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Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

Pricing: Experimental Rule Change

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09 Oct 2010 16:40 #1 by JohnH (John)
In the light of the recent discussion on the Rule of Sponsors not being able to post prices in their sections of the Forum it has been decided to relax this stipulation for an 'experimental' period to see how it goes.

Sponsors will only be able, though, to post their prices in their own sections - never in Open Forum and never (especially) in another Sponsors Section.

Statements (even in their own Sponsor-Section) such as 'We are cheaper than XXX' or even 'We are the cheapest in Ireland' will not be allowed and deleted immediately.

At the end of the Temporary Period the change will either (hopefully) be made permanent or, if the change results in any unpleasantness (unlikely).

Every time a Sponsor adds prices to their list or even to posts in their own section conditions and/or terms must be clearly stated (not just that 'terms and conditions apply').

This change will take place immediately and will run until we are satisfied that the changes are of positive benefit to all Forum members, then it will either be permanently amended or the situation 'as was' will be reinstated.

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


ITFS member.



It's a long way to Tipperary.

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09 Oct 2010 17:36 #2 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
A welcome move...well done. Also dont forget the 10% membership discount also!!!

Gavin

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09 Oct 2010 17:42 #3 by JohnH (John)
Gavin,
The discount is at the discretion of the shop in question - but I have to stress this is supposed to be a Discount only for Club members of the three participating Clubs: ITFS, CFKS and LMAS.
This discount does not necessarily follow from Forum membership (although some shops do, I understand, extend the discount to them as well).
Just to try to clarify the situation.

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


ITFS member.



It's a long way to Tipperary.

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09 Oct 2010 17:44 #4 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)

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09 Oct 2010 18:05 #5 by dar (darren curry)
sounds good John, good work

Check out the angling section, it is fantastic

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09 Oct 2010 18:39 #6 by Damian_Ireland (Damian_Ireland)

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09 Oct 2010 19:59 #7 by Ma (mm mm)
This is good news and hopefully it works out. If the sponsors stick to the rules I can't see why these changes won't work.

It really is great news, expecially for us customers. Ideally this will be used for certain items or new arrivals ect, special offers and so on, and not just a massive scroll down list of prices for everything in a shop.



Mark

Location D.11

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09 Oct 2010 21:12 - 10 Oct 2010 01:17 #8 by des (des)
that's a great idea
i'd love to see the prices after each of the fish on the availability lists
you'd know how much to bring with you when visiting the shops and you'd also truly know which of the shops are the best value on what your after etc. etc.
hope it works out.....
Last edit: 10 Oct 2010 01:17 by des (des).

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09 Oct 2010 22:42 #9 by JustinK (Justin Kelly)
des wrote:

that's a great idea
i'd love to see the prices after each of the fish on the availability lists
you'd know how much to bring with you when visiting the shops and you'd also truly know witch of the shops are the best value on what your after etc. etc.
hope it works out.....

You'll only get cheapest from the prices.
You won't get value until you see the fish.
If one shop was selling "Nemo" for €59.95 and another had "Nemos Dad" for €65 which one would you go for ?
Remember Nemo had a stunted fin whereas his dad was a breeding adult ;)

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10 Oct 2010 01:20 #10 by des (des)
fair point but i'd still love to see the prices on the lists or even on the sponsors sites :)

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10 Oct 2010 01:30 #11 by dar (darren curry)
and this should only apply to live stock. lists of filters, heaters, algae magnets and suction cups etc etc... should be kept for in store or via pm

Check out the angling section, it is fantastic

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10 Oct 2010 09:39 #12 by paulbohs (Paul Doyle)
dar wrote:

and this should only apply to live stock. lists of filters, heaters, algae magnets and suction cups etc etc... should be kept for in store or via pm


Thats a crazy statement, pricing for filters, media and dry goods would be the best to show prices on. Show us the hobbyist that our LFS are not so much more expensive than the online spots + postage that people buy from. Everyone has to buy their fish locally (in Ireland) anyway so only the other stuff will make the sponsors any extra money. Sure they can take a bigger share of how much is spent on fish but that can only lead to the losing shop closing down and us the hobbyist with 1 less good shop to choose from.

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10 Oct 2010 10:43 #13 by dar (darren curry)
fair enough point paul but i'm basing this on lists being 5pages long, some are going to have it flooded pricing everything. ok mention if there is a deal, but every list, every week, pricing everything in store is madness. plus i'm also seeing the sponsors side, wat about the smaller or struggling sponsors wat about them closing down or leaving the forum because they cant compete or even refusing to post a price list, yes that's their problem but i'd hate to see them not participating over this. i'm gonna retract my statement suggesting this is a good idea as x will not post his list because y posted his cheaper your gonna have one store every week posting the same bottomless thread, some just can't afford healthy competitive prices at the moment

Check out the angling section, it is fantastic

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10 Oct 2010 11:48 #14 by paulbohs (Paul Doyle)
I see the benefit that someone will post in wanted section or in equipment looking for the best filter for their tank. A sponsor can post in that thread that he has just put up a list of prices on their stocked range of external filters in their own section. Instead of someone being pm'd a link to a german website they'd hopefully be straight over to that sponsor who is offering good value.

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10 Oct 2010 17:31 #15 by joey (joe watson)
easier solution is to just pm the sponsor with what you are looking for equipment wise and he/she can send you prices will stop it all getting messy

as for fish pricesa, is best to knoew who is doing the best price but visitors to the shops will know the quality and the value can be found that way (i personally know where i wont shop and where i regularly shop and if i know prices of fish i can decide which to head to rather than a round trip just for reconnisance)

Location: Portlaoise, Midlands

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10 Oct 2010 19:53 - 10 Oct 2010 19:53 #16 by Jim (Jim Lawlor)
I think PM the sponsor if you're looking for something specific (I already do)

I think the sponsors should be allowed post prices of dry goods (in their own section) if theyve got a particularly unusual price / special / discount on.

And totally agree with this new change - not only do you know how much to bring with you to the shop - you know how much space to make before buying!

As for German or other websites - its a pity we're not allowed discuss what I've found out googling about them . . . (I'm sure I'm not alone).

(woo hoo - I'm a guppy!)
Last edit: 10 Oct 2010 19:53 by Jim (Jim Lawlor).

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