by admin » Thu Apr 11, 2024 4:40 pm
Here are real reasons behind this mess up of approvals and reorganization of classifieds:
1) The primary problem is that we are using 20 year-old software that works and continues to deliver the basics. It has some features like post approvals that were an attempt to try and ensure standards were met with classifieds and that each party would list pricing and then get notified at the end of the listing period. That might be 30 days or permanent for things like brakes or jacks or other items manufactured by the group.
2) The software does not notify admin when a post is made that needs approval. Yikes, I will work on changing the code to do that. I thought it would allow better classifieds but it obviously delayed some posts.
3) The goal is to have an automatic listing by owners. Then they get notified that expiry is imminent automatically and decide to continue or let it be delisted. They can re-list or the listing is dropped. That way, the list stays clean and current. VAF works almost in that manner but it has an army of moderators that seek donations, fees, enforce advertising rules and it has a ton of scams. We don't have that or the costs or revenue base to hire mods like that. Bob posts and sells on FB which is great but FB gets billions in advertising. LancairTalk doesn't allow advertising.
4) Resources are spread between moving to the new site software and working this site. Both require custom Lancair code to suit our group's unique situation. At the same time we have people who need to sell, some who want to buy, people wanting to make things to sell, lots of scammers trying to get into the site daily and it does take time to deliver a product that is mostly safe and secure and Lancair-specific. The main goal for me is to keep things running recognizing the technology is again changing. Email delivery is now problematic so we need a better solution. Uvalde and captain highliner are completely dead in the water so we need to focus on our own parts and ingenuity (like jacks and other stuff) more than ever. There is nobody to do this work except for a few people and everyone is busy. Some are even pissy at times, me included.
5) The bottom line is that we need to to stay positive and helpful with ideas and suggestions and parts and cooperating strategies. If it doesn't work, find out why and suggest alternatives or fixes. Anyone who uses this site for free and then complains that they are losing opportunities needs to calm down and work on the real issues of expanding the mission of reaching more Lancair people in a positive and productive way.
Give me some specifications to work with on coding the system for people to list parts and I can do that. Otherwise, it is best efforts, trial and error and "when I have time". Nobody should be bitching here. Go send that noise to those who let us all down over the last ten years. We'll get things fixed but don't shoot at the wrong target.