Off Topic Options - your choice

[Admin]

The Off Topic site Social Australia is used to direct off topic discussions away from this site Recreational Flying however I have to make a choice between 3 options in the next few days and need you to advise on what you want.

 

The Off Topic site uses the same software as this site, that is IPS and in the next few days the software license will expire. Now the site is just used as a secondary site, produces no income and simply costs. To renew the IPS license will cost around $400USD a year. This option will keep it looking and working like this site.

 

I could go to the Xenforo software at only $200USD per year but whilst it would be cheaper, it would look and work differently than this site.

 

The last option would be to bring the Off Topic back into this site. The cost is nil but it would be hard to completely segregate the Off Topic threads and posts from the aviation ones.

 

So please vote on what you would like to have.

[Marty_d]

Would it be hard to segregate if you brought it back?  For instance you could have the "what's new" buttons only giving aviation stuff and a separate "what's new-off topic" to give all off topic stuff.

 

I don't mind one way or another but saving you money would be good!

[Admin]

Yes, there could be separate What's New pages however there would be a slight performance hit in that the SQL Query that pulls the data up from the database for each one would have to include specific forum criteria (forum list filter)

[RFguy]

i vote bring into site DB and just wear the extra query processing cost.

[facthunter]

There's only 2 voted. till RFguy voted the way he has, it was 100% My way. I'm open to a bribe by the way. Nev

[rgmwa]

Whatever is the cheapest and easiest for you is fine with me.

[Yenn]

The two sites intermingle all the time, bring them back together. Look after the costs as best you can.

[RFguy]

just a clarification : 

when I said : 

 

"bring into site DB and just wear the extra query processing cost."

 

Processing Cost in this cotext means TIME to PROCESS. - (it is a time cost) 

 

Not $$$$$

 

[onetrack]

Ian, I think you've answered your own question. A site that raises no income has to have minimal running costs, so bringing it back into this site is the answer.

 

It's difficult to keep threads on track at the best of times, anyway - that's where moderators come in, just like a schoolteacher steps in, to quieten unruly kids.