Important Announcement Options

[Bionicle Rex]

Unfortunately I have to make an announcement that is going to be very displeasing to many BZ members, but unfortunately it must be done.

I’ve never been one to tease, so I’ll start off with the announcement then explain why.

The Clubs forum is being deleted.

Rather than when the Art forum was deleted because of bad behavior, this is not the case in regard to the Clubs forum. The clubs forum is being removed from BZ because right now BZ is costing a great deal of money to keep open.

Over the past few months BZ has been more successful than ever. While that has been great for our community, unfortunately the cost of BZ has risen substantially. When Dimensioneer received the bill for hosting BZ this month, he found out that the cost almost doubled.

Dimensioneer, Binkmeister, and I tried to think of ways to save some space to being the high cost of hosting BZ down, and the removal of the Club forum seems like a good way to do it.

We specifically chose the Clubs forum because it is a popular area of the site, yet it is an area of the site that is not essential to BZ’s Bionicle experience. BZ itself is like a giant club – in fact it is better, it is a giant community of great people working together. It occurred to us that just about any issue being discussed in a club could also be discussed in just about any other forum.

Of course there is a downside to all of this. We recognize and respect that many club leaders and members have put a great deal of time into their clubs, and we are sorry that this must be done. However, if the leaders of the clubs put as much positive energy into BZ as a whole as they did into their clubs, it will make BZ itself a better place for everyone in the future.

Hopefully the removal of the clubs forum will be enough to keep BZ affordable and in turn keep it up and running. That’s our plan in removing the clubs forum, and with any luck, it will succeed in keeping BZ open.

Effective immediately the Clubs forum will be closed, and it will be removed on Tuesday. If you wish to save any information in a club, please make sure you do so by that day.

Thanks for reading this way too long note. We are sorry for having to remove the forum, and we ask for your understanding in this time of economic hardship at BZ.

[mojo360]

MY GOD, well, I suppose Ill cooperate. No, I will cooperate. I suppose this is for the best. Bionicle, you do not need to open MGC. Anyways, its mostly unpopular now.

[Super Sonic Poha...]

      awwww i tried to say goodbye b4 club valor waz closed but i couldnt.
i guess itz best 4 bz.
::ps:: bye all club valor members!!  

[Cranken$tein]

Everybody should send in money!!!

Let's start a "SAVE BZ BANDWITH FOUNDATION" ...ask your moms and dads for some money...even if it's just a couple of dollars!
Or better yet...everybody become premier members!!

Go...go ask them!!  

[mojo360]

Awesome idea Crank!

[Samurai_Pohatu]

Man! Club Valor was good too! Oh,well. I didn't even get to say goodbye. But, it was fun while it lasted.

[Toa Hunter]

Oh no! DW IS DOWN!!!!!!!!      

Here are soem ideas:
1. Crank's idea
2. Combine the Krana and Kanohi forums
3. Put a limit of posts per member per day
4. Combine the Fanfic Forums again
5. Scream at the top of your lungs and you earn $10 for every second you scream.

Sorry, I cant give money right now, I am currently broke.

[Nuva Kaita]

well i liked club valor but if it needs to go away to keep the community up i will respect the decision. i hope others will pay to become premier members

[Cranken$tein]

I'm going to start using a "non-animated" avatar to help out with bandwith!!

[Powa]

Well i guess ill never be able to post my giant lekoron forest husi in the matanuian zoo or post Legendory beast pohatu in pohatus pebble club.  And I wanted to join club valor too!!!!!!  Well goodbye pohatu fans!!!!!  I guess well have to discuss somewhere else.  And all the matanuian animal moc builders keep on building!!!!    See ya guys.  Hey why dont the founders of the club make websites for that club!!!!!  And all the members can go there!!!!!!!!!  Hey try that!!!!!

[Toa Hunter]

Quote (Crankenstein @ May 11 2002, 10:55)

I'm going to start using a "non-animated" avatar to help out with bandwith!!

Great idea! Ill make me a smaller one!

[Super Sonic Poha...]

WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!! DONT COMPLETELY DELETE IT YET!!
Why not delete old threads,or get rid of the least popular forums??

[Spirit in Black]

You could also comine the software and game forums.
If you introduce a maximum posts per day, I think it should be 5 (excluding moderators closing topics), some members post 20.
Or change the image attaching feature for the premeir's so that it only works in COT (Only LEGO®-related images are allowed on BrickShelf).

BTW: I hope my parents will let me become a premeir!

BTW2: It is a good thing that the BBC forum stays, if it was removed, BZ would totally start to 'self-destruct'...

[Powa]

this unfortunately has to be done.  I might resort to no avater to save bandwith.  I might cutdown on my profile too.

edit:  Will we still be able to view the clubs and former information that was posted?

[Samurai_Pohatu]

Quote (BATLEWA @ May 11 2002, 10:55)

Hey why dont the founders of the club make websites for that club!!!!!  And all the members can go there!!!!!!!!!  Hey try that!!!!!

Ummm... one problem with that. Some of us don't know how to make websites. And we don't have money to do so.(hint hint) And I changed my signature to be with this topic.
And look at the date! The attack on the WTC was on September 11th! And today is May 11th! Coincidence? Or not?

[Powa]

hey can I use that thing in your profile for mine?  Only put BATLEWA former member of pohatus pebble club?

[Samurai_Pohatu]

You mean signature? Sure. I don't mind

[Lewa11]

Well, if the Club Forum ever reopens, it would probably would help if the clubs didn't have so many pictures, such as awards and special avatars, and even sig logos. I think this would be the best way to save bandwith, and considering there's no club I can post in anymore, I will remove my sig image.

And That's My 2 Cents.

I do feel kinda sad that the club forum has to go, even if it's not gone forever, I'm goin' to miss it, as many BZ memories have came from that forum.  Well, atleast BZ isn't gone forever! Big D, consider yourself lucky to have members like us! Hip Hip Horray!


- Lewa11

[mojo360]

Im gonna take all the sig pics out of my sig too. Check out my new sig rap! I made it up in 30 sec.

[Powa]

thanks samauri pohatu for the signature.  I would put "thanks to samauri pohatu" in it but it takes up too much so

THANK YOU SAMAURI POHATU FOR THE SIGNATURE!!!!!

Too bad the clubs are gone.  Well atleest there is still bz.  This is one of the best places for information about bionicle.  I find important news out months in advance.  Thanks bz.

[Cranken$tein]

Let's get rid of the "voting booth"

A lot of the topics cover the same things were voting on.

[whynot22]

Maybe club leaders can make their own Mini-Forums on geocities or whatever, and link to BZ (if BigD allows)

[Powa]

I was gonna say that earlyer.  SOMEONE AGREES!!!!! Yea you can just make a topic about your question like what mask should i paint, or who do you like better.
Im talking about deleting the voting booth.  That forum is less needed.

[Spirit in Black]

Quote (Crankenstein @ May 12 2002, 10:22)

Let's get rid of the "voting booth" A lot of the topics cover the same things were voting on.

After premeir membership was introduced it started to shrink...

[Pikachu]

No, even better let's get rid of all the Non-Bionicle forums.  I thought BZ was created for enjoyment of Bionicle.  The Non-Bionicle Forums don't talk about Bionicle at all.  Or maybe we could start a poll on which we think should be removed so the clubs can be saved.
Choice you can erase:
All Non-Bionicle Forums (The best choice)
Voting Booth (Second best choice)
Creative Outlet (Third Best choice)
Clubs (Don't pick this one)

[whynot22]

Quote (Pikachu @ May 11 2002, 11:30)

No, even better let's get rid of all the Non-Bionicle forums.  I thought BZ was created for enjoyment of Bionicle.  The Non-Bionicle Forums don't talk about Bionicle at all.  Or maybe we could start a poll on which we think should be removed so the clubs can be saved. Choice you can erase: Kanohi-Power (Least Best Choice) All Non-Bionicle Forums (The best choice) Creative Outlet (Second Best choice) Clubs (Don't pick this one)

Omigosh! You even thought of deleting the creative outlet? What is wrong w/ you!? That is one of the most imp. parts of BZ! If anythings going, it'd be the non-Bionicle section.

[Kanohi_Kakama]

Well, These are all great Ideas But the Problem is Bandwidth, not Storage Space. Crank's Idea is Good, but many memebers Don't feel the need to support this site. I've done my share, and I Plan on doing more. Crank we have a " Support BZ Foundation" it's at the bottom of the page. I'm Doing what I Can To Help, Now It's Your Turn...

(That last sentence was not directed at anyone in Particular)

[Powa]

I would like to contribute to bz but i cant afford too.  Im tyring to make a website and would be glad to make a link to this site with a little note nder it saying become a premier member and save a site.  If I could afford to i would be a premier member like that!!!!!  But unfortunatly i cant.  I am trying to maek a site and will post a link as soon as im done.  Thats all i can do unfortuantely.  As long as this site is up I will work to keep it up!!!!!!!!

[Kopaka's Ice...]

Quote (Crankenstein @ May 11 2002, 10:22)

Let's get rid of the "voting booth" A lot of the topics cover the same things were voting on.

Hey!

I've got a better idea:  I'll consolidate some polls instead.

Kopaka's Ice Engineering can't believe Crankenstein was trying to put him out of a job.


Anyway, seeing the traffic in clubs, I can readily see how that one forum singlehandedly doubled the bandwidth consumption by BZ.  That is the fat that ought to be trimmed.  Nothing against clubs in particular, but that certainly is the cause, and without some mandatory cash payments, its removal is the solution.


-KIE

[Powa]

unfortDnately Hie you ay be rHght. &nrsp;Lets1just alL do whad we can to try to get the clubs back up and running!!!!!

[flognobin]

oh man... a hole forum gone forever! darn this stupid cost increase! i almost want to go premier... but its like 5 bucks a week, and thats my hole allowance! i'd be broke if i helped! man... maybe... thats it! im taking down my avatar! and... shortening my signature! and... encouraging pepole willing to give money to go premeir in my signature! oh, and if D needs to take down another forum, i'd take down cot and all those other useless forums. clubs is good! cot is bad!

[Powa]

Well people.  It looks like this is gonna happen.  The club forom will be gone.  But keep your hopes up that it wont be forever.  If it isnt then there still might be hope.

[Spirit in Black]

Quote (flognobin @ May 13 2002, 12:00)

oh man... a hole forum gone forever! darn this stupid cost increase! i almost want to go premier... but its like 5 bucks a week, and thats my hole allowance! i'd be broke if i helped! man... maybe... thats it! im taking down my avatar! and... shortening my signature! and... encouraging pepole willing to give money to go premeir in my signature! oh, and if D needs to take down another forum, i'd take down cot and all those other useless forums. clubs is good! cot is bad!

It is $5 USD for 6 months, $8 USD for 12 months...

[Pikachu]

How can you pay to be a premier member?  I know you can pay by credit card but I don't want to show what our credit card number is.  I will do anything I can to make sure that the club forum stays up and running (except tell what our credit card number is).

In the meantime, other useless forums like Non-Bionicle forums should be erased.  Who agrees with me?

[Tahnok04]

Would it help if we made our signatures smaller and tried to get smaller avatars.
Would it also help by deleting all read pms.
How about if we dont put in the little pics during messages.

I think bz should take off non bionicle and the polls, that would save alot of bandwidth.
They could put the krana and kanohi together and the games and the computer games together.

P.S. I can't afford to be a premier member, and i live in England where they use £ not $

[RahiHunter]

Hey, I know! Let's all send D lottery tickets so he'll get rich!

[Arpy]

Maybe we could just have 6 clubs, one for each Toa?
and 1 for MoCs and 1 for avatars/artwork?

 

[Powa]

good idea htb.  I also think they should delete the nonbionicle forums.  This is BIONILCE zone.

[Unoriginal Usern...]

In the BBC/BA forums, we could post links to pictures instead of putting them on the page. (that wouldprobably save a LOT of bandwidth! The BBC and BA are two of the most popular forums! )

[Kenito93]

Ok with me. The club that I used to be in has been shut down.