I was going to reply to the activities string, but once I started I found I had more to say. I apologise if this sounds like a rant, but like the subject line says, for me, enough is enough.

Nigel, you clearly want to make your mark having taken over, as webmaster, which is understandable, but I have to say if it ain't broke why fix it?

Has it occurred to you, you're actually alienating a lot of members? I, for one, like the simplicity of the site. I don't want weekly email updates, I like the fact I can log in when I want, and check the site for information, that’s valid to me.

I don't even mind getting the odd email from the guys in Manchester or Antwerp or elsewhere who've made a bit of effort and sent out a mail-shot to let us know what they're up to. In fact, I’m more inclined to read it because it’s not one out of many things listed.

Does everything really need centralising? If so, why do you still have your own BLUF London site, can't all that information be found on the main site?

In answer to the activities string, do we really need a detailed description of every aspect of every member's life? Again, you're over complicating things. If someone wants to put a long list of things they're into, fine let them. Does every profile have to look exactly the same? We can all choose to read it or not. Alternatively, use the link to their website, where people usually list interests outside of BLUF.

For me, BLUF is a social club. It’s great to see everyone's profiles in the one place, and handy if you're visiting a city, to make local contact, but I also like the fact we all meet up once in a while at leather gatherings around the world and the odd night down the local bar where, let's face it, BLUF men really stand out from the crowd.

It's usually at these gatherings that people's opinions are actually heard. Face to face discussion about what is good and what isn't working. It's at these events you should be gauging people's opinions. Not everyone reads the forum. To be honest I'm less inclined to do so, if it stays this vile shade of blue or continues at the snail’s pace to load everything. I like black – leather is black!

I know this club isn’t a democracy, I don’t necessarily want it to be. An endless voting system on what should and shouldn’t be implemented would not be beneficial to anyone. But some kind of leadership has to be present, based on what the club feels as a whole. Send a communication out to all members and list everything you propose to implement at once. If enough people like it, fine, go ahead make the change. Look at Recon for example. They probably bring out a major refurbishment every year or so. Everything that wasn't working is fixed with a few addd new stuff to keep it interesting. This dribs and drabs method isn’t doing you any favours.

I do have to say, I appreciate the hard work all the volunteers do and if I had the know-how I would lend a hand. As I don't (and my laptop held together with cellotape will testify) I make a donation to cover server costs myself from time to time. Granted, I’m probably overdue.

Here's a challenge for you Nigel. Don't reply until after at least 5 others have done so, or if a week goes by without further discussion, whichever is shorter. I do want your opinion, but I'd like to open the floor to others first.

Nobody likes change, but if it’s better in the end, people usually embrace it, myself included.

Kelvin (1175)

The Bluf website needs updating because at the moment there's little interaction between members on the site. You cant stay on the site for a long time and the only way to contact someone is by e mail and I have found that people, in general take a week to reply. (I know that from doing the calendar) Well thats no good if you want to say 'Are you going to the Bluf meet, shall we go together etc or lets share a hotel room in Berlin' you cant make such arrangments using e mail. Ok theres is the forum but not everyone uses it. Then theres the photo updating, that is an antique process . So updating of the site is needed. I dont want it to just be a rubber stamp site where you join, get your number and never come back.
Nigel seems the sort of person who prefers to consult and evaulate, before making any big changes because, he knows there is a lot of attachment from the members to the site and the way it is. So he is going gently. He cant be asking everyone face to face as he only speaks English and doesnt have the time to go to other Bluf meetings other than the ones he goes to. Lets face it theres no big hurry is there?
The other Bluf sites like , Bluf London and Manchester might be reaching the guys that never log in to the main site because they are local, quick and easily updated. I run a Bluf Group on Facebook and theres another one on Gay Romeo as you know, and on Ning (in German) all offer live chat with the possibilty of having it on your mobile phone. I am sure when Leon launched the site it was considered 'out of this world' an amazing inovation, available to us. If Bluf men are so special, who stand out in a leather bar, then why not have a site to match?

That's an awfully personal remark to make about someone, it's almost like someone put you up to it.

That aside, I’m not saying never update the site. Of course it needs updating from time to time and I think consultation is needed. But it's the way in which this is done which should be looked at.

Certainly the photo updating process is archaic, although this would presumably still need to be monitored in order to keep BLUF’s high dresscode standards.

Yes, some kind of instant messaging system would benefit everyone as well, but as you say, these are available on other sites. Is it such a hardship to start a message on these sites with “Hi, saw your profile on BLUF, I’m number ####”. It also depends largely on who you're contacting. If I emailed someone I didn't know, I wouldn't think anything of it, if I didn't get an instant reply. We all lead busy lives.

Member 211 emailed me recently about a trip later this month to Edinburgh. I replied to him, a couple of days later, when I had a chance and I'd looked some things out for him. He returned a very courteous reply thanking me for the information. Sadly, I don't think I'll meet him in person due to previous commitments, but I didn't give that a second thought as to whether I would answer him or not. Nor did I think he'd be peeved if I took a few days to do so.

Similarly, a couple of friends and I have just co-ordinated our trip to LeatherPride in October. Through a variety of recon messages, text and yes even email, the whole thing was done in a day. We all know which flights we're on, what time we're arriving and where we're staying. Would this have been quicker waiting for us all to be on the site at the same time or alternatively leaving a message for them and then hoping they'd log-in to retrieve it, of course not. Even instant messaging isn't that instant.

The UK has the largest overall membership within the club, currently at 630 of which over half of these list London as their home city. Stands to reason, the most attended local BLUF meets are going to be there. Even on a non-BLUF night, you can usually tell who is and isn't a member at the Hoist or Backstreet. Even at Hardon, you can spot 'em a mile off. (I'm certainly not saying we tailor the site around the UK members alone).

I don't get to every BLUF event either. Edinburgh sadly isn't the centre of the leather world (boy! have I tried to rectify that). Having London on your doorstep is certainly an advantage I envy, and one which should be taken advantage of.

Maybe I'm in the minority. Maybe I should have kept my opinions to myself. Actually, scrub that. I'm only following what is on the site itself about feedback.

"I appreciate any and all feedback on these plans. I would prefer you to give your comments in the BLUF Forum, instead of sending me emails. My time for answering emails is limited and it is better to share your ideas and feedback with everybody else."

Those things I said about Nigel are what he said about himself and they way he said he would change things. After the UK, Germany is next and then the USA for membership
I think Nigel goes to the Backstreet meeting because he lives in that part of London, so maybe he does get face to face feedback about site changes and he is in Berlin now so we will have to wait until he gets back to see if he replies to this thread.

Got to agree with Brightonboss. I think the fact that you have to go to Recon (with profiles and chat and messages) to coordinate BLUF meetings says it all. Some BLUF members avoid Recon and similar sites due to the high level of low-quality members. I'm on there myself reluctantly, only because, once you weed thru the chaff, the social networking really works in terms of finding people with similar interests. BLUF has the highest-quality people, but the lack of networking technology means that I interact with few of them, and almost always outside BLUF.

Have to agree with Scotslthr that the board format doesn't have that dungeon look and feel. For what that's worth.

The BLUF website needs to change because it's complicated to use, it's monolingual, and it lacks straightforward ways in which members can contact each other - and those are all things that people have expressed their views on in the past. It's also very hard to maintain.

The new site will be much, much simpler to use, and it won't just assume that everyone who's involved in BLUF speaks english; I think that's a perfectly reasonable goal. It would be virtually impossible, because of the way it's created, to translate the whole of the current site without a complete re-write.

If you don't want weekly emails, all you have to do is click on the preferences option and choose not to receive them - but plenty of BLUF members have said that they do appreciate it.

As for parties, by providing a way for people who organise them to send mailing centrally, it not only makes it simpler for people to opt in an out, but it also reduces admin - it automatically lets us know when addresses don't work, it stops the complaints from people saying "I changed my email address 2 years ago, but I'm still getting emails about events in X sent to the wrong place" and it makes it easier for members to keep up to date with events in other countries too. I'm struggling to see why this is a bad thing - unless you want to assume that centralisation is, per se, a negative point.

Your suggestion that Brightonboss must have been put up to make comments that support me is rather odd; I've not had any contact with him for ages; being away in Berlin for a few days, I wasn't even aware of this conversation until I got back. Just because you don't want to see any changes doesn't mean that I'm bribing people to agree with me.

I've been very open about what I'm doing, and what I plan to do to the site. So far, I've not had a single email saying "Don't do anything." I've had some urging me to keep the colour scheme simple, and plenty of comments about what people would like to see.

I'm sorry if you don't like the changes; but I personally don't believe BLUF can thrive with a website preserved in aspic that lacks many of the features that people find elsewhere - unless you want it to become a simple registry, and for all the members to interact on facebook, Recon, GayRomeo, Ning or somewhere else. And if they're doing that everywhere except on BLUF.com, then I have to wonder what the point of being a BLUF member would be?

Nigel.

Nigel,
You're doing an excellent job updating BLUF and I know you are only making changes where they are necessary. I fully support the work you are doing and know that there are many BLUF members who are grateful for all the hard work you and the other administrators are putting in to ensure the continuing success of a great website and lots more besides.
Sometimes, I think it is necessary to write a vote of thanks to show how much we appreciate BLUF's management.