Originally posted by chewa
Other than using the forum more to promote group activity (e.g meeting other forum users on trips etc) I think if it ain't broke, don't fix it!!
I think this sums up best the way I feel about it. I see so many sites undergoing "facelifts" and "improvements" and getting bogged down and losing their character in the process. I would really like to see Bike Forums stay as it is for the forseeable future.
The biggest problem is going to be money, isn't it?
I don't think advertising is the answer: not only is it intrusive and often obnoxious, but it's undependable--look at how many sites fold because they hoped advertising would pay the way, only to have that dream rudely shattered.
I wonder if voluntary donations will do it... I kind of worry about that aspect, the money part. I sure would hate to see this site vanish, even though I'm not a very active cyclist right now. It's fun to exchange posts about tangential or non-cycling stuff, too, and this is BY FAR the most intelligent and entertaining group of people I've found on the Web.