Hi everyone, I'm the mysterious new owner of the forum. I've been handling all of the forum's IT stuff for about two years, so transitioning into the owner role should be pretty seamless.
What's changing?
If you've been a forum member for a long time, you might have noticed it's been struggling for a little while. A lot of bird-keeping discussion has moved to Facebook and other social networks, while Aussie Finch Forum has remained stagnant.
I will be investing a substantial amount of time, energy, and money into redeveloping the forum. There's three initial projects I intend to complete in the next three months:
- 1. Redesign the forum
I understand that change is uncomfortable, so the redesign will be mostly cosmetic — just a fresh coat of paint to liven things up a bit. One of the things I'm most excited about is getting a brand new logo commissioned in the classic red, yellow, and green colours.
- 2. Revive the newsletter
Yes, the newsletter is coming back. I'm not 100% sure what this will look like yet; it might just be a roundup of the forum's best content from the previous month. If anyone would like to contribute articles, announcements, or news from local bird clubs, send me a PM and we'll talk about it.
- 3. AFF Facebook page
If most of the bird discussion is happening on Facebook, why aren't we there? Popular topics from the forum, plus other interesting content, will be shared on Facebook so more people can find it.
What about the current moderators and admins?
I'd like to personally invite all existing moderators and admins to continue in their current role if they wish. It's not my intention to radically change the culture of the forum, and I deeply value your input on the directions we take going forward.
Derek and Craig have expressed that they want to step back from the day-to-day operations of the forum. They will be continuing on as honorary moderators.
How is this being funded?
Many of these great-sounding improvements will cost money to implement, so you might be wondering how I intend to pay for it.
The forum is going to be sponsored by a couple of businesses that sell products for bird owners. Brands like Wombaroo, Yankalilla Seeds, and Nature's Best Bird Food will be offered to members (at a discount) and Aussie Finch Forum will receive a portion of each sale. This money will go towards ongoing costs and future development. It's really a win/win; you'll be able to make a donation to the forum and save money on aviary supplies at the same time.
I have no intention of over-commercializing the forum. I know that nobody likes to see ads, even when they're done with taste and transparency, but I sincerely hope people get behind our supporters and contribute to the success of this community.
