VLH CLOSURE ANNOUNCEMENT

[gomezz]

My thinking is not so much the money or even the skills needed to run the site but needing someone with both the skills and the passion to run the site which is what Nomad brought to bear.

[barafear]

Might suit someone retired? (Lucego?)

[madness]

Ask Usdaw to fund the site.
It will be the most support they have ever given to staff at least.

[ImBackBaby]

I'd say the server cost could be lowered if they allowed for Adverts for non sub members. Adds can help boost the finances of a server massively. But again, it comes down who has the time, knowledge and passion to run the site.

[londoner83]

I think the issue for many is the lack of knowledge in how to run a site like this and also the time you would need to invest.

In the greater scheme of things £600 a year isn't a massive sum and I'm sure you could easily get 60 members to pay £10 a year to keep the site going. As posted above introducing adverts may well cover this cost.

[LittleNomad]

VPS Server - £650 per year
Domain Name - £6 per year
Anti-spam by CleanTalk  - £12 per year

So £668 per year

If you want automatic website/database backup that's another £110 per year

PLUS... You need some:

SMF forum knowledge to do updates/changes, forum/member settings etc (Updates don't always go right, so might need to work out how to fix it)
Tiny Portal knowledge for all the blocks/panels.
HTML/PHP knowledge for.. again all the block/panels.
Some of the panels have custom code in them.. Happy Days (The pay day panel was custom coded by Nomad)
CSS code knowledge for all the colours/themes etc

PLUS...
Some knowledge on how to use cPanel, WHM Panel, SQL databases....
Which version of PHP & SQL works with SMF, Tiny Portal etc.. You can't just update things without multiple checks.

You need a few good moderators you can Trust to help, majority of posters are ok, but you still get the occasional a$$hole.

Obviously you need some passion & time for the project in the 1st place.

And even IF you have all of that, your assuming I'm willing to give someone I don't know, all the website & Database information (Which includes all the Email addresses of every member...)

[BritishRacingGreen]

Thank you for that Little Nomad. How do we remove our details from the site - I don't want mine passed on.

[LittleNomad]

The only personal details stored is your Email address you registered with.

Even if someone takes over VLH, which I highly doubt will happen, I would delete every members Email address before handing over the database.

Nomad was very clear about that...

But.. You can delete your account if your worried.

[Shoestring]

Oh my, how sad for Little Nomad and Very Little Helps. If ever I need some information I always come here, this site has given more helpful information than can ever be cited anywhere else.

A sad loss for sure, we will now have to do our own leg work instead of being lazy and coming here for answers 

This is going to leave a void for sure, gutted 

[jonty]

It's a shame this community is going to come to an end, it feels like a waste of knowledge and experience to let it disband. I know there's a large Reddit group but it doesn't seem to have quite the same calibre of experience as on here.

How about a Discord server or something similar? Discord can be accessed via smartphone app or web browser. Would technically be free (without any Discord features) and it could be somewhere we at least have an online place to continue, for those that want to stay in touch with one another? Just an idea

[madness]

Bet you Tesco will be loving it though.

[gomezz]

It's a shame this community is going to come to an end, it feels like a waste of knowledge and experience to let it disband. I know there's a large Reddit group

I didn't know about.  There are some Facebook groups but they of course do not provide the same level of anonymity, and can and have been infiltrated by company grasses (until weeded out by the mods) so you have to be careful what and how you post on those.  There are some members of those with specific knowledge and experience that can help on a one to one basis privately using PMs once you get a feel for who is reputable.

[ImBackBaby]

It's a shame this community is going to come to an end, it feels like a waste of knowledge and experience to let it disband. I know there's a large Reddit group but it doesn't seem to have quite the same calibre of experience as on here.

How about a Discord server or something similar? Discord can be accessed via smartphone app or web browser. Would technically be free (without any Discord features) and it could be somewhere we at least have an online place to continue, for those that want to stay in touch with one another? Just an idea

Discord is a good shout, but again if you are already on Discord and using it for other activities, your real name could become leaked in some form, especially if you have familiar nickname you use for what Discord intended audience is, Gamers.

[jonty]

Good points, I was thinking about it a bit more today and thought if T were to pressure Discord into removing the group everything would be lost permanently anyway.

[penguin]

It will be a real shame to see VLH close, although I fully understand little Nomads wish to move on from running the site after his late Dad passed away, VLH proved an invaluable help to me when going through a restructure that in my store at least was not well handled  by the SM and PM, and despite moving on back in 2020 I still know a couple of the posters on here and like to drop in and see how there doing. I had a look at that reddit group mentioned above and think it must be our old mate nowanexmanager who posts half the stuff on it, lots of threads about uniform standards going down, and how it was all better back in the day.

[person7]

Very sad to login today after little while to find its gonna close.

Everyone on here has been far more helpful than any official support or any other forum and been the go to place to rant or keep up to date and learn from each other.

I did see long time ago tesco reddit but thats not anonymous so i refuse to use it. I read it but never join or comment.

I will miss this website.

However i do wish LittleNomad the best going forward, its on understandable reason, and nothing lasts forever. hopefully we can find a suitable alternative, and a thank you to everyone making the job more bareable and a place to voice our opinions without fear of being "found out" by the company

[Silverwire]

Are the site admin open to a "takeover"? Serious question

[LittleNomad]

If someone wanted to continue VLH, that's fine.
They need to read this to understand what it entails, cost & skill requirements.
Also they will not recieve any Email addresses of the any member as that part of the SQL database will be erased, so they can't use it for any nefarious/advertising reasons.

[penguin]

Forgive my lack of tech understanding but if the e-mail addresses are deleted (and I understand the reasons why this will be done) would that also remove the account and posts linked to each e-mail address thus meaning the forum has to start again, or can all the previous posts be retained if someone takes over.

[LittleNomad]

Posts are linked by ID_Member in the SQL database, not the Email address.

You can see you ID_member, mouse over your name in a post and you'll see something like https://www.verylittlehelps.com/index.php?action=profile;u=4343

the u=4343 is your ID_member number

[gomezz]

Also they will not recieve any Email addresses of the any member as that part of the SQL database will be erased, so they can't use it for any nefarious/advertising reasons.

Very understandable.  But would it be possible to do a mass email shot to all existing members explaining the changes and how to sign up to any new platform that may assume the purpose of this site?  That way it is up to each member to decide if they are happy to give their email address to any new site.

[NightAndDay]

I have experience as a PL/SQL SME that broadly translates to the other SQL variants, don't know much about the front end though, know rudimentary HTML and PHP.

[BritishRacingGreen]

@LittleNomad - I would prefer my account to be closed please.

[LittleNomad]

Also they will not recieve any Email addresses of the any member as that part of the SQL database will be erased, so they can't use it for any nefarious/advertising reasons.

Very understandable.  But would it be possible to do a mass email shot to all existing members explaining the changes and how to sign up to any new platform that may assume the purpose of this site?  That way it is up to each member to decide if they are happy to give their email address to any new site.

I don't believe the forum software will allow me to do that (Send a mass Email to all members). It's either give every Email address or none, I'm not spending time, deleting just some of them.
.
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@LittleNomad - I would prefer my account to be closed please.

Delete your account in your profile page ..Actions.. Delete This Account

[BritishRacingGreen]

Thank you @LittleNomad.
Under 'Actions' on the profile menu, the only option available is "download profile data".
There appears to be no option to delete the account under any of the headings on the menu offered.