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Did you know that generally the most popular online communities all started with a specific subject or obsession...many started by just being an online community about a specific computer game or other specific thing. However, they all diversified broadening their appeal into many other areas. For example that one specific computer game spread to other computer games and then to general life subjects and ended up forums catering to everything and which that specific computer game still exists on their site but just as 1 of the many different subject forums they have on their site. Most top successful forums also have more than just the forum function as well like i was trying to create when we used the IPS software. One specific feature they have is that users can fine tune areas like Whats New to just the subjects they are interested in, something you can't do in here (Xenforo software)

Looking at the site statistics today and I am alarmed at an obvious downward trend. The number of "registered" users coming to the site every day seems to be maintained at an average of around 250 to 275 per day however years ago we were averaging 600 registered users per day peaking at up to 1,000 (the graph peaks are a result of the weekly email that goes out). I believe this drop is caused purely by Facebook. But what is concerning is the huge downward trend in the number of posts per day. This could be caused by Covid-19 but I would have thought that the numbers would increase given that everyone was in lock down spending more time on the internet. Let me explain what happens when the number of posts drop...there is less to read resulting in less interest resulting in less posts again and as it keeps dropping the number of registered users coming to the site each day begins to drop...the end result is the site's closure due to cost/benefit. The other thing is when the number of registered users start to drop, which I feel we are approaching, a turn around is extremely difficult, the term "free fall" comes to mind. This site has been going for some 18 years and in its heyday, before Facebook, it was the go to place for all recreational aviators to get help from each other, discuss one's flying experiences and to just get social with other like minded aviators. We need to do something...but I don't know what!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your thoughts?????????

If I look at it in simplistic terms there are only 4 reasons you can leave home and flying doesnt fit into one of them so even though there is nothing explicit that is the way I would look at it

His name wasn't Corporal Klinger was it?

I might be looking for a helpful person who might accidentally fly over the border, land and ask for directions and being aviation safety conscious I would have to hop in and fly with you for precise directions to Queensland...it is very dangerous for a pilot to get lost

We won't Red, what you have added is an enormous asset to every user of the site and must be protected even to a point of even paying out money to ensure it is protected in any consideration of software

As some will know, the Off Topic site Social Australia (.com.au) uses the IPS software solution which recently released an exciting new update (still in BETA stage) which I am working on and when fully released Social Australia will be updated to it, it really is that good with the extra features they have added. So Social Australia is staying with IPS Xenforo on the other hand, which this site (Recreational Flying) is based on, released an update today, again in BETA, but having a look at it I can clearly say that I don't like it, not one bit, and I don't believe you will either so I thought that I would let you know that Recreational Flying is sticking with the current version of Xenforo...just in case you visit other sites that use Xenforo and notice they end up different to this one Some screen shots of the IPS update being developed on Social Australia (still working on cosmetics):

So some of you prefer the same side column menu system and fluid width page display. There is a lot involved in whey I have currently set the display the way it is on Social Australia so i have recorded a video to explain the reasons why but note that it is my current view which is being evaluated and may change. If we stick with the way that Social Australia is then I may be changing it here as well. Interestingly I did a poll about the Fixed vs Fluid view here and out of the hundreds of users that come here every day only 2 people responded: https://www.recreationalflying.com/threads/fixed-or-fluid-width.72497/ Here is my explanation:

I have been looking through the IPS update that was shown on their site the other day and there are some great new features in it that will soon come to Social Australia (.com.au), the off topic site

As of October last year "Holland" no longer exists. I was reading an article that they have made it official that the "areas" known as "Holland" (Nth Holland, Sth Holland and Holland) will now be also known as Netherlands: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/04/holland-the-netherlands-dutch-government-rebrand

At least it is born and bred in Watsonia and not near Kew or far Kew (note: Kew is a suburb in Melbourne...this is meant as a joke Nev...mate!!!)

You mean like it is here? You are not going to believe this...I have for the last few weeks been developing the new Social site, planning it all out (for a month), developing it all, testing the full functionality including using the Shop feature of it and went live yesterday...Bloody Invision, the creator of the base software upgraded their own site to a whole new version TODAY which means a whole new version will probably be released in a few days...aaaarrrrgggh Ahmed just emailed me with the news saying STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING so I will halt development for a few days

Social Australia user registrations are locked to just from Australia to keep all the spammers out so if there are any users outside of Australia that want to use the site then they will need to let me know so I can manually enter them. Naturally the couple of talkative Pommies that are on the site already still have access to it...wouldn't want to lock them out

Is everything working ok at Social Australia and that you guys can log in and post?

Off Topic is back. You can access it by the link in the main menu. It is now on a completely new site called Social Australia (.com.au) and has many many more features that you can use. If you have posted in the Off Topic forums before you just need to log in to Social Australia using the same user name and password that you use here at Recreational Flying BUT if you haven't then just simply register on Social Australia and you can start joining in the discussions about anything or use some of the extra features there. Now with Off Topic being on its own site you can use the What's New, search etc...all things you couldn't do when Off Topic was mixed in here. Also the Social Australia Shop will start up with some great general (non aviation) bargains in the coming days plus there are fully featured general Classifieds, Groups, a Business Directory all getting set up and there will even be a sports tipping section

Just wait guys...please

Hi, please note that the Off Topic forums have been closed for around 24hrs whilst some work is done on them...sorry for any inconvenience

First Class members have a 30min Window as they realise the value of the site and are willing to help it to continue thus are more likely to not screw up threads in terms of their continuity of posts than just a general come and go user that may not care...this has been realised by experience over the years...if you need to make an edit, irrespective of membership status, you can always send a private message asking for a post to be changed

I am having a debate and would like to get your input into what you like to view websites at...here on Recreational Flying we use the "Fluid" width where the page width stretches across the width of the whole screen no matter what non-mobile size screen you have but has large empty spaces between horizontal areas of the site: The other type is the "Fixed" width where the website is set at a specific maximum width but based on a screen resolution size of 1024 wide...some say this is easy on the eyes but leaves unused space on the sides of larger screens (ignore the fact the menu is on the far left in this screen shot as a true Fixed Width would have the menu column on the side of the content): Either way whether it is Fixed or Fluid, when viewed on a screen that is 1024 resolution they would both look the same: So, what do you prefer???

All fixed...I think the file size was too large

If you add the photo as an attachment to the post when creating/editing it, it will appear in the pages that list the classified entries:

Edit the Classified and change the prefix for the title from For Sale to Closed Re having to login is to stop spam as the Classifieds section uses the same security set up as the whole site...protects you and others

https://www.clearprop.com.au/for-pilots/health-and-hygiene/

Please be advised that the user Flying Binghi has been given a 2 week suspension for attacking other site users