Possible future directions of the forum

[Lesley Niyori]

Hey guys, let's place the discussion here (mostly so the topic title and the ensuing chat is on a thread that won't mislead in purpose).

I'm going to copy paste my last post and put it in here to start fresh here.

moved from other thread.

There's like 6 of us fully active here.

I don't think the issue is the expense (well that's me saying it), I think it's mostly about what we are getting for the cash.

What does an SSL certificate even mean?
Storage is likely a perk for the site.
Domain name likely has some sort of value.
I'm running an ad blocker, I have no idea what the ads even look like.

I know the term monetized, it's big for YouTubers.

I think the target, is to have a forum, that's attached to a site that can do much more.
But as I don't know anything about web site design.
Celia, if you could just wave a wand, how much would you want the forum+whatever doing?

We could be a portal for a lot. Maybe sell merch, maybe offer some form of more involved service, something like more informed/involved written articles.

Currently, all we are is an assortment of transgender persons gathering to quietly discuss our experiences. Our 'safety' is based mainly on the fact we are danged near invisible. No one knows we are here. If we attract enough attention though.

If this community was to cost us 60 to run and then started generating more than it cost us to run, how would you want to enjoy those profits?

Me, I want the world to be better educated about us.
Just yesterday, D'arcy was interacting with a girl on Facebook, nice enough person, but she's a cis female, and she knows sweet diddly about transgender people/issues.
I'm tired of it always being YouTube videos from homophobic/transphobic intolerant bigoted fucking Christian nutcases absolutely certain their fucking Bible is 100% truth. Preaching on about family values, and their oh so loving God, who while oh so loving, is just a source of fucking hatred for me.

I want to fight back with facts.
Their book is pure crap, and I can prove it. Yes, I have the fucking means to show that.
Modern medicine can easily show there is NOTHING mental illness about any of us. Chromosomes do NOT come in just XX and XY, and every time someone mentions DNA as if they have any scientific knowledge, I want to scream.
We KNOW why some people are born transgender.

So, if I have any question, it is this.
What is it we get out of spending money on our forum community here?
Right now, it works just fine as a forum.
Right now, I might drag a few more faces to here, but here's the thing, the people we wish to attract, the young, they tend to think 'forums' are so 2005.

They want it done on a cell phone. And the last thing they want to do is type a comment exceeding 10 poorly spelled lousy grammar infused words.

[Celia Eriksson]

Hi Lesley,

So I have moved this here:

Me too. I looked and it is £45 a year for 'advanced'. That adds these things:


SSL certificate.

500 mo storage. We have 20 mo at the moment whatever that is!

External domain name.

Then with another £12, total £57 we can have a personal domain name too.



There is also a premium package, £60 a year:


SSL Certificate

2 go storage.

External domain name

Disabling of ads for members only or members and guests and monetization for ads if we chose too.

Removal of Forumotion copyrights.

Search for message search engine

Newsletter customization.

With an extra £12, total £72 a year, we can have a personalized domain name too.


Let me know your thoughts. Celia xx

Well, I am quite happy to pay for it for the first year, I will do this when I have some time to sort it out because I will cancel something else I am paying for and rarely use. If I find time tonight I will do it, if not it will be early next week. Maybe after the first year we can pool. I will not monetize it coz that would not remove advertising.


SSL certificate is required from browsers like google, it will secure the site and google users will have the green light come up.

Storage could be an issue, I don't know. It is possible that without extra storage we fill up and not be able to post without removing stuff, so it is probably good to have.

Domain name is good, it cannot then be stolen and used elsewhere.


I'd like the forum to stay how it is, my nly concern is that I don't know what happens when we break with forumotion, I am sure it will probably be ok, but not 100%. Maybe someone can help.


As for youngsters, well they are missing out. Just sending stuff over the phone is just that, over the phone. Forums have quite a bit more to offer, in a different way and you can post via phone here anyway. I'm not sure it's their kinda thing though, I admit, all the younguns I know are glued to their phones.

Thanks Lesley, I have a lot of stuff to do, but I will see if I have time to attempt it later. Anyone with technical advice, please let me know. Celia xx

[MichaelaSJ]

The biggest issue with storage is with images.

Then of course, if we got a couple of hundred members a need for addition users would be a measure of success.

Question for Celia - who owns the name thetransgendertimes dot com?

[Celia Eriksson]

So I have done it..... we now have:

2,000 mb of storage

Our SSL certificate.

A new domain name coming in five days. For now, it is with the forumotion bit added on. I will tell you by e-mail or PM in four days.

We have removed forumotions copyright.

We have message searching.

Now the advertising bit. It's not switched off, nor is it monetized because, the cheeky so and sos want more money to switch that off..... in the package page it is cleverly worded.... @The ability to switch off advertising...." Well I may do, but I am watching to see if that comes through because everything else took different amounts of time to come available. The storage space came on just before I started writing this, but other stuff was there quite some time before. So hopefully it might yet come....

It cost me a total of £69, but hopefully it will be worth it. I will reassess this time next year whether it has been worth it.

Bear with me whilst I keep at it trying to work out how it's gonna affect us. Working already btw, just googled the transgender times and number one on the list. Celia xx

[Celia Eriksson]

https has now replaced http. We now have the green light and secure browser ratings. Off to work in an hour and a bit, will look at more stuff later. Hopefully domain will come quicker than five days, it said https could take four days but came quickly! Celia xx

[Celia Eriksson]

Help!!!!! Help, help, help, help, heeeellllllllp!!!!


Sorry...… does anyone know what this stuff means..... I'm lost!!! I have bought a domain, it is https://www.transgenderboards.com Maybe I have been silly maybe should have bought transgendertimes.com.

I thought it would be cool to have the old name, it was up for sale. I did the Forumotion buy it option and they sent it and then the certificate were'nt working and warnings came up!!!

Here is info, I have a fuzzymuzzywuzzy brain coz I can't work it out, why don't it work? i'm not good at computery stuff!!!!

https://help.forumotion.com/t10579-custom-your-domain-name

https://help.forumotion.com/t7021-cname-redirect-an-extern-domain-name-that-you-own-to-your-board. Help! Help, help, help, help!!!!!!!!

[Lesley Niyori]

I'm guessing one of our member/mods will have an angle on this for you Celia.

[Celia Eriksson]

I hope so Lesley, it's now all working ok and secure again, but the main domain name is still 'forumotion' tagged, until I get my head around it or someone helps.... help!!!!! The new one works, but don't show the certificate'

Another idea I've got is this btw, I can do this....

I was thinking ranks. Maybe a good idea maybe bad..... I don't know, good or bad. But I can do. Tell me what ya think, I'll go with the majority.

Kinda like this after number of posts placed by members, maybe I can do with different colours too....!
Lady 0- 20 posts,
Baroness 20 - 100 posts
Viscountess 100 - 200 posts
Countess, 200 - 500
Marchioness 500 - 1,000
Duchess 1,000 to 2,000
Princess 2,000 to 3,000
Queen 3,000+

Or something like that, different names ideas, different numbers or not at all. But the domain problem is more important right now!!!! Celia xx

[Tara]

The certificate I'm receiving for 'transgenderboards.com' is for 'm91.maxns.net'. The cert name should be the same as the domain name. I don't know if you'll find that bit of information helpful or not.

As to ranks, personally, I like Empress.

Seriously, while I like the feminine versions, I wonder how those who are masculine or variously gender queer will take those? Or maybe it doesn't matter, depending on your goals.

[Kaibeth]

I don't want to be called "Prince." Let's not call our gentleman friends "Princess."

[Lesley Niyori]

I'm please, no ranks, none at all.

It promotes posting comments just for the sake of post count. It leads to cliques where people think their worth is based on their post count totals. It's just not a good idea.

[Celia Eriksson]

Oh, silly me, I forgot the boys.... guess my silly ranking idea just won't work....

Well Tara, I guess that's where Forumotion bought the domain. It is linked here and will lead people here. Trouble is when people click that link i.e. transgenderboards.com it comes up with the 'site insecure' thingy, whereas transgendertimes.forumotion.com is secure coz of the SSL certificate is linked to that only. I wasted some money there, or maybe not. It's a good dpmain name to have, I guess. Celia xx

[Celia Eriksson]

Wow! Just hit transgenderboards.com and it came up secure!!!! Maybe these things take time!!!! Hooray it works!!!!! Forget all the computer jizzjazz girls it wotks!!!! I'm off to bed, up for another..... boo!!!! shift tomorrow...… night, night!!!! Celia xx

[Tara]

Wow! Just hit transgenderboards.com and it came up secure!!!! Maybe these things take time!!!! Hooray it works!!!!! Forget all the computer jizzjazz girls it wotks!!!! I'm off to bed, up for another..... boo!!!! shift tomorrow...… night, night!!!! Celia xx

Huzzah!

And it seems to have resolved a problem I had with logging in on one specific browser (Brave) on one specific computer. [shrugs]

[Celia Eriksson]

Oh that's good news Tara!!!! I'm still getting to grips with the new stuff. Don't forget everyone, if you lose your password or have a problem, the instructions are on the introduction thread page.

BTW can people confirm that the https at the top of the page, it may be hidden up there, is https://www.transgenderboardscom and not the transgendertimes one? Or I'll force it on the admin panel, I'd like our domain name to become the used one, for we will be found easier then.


Celia xx

[Tara]

Yes, I have the secure version. Thanks!

[Lesley Niyori]

It was not secure for a brief time, but currently reads correctly for me Celia (I'm on a computer, not a cell phone additionally).

[Kaibeth]

Everything is as it should be through Google Chrome browser on Windows 10 and Linux Mint.

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