I need your help!!

[KnackeredBike]

Assuming that ultimately it would be better to get regular monthly contributions rather than ad hoc events I would agree with @RideLikeTheStig that it would be helpful to know how how much, roughly, CC costs to run after income from advertising and commission. I honestly cannot see the annual costs being anywhere near £3,500 even before advertising & commission income but I am happy to be proved wrong.

 

[jefmcg]

I honestly cannot see the annual costs being anywhere near £3,500

Who said annual? Shaun was clear that it was it had built up over a long period.

Can I pick out a one line item?

including, settling development debt,

Developers cost several hundred pounds a day. It would be easy to spend £3000 on development costs alone.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Assuming that ultimately it would be better to get regular monthly contributions rather than ad hoc events I would agree with @RideLikeTheStig that it would be helpful to know how how much, roughly, CC costs to run after income from advertising and commission. I honestly cannot see the annual costs being anywhere near £3,500 even before advertising & commission income but I am happy to be proved wrong.

If you don't want to give for whatever reason, don't give, but don't ask the guy who hosts all this voluntarily to prove the costs of running the site he provides you for free.

 

[KnackeredBike]

Developers cost several hundred pounds a day. It would be easy to spend £3000 on development costs alone.

Develop what? The forum software is off-the-shelf.

If you don't want to give for whatever reason, don't give, but don't ask the guy who hosts all this voluntarily to prove the costs of running the site he provides you for free.

My understanding is that it is run as a business rather than a non-profit. I have no wish for Shaun to be dipping into his own pockets to pay and therefore would far rather know what it would take to put CC on a stable financial footing, e.g. how many people paying how much per month.

Most people seeking "donations" are happy to provide such basic information. Shaun could even say "I really want to implement x, y, and z if I can raise an extra £n a month". Some form of PR contact to counteract the lazy journalism on cyclists would be well worth paying for.

 

[jefmcg]

Develop what? The forum software is off-the-shelf.

I did pro bono development work for a forum using "off the shelf" software. I would have put in hundreds of hours work.

(the new OP banner seems to be custom, for example)

 

[KnackeredBike]

Well all of you can continue to donate your money on trust. I will donate if/when I know how much money is actually needed.

All those fawning over Shaun are presumably oblivious to the fact that he could sell the forum tomorrow and walk away with your £3,500 too.

 

[jefmcg]

Well all of you can continue to donate your money on trust. I will donate if/when I know how much money is actually needed.

All those fawning over Shaun are presumably oblivious to the fact that he could sell the forum tomorrow and walk away with your £3,500 too.

Beer costs nearly a fiver a pint in London. I've already had more than 2 beers of pleasure from CC including lots of great people and one great friend**, so if it ended tomorrow I wouldn't resent the £10.

**Edit: and a ticket to Edinburgh, thanks to @theclaud.

 

[lazyfatgit]

Maybe a small subscription after a month of use? Or 60 days free?If you don't sign up, you get adverts permanently?
How many people on here have spotify/netflix/strava/velo viewer/mywindsock etc subscriptions? A small cost for CC is probably good value.

The current model seems unsustainable. I'm sure Shaun suffered some financial hardship a long time ago, and many were happy to contribute to keep the forum running.

 

[lazyfatgit]

Well all of you can continue to donate your money on trust. I will donate if/when I know how much money is actually needed.

All those fawning over Shaun are presumably oblivious to the fact that he could sell the forum tomorrow and walk away with your £3,500 too.

He'll actually be running off with only $17 of mine. Given a cycling magazine here generally costs around $15 if the site closes tomorrow I'm probably still ahead.

edit - 2 ffs in off

 

[roadrash]

Well all of you can continue to donate your money on trust. I will donate if/when I know how much money is actually needed.

All those fawning over Shaun are presumably oblivious to the fact that he could sell the forum tomorrow and walk away with your £3,500 too.

@lazyfatgit has it right , not that I think for one minute it would happen..

you have been told how much is needed, .... grow up

if you don't want to contribute, then don't,....but either way please do it quietly

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Well all of you can continue to donate your money on trust. I will donate if/when I know how much money is actually needed.

All those fawning over Shaun are presumably oblivious to the fact that he could sell the forum tomorrow and walk away with your £3,500 too.

What an odious little post. Quite revolting.

 

[StuAff]

I gave £20 'on trust' did I? No I didn't. There is a 'product' I use. I have got far more 'value' from that 'product' in the past few years than can be seen in financial terms, not least in friendship. The real value is in the people who use CC, not least the bloke who spends so much time and effort in keeping it going and stopping us metaphorically and/or literally killing each other.
Money well spent.

 

[roadrash]

not a patch on my Nigerian prince friend

 

[KnackeredBike]

Interestingly enough in all your self-congratulation about your own generosity you seem to be missing the point that if CC is losing money it is in everyone's interests, especially Shaun's, to get regular monthly contributions.

But still, you know...

 

[jefmcg]

Whilst I can only admire your scepticism and desire to protect us all here, at £3,500 @Shaun looks like a pretty poor con artiste.

"I have a cunning plan, I will build and maintain a website for a dozen years devoting my spare time and spending my own money, but at the end I'll walk away with a cool 3500 smackeroos."