Rumor that ClubCobra is going bye-bye. - Page 3

twobjshelbys · #41 (**permalink**) 10-10-2019, 12:32 PM

The Ford GT forum migrated to XenForo a while ago. It took some getting used to but wasn't too bad.

I'd recommend MIGRATING to a new databaase. There is still something funky about this one. There are, in my opinion, some deeply rooted corruptions that the standard repair tools have not found and fixed. That is the cause of the database errors (that still crop up) and the horrible problems with at least accessing the discussion portion of the forum that happened frequently for a while. The previous problems were NOT server capability but tangled databases looping on themselves. A migration takes the existing content and builds a new database and associated tables so wouldn't suffer from any of the corruption. Even migrating the database to a new one for this existing software would help. But, be aware, I don't think any of the new modern forum software is free, both with an initial cost and service contracts. This is not a cheap (money wise, or labor wise) endeavor, be sure you're up to it and commit to it or we'll be back here having the same discussion in a year.

Mongoose930 · #42 (**permalink**) 10-10-2019, 12:35 PM

If a plausible game plan can be done and put into production to better the site, why not pass the hat after to say.... see it is fixed can you donate to the cause (like other sites do). Nothing mandatory, just those willing to toss in some coin to assist in expenses.

I am all for that. I would really hate to see this site go away.

twobjshelbys · #43 (**permalink**) 10-10-2019, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mongoose930

If a plausible game plan can be done and put into production to better the site, why not pass the hat after to say.... see it is fixed can you donate to the cause (like other sites do). Nothing mandatory, just those willing to toss in some coin to assist in expenses.

I am all for that. I would really hate to see this site go away.

That was tried for the current forum. The results are what you have today.

Forums with a membership fee simply fail. Half of the car forums I used to belong to had some kind of membership/fee structure (pay to post, member benefits that open up hidden areas, etc). Today, not a single one is so. Half disappeared altogether, the rest went with no membership and voluntary remittance that does not cover costs. The only one I belong to that retains some kind of fee structure is the Ford GT forum (which allows one to post ads, but whose benefits have significantly dwindled.)

I'm just alerting anyone thinking of "buying" this that it is a pretty high burden to bear.

Good luck whatever you do.

eschaider · #44 (**permalink**) 10-10-2019, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

Facebook is not threaded, so finding a discussion on a particular subject will be difficult. The Forum method (which is a carryover from VAXNotes, for those who remember, and later Lotus Notes [the discussion portion, later expanded into an integrated corporate mail and database platform) (both by Len Kawell) ). Just before I retired I convinced our ASIC group that a Forum was a better method of having discussions on the chips than by email. One person got tired of being asked and answering the same questions over and over by developers in the US and in the far east. Forums was the answer.

I remember VAXnotes and all the others. Thought I was an antique — well maybe I am but ...

Ed

eschaider · #45 (**permalink**) 10-10-2019, 03:36 PM

I think the "New Site" would need to be funded by advertising dollars which means the site needs to be able to demonstrate an adequate number of eyeballs looking around for a manufacturer to be willing to pony up advertising dollars. I agree the fee based sites while good sounding in concept, consistently fall short of the mark in practice bringing us back to the advertising sponsored alternative.

Club Cobra has the advertising presence, a purchase or similar acquisition that carried the membership and advertisers over to the new venue would be the more likely to succeed model.

Ed

Blas · #46 (**permalink**) 10-10-2019, 04:39 PM

Being totally ignorant of the costs to operate a site like this, can someone put some numbers to the discussion? How many companies Advertising are needed to make the site self- sufficient? What does software cost on average? Someone mentioned “spiders” to convert information already in the archives. Web- hosting? Etc....
Blas

Alfa02 · #47 (**permalink**) 10-12-2019, 09:06 AM

A quick heads up (gentlemen), and I use that term loosely

We have been unable to contact Brent Mills so far. We have a 100mile sports car tour, on Sunday, and someone he deals with on Facebook will be there, we will try that way. Thanks guy's for the HUGE out pouring of support so far, Fingers crossed. If anyone has any other idea's, PM me, or just post here. Cheers Tom.

desgros@vtlink. · #48 (**permalink**) 10-12-2019, 10:43 AM

I truly hope this site continues. Much information has come through it over the years.

John
ERA #3010 289 Slabside BRG

twobjshelbys · #49 (**permalink**) 10-12-2019, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blas

Being totally ignorant of the costs to operate a site like this, can someone put some numbers to the discussion? How many companies Advertising are needed to make the site self- sufficient? What does software cost on average? Someone mentioned “spiders” to convert information already in the archives. Web- hosting? Etc....
Blas

Finding advertisers to be here is going to be difficult. For example, right now there is a "Gas-n" ad sitting on the top banner. How many of you have ever or ever will buy something from them? (not picking on them it's just the one that's here) Advertising on a forum requires that there be many visitors over long periods of time. This is a captive audience. Advertisers target their audience but the audience here is captive and static. And decreasing.

twobjshelbys · #50 (**permalink**) 10-12-2019, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blas

Being totally ignorant of the costs to operate a site like this, can someone put some numbers to the discussion? How many companies Advertising are needed to make the site self- sufficient? What does software cost on average? Someone mentioned “spiders” to convert information already in the archives. Web- hosting? Etc....
Blas

Finding advertisers to be here is going to be difficult. For example, right now there is a "Gas-n" ad sitting on the top banner. How many of you have ever or ever will buy something from them? (not picking on them it's just the one that's here) Advertising on a forum requires that there be many visitors over long periods of time. This is a captive audience. Advertisers target their audience but the audience here is captive and static. And decreasing.

This place is similar to the worst of the Bar Rescue places. Before agreeing to anything get the books. Think about what it will take given your current clientele to turn that profitable. It starts with the fixed costs of bring it up to standards and then how much time, effort and cost to keep it running and expanding your audience.

I'm not trying to talk someone out of doing something, but I am trying to prepare you for the fact that the reality of the situation is that someone will pump a lot of money and time into this and in a year we'll be having exactly the same discussion.

spdbrake · #51 (**permalink**) 10-12-2019, 11:19 AM

Alfa02,

The Clubcobra forums have been mapped and backed up many times over the last few years. 8 times this year. If the site closes the data is still viewable by the public.

https://web.archive.org/web/sitemap/clubcobra.com

If you take over the site all previous data can be pulled into a new VBulletin site.

Their charges to host and maintain the site.
https://www.vbulletin.com/en/vbulletin-cloud

patrickt · #52 (**permalink**) 10-12-2019, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spdbrake

Alfa02,

The Clubcobra forums have been mapped and backed up many times over the last few years. 8 times this year. If the site closes the data is still viewable by the public.

https://web.archive.org/web/sitemap/clubcobra.com

No, the wayback machine is terribly unreliable as an archive. For example, this thread of mine on pusher fans was started in 2010, and had postings as late as 2017. Just try and find it on the wayback machine. Cool Modification - For Pusher Fans Only, Though If a subsequent owner of this site does not "buy the database files," it's likely the majority of the information on here that does not bounce up readily in the Google cache will be pretty much gone forever.

EDIT -- and, if you're smart enough to figure out how to archive your favorite forums on vBulletin, such as the ERA forum that contains a wealth of information, you'll find that the Sucuri firewall that this site bounces through forces you to do it at a snail's pace because a fast archive is detected as a DOS and your IP gets banned until you slow it down.

EM-0785 · #53 (**permalink**) 10-12-2019, 01:02 PM

Club Cobra Community,

I’d welcome being the new site owner, to support it and the Cobra community. It’s been invaluable to me on my initial projects, and will be ever more important as our cars get older.

Some initial site goals include access to historical data, site stability, ease of posting photos/content, pruning and consolidating the topic structure and user base. This will take some time and be a labor of love.

I have ideas for this site. One example is a common area for mnfr/topic structured reference documents. Many are on the site already, it would be rewarding over time to get copies into a structured reference area. For example, plans, diagrams, sketches, and manuals. Ideally toggled for primary/secondary sort by Mnfr and System.

For example, B&B Cobra then Electrical/Suspension/Cooling, etc., or Electrical then B&B/Contemporary/ERA/etc. I think it would be helpful over time to request and accumulate more reference documents from members and mnfrs, while still around.

Spdbrake’s idea posted today was interesting of 3D imaging parts on various Cobra’s to verify fit/interchangeability/reconstruction…like hoods. In the future, that could be viable and useful.

Another site’s thread started 9/30 indicated concern this site was going away, with a seemingly more informed post there on 10/3 indicating the same. So, on 10/3 I pm’d Brent and Jamo expressing my interest. Thereafter, I expressed the other site’s topic, and my actions, to my friend Tom (Alfa02). He immediately went to work and surveyed a lot of interest from other members, which is encouraging. Tom informed some of Brent’s friends, and got a phone number, which I tried calling. So far no responses, maybe someone knows how to reach him.

Many have contributed to and relied on information on this site to keep their Cobra’s rolling. This would allow a similar forum format going forward, with access to old and current/developing information, for people sharing our common interest.

We can lift the responsibility and demands of this site off Brent’s shoulders, at this point, and keep it viable (while advancing it). He’s done a great service to the Cobra community over time with this site. Given his founding foresight, efforts and results, I think he should always be honored as the Founder and Emeritus member on this site.

I’m willing to commit the time, money, IT and other resources, to do this properly.

Thanks, Brent
(not the ‘real’ Brent, hopefully the new Dread Pirate Roberts!)

mrmustang · #54 (**permalink**) 10-12-2019, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alfa02

A quick heads up (gentlemen), and I use that term loosely

We have been unable to contact Brent Mills so far. We have a 100mile sports car tour, on Sunday, and someone he deals with on Facebook will be there, we will try that way. Thanks guy's for the HUGE out pouring of support so far, Fingers crossed. If anyone has any other idea's, PM me, or just post here. Cheers Tom.

It is my understanding Brent may be traveling with his lovely wife and may not have access to the web on a regular basis.

Just saying

twobjshelbys · #55 (**permalink**) 10-12-2019, 03:27 PM

The database errors are back... It's usually a bad sign.

jmimac351 · #56 (**permalink**) 10-12-2019, 06:05 PM

The only way I can see this site right now is by keeping a window open. I happened to setup a raspberry pi tonight and tried to reach the site. Got an error. Clicked the window on my Mac and it was still working. Closed the window on my Mac and tried to enter www.clubcobra.com and got an error. Reopened the closed window and managed to get back to the site.

No Bueno.

Alfa02 · #57 (**permalink**) 10-12-2019, 06:16 PM

Thank you Brent, (EM-0785) for your kind words. As you folks can see (now that the cats out of the bag) so to speak, New Brent & I would do our very best to get Club Cobra back up on it's feet again, with no more of a goal then that, If we broke even, reason enough to carry on. New Brent here has the know how to get this Site back up, and running (A great detail man). He has and continues to be a very successful & well respected business man in the greater NW region. If he said he can, he will. I hope we will continue to see your support, in dealing with getting Club Cobra back from a foot in grave. Thank you again New Brent for your help in keeping this site afloat. Gentleman, we have a leader, willing to take on this task, our job is to help anyway we can. Cheers Tom.

jmimac351 · #58 (**permalink**) 10-12-2019, 06:23 PM

The site made need an enthusiast benefactor.

jmimac351 · #59 (**permalink**) 10-12-2019, 06:56 PM

www.clubcobra.com/forums works.

www.clubcobra.com does not work... for me.

I suspect that means even current members won't be able to reach the site unless they happened to leave a window open, or think to try something different.

Chicagowil · #60 (**permalink**) 10-18-2019, 06:26 AM

Interesting thread, and a bit scary! I have used this site since I purchased my unfinished project back in 2014. Glad there has been a desire by some to keep it alive.

I am sure there are more educated folks on here relating to software, but part of the problems with some not being able to log into the site can be related to the different browsers we are all using. I have other sites that I have to switch from Google Chrome back to Explorer.

I am also in the middle of building a Locost 7 and the LocostUSA web site was down for over a week. It is now partially back up but the site only has the database up to February 2017. And anyone who registered after that(such as me) cannot log in yet. They do not seem to have any time as to when it will be fully restored.

So, it can be a lot worse.

Part of the problem is that younger people are, for the most part, not interested in the Auto hobby. As we older folks age out, there are less and less people stepping up to the hobby. Plus the sate regulators are trying to get our "unsafe" vehicles off the road. Cars are becoming a "commodity". From Websters: "commodity- a mass-produced unspecialized product". And whenever something goes in that direction, apathy sets in towards that product or service with little difference other than lowest price.

Hoping someone can and will pick up the banner- too rich a site in knowledge to loose.

Thom