Jan 29, 2012 Update
Hi everyone,
This post is just to answer some questions I have been getting lately in regards to The Reefuge.
Q1) I have noticed the forum statistics are now at the bottom of the forum list, why move them away from the sidebar?
A) There is a huge tank journal feature being built and the space on the sidebar is needed for room to place the latest tank journal updates. This will update as soon as members update their tank journals.
Q2) What will the tank journal feature be like?
A) The tank journal feature will be a fully functional blogging feature that every user will have access to. Users will be able to open up as many tank journals as they like, with each update of the journal being a different entry. Users will be able to comment on each entry, as this will further help journals comments being relevant to each update.
Because of this setup, a user will be able to simply click through a tank journal and easily follow each update the author has made without the need to read through multiple pages of user comments. It is a very easy and neat way to display users journals.
Q3) When will the tank journal feature be available?
A) Currently, the ETA is Q1 of 2012.
Q4) Is The Reefuge opening up their own store?
A) Yes. We are currently working on a store where users will be able to purchase not-so-common items through our online store. We are not trying to compete with established businesses, but we are trying to offer products / brands that are not so common in Australia.
Credit gained by users by posting on these forums (your bank) will also be used to purchase items from our store. Credits may also be used to get discounts on items.
Q5) Are users going to have their own shops, and if so, how will these shops work?
A) This is a tricky one to answer.
Users will have their own "shops", but it is more like a glorified classifieds system. There will still be a marketplace, but it will be using the users profile to display items. Users will be able to sell items to other members through their "shop" feature. Both credits and cash can be used for online transactions.
Businesses will also have this feature available. The main reason for this is because there are a lot of LFS' who do not know how to set up their own online store and therefore miss out on competing in the online market. This will help fix that problem, and allow easy expansion of an LFS.
Q6) I noticed I can donate, does this mean you are offering memberships?
A) This is the most important part of this entire post. The donation is there for users who wish to help out with the high running costs of this website. If a user wishes to donate, it really helps with the server bills, coding, etc. This allows for faster growth of this website, and it makes it easier on my wallet at the end of the month when the bill is due.
Any deals we have with businesses for discounts at their store, or information regarding this hobby is available to anyone who wishes to use it. All of the information and photos can be read by guests on this website, and registered members gain access to the marketplace and offtopic forums.
If a business requires that you are a member of this site to get a discount, the membership is completely free and only takes a few minutes to gain (by registering).
There are state forums which require you to make a minimum of 20 posts to gain access to, but there is no paid membership to these groups.
The Reefuge was, is, and always will be completely free to general users. All the features of this site will never require users to pay a membership fee to gain access to them. The most we will ever ask of users to unlock certain features of this website is to make "x" amount of posts.
Thanks.
This post is just to answer some questions I have been getting lately in regards to The Reefuge.
Q1) I have noticed the forum statistics are now at the bottom of the forum list, why move them away from the sidebar?
A) There is a huge tank journal feature being built and the space on the sidebar is needed for room to place the latest tank journal updates. This will update as soon as members update their tank journals.
Q2) What will the tank journal feature be like?
A) The tank journal feature will be a fully functional blogging feature that every user will have access to. Users will be able to open up as many tank journals as they like, with each update of the journal being a different entry. Users will be able to comment on each entry, as this will further help journals comments being relevant to each update.
Because of this setup, a user will be able to simply click through a tank journal and easily follow each update the author has made without the need to read through multiple pages of user comments. It is a very easy and neat way to display users journals.
Q3) When will the tank journal feature be available?
A) Currently, the ETA is Q1 of 2012.
Q4) Is The Reefuge opening up their own store?
A) Yes. We are currently working on a store where users will be able to purchase not-so-common items through our online store. We are not trying to compete with established businesses, but we are trying to offer products / brands that are not so common in Australia.
Credit gained by users by posting on these forums (your bank) will also be used to purchase items from our store. Credits may also be used to get discounts on items.
Q5) Are users going to have their own shops, and if so, how will these shops work?
A) This is a tricky one to answer.
Users will have their own "shops", but it is more like a glorified classifieds system. There will still be a marketplace, but it will be using the users profile to display items. Users will be able to sell items to other members through their "shop" feature. Both credits and cash can be used for online transactions.
Businesses will also have this feature available. The main reason for this is because there are a lot of LFS' who do not know how to set up their own online store and therefore miss out on competing in the online market. This will help fix that problem, and allow easy expansion of an LFS.
Q6) I noticed I can donate, does this mean you are offering memberships?
A) This is the most important part of this entire post. The donation is there for users who wish to help out with the high running costs of this website. If a user wishes to donate, it really helps with the server bills, coding, etc. This allows for faster growth of this website, and it makes it easier on my wallet at the end of the month when the bill is due.
Any deals we have with businesses for discounts at their store, or information regarding this hobby is available to anyone who wishes to use it. All of the information and photos can be read by guests on this website, and registered members gain access to the marketplace and offtopic forums.
If a business requires that you are a member of this site to get a discount, the membership is completely free and only takes a few minutes to gain (by registering).
There are state forums which require you to make a minimum of 20 posts to gain access to, but there is no paid membership to these groups.
The Reefuge was, is, and always will be completely free to general users. All the features of this site will never require users to pay a membership fee to gain access to them. The most we will ever ask of users to unlock certain features of this website is to make "x" amount of posts.
Thanks.
