Just wanted to say goodbye. It's been fun. I met a lot of good people, and we had some really DAMN fine discussions. I'll miss it, sincerely. However, since we changed format ... well, it just hasn't been the same. Today, I saw something that just told me that today was the day:







And here was my reply


AU members: you're an awesome bunch.

AU management: rethink this Go Green stuff. There are a lot of things that can be done to support a forum (I've run a number of my own forums). You decided to host this party. You invited us. Now you're complaining about the bill and trying to guilt-trip us into helping pay for it. Everybody likes parties, and I've enjoyed this one, but if you can't afford it: don't host it. It's that simple. Nobody wants to be invited to a party just so the host can help finance it.

Guys, it's been fun, and I'll miss my friends, but I'll not stay where I'm not genuinely wanted. I'm gonna hitchhike across the information superhighway until I find me a party hosted by someone who either (a) can pay for their own party, or ( knows how to set up a free hosted board.

So long, and may the force be with you always.

And may the force be with you my friend.....

I will PM you my e-mail so you can keep in touch mate....

Kirin... It really saddens me to see you leave. But I respect your choice.

May I say... that without you this place won't be the same anymore...

I feel like I had lost a friend. May I PM you to give an email, just in case you want to keep in touch?

Wish you all the best
Allie

Hey Kirin dont go man just stay and dont change your avatar your a valued member here please have a think about it if you then decide to go i respect your wishes

Please reconsider Kirin. We'll miss you.

You know, this site has changed hands a few times since Xander...and, like Xander, they all eventually worried about the cost eating into their pockets. Further, it requires a lot of time and I'm sure that the owners and mods have lives outside of this forum. Yet, because of its members and, perhaps, a dedication to the cause of UFOs, its been kept up and running for us. Its a meeting place, a place to exchange ideas, to share personal stories that some may not feel comfortable sharing with those IRL, its an outlet, its many things..and I've often wondered why people can freely take from this place and then turn about and complain that its not this or that. I've done it myself. I think a little more understanding in terms of what it costs to run it for us...both in terms of money and time...is needed. And a little gratitude as well. I don't care about avatars or signatures or accessing the new features...what I care about are the people who come here to share their life experiences and share their ideas and knowledge..and that is something that I feel gratitude for and am indebted to the owners of this site. I am going green.

CMDR...if $25 is too much of an expense for someone to pay at one time...remember that some of us have mouths to feed and some of us are youngsters...perhaps offering a 6 month access at half the fee is worthwhile?

For those who simply can't afford any contribution...be thankful.

This post has been edited by iwant2believe2: Apr 16 2008, 11:31 AM

I can do that no problem.

To the original poster-
Sorry that you are leaving. Still doesnt change the fact that the server doesnt pay for itself with good intentions. Asking for donations politely or ads DO NOT WORK, So I had to do something that would motivate people to help. Any other place you go, will eventually have to do the same thing, once it gets to the size of AU. Maybe not asking for money directly, but definitely shoving ads down your throat. Im sorry you felt so offended that I dare ask for funds from members (whcih is optional, the site is still free) that you have to leave. I personally feel that what I am doing is the best for AU, and those who wish to encourage others not to help support the site (which has given everyone a awesome enviorment to post in, for 6+ years) then sure. See ya.

BTW- This site has changed hands "0" times since xander. I am the original guy who got it from xander. I just changed my display name from bostondan to cmdr.

That's good to know, I guess lol...wasn't there another member of your partnership? I can remember Xander complaining about costs as well.

I do not know what it is with the dramatic ' i'm leaving' shit.
Seems like every couple of months there is one.
Yeah Kirin-rex there are a lot of other forums around but I think you will be disappointed in them.
Why make a big deal over an avatar? Shit, I didn't have one until recently, and it is not that important. I'm not here to impress anyone. I am here for the subject discussion and here, there is more quality topics, that is well discussed. The other forums like UM have much more childish topics and personnal attacks occur often. You'll find a good number of radicals too.
Join the other forums and see.
I am a member of at least 5 others.
There is a reason I do not frequent them anymore.
They may be free...(so far)...not worth a dime either.

Yeah, Ron-
I "bought" him out, aka he didnt want to pay hosting fees anymore

It is very dramatic. And I have to point out - this is not about all the ethics crap about is it right or wrong to charge people blah blah blah, not is it all that 'the standard of this place has gone down' bull.

It is about little pictures on the left side of your posts. Admit it. And maybe those can be free so people don't hurl themselves off the nearest tall building.

Because what has changed? Some of you might miss friends from long ago. That's understandable. Going to happen on any forum. What has changed? The colour of the website? Wow.

No, the only thing that has changed is: AVATARS. Nothing else.

No, that is not true, the changes have been subtle, the feel of the place has changed, the people visiting has changed as has the tone. I am guessing that the latest is just the straw that broke the camels back. I have only been here 2 years and it is a very different place now. It must feel very different for those longer visitors. I was able to flow with the changes, perhaps some are not able to do the same?
To KR,
I wish you could stay, won't seem the same without you here, and if all you newb's don't get that well...then thats your loss.
Cheers KR,
Drop in from time to time to let us know how things are.

No, guys. For me. It's not about avatars. I don't care about avatars, and if I can't have one ... no problem. The problem for me is that I have no means to 'go green'. I have no paypal. I have no credit card to get paypal. I do not, for personal reasons, wish to connect my bank account to paypal. If I had a credit card, I would get paypal and help pay for this site. It's a good site.

Here's what this 'shit' is about: Being constantly reminded what a burden this place is for the owner and being constantly guilt-tripped for my inability to pay. I feel unwelcome.

Cmdr: It's a great site. I bear you no ill will whatsoever. Yes, running a site like this costs money. Sorry I can't help you out.

See, my problem is not that you would like people to go green. The problem is I'm being constantly reminded of it when there's nothing I can do about it. It's taken some of the joy out of this place.

SD, Senhuan and others. I respect you a lot, and I'm sorry that you have so little respect for me that you automatically assume that I'm SO shallow as to care about an avatar, or that this is just 'dramatic shit'. I'm sorry that this is the impression you have of me. However, while I may be too sensitive about some things: I don't believe I'm as petty and shallow as you seem to think I am. Maybe all the more reason to move on.

This goodbye is not about being dramatic. It's about gratitude to the people I've met here, and respecting them enough to actually say goodbye and not simply slink away into the night. And as for avatars: I've removed mine. There's no way to get another without going green ... and yet you see? It hasn't changed what I wrote one bit.

This post has been edited by kirin-rex: Apr 16 2008, 04:09 PM

I didn't think you were that shallow, but that is the way you came across.

Why let Cmdr's bringing up the 'go green' bother you?
So you can not pay and go green...so what. Maybe you can a year from now...3 years...more.
The fact that you have good intentions is good enough.
I am sure that cmdr doesn't expect to get every member to upgrade. It would be unrealistic to expect it.
Tell ya what, to keep you here I'll pay the 25$ for you. No strings attatched.

I appreciate the offer but I couldn't let you do that, SD. I tell you what I'll do though ('cause that's the nicest thing anybody's said to me all week): how about if I tone down the drama-queen act a bit, relax a bit, and think on this some more?

You make some good points, SD.

And CMDR, sincerely, I mean no offense. Sometimes I'm just too sensitive. I realize that even though I only generally come to the boards, this site is a lot more than a message board, and I know from some friends who run large sites like this (my sites are much, much smaller) that the fees can be astronomical. I sincerely feel for your position.

As I said in the other thread below: I personally think that connecting avatars to 'going green' is a good incentive, and I see no problem with sites trying to generate revenue. I just feel bad because there's nothing I can do at the moment (which is why I'd still feel bad if SD paid ... because it still wouldn't be me).

Ok, let me not be a drama queen today, and I'll give this more thought. I'm sorry for stirring things up guys. It wasn't my intention at all.

I understand how the older regulars can feel some sadness for the place changing, and some mild hostility to 'newbs', but forums change. All forums do so. New people join. They are supposed to. It is easy to get overly attached to your surroundings. That's human nature. But it is the nature of things to change and evolve, and for people to claim the evolution is a bad thing for them.

P.S. If it is indeed not the colour of the website or the avatars, then it must indeed be the people and general quality of the forum. Why, then, attack the GO GREEN thing? It surely has nothing to do with it.

Or, as someone put it, it was what broke the camels' back?

And, kirin, I didn't mean to make it sound like I was personally calling you shallow. Sorry about that.

Well said and quite true.

On another note, this forum can only grow larger, and sooner or later it will need new and more expensive hosting so as to prevent it from lagging out. No time soon, though.

You dont have to leave just because you cant afford to go green. Its not like im saying "Pay up or *$#% off!" - The "upgrade" is meant to be a special perk for those who donate- But aside from 2 or 3 other features, its no different than your experience. I really dont expect everyone to go green. Not even 1 in 100 - Maybe 1 in 250 would be nice.

You dont have to leave, just because you cant pay. I honestly dont care if YOU pay at all- As long as someone does, eventually, and consistenly enough to pay for the hosting.


Alien-UFO's has, and always will be a free forum.

Kirin...that's why I simply said..be thankful. The site is free. The company you keep here is free. If you can't afford to offer monetary support, at least continue to offer the value of your good company. There is never enough of that and I'm sure I speak for others when I say that it is much appreciated. I don't think that the admin here are above understanding that some people simply can not pay to use this site...if they were then don't you think that this site would require you to pay to register and post?

As for changing...we're a community of people...and all communities change as time goes by...otherwise, us old-timers would have nothing to do with ourselves if we couldn't sit around and remember the good old days lol

Well, I've said enough I think. I'll contribute when the funds become available..the coming payday, I think. I only use a reloadable debit card for on line transactions and will have to load some money to it. I don't trust paypal or credit cards online.

oops sorry I wrote this awhile ago...just sent it through so I didn't see that admin responded

This post has been edited by iwant2believe2: Apr 16 2008, 06:07 PM