Do we need a website for FF1600?

[Walshy]

Originally Posted by Redracer77

Dailysportscar.com works well as a subscription based website and they do very well. I am not sure if the journos get paid but the site is very popular.

I would suggest this is the only way to go forward. I would pay £35 a year to read the site if I had to subscribe and I suggest most people would when push comes to shove.

Although Ian has said that it is not financial I am sure it would be still running if the site was able to pay him for his time he puts in. Ian and Matt have passion for FF1600 and also the correct skills to be running the site. Would the site be any good if a non journo took over???????

FF1600 is not a good site because it looks pretty but it is good because the lads do have an understand on how to write about racing correctly. We dont all agree with what they write but at least it was good copy.

If it can't be done to the same level then it maybe best to call it a day. You might get more people on Ten-Tenths now

Chris, we had a drivers association that involved putting hands in pockets occassionally. That fell by the wayside.

Also, nobody is questioning the content of the site or berating the running of it and who said a non-journo was taking over it????????

Do you need to be a journo to run the site? The contributors are the journos. The website can be run by someone that knows about websites. Ian has a full-time career and in that situation, as we all know, you have to balance your time accordingly. Even if it were to pay a handsome royalty, Ian would still be burning the midnight oil which in turn, can affect your paying career. What it needs is to pay enough to go full-time at it. That would require more than just a handful of subscriptions.

How do you find being talked about in the 3rd person Ian.....

[Redracer77]

The site has been set up by Matt Darcy to be run by non web people. So you still need the journos to write the content and send it live. The North West guy may take it on (can't spell his name) he is a student and would have more time. I am sure £4 - £7k would work well in his back pocket to help with his studies.

[Steve Lowdon]

Does anyone know just how many people look at the FF1600 site per month,i'm sure Ian must have the site monitered to see how much interest it is attracting.The reason i ask is im sure we would all be prepared to pay some sort of subscription to keep it up & running.
Do you have any figure's Ian?

[Hutch]

the problem is time and money so perhaps if we do all want to keep it we need to help with both. The idea of a subscription is a good one and perhaps each regional club could have one writer per round (similair to David Bailey in NW) with a ff1600 journo to proof read to ensure not offensive, boring or too biased which would also mean only the select few have access to alter site etc.

It would be a shame for it to go altogether, its a great way of keeping family, friends, sponsors etc upto speed with what we are doing.

[Asp]

Originally Posted by Redracer77

Although Ian has said that it is not financial I am sure it would be still running if the site was able to pay him for his time he puts in. Ian and Matt have passion for FF1600 and also the correct skills to be running the site. Would the site be any good if a non journo took over???????

I know exactly what you're getting at here Chris.
The site could well be run by a non-journo - certainly the admin side of things. There's enough contributors to probably continue writing reports as always, and even take on keeping the news uptodate.

The problem is what you read on the site as obviously been edited by one of the experts. Having the small number of editors to ensure that there is conformity and keep the end product a high quality is one major thing that has made the site as good as it is. Someone experienced and knowledged in the sport would need to take this on. Which I predict will prove to be the most difficult thing.

[mattray]

I don't think it's the reporting that is the problem or even the cost of getting to the circuits, I should think it's more the editing post work day during the week that has been the problem. If a few people can be found to do this then that would be an answer but as ASP says, finding people with the depth of knowledge and passion of Ian and Matt would be the hard part.

[Walshy]

Originally Posted by Asp

Someone experienced and knowledged in the sport would need to take this on. Which I predict will prove to be the most difficult thing.

Why?

Formula Ford has been going a long long time (40 years almost). With over 300 active drivers and countless team personnel, not to mention officials, I would think we could find a few people that might know what they are talking about(!)

Some of them might even be able to write the odd article or two mate....

[darcym]

Let me put an end to some of the confusion here.

I don't know how many know as it was initially kept low key, but I run the technical portion of the site. I am happy to keep it up for as long as people read it, and I will continue to maintain it for as long as people to want to see it.

As chris has rightly pointed out, the thing that makes it popular is the quality and coverage of the content. A bit of spit and polish on the contents presantiation just makes it more attractive to read and presnt to people.

The site already has numerous photographics and writing contributors which can be seen in the credits section.

The fact is that the two guys directly responsible for the content no longer have the time to do this, weather that time would become more available if you got paid is a matter only Ian and Matt can answer.

the website can be used by technically basic users, so anyone with writing or image related skills could use it, thats the whole reason it was designed that way, so using it would not be a problem. It still needs people to co-ordinate it and maintain the quality levels, or the content will suffer, and the coverage and therefore users reading it will drop.

I've never been a fan of subscritpion based services for club level racing simpley because a.) its expensive enough as it is. b.) it gets peoples backs up.

Look at how everyone reacted to the fact that BRSCC included a registration fee increase - which was to pay for media coverage which included a site that is lets be honest - rubbish. Do you feel ripped off by this ? yes - I would had I paid the BRSCC. Putting a subscription fee on the site demands a certain level of quality whcih you've come to expect, should those expectations not be met you'd have every right to complain as you did about the brscc's price hike for media coverage. This puts ff1600.co.uk in a sticky situation, do the maintainers want this potential hassle ?


The band wagon for funding the site has long scince sailed. As Steve Burns rightly pointed out, ff1600.co.uk is strong, part of that is the profile ff1600.co.uk has given it, as well as the community. Yet still people like the BRSCC chose to build their own site, up the prices and deliver a bitter taste to peoples mouths Had this money been spent (call it £10 of the registration fee increase) spent on ff1600.co.uk that may have given a kitty for journo's to recoup their fee's easier, pay for "stuff" for the photographers or what ever it is they need these days.

I don't believe enough income could/would be generated from the site eo make it worth for peeople to give up their time for the period of time Matt and Ian have. eg: getting a site report up at midnight for monday, to then get up at 6:00am to go to work until 5:30 and then finish off the revierws for Tuesday until midnight again.

Thats a big commitment ! not to be taken lightly.

[Walshy]

Originally Posted by darcym

Let me put an end to some of the confusion here.

I don't know how many know as it was initially kept low key, but I run the technical portion of the site. I am happy to keep it up for as long as people read it, and I will continue to maintain it for as long as people to want to see it.

As chris has rightly pointed out, the thing that makes it popular is the quality and coverage of the content. A bit of spit and polish on the contents presantiation just makes it more attractive to read and presnt to people.

The site already has numerous photographics and writing contributors which can be seen in the credits section.

The fact is that the two guys directly responsible for the content no longer have the time to do this, weather that time would become more available if you got paid is a matter only Ian and Matt can answer.

the website can be used by technically basic users, so anyone with writing or image related skills could use it, thats the whole reason it was designed that way, so using it would not be a problem. It still needs people to co-ordinate it and maintain the quality levels, or the content will suffer, and the coverage and therefore users reading it will drop.

I've never been a fan of subscritpion based services for club level racing simpley because a.) its expensive enough as it is. b.) it gets peoples backs up.

Look at how everyone reacted to the fact that BRSCC included a registration fee increase - which was to pay for media coverage which included a site that is lets be honest - rubbish. Do you feel ripped off by this ? yes - I would had I paid the BRSCC. Putting a subscription fee on the site demands a certain level of quality whcih you've come to expect, should those expectations not be met you'd have every right to complain as you did about the brscc's price hike for media coverage. This puts ff1600.co.uk in a sticky situation, do the maintainers want this potential hassle ?


The band wagon for funding the site has long scince sailed. As Steve Burns rightly pointed out, ff1600.co.uk is strong, part of that is the profile ff1600.co.uk has given it, as well as the community. Yet still people like the BRSCC chose to build their own site, up the prices and deliver a bitter taste to peoples mouths Had this money been spent (call it £10 of the registration fee increase) spent on ff1600.co.uk that may have given a kitty for journo's to recoup their fee's easier, pay for "stuff" for the photographers or what ever it is they need these days.

I don't believe enough income could/would be generated from the site eo make it worth for peeople to give up their time for the period of time Matt and Ian have. eg: getting a site report up at midnight for monday, to then get up at 6:00am to go to work until 5:30 and then finish off the revierws for Tuesday until midnight again.

Thats a big commitment ! not to be taken lightly.

Now i nkow wy it neeeds an aditor Mat judgeing by your speelingg.....

But could Matt and Ian's burden not be eased by letting the Contributors add there own details to the site. Does Matt and Ian have to proof everything?

If the journo's are good enough to write the articles, are they not good enough to proof their own reports and post them directly.

The snappers could post their shots directly into a gallery rather than having to have them edited into the race reports. Then all Matt and Ian have to do is read them over.

Don't mistake my comments as negative, I am just trying to help by offering suggestions, but it would really ease their load by permitting each snapper and writer access to the site direct.

And let's be honest, the race to get Qualifying times on the site isn't really necessary is it? The times can be viewed through the relevant timekeeping sites. The race reports and features are the main things and if you read the motorsport press, you have to wait until the end of the week for most reports. So waiting until a Wednesday night for FF1600 isn't such a bind.

Please, everyone, anyone, offer suggestions that might make Ian and Matt's life a little easier. It is unreasonable to expect anyone to sit up until all hours preparing a website for the benefit of us all when they are not receiving any financial reward for it.

If nothing else, give it a go if it prolongs the life of the site?

[darcym]

nice point on the spelling walshy.

I just type to fast, as its not great ten-tenthings on clients sites

Before more ideas or comments are floated, I suggest someone ask Ian and Matt how they feel about things.

[MikeHoyer]

Dailysportscar does work well with it's supscription service, and we do get paid aswell... well I have been anyway!

However FF1600 is probably a bit more of a niche market (no offence to anyone!), so I don't think it would quite get the subscribers. That said it's the best website I've seen that covers club racing, or at least one area of club racing, as far as presentation, depth, and regular updates go.

I'd be happy to continue to contribute if the decision is made to continue with the website in some way (obviously with Ian and Matt's approval).

[Ian Sowman]

I think we have established that I don't want to continue with FF1600.co.uk - I would like my life back! That is not to say I haven't enjoyed the last two or three years (and credit to Chris Hodgen for getting the ball rolling) - I have, immensely, and made a great many friends out of the site.

The fact is that neither Matt nor I have the time to dedicate to the site next season. We know that it would be possible to keep the site going in some form, but not to the quality that it is now.

During 2006 we tried to push down some of what we were doing to other contributors, but sadly - and this is in no way intended as a criticism of anyone - it didn't work out as it might have done. We cut back on a lot of things that we did during 2005 (notepads, editorials, images in previews, driver of the month features) which would have preferred to keep.

With even less time available in 2007, a further slide in quality was available and Matt and I were not prepared to carry on on that basis. We wanted to produce a publication - for that is what I see FF1600.co.uk as - that maintained high standards.

As we have said, the issue is not financial. No amount of money that is offered would make us change our minds (well, my mind anyway - I can't speak for Matt). If looking FF1600.co.uk became my job, as opposed to a hobby, I would enjoy it much less. I want to keep my involvement in motorsport and my job distinct.

[Walshy]

There is the definitive then.......

So, if it is to continue, it needs a new person at the Helm.

[Triple J Motorsport]

.

[Reluctant guest]

Originally Posted by Ian Sowman

As we have said, the issue is not financial. No amount of money that is offered would make us change our minds (well, my mind anyway - I can't speak for Matt).

I can't guarantee that I would spurn the offer of a massive cheque to carry on, but as Ian rightly says, we came to this decision entirely because of the time the website was taking up, and the fact that we would both have much less free time available in the future for various reasons.

And, yes, it is finding the time that is required to edit, illustrate and publish the reports that has proved increasingly problematic, hence the disappointingly late appearance of many recent articles. Conversely, things like the teasers, the basic previews and qualifying/race times can easily be bashed out between (or during) other jobs.

[JohnMiller]

Originally Posted by darcym

Look at how everyone reacted to the fact that BRSCC included a registration fee increase - which was to pay for media coverage which included a site that is lets be honest - rubbish.

There is no way it is anything like that good.

[ACE Motorsport]

Meet Ian a few times, thought he was a great bloke, and enjoyed his commentary too.
Very sad if ff1600.co.uk does stop, I got a lot of info from his site.
But people have to do what they can fit in their lives, and there are a few late nights in that site.
So thanks Ian, if you can keep it going please do, if not thanks for showing others how it can be done.