UKS - the way forward

[MaryAnne]

Hello and Happy New Year!

Sorry I have been fairly absent for a bit. After the heart attack, various other aspects of life have demanded my time and attention - in particular, both generations, above and below, have presented me with serious challenges over the last few months. While life is still challenging for me, my health is, at the moment not the issue and I am looking forward. What is the future of UKS? IS there a future for it??

To members - This is the time to add your input. If you want UKS to continue, tell me what you want out of it. If you think you can help, feel free to PM me. What that "help" might be will depend on any input.

Also, you asked about a DONATE button in the past. I may have that worked out. If you see it appear, feel free to make use of it. Likewise, feel free to ignore it.

To sponsors - I have deferred the sponsorship email till I have a more concrete plan for UKS moving forward. Self-hosting has meant I need less in the way of new funds to keep UKS open, so I feel comfortable giving all a free month.


Let's have a chat. If UKS still matters to you, tell me what you want out of it moving forward. I'll see if I can make that happen.

cheers all!

Mary Anne

[yiayia]

Hello MaryAnne. first of all - thank you so much for all the hard work you have put in over the past years to create and run this site. Personally, I have found it invaluable as a source of advice, education and inspiration over the years. And the people who "inhabit" it are a really wonderful bunch. It must take so much of your time and it really is appreciated.

As for continuing - well, if you could manage it, I would LOVE it. It is my first port of call after my emails each morning. I shall watch this space with interest, as they say.

[sylphraven]

Hi MaryAnne, sorry to hear you've been having a hard time, hopefully 2016 will be a better year for you.

I love UKS & would be sorry to see it go, I'll more than happily make a donation to help keep it going.
I like the challenges, the variety of them; the Teams & point collecting (very motivating) & I've adored the past events.

With so many people on facebook might a facebook page help draw people here & keep the chatter on UKS rather than on facebook which I think a group on there might steal. It could have a quick update on monday with the challenges that have gone up, other days in the week could have updates to links on here of interesting discussions, questions asked etc. I think it would keep reminding people of UKS & draw in new users.

[Cris]

I would miss UKS if it closed. I like the chat and the social groups I'm in. I don't know many scrappers locally so it's great to be able to chat with like minded people. I also love reading the challenges although I don't complete many. Higher hopes for this year on the scrapping front.
Hope you have a better year in 2016

Cris

[sharon1973]

Another massive thanks here for all your hard work Mary Anne.

I definitely want UKS to carry on! I am in the minority that doesn't have a Facebook or Twitter account and so I come on here most days for challenges, new products and inspiration. Being a member of a team also helps that.
I think that a posting somewhere, eg Facebook with an alert of new challenges, etc to direct people here is a good idea. I do have an Instagram account where I look in the crafting world for updates, so maybe using a few of the social media platforms to draw people in could be good?

[Beanpie11]

I would be so sad to see the end of UKScrappers. Although I'm not in a team anymore as there seem to be very few chatty ones I still pop in to my old red ribbons house and chat there. I do the challenges and post my lo's even though I'm not collecting points because it makes me use the mountain of stash I have (am in mid craft room de clutter so there's nothing forthcoming at the minute)

Thank you for all your hard work MaryAnne

[Digger]

I loved UKS in the old days, when groups chatted, cyber crops were eagerly awaited and swaps/RAKs were going strong. I popped on here at least 2 or 3 times a day. These days though the chat hardly moves and nothing to make you return regularly. I tried getting back involved with a team, but even there the chat was slow (lovely people though). Unless the old love of it can be re-captured, I don't know what the future holds tbh. Even magazines for scrapbooking don't appear in most local shops now. It was buying a magazine which started me off - but now it's under paper crafting, which OK I like, but where are the dedicated magazines that drove you to seek out UKS in the search for like minded individuals?

[furrypig]

Hi MaryAnne thank you for all your hard work behind the scenes and also for seeking our opinion.

I would really miss UKS if it were to close or go. I have made some great friends here and absolutely love my team. I love taken part in the challenges and it keeps me motivated to collect points and create more. I have also loved the cyber crops or house events that I have been part of in the past.

I really think that becoming part of social media as others have suggested is the way forward...so an active facebook group, using instagram and twitter may help to keep the group alive and current... I really hope we continue to be together. xxx

[Maria in France]

Thank you so much to you MaryAnne and everyone else who has contributed so much and made UKS a great site. Im grateful and always will be, whatever the future holds - UKS was around a long time before Facebook and its grace to UKS that I met my teamies who have become some of my best friends and we have been together through thick and thin. Its also thanks to UKS that I scrap at all, for the inspiration and know how it has provided.

I am afraid that these days I come in here very rarely, I have only seen this post now because someone posted a link to it on facebook. I find facebook so much easier to use (none of the rigmarole with the gallery, size of photos and the need to upload by certain times and the space limits meaning stuff needs to be constantly deleted to make room) and its also much easier to have a one stop shop where I can keep up with all my friends and groups - not just scrapping ones, in one place. Its easy to add links, to show people stuff, share things as well as keep them private - I used to hate that anyone could read our social group thread on UKS, people seemed to be snooping on us (ex team members etc) ; now we have our team chat as a closed facebook group I feel much more able to chat freely knowing its only us that can see it and to include any photos without all the limits. Its much faster loading, available easily on all devices, even mobile ones but mostly it is the fact that everything is in one place. I am in several closed groups over there, and it is wonderful to be able to see new posts in all my groups without having to keep change sites .

If UKS was to be on facebook I would join the group, rejoice and continue to get all the news in my regular newsfeed along with news from other areas of life. If it continues on here, well, I wish it luck and will pop in when my team leader asks me too I guess but probably not otherwise

You ask what we think, well I think UKS needs to move with the times and get over to Facebook. I know not everyone has facebook but not everyone has the internet either !

Thank you again for everything you have done for us

[yizzard]

I think with the amount of downloads, links, advice etc here on UKS it would be hard to move to facebook. I love the fact that even if I dont visit often I can still come visit the gallery, see which shops are having specials or sales, or download some nice freebies from the cutting file forums. Alongside that I can get help and advice, find links to fonts or info in the library. I cant see how any of that would work on facebook. And to be honest how many people look past the top 20 or so posts on fb? Lots of stuff would be missed and it would all be mixed up over there where here it is easy to find the bits you are interested in or use the new posts button.

[juliwan]

I have to agree with the above posts, I seldom come onto the site now, only to check when my local crop is meeting.

I found UKS really helpful when I started scrapbooking and through it I have found some great friends however I no longer use it as a resource or source of inspiration. Pinterest, instagram and Facebook now provide a wealth of world wide material in a more accessible format. So I'd vote for a move to social media.

[Crafty Sandra]

Thank youMaryAnne for your hard work keeping this forum open. Would really miss it if it were to close as ive just got a cameo im visiting that part of the forum more and more. Love the challenges and the group chat.

Sandra

[Patty]

First and foremost, a huge thank you for everying you have done for us all MaryAnne - it must have been such hard work for you and I do hope your health continues to at least stay stable, but more that it improves hugely!
At the risk of sounding "like daughter, like mother" I wholeheartedly agree with what Maria has written above. I am in a team and the lovely people in the team have become such firm long-standing friends. I do the challenges, but the restrictions on time and the need to frequently delete pictures does rather put me off. I also abhor the tendency of people to air their grievances/gripes/moans etc.etc. on the threads.

I am glad you have asked us what we all think. I may be in the minority but I agree that it is so so much easier on Facebook, even for an old biddy like me who often has to ask for technical advice over there. It is quick, in one spot and an easy read every morning. I, too, belong to a closed group on Facebook with my team where we can write things that are just for our team and pop photos on there that we perhaps would not want to put on here.
I do feel, seriously, we should all try to move with the times though.

That said, I have nothing but admiration and gratitude for all you have done for everyone who uses UKS.

[Hysteri-CAL]

I need to post more too - I just miss the open forum discussions rather than the social groups. I do think the social groups were our downfall.

I'd like to say thank you to you too - I know how hard you work to keep UKS going for us. I will help in any way that I can - just ask! .... thanks again xxx

[Suky]

Another one here who loves UKS, belongs to a wonderful team who do the challenges, collects points but doesn't chat much on here. My Teamies and I have a closed group on FB too for private chat. I have recently been trying to rouse the Red Ribbons house to chat more with some success. I have enjoyed Stash Bash and would love to see another year of that. Perhaps there could be a small prize from one of our sponsors, or even one of us, drawn at random from those entering the House challenge to encourage more interest
I do think that FB is the way to go with links to draw people back here for all the wonderful things this site has to offer and if it appears, I would love to make a donation to help keep the site going.
Thank you for all you have done over the years to help and support scrappers all over the world and for the lovely people I have met here. The world of scrapping would be a poorer place without UKS. xxx