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BN forums finally dead?
Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2022 10:34 am
by Cyclophiliac
https://forums.bicyclenetwork.com.au/
The site just returns an error message now, and has done for many days. The BN web page still links to it, too. I'm not surprised: BN has shown over the last several years how little they care for maintaining that site.
Re: BN forums finally dead?
Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2022 5:30 pm
by Mike Ayling
Cyclophiliac wrote: ↑Tue Dec 06, 2022 10:34 am
https://forums.bicyclenetwork.com.au/
The site just returns an error message now, and has done for many days. The BN web page still links to it, too. I'm not surprised: BN has shown over the last several years how little they care for maintaining that site.
No, it is back again but almost no activity there, no surprise if it was finally closed.
Thanks Mohan
Re: BN forums finally dead?
Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2022 6:19 pm
by brumby33
What's the History of that forum? was it the forum before this one as it seemed there was a connection?
Bit before my time here I think although I think I'm a member of that one too and I remember some user names were the same.
Maybe I got the two forums mixed up?
brumby33
Re: BN forums finally dead?
Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2022 8:52 pm
by Cyclophiliac
brumby33 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 06, 2022 6:19 pm
What's the History of that forum? was it the forum before this one as it seemed there was a connection?
Bit before my time here I think although I think I'm a member of that one too and I remember some user names were the same.
Maybe I got the two forums mixed up?
brumby33
It used to be BV forums (back when Bicycle Network called themselves Bicycle Victoria, i.e. before they got power-hungry), then they briefly renamed it to Bicycle Network Victoria, and then for some years it's been Bicycle Network. I lost interest in them years ago (used to be a member), when they started acting like motorist apologists and supported mandatory helmet laws.
I checked the forum site again just now: the link is still the one from the Bicycle Network web page, I even cleared my site cookies, and it's still not loading.
Re: BN forums finally dead?
Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2022 8:57 pm
by warthog1
Forums appear to becoming less popular and less frequented generally.
This forum has a fraction of the traffic it had a decade or more ago.
Re: BN forums finally dead?
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2022 7:31 am
by Mike Ayling
And its gone again!
Mike
Re: BN forums finally dead?
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2022 8:35 am
by Cyclophiliac
It's pretty pathetic, really, that an organisation that tries to market itself as a national cycling advocacy organisation can't manage a very simple forum site (it really is very basic in its features). The site currently returns this to the user:
General Error
SQL ERROR [ mysqli ]
No such file or directory [2002]
An sql error occurred while fetching this page. Please contact an administrator if this problem persists.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited
This is a forum site that is still linked from the Bicycle Network main page.
Re: BN forums finally dead?
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2022 10:35 am
by trailgumby
Cyclophiliac wrote: ↑Wed Dec 07, 2022 8:35 am
It's pretty pathetic, really, that an organisation that tries to market itself as a national cycling advocacy organisation can't manage a very simple forum site (it really is very basic in its features). The site currently returns this to the user:
General Error
SQL ERROR [ mysqli ]
No such file or directory [2002]
An sql error occurred while fetching this page. Please contact an administrator if this problem persists.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited
This is a forum site that is still linked from the Bicycle Network main page.
They tell us they've given up on that ambition. They closed their NSW operation a few years ago, resulting in Bastien Wallace subsequently joining BNSW.
However, I note they are still actively marketing their memberships with Google search ads to people hunting for BNSW memberships, despite doing no advocacy work in NSW at all for some years. It's a little-known fact they made no submissions at all in support of the Sydney Harbour Bridge northern access ramp - the highest-profile project we have.
With the non-renewal of Craig Richards' term as CEO and a refresh of the board they have been making noises about resetting the relationship with the other State-based bodies, but they clearly need to be doing more to align their behaviours with the rhetoric.
Re: BN forums finally dead?
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2022 10:58 am
by Cyclophiliac
trailgumby wrote: ↑Wed Dec 07, 2022 10:35 am
Cyclophiliac wrote: ↑Wed Dec 07, 2022 8:35 am
It's pretty pathetic, really, that an organisation that tries to market itself as a national cycling advocacy organisation can't manage a very simple forum site (it really is very basic in its features). The site currently returns this to the user:
General Error
SQL ERROR [ mysqli ]
No such file or directory [2002]
An sql error occurred while fetching this page. Please contact an administrator if this problem persists.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited
This is a forum site that is still linked from the Bicycle Network main page.
They tell us they've given up on that ambition. They closed their NSW operation a few years ago, resulting in Bastien Wallace subsequently joining BNSW.
However, I note they are still actively marketing their memberships with Google search ads to people hunting for BNSW memberships, despite doing no advocacy work in NSW at all for some years. It's a little-known fact they made no submissions at all in support of the Sydney Harbour Bridge northern access ramp - the highest-profile project we have.
With the non-renewal of Craig Richards' term as CEO and a refresh of the board they have been making noises about resetting the relationship with the other State-based bodies, but they clearly need to be doing more to align their behaviours with the rhetoric.
None of that surprises me, it's partly why I cancelled my membership with them many years ago, they're not a very good cycling advocacy organisation, and their mass participation cycling events are ludicrously overpriced.
Re: BN forums finally dead?
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2022 8:13 pm
by Duck!
Even in that forum's peak, BV/BN didn't really support it, even though they established and hosted it! Being a primarily Victorian-oriented forum, it always lacked the reach this one has, and in combination with the lack of BV/BN support has become another victim of the overall trend away from this format.