG is right! This is like watching a big dysfunctional family fight over Thanksgiving dinner!

And, for the record, I use my right hand.

 

[Laura W-P]

Neither, I use toilet paper !

Flying gyros is fun !

Who wants to send in a donation ?

Why is it easier to argue than to assist ?

What would Jesus do ?

Much better said than my last post....!

 

[PW_Plack]

...here is a DRAFT welcome kit that lists some benefits of belonging to the PRA...

Tim, any chance this could be offered in a format other than .ppsx, for those of us who've hopped off the Microsift planned-obsolescence train?

 

[getut]

Tim, any chance this could be offered in a format other than .ppsx, for those of us who've hopped off the Microsift planned-obsolescence train?

Paul the lastest couple of versions of OpenOffice handle ppsx. If you double click the file, it might not do it... but open OpenOffice Impress first then open the file from within Impress and it SHOULD work. The fonts were a little foobar'd in mine but it opened.

 

[Gyro_Kai]

It may have been said before, but I am too lazy to read pages and pages about this simple question:

I pay to support and keep this forum alive. But I do not support making this a closed pay-only site.
We should now possibly important information be held back because of an admission fee.

This option is not available in the poll, so I did not vote.

Kai.

 

[barnstorm2]

Tim, any chance this could be offered in a format other than .ppsx, for those of us who've hopped off the Microsift planned-obsolescence train?

I am sorry.

Thank you for pointing that out.

I will fix that tonight.


.

 

[helipaddy]

works with Keynote on the Mac

 

[barnstorm2]

Tim, any chance this could be offered in a format other than .ppsx, for those of us who've hopped off the Microsift planned-obsolescence train?

I am sorry, but I just went back to save an older format version and I found that I have limited myself to the newer power point format because of some features I use in the presentation.

Link to Microsoft Web page for FREE powerpoint 07 viewer:


https://www.microsoft.com/downloads...40-14E1-467D-8DCA-19D2A8FD7485&displaylang=en

.

 

[Riff Raf]

Tim O
Did you miss my question in post #167?
Or from your non response should except there is something deeper?

 

[GyroRon]

I feel I have to say it one more time, based on a few of the last posts in the thread.

Please read the following very carefully and hopefully this will make sence.

1. This whole idea of making this a subscription site was strickly MY idea, and MY idea alone. Todd, GyroMike, and the PRA had nothing to do with this.... Again, this was only my idea and I put up this thread and poll to gauge interest / opinion.

2. I am a moderator on this forum, but in the grand scheme of things that doesn't mean jack squat. I do not own nor control this forum. I can not make deals with the PRA on the forums behalf. And I can not institute a paid subscription plan. So just because me, A moderator , posted this whole thing, do not think anymore of it than if anyone else here posted the same thing.

3. I doubt any kind of user fees will sprout up, now that this discussion has happened. It is pretty clear that most people would be willing to donate money annually, but less than half the votes supported a manditory membership fee. It will be up to Todd if he takes the input from this topic and decided to make changes, but my guess is he probably won't. I think he liked things the way they have been, he just feels like doing something to help the PRA through the forum, and having a membership fee and passing that over the PRA would have been a big help.... but there are many many other possibilities to explore and act on.



For those like Robert ( GetUp ) who are strongly opposed to membership fees on the forum, perhaps it would be usefull for one or more of you guys to start a new thread for the purpose of finding a good useful way that we can use the forum to make a sizeable and positive improvement for the PRA. This thread was just one idea, out of many that could be discussed. Personally I find it a bit odd that this one idea of membership fees on the forum was such a hot topic that many seemed very interested in, but no one seems interested in throwing out other ideas and trying to get something else going.

 

[barnstorm2]

Tim O
Did you miss my question in post #167?
Or from your non response should except there is something deeper?

Tim if you haven’t noticed but my guess is the last 3-4 pages of this thread have a lot of PRA and form talk in them.
It has somewhat deviated from Ron’s main objective.

I wish you would be up front in this thread and tell everyone what the plan (for the PRA/form) may be so there would be less speculation here, It just might put this thread back on track.

Sorry, too many windows open at once, I missed the post.

Your right, the thread has fully drifted off topic. I think we have Ron's blessing though.

Nothing is done or set yet. Currently, the capability of the forum software is being explored so we can see what can be done, then we can think about what we will do.

Out side of that, the posts already made in this thread explain exactly where we are right now.

Please believe me when I say, this is not a case of me knowing something you don't. We are working with Scott Lewis & the PRA BOD to figure out the very best way the forum can help the PRA while at the same time doing nothing to harm this forum.

Let me assure you all, This thread has had nothing to due with the PRA. Ron decided to due this survey on his own . Why, who knows, as Todd stated, he is trying to work on helping us enhance the PRA and he has been most gracious in his suggestions. No matter what happens with Todd the PRA and this forum, speaking for the PRA only, there would be No changes in its format and no fees whatsoever.

We the BOD and Todd only want to enhance the information this forum already provides.

Once again, if Todd and the PRA comes to an agreement there will be NO FEES, No required memberships . There would be be a PRA membership section however , that would not interfere with the currant forum whatsoever.

 

[Redbaron]

Ron you sure catch hell for just making a poll! If I got that much flak I would just leave! I still love ya as a bud Jeff "full of love" S

 

[barnstorm2]

Ron you sure catch hell for just making a poll! If I got that much flak I would just leave! I still love ya as a bud Jeff "full of love" S