Is this thing still on?

[xs11lover]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fNLhxKpfCnA

[Schming]

Right on those counts, Mike and Phil.

So, what can we do to get this done? Question still stands... how many $$ from where we are now is it going to take and has the money donated been spent and no result (if yes, what is update on getting that work done, 3-4 week updates won’t do) or is the person to be paid once work is done?

50 guys x $20 is the yearly fee if $1000 is the cost from what I understand. Get another $10 each and how about a fund to pull from. Heck, $50 of beer money from the next year from 20 of the guys that have made the Colorado Rally since 2014 would get $1000.

What can I do to help and get this ship righted, I will not put fire to feet to something I would not be willing to do myself. But would LOVE to see it simply get handled like has been planned already.

Here . . . Here !!!

I Second that Emotion Strength in #'s

[Bonz]

Right on those counts, Mike and Phil.

So, what can we do to get this done? Question still stands... how many $$ from where we are now is it going to take and has the money donated been spent and no result (if yes, what is update on getting that work done, 3-4 week updates won’t do) or is the person to be paid once work is done?

50 guys x $20 is the yearly fee if $1000 is the cost from what I understand. Get another $10 each and how about a fund to pull from. Heck, $50 of beer money from the next year from 20 of the guys that have made the Colorado Rally since 2014 would get $1000.

What can I do to help and get this ship righted, I will not put fire to feet to something I would not be willing to do myself. But would LOVE to see it simply get handled like has been planned already.

[MaximPhil]

There are plenty of people on Facebook looking for answers to questions that the site answers so the need for technical information s as strong perhaps stronger than ever.

Phil

[MPittma100]

Logging In

I've noticed for quite some time that there aren't near as many people on the site as there used to be. And we certainly are not going to hear from those who cannot login. I believe that there are a lot who cannot get on here. People are not patient with websites. If a site doesn't work, they go elsewhere.

[Bonz]

It’s really easy to see members aren’t on here in any kind of numbers. Unfortunately, doesn’t make a rats-butt of difference how easy it is for some of us. If the majority can’t or don’t want to jump through hoops, that’s all we need to have happen to tank this site.

Need to get this site fixed, no other way to say it.

Freakin’ how much will it take in $$ to get to that point? There are more than enough guys here including me that if we had a $$ number and we had a plan to support, would be happy to pitch in more. Understandably I didn’t put in a lot, but I can see my instincts were good. What was supposed to be fixed with what was donated is just languishing.

Did the fellow who has had the personal problems get paid already? Or is the money still sitting in a pot?

Not seeing ANYTHING new since TC posted mid-February. Riding season will be here in a month or two most places and if we aren’t a player in the forum community, that’ll be a dang shame. I know the caliber of guys on this site, but the site isn’t matching up.

Yeah, maybe that’s coming across a bit harsh. But I think I have a place to speak and a leg to stand on when it comes to that.

There’s a Colorado again this summer out in Durango and potentially could have 20+ guys and bikes. But no one can get on the site to follow along or join in.

[motoman]

Never an issue here...….BTW, interesting thoughts BillyRok!

[dpotter58]

Odd, in general, I don't have any problems getting in. Occasionally, but not often.

[MaximPhil]

Thanks BillyRok.
Well said.
Phil

[Ranger_xs1100]

Kudos Billy

Excellent post Billy. (Post#41 of this thread)

You’ve articulated some of the very concerns, questions, and hopes that many of us have.
Thank you for that.
Very well done indeed!

We can only hope that it stimulates fruitful results.

[madmax-im]

Well for one thing Billy...the XS650 sites allow new members to join easily..plus there websites are up to date..In every respect though i concur 100% with what you have said...JP owns the site but it is unknown to what extent things are happening behind the scenes..from TC's last update it didnt sound too good that the person with personal life issues could or would be motivated to finish the job...I would hope JP would find someone else to finish the job...
We dont want this site to go down the tubes..theres absolutely no good reason for this to occur...
Someone needs a fire lit under their....behinds...

[BillyRok]

Some Thoughts

Here's my 2 cents on all this (which by definition isn't worth a nickel!)

First of all, a huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to this site over the years, moderators and members alike, for what we can all see and for what happens behind the scenes. And I'd also like to take a moment to remember those who are no longer with us, people who have moved on and especially those who have passed away. This special brotherhood is a sum total of all the large and small contributions of countless people over the years who chose to give of themselves for the benefit of somebody else.

Secondly, nothing that I'm about to say here is meant in any way to be critical of anything that any one individual has either done or not done up to this point. I'm sure most would echo my comment that I'm very grateful for what a small group of people have done over the years in bringing so many people together in a way that has brought such happiness to this community.

I know nothing about computers, web sites, programming and how any of it all works. Like many other things in my life, I just expect it to function as I want it to and so consequently get frustrated when it doesn't, especially since I am powerless to do anything about it. I suspect there are many others who feel likewise.

It seems there are 2 big issues: Problems logging on to the site and the functionality of the site.

Please forgive my ignorance here but if I can log in with no problem why can't my neighbor? I realize we have different computers and/or phones with different operating systems but I'm guessing we both can get to Google or Ebay or into our online banking or dozens of other sites without issue. So what is the real problem here with XS11.com and can anybody explain it in simple language or, better yet, do anything to help resolve it? My computer is several years old (has a Windows 7 sticker on the front) that according to my settings page is running version 1809 of Windows 10 Home OS Build 17763.316 that was installed 1/31/2019...I'm guessing via some update message I got from Microsoft because I've never purchased a newer operating system. I use Google as my homepage and there is a search box directly below the Google logo and then 10 "buttons" below that, one button for each of the 10 most frequently visited sites I'm guessing. One button is for this site and as soon as I click it I come right to the XS11.com home page, never have an issue. And my Android LG5 phone works exactly the same way with Google as the home page for any new tab opened...I either touch the XS11 button or start typing the web address and the site loads no problem. I certainly am sympathetic to the issues so many are having but haven't the capacity to understand why, it's way over my head.

The site functionality issues are equally frustrating and I'm guessing much more complicated. Last October TC updated us on some issues and asked for donations to cover $210 for a new license. Not sure what that is or why it was necessary (again, I'm ignorant about these things!) but it looks like that money was easily raised by folks who listed their donated amounts and many others of us donated without bothering to post (ignorant AND lazy I am). Even that undertaking was not without issues as many posted problems they were having with "phishing" or "404 error" messages when trying to donate...don't pretend to understand it, just reporting it.

From post #44 in TC's thread "Update for Broken XS11.com site" in the members' lounge it appears that JP is the Owner/Webmaster and Mike is the Database Guru. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe either of these two gentlemen is compensated for their time and efforts. In fact, posts #12 and #17 seem to indicate that the hosting fees have risen to $1000/yr and that JP has been spending his own money to help subsidize the cost. Post #44 also alludes to some pretty serious personal problems Mike is having so he understandably isn't focused on this site as his primary concern.

My apologies for the poorly communicated long-windedness of this post but ultimately here is what I am thinking / wondering. With anything, the torch eventually gets passed or it gets extinguished and I fear the latter is what is happening here with the XS11.com site, and that would be a huge disappointment to so many. So I'll end this with a couple questions...

-Is it possible to put together a "task force" consisting of site members with the expertise and willingness to work together with people and resources on the outside to make this site viable again?

-Does JP actually own the site and how does that work? How does the site continue if at some point JP is no longer able or interested to do what he does? How do we organize things so the future of the site and its treasure trove of knowledge isn't tied to one individual and their circumstances? And can we find someone to either help Mike with the database responsibilities or take them over?

-How do we get to where pictures can easily be posted again? Marty mentioned XS650.com so I wonder what do they have or do that we currently are not copying. What would be the real ongoing costs to run this site in a similar fashion and how would we pay for it? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery they say!

Grateful for the work that's been done, thanks for listening.

Billy

[jetmechmarty]

I think this isn’t the only vintage bike forum in trouble. It’s a big part of the reason we morphed XS Southeast into Vintage Yamaha Rally. If we depended on this site we’d be small and getting smaller. Speaking of, I hope XS East is a big success this year. Vermont should attract new blood.

[motoman]

Same here ... once in 20-25 tries I am able to reach the site and continue reading. A real shame as I have always liked this site and its visitors.. Hope it all works out ...

….as I'm sure it eventually will Mathh. Also, good to hear from you across the pond on occasion again!

[Mathh]

Same here ... once in 20-25 tries I am able to reach the site and continue reading. A real shame as I have always liked this site and its visitors.. Hope it all works out ...