Right, we’re having a blitz on developing LB over the winter, and part of that is making sure the forums grow, and remain the high-quality place to share our experiences and opinions that we’re used to as more members come onboard. This means we’ve appointed three new forum moderators who will help share the load with the existing moderators.
So, without further a do, I’d like to welcome the following people to the Moderation Team. They were each chosen because of their proven good jugdgement track record and ability to balance opinions. Some are also ex-army so can knock heads together if the softly-softly approach we prefer to take doesn’t work:
Wiggy, nothing’s changed really, but there’ll be an announcement shortly about one thing (nothing to rock the boat, don’t worry!). The moderation team is growing along with the forums, and all moderators do the same work, so no real change there again.
Sure thing Wiggy. Like most new organisations, we’re running flat-out and only have so much time to dedicate to certain things, i.e. the workings of the team. All of us behind LB manage our home life, working life and then the needs of LB at the same time, which is no small feat, I’m sure you can appreciate.
Some history; I am the founder, and principle owner, Tasha has always been another key person and owner since she came on-board near the very start, and then Cezar was also, later on when he joined. Cezar’s life has changed completely (for the better) and he’s no longer able to dedicate the time needed to make LB a success, unfortunately.
This meant we had to find another partner who could help drive LB to success, and that person is now Matt, who’s now an owner as well. Matt has a wealth of experience when it comes to managing and developing both communities and media organisations, of which we’re both. His task here is two-fold, to manage the forums and see that it’s run as best it can be so that the needs of the members are met and that a thriving community is developed, and secondly, to help LB develop beyond what it is now and make this site the be all and end all of biking in and around London.
Tasha’s role is to develop the content for the website, i.e. our online magazine (which publishes all the best biking content, don’t you know!?) and handle our external public relations, and my role is as head technical bod, to develop the technology and provide an overall direction for us.
We’ve been working feverishly on new technologies and partnerships that will see this happen, with the next big improvement to the site coming over the winter. It’s not always easy because we don’t have the time available for LB that we’d like because of the demands of holding down a paying job (there’s no money being made here), but we’re getting there and totally believe what we’re doing is going to create something really special for us all.
Besides which, unless I’m much mistaken, a “company” only has to disclose to it’s owners - i.e. shareholders - and Companies House. Lb.com ltd has done both.
However, a company’s customers (that’s technically you lot, albeit we don’t sell you anything) cannot demand any disclosure from a company except that filed at Companies House.
Try walking into any company in the nearest industrial park and demanding to know who does what etc… Of course, I could ask the same of you Wig? Fancy listing down how much you make from you business and how it’s made up?
There is no conspiracy going on. Why are people so sensitive? Would it make everyone happier if we did charge you for using the forum? Perhaps we should. Is the idea of getting something for nothing so alien to all?
Perhaps also people who incur costs for LB should start listing them out. Me and Damon covered a lot of miles this year covering the BSB and aside from a lot (but not all) of the entry tickets it came from our pockets. A few hundred pounds at last tally.
I’ve had a big coffee so I’m a bit wound up. Also I should be working. And I shouldn’t be getting hacked off with petty attitudes that dare to throw suspicion and doubt onto something akin to a charity set up principly to benefit the very people who give LB a hard time.
I want to echo some of Andrews sentiment here, Damon and He do spend a lot of time going to shows to photograph things so you all can be kept up to date ofn the latest news. I myself stepped in to the breach recently to assist and have new found admiration for the photography and journalism that goes in to this site. Hats off to all who can I have tried and have done my best, I hope I have done the event and the site justice.
Its true some of the events may have been attended by those reporting on them any way, but the site can not support the costs of attendance and I know that Jay and Tasha have had to sleep out in a tent through all kinds of weatheres to attend these events. Dont get me wrong camping is sometimse fund, but not when you have a two or three days of hard work reporting to do.
Theres no honourariums awarded or salaries drawn, that I know of, what you see her is what people do to make the site and community work and they do it all for you.
Even if I wasn’t part of the Admin team I’d still say I was with Andrew on this. Jay, Matt, Tash work really hard for this forum - I know because they’re normally talking to me about it at stupid O’Clock in the morning…
Frankly I’m surprised by some of the recent comments concerning this site and how people seek to knock those who are in essence providing something for everyone else’s beneift.
So here’s a message to would be Che Guevara’s: get a grip…
Is this said in the way of no money being made over and above running costs or no funds coming in from Ads on the site from companies?
After all, the companies that “may” be paying for ads on here would not be interested in putting ads on here unless there was a large amount of traffic. How does this traffic happen…could this traffic be becasue of US (the little ones which Andrew’s post was vedry clear about) who look and post on this site supply these numbers? And at the end, this leads to the paying companies thinking a % of us may buy their goods because of seeing their ad?
I could be wrong and thats all good. For me I don’t give a flying who is running this site as I’m not here to do anything other than meet up with people for fast rides around the country
The money situation at the moment is that we get a small amount of money each month from our google ads at the top of the page, which doesn’t come near to paying the bills. So we’re putting up the cash for the time being.
Part of my new role is to develop the advertising and commercial activities of the site to cover our costs.
