State of the forum

[CleverCowboy]

I would like to remind everybody that closing down the forum at the end of the year is not a done deal. I would like to see it running for years into the future.

I think we all can agree that AAm activity has slowed down significantly in the last few years. Can we turn that around and make it more inviting for new Alizee fans to join? I think so.

For those that newly discover Alizee and are looking for a fan club, a Google search brings up AAm in the top 3 results. The vast majority of time, it is because of her music all over YouTube that interests a new fan. However, when a visitor comes to this site, what they see is an Alizee picture during her DALS days. That picture of Alizee was relevant 10 years ago when she was competing regularly, but her DALS days are gone and was just a part of her career.

The social media feeds on the main page are old or no longer working. Many of the menu options at the top are obsolete or questionable. The code page is not translating characters correctly and looks sloppy. The only reliably working section is the Latest Discussion, which leads the visitor to the forum.

I don't think it's an unreasonable request to update the main page and make it more relevant and inviting because right now the site looks neglected. Is it any wonder why we are not getting a steady stream of new members joining?

My hope is that Ben would be open to updating the site and the policies surrounding the administration of this site. It is worth saving.

[Marshal Davout]

Originally Posted by CleverCowboy

I would like to remind everybody that closing down the forum at the end of the year is not a done deal. I would like to see it running for years into the future.

I think we all can agree that AAm activity has slowed down significantly in the last few years. Can we turn that around and make it more inviting for new Alizee fans to join? I think so.

For those that newly discover Alizee and are looking for a fan club, a Google search brings up AAm in the top 3 results. The vast majority of time, it is because of her music all over YouTube that interests a new fan. However, when a visitor comes to this site, what they see is an Alizee picture during her DALS days. That picture of Alizee was relevant 10 years ago when she was competing regularly, but her DALS days are gone and was just a part of her career.

The social media feeds on the main page are old or no longer working. Many of the menu options at the top are obsolete or questionable. The code page is not translating characters correctly and looks sloppy. The only reliably working section is the Latest Discussion, which leads the visitor to the forum.

I don't think it's an unreasonable request to update the main page and make it more relevant and inviting because right now the site looks neglected. Is it any wonder why we are not getting a steady stream of new members joining?

My hope is that Ben would be open to updating the site and the policies surrounding the administration of this site. It is worth saving.

All very good ideas, Clever Cowboy ! It does seem like the website needs some re-vamping ! Not to disparage all of the work that has gone into it before; but we can build on the original !
If we could find 25 members to pay $1 per month; we would have Scruffy's kind support covered ! Or even 13 member's at $2 per month ! Like Dante's Idea a Subscription fee for full member's ( can I call him Dante ? ; I apologize if i am taking License ! )

[CleverCowboy]

Originally Posted by Marshal Davout

If we could find 25 members to pay $1 per month; we would have Scruffy's kind support covered ! Or even 13 member's at $2 per month ! Like Dante's Idea a Subscription fee for full member's ( can I call him Dante ? ; I apologize if i am taking License ! )

When we were collecting money for a gift for Alizee's newborn daughter Maggy three or so years ago, the logistics of a collection from members all over the world was difficult, to put it mildly. In the end, only a handful of members participated. I feel the same will apply in this situation. If there was confidence that the "Donate" button at the top menu still works, anybody can donate whatever they want and whenever they want.

Edit:

Originally Posted by Magnetic Lili

New Alizee fans will appear for a long time, but we cannot fool ourselves that this will be a significant influx. Ali will be getting older, and there is no sign of resuming her musical career, so even if someone new appears, his "enthusiasm" may quickly fade.

However, this does not change the fact that Alizee America is a forum that every new fan of hers comes to. The only place that is not a Facebook group that is "still fighting".

There are numerous fan sites for entertainers that have retired or passed away. Even if Alizee never sings a song again, we can still dedicate this site to what she has done. You are correct that there won't be a rush of people joining, but if we get one or two new active members a month, that actually is pretty good.