Live Forum Chat Session With Steve & Maggie Lansdown

[Rocky]

Get a grip

400 users online and not 1 answer!

WTGR, I am disgusted. I can't warrant a fiver at the moment so I am a second class supporter then?

CRAP!!!

[Barrs Court Red]

Get a grip

I some ways I agree with the poster - I understand OTIB costs a substantial sum, but important information on the Stadium ect should always be available to the fans - Regardless of what membership they have on OTIB, or indeed if they subscribe to City World/Player/Whatever the f it is these days.

Its not as bad as that away ticket scheme that was brought in some years back though.

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

400 users online and not 1 answer!

WTGR, I am disgusted. I can't warrant a fiver at the moment so I am a second class supporter then?

CRAP!!!

Totally agree. As with Pay To View sport coverage, you pay to participate in or witness a live event, but that doesn't stop everyone else knowing the full details of what happened afterwards, and even having the opportunity to witness the highlights. The idea that people who participated in the event are keeping it a secret from other loyal City fans is a complete negation of what this Fans' Forum stands for. I'm only an occasional participator in OTIB, but I'm truly shocked by this.

[Geoff65]

Remember the pulling of the thread of the naming of the team that played a friendly in Portugal?

The ST got it wrong then and are getting it wrong now.

Are the ST for all the supporters? or just for some of the supporters?

The precedents are there, Sky Box Office, fights are shown 24 to 48 hours later -Sky dont want to disenfranchise their customers. Player puts up a video interview and within 24 hours a synopsis in written form is on the main site.

No doubt the ST will be happy when the Evil Post start making stories from the transcripts that have a skew on them, yet only some supporters will have the oppertunity to check the verasity and in what context the comments are made.

Come on ST you have been wrong in the past and big enough to admit it - do the right thing and quickly.

[chowie]

<br>I understand that its 2 completely separate organisations running each different "product", I just thought that PLAYER owned the rights for pretty much everything on the web that came out of the club. I think this is just another reason for me to cancel my subscription to PLAYER.<br>

As I said, the rights for Audio/Video content. Cancel your subscription! your loss, but as you say, different product.

So people want to use this forum but do not want to pay 0.415 pence a month to use it, that's fine, but don't expect everything for free. Many sites (legal ones) operate in this manner, you get some (usually the majority) for free and pay for premium stuff, simple.

[NiceRed]

I'm sure if there is any groundbreaking club news it will be reported for free on bcfc.co.uk or in the papers.

No one has the right to anything associated with BCFC, even if you've been supporting them for decades. The club doesn't put a gun to your head and ask for your money, you've given it to them freely.

[thatcham red]

Calm down everyone. There's nothing sinister going on here for goodness sake.

This is the first time this has been done and we're just working through the logistics of it all. There is something like 20+ pages of transcript to be tidied up (not edited or sanitised before anyone suggests that)

It will be available on the OTIB toolbar as soon as possible for anyone to view. Also, a summary of the key points will be produced on websites so that nobody misses out.

The fiver is for a year, not just this online chat. The fact is that running costs need to be covered and those that can or chose to subscribe are helping with this. I remember donating a "fiver for Forza" not so long back to help with some of those costs. No different in my view.

I appreciate that not everyone is in a position to subscribe at the moment, that is why the transcript is being made available to everyone.

[Blagdon red]

Remember the pulling of the thread of the naming of the team that played a friendly in Portugal?

The ST got it wrong then and are getting it wrong now.

Are the ST for all the supporters? or just for some of the supporters?

The precedents are there, Sky Box Office, fights are shown 24 to 48 hours later -Sky dont want to disenfranchise their customers. Player puts up a video interview and within 24 hours a synopsis in written form is on the main site.

No doubt the ST will be happy when the Evil Post start making stories from the transcripts that have a skew on them, yet only some supporters will have the oppertunity to check the verasity and in what context the comments are made.

Come on ST you have been wrong in the past and big enough to admit it - do the right thing and quickly.

As we have said all along, a transcript of the chat session will be available to all users of the OTIB toolbar. This is FREE, so nobody is being excluded from a word of what was said. The transcript will go out to toolbar users this evening, so you have plenty of time to download it before then.

Link: Toolbar info and download page

The OS will also be publishing a summary of the main points covered later today.

Re the cost, this is - as we have explained before - all part of our effort to cover the costs of running OTIB precisely so that the ST itself can concentrate on representing fans to the club and initiatives like the Atyeo statue. Under 10p a week from a fraction of the users of this forum will ensure that it continues to thrive. The alternative could at some stage be closure.

We are well on the way to making the forum self-funding, so thanks to all those who have signed up already.

As for the future direction that the ST takes in general, you can always help to dictate that as everyone is welcome at our meetings, everyone is welcome to become a member and all members are welcome to stand for board positions.

[redsontour]

Firstly, well doe the supporters trust. I thought that was an innovative way for the trust to try and recoup some of the costs of running what is, after all a FREE service for everyone which aways has been, and hopefully always will be, a place for supporters to exchange views (or slag someone/thing/burger off).

Secondly, whether you have £5 or not, we will all of course get to hear what was said or at least anything of importance regarding the club, hence I chose not to spend £5 on looking in, HOWEVER, the very fact that the trust is making (in my opinion) an effort means that I will soon add my name to those that have joined.

Thirdly, those who are moaning, have an absolute right to do that, its a forum.

Four, not surprised to see complete over reaction and lack of understanding from various posters, it's a forum, however, think about what is being said...I want something for free, I do not want to contribute ANYTHING, and I am p****d that I have to put my hand in my pocket.

Five, references to Pay per View are simply not applicable, because correct me if I am wrong but nowhere will something air on pay per view that then appears on Free to view (it may be shown later on Sky, but you pay a subscription for Sky). even when they report a result( eg boxing) on the BBC, all they can ever show is stills, hence the Sports personaility of the year looking like a photo gallery.

Six, could the trust confirm whether BCFC may any contribution at all? If not, could I suggest that you charge them a posting fee for every posting that simply links through to the commercial main site? At points during the season, posts from the club telling me what I have already seen seem to outweigh those posted by fans. In fact, EVERY story that appears on the website is a posting, and thus a commercial advert.

Seven, perhaps the trust could offer those people that cannot afford/don't want/ choose not to spend £5 the opportunity to be Mods or do other roles and get free membership? I am sure allowing those people here who couldnt pay the money a chance to make a real contribution to the running of the forum woyuld be welcomed by them.

Eight, remember, it's only a bloody football forum. I tend to look at it in the context of Europe up the swanny, a spillage of oil will kill millions of animals (as it does do millions of people), we have a deficit that could be with us for decades, the sun is shining, some friends wives are having babies, other friends wives are dying of cancer...

Oh, and finally, did Steve mention anything about the rise in tickets I have to pay this year, cos that has really p***d me off...

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

Five, references to Pay per View are simply not applicable, because correct me if I am wrong but nowhere will something air on pay per view that then appears on Free to view (it may be shown later on Sky, but you pay a subscription for Sky). even when they report a result( eg boxing) on the BBC, all they can ever show is stills, hence the Sports personaility of the year looking like a photo gallery.

A valid comparison then is having to pay to see matches live on Sky, the highlights of which you can see on BBC later in the day.

I think the reaction of people on this forum (and I didn't see any signs of the sort of hysteria that your message seems to imply) was justifiable in the light of comments from people who had participated in the event and had made it clear that they did not intend to pass any information on. However, I'm pleased to see that the club has shown no such reticence by publishing information about the event on the official website, and equally pleased that more information is/will be available via this forum. So no harm done in the end.

[Blagdon red]

Please see below replies to a number of your points:

Firstly, well doe the supporters trust. I thought that was an innovative way for the trust to try and recoup some of the costs of running what is, after all a FREE service for everyone which aways has been, and hopefully always will be, a place for supporters to exchange views (or slag someone/thing/burger off).

>>> Cheers! <<<<<

Secondly, whether you have £5 or not, we will all of course get to hear what was said or at least anything of importance regarding the club, hence I chose not to spend £5 on looking in, HOWEVER, the very fact that the trust is making (in my opinion) an effort means that I will soon add my name to those that have joined.

>>> Good stuff! <<<

Six, could the trust confirm whether BCFC may any contribution at all? If not, could I suggest that you charge them a posting fee for every posting that simply links through to the commercial main site? At points during the season, posts from the club telling me what I have already seen seem to outweigh those posted by fans. In fact, EVERY story that appears on the website is a posting, and thus a commercial advert.

>>> BCFC do not make a contribution. As you may know, this used to be the club's 'official' forum, but over time they felt it was inappropriate for them to fund something where by its very nature comments were going to be made on a fairly regular basis that were critical of their employees. That's when they asked the ST if we'd like to pick up the reins ... and the tab! However, they are largely supportive and SL, for instance, agreed to last night's session fully aware that it was aimed at helping to drive OTIB Supporter sign-ups and thus at securing the financial health of the forum.

Re the stories from the OS, that's something for TomF and the mods/admin to consider, as we leave editorial matters up to them. <<<<

Seven, perhaps the trust could offer those people that cannot afford/don't want/ choose not to spend £5 the opportunity to be Mods or do other roles and get free membership? I am sure allowing those people here who couldnt pay the money a chance to make a real contribution to the running of the forum woyuld be welcomed by them.

>>>> It's not a closed shop. Anyone can talk to the current mods/admin about contributing in this way. Just contact them, see if they've got any gaps in their team at present and convince them that you are level-headed and would act in a responsible way in such a role! <<<

[redfred]

You're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't..............................

[EmersonsKev]

BCFC.CO.UK now running the story.

bcfc.co.uk

[BCFC_Dan]

A valid comparison then is having to pay to see matches live on Sky, the highlights of which you can see on BBC later in the day.

Since we're talking about a written media, surely a more valid comparison would be a book?

If the Trust spoke with Steve Lansdown and published his thoughts in book form would people expect to get it for free? They might publish snippets of it for free to get people interested but to buy the book would cost money.

People do not have a right to free information.

[SC_Red]

A valid comparison then is having to pay to see matches live on Sky, the highlights of which you can see on BBC later in the day.

I think the reaction of people on this forum (and I didn't see any signs of the sort of hysteria that your message seems to imply) was justifiable in the light of comments from people who had participated in the event and had made it clear that they did not intend to pass any information on. However, I'm pleased to see that the club has shown no such reticence by publishing information about the event on the official website, and equally pleased that more information is/will be available via this forum. So no harm done in the end.

The BBC is free now? when did that happen?

[Nogbad the Bad]

A big thankyou to all the those who spend their spare time and energy keeping this forum going.

Well done also to the ST for organising the online chat with SL which encouraged new OTIB members and thus raised funds to help keep this loss making forum alive for all of us.

They hardly deserve stick for their efforts.

As I write 686 users have looked at this forum in the last hour, of which 121 are members. Just 1 in 6 of these members are paid up OTIB supporters.

If we accept 1 or 2 literally can't afford £5 what exactly is everybody else's excuse?

If we all want this forum to continue, whilst removing the strain on the finances of the ST that we have been warned may lead them to eventually shut it down, then the message is very clear that it needs more people to support it, in a very small way, financially.

It shouldn't really be a case of offering extra incentives - if you really need one then maybe you shouldn't feel comfortable that it could be said those of us who have willingly paid up, or financially support the forum in other ways, are now largely subsidising the continuation of this forum for those of you who contribute nothing at all.

Of course, if you're not bothered enough whether this forum lives or dies then so be it, you won't be moved to contribute - but in that case you're in no position to moan about last night, and you'll have little room for complaint if the ST eventually decide their funds could be better used elsewhere, and pull the plug.

[newarkred]

Can I just ask. Is it £5 for a year from date of payment or only up to a certain date?

[Ian M]

Can I just ask. Is it £5 for a year from date of payment or only up to a certain date?

It is £5 for 365 days access.

Re: the BCFC news feed, that was set up by us so that users of this forum are informed when a new story is posted on the Official Site (after a short delay.....it doesn't check for new stories every second) without having to sit on the site hitting refresh. If there is huge opposition to this then we can always withdraw it but I myself genuinely find it useful.

[Pezo]

It depends what you want ... we're never going to be in the business of giving you post-match interviews with manager and players, nor do we want to be in that 'market'. That's what Player's for. But we'll continue to try to organise opportunities for fans and club officials to interact both online and face-to-face. For the online sessions we hope people will increasingly feel that a fiver a year is well worth it ... and thus we'll be able to make OTIB self-funding.

To be honest I don't really watch the interviews because I have read them in work before I can watch them. The only reason I use it is because I cant get Radio Bristol and like to listen to the commentary when I cant get to games but I get frustrated with that and have problems this year with it (probably my own fault) but also its not exactly portable and there insistence on using flash means I cant listen on any of my phones. I think for £5 a year this represents far more value for money to me as long as I can find some way of listening to the commentary.

[Pezo]

As I said, the rights for Audio/Video content. Cancel your subscription! your loss, but as you say, different product.

So people want to use this forum but do not want to pay 0.415 pence a month to use it, that's fine, but don't expect everything for free. Many sites (legal ones) operate in this manner, you get some (usually the majority) for free and pay for premium stuff, simple.

Alright Chowie don't get your back up it was just a simple point/question. I have argued many times when people have said they want stuff for free from PLAYER because I know how much these things cost to run - I haven't got a problem with OTIB using a freemium model and I am happy to pay. I was simply stating that to me this makes PLAYER less worth the money. One simple question, being in the business I know many people that have tried to offer freemium models elsewhere, what stops someone from copying a pasting the text to another well known forum or any other website?