UKS - the way forward

[Shirley Anne]

I too would be sad to see UKS close down. I am a long term member of UKS but only ever post in the Craft Robo/Silhouette form and probably would have missed this post if Doreen had not put a link to this post in there - am wondering how many more people will have missed it. I am not a Scrapper and mostly make cards and home decor but the Craft Robo forum was a real help to me when I got my first machine with excellent tutorials and lots of free templates which enabled me to design my own and start a little website business so I have a lot to thank UKS for !!. Sadly there has been a noticeable decline in interest on CR forum for quite some time and I think the rise of Facebook groups may be a major reason. I don't really see how UKS in it's present format would work on Facebook but maybe a FB page to link to UKS would be worth considering.

Whatever happens thanks for all that you do MaryAnne and I wish you all the best for 2106.

[MaryAnne]

My head is spinning There is a lot to absorb in this thread.
I've had a couple of ideas based on the comments but I think I need some more info!

I agree with those who said the Stash Bash was a good class, and I loved Leo's Simple Recipes so much. I'd love to see both carry on, but pretty sure neither Niki nor Leo will be able to do so. I MIGHT have an idea of how one (or both) might be revived.

I am interested in knowing what old classes appealed to you or what themes for new classes might appeal. If not CLASSES, then challenges? I have one idea that will take me a bit of time to research and maybe see if it is worth developing. I'm also interested in knowing of anyone who wants to be more involved - have an idea for a class? get in touch!

As this server has not been tested, I think a Cyber Crop might be too ambitious to begin with, but maybe a blog hop with a scrapbooking focus? Say 10 bloggers who each do a layout tutorial on maybe a Friday, with a goal of completing as many as possible over the weekend?

What about the other things that run? House and Team challenges are in hand, I believe. Snap:2016?? The Card Challenge? What else?

I also hope to check in to PRIVATE social groups. It came up a few times that the private groups are an appealing part of FaceBook - if that is possible on UKS WITHOUT the intrusive cookies and data collecting that FB does, I would consider that a better option.

I would also love a tester or two to let me know if either the MOBILE or the iPhone styles make using UKS on a mobile device better. Another comment I have had is that the forum on phones is not ideal and that might account for some of the traffic lost to FB. I don't use my phone for web stuff, but would some who do drop right down to the bottom of the page, under the Sponsor ads, and check the DEFAULT drop down - test out Mobile and iPhone styles and feed back to me. I have a programmer at the ready who might be able to solve problems encountered.

I had thought closing UKS was the best option but I'm willing to give it a good go if people still want it. Of course the Google ads only do so much, so we will need a few sponsors too. And for that to happen I need to demonstrate that UKS is still of value to THEM.

Do PM me - if you want to help, LMK. I'm sure I can find a role for anyone who wants one

[yorkshirecrafte]

I don't post often for all sorts of reasons including being away from home alot. I do, however, look in on this forum nearly every day when I can. I would be so sorry to lose UKS and want to thank you so much for keeping it going. I have learnt so much and hope one day that I may be sufficiently knowledgeable to help others. As for whats best, I do think it's for more experienced users/posters to say as I can still learn so much from what is already here. When away I access UKS via Safari on my iPad.
Very best wishes for 2016. Dee

[SylviaF]

sorry you have had ill health MaryAnne and hope that 2016 will be a better year for you in every way.

I would be so very sorry to lose UKS. I visit several times a day. I joined in 2007 when I had my craft robo and as a complete novice I found the site invaluable for friendly advice and expert help. UKS is such a valuable resource and all the wonderful files that are so generously and freely shared would be sorely missed by many.

I realise that times (and technologies) change, but I do not "do" social media, although I do have a facebook account (which I don't use). I know I am a bit of a dinosaur, but I really would like to be able to access UKS and its resources from my computer

[darm]

love the blog hop with a scrapping focus, maybe in the fututre do others with other crafts too

colouring is massive atm too, maybe a colouring board?

[kimmie_35]

I hope 2016 is a good year for you MaryAnne. Thank you so much for still putting in so much work to keep UKS going. I hope your health continues to improve.
Like most I am guilty of not posting often, I do visit but not as often as I used to. I seem to have lost my mojo for scrapbooking, and am hoping the lovely swaps I did over Christmas are going to inspire me along with UKS to get back into it. I would really miss UKS if it disappeared, I like the way I can browse round it with a cuppa, but miss there not being so much chat. I used to love the Cyber Crops and challenges...
This thread has highlighted that a lot of us still want UKS to continue and hopefully we will all join in more.

[__TJ__]

I can help with a cybercrop if you do want one, but I'm in the wrong timezone so would need others, like the old team leaders Fi used to deputise.
Blog hops leave me cold I'm afraid I've never really got into it, but the last one week cybercrop we had was less crazy, gave people time to complete pages they were proud of and those of us in foreign parts managed to keep up with deadlines too lol.
I'm on my iPhone now and was just thinking what a pain the layout is so ill have a loot at the layout on iPhone and pass on anything that strikes me.


Eta. On iPhone layout now, aside from not being uks colours and a little clunky it's navigable (did I just make that up?) and I'm sure I could get used to it. Very similar to backyardchickens which I regularly frequent (my new hobby has wings
Certainly easier to use on a tiny screen than the full version.

[__TJ__]

Can't work out how to add a photo to a thread post on iPhone?

[cantstopstampin]

I would hate UKS decline any further. i did have a time away, but have been watching and an occasional post here and there the last number of weeks. Glad you are feeling better MA will keep on popping in and give a little support - maybe we could all pop into our friends list and post a message to one or two of them every couple of days to say 'come back to UKS if you're not already logging in' - lets make it great again. all the best everyone.

[alison 2]

I'm also not keen on blog hops, I don't have a blog and find them hard to follow(another dinosaur here !).
I would prefer a class/challenge a day for a week type cybercrop
I'd be happy to help with it too x

[TeaJenny]

Hello MaryAnne
I hope you are much better now.

I haven't been on UKS for a while now but the chat on the FB thread made me think about how much I used to love the site.
I was a victim of the scarpsmack folk at one point so withdrew. I hope they are long gone.
I would like to join in as I used to - though I am more of an art journaller these days!

[grannyscrap]

Another here who hopes you continue to recover well, MaryAnne.
I rarely post. like many others, on the main board but I do come on here almost every day, and I do try to post on our team thread, all, usually, before I go onto Facebook, and i would hate for UKS to close. It is such a wonderful resource, and everyone is so helpful.
I am another who doesn't really don't think UKS would work on FB and I hope we don't go down that way, although I do think a page to link here would be a good idea.
Whatever you decide, MaryAnne, thank you for all your hard work.

[AndiDee]

Hi MaryAnne, may I join with everyone else in wishing you better health in 2016. I am not sure I'm totally qualified to answer your question really but didn't want to just ignore it; I do come to the site virtually every day but mainly only to the CR/Silhouette forum. I don't participate in the other group things that go on, occasionally I use the shop til you drop or the marketplace. I would certainly miss the site if it closed but it is obvious that its ethos has changed considerably since I joined. So many of those who have responded are, like me, long term members - some 10 years+ - with less than 500 posts... that speaks volumes to me if I am understanding the post count system correctly. There was a topic on the CR forum the other day about the drop off in posts/file sharing/help etc and this seems to apply not just to this site but to all of them, and many have given up and ceased to exist as social media takes over the world. I don't do FB, or Twitter, or Instagram, even Pinterest annoys me - they're not for me, too hectic for this old granny to cope with. I can't offer to help out for many reasons, mainly I would hate to say I will and then let you down. I'm sure those who are active on the site will give you plenty of ideas for the way forward, so I'll watch and wait.

Best wishes
Andi

[__TJ__]

Hello MaryAnne
I was a victim of the scarpsmack folk at one point so withdrew. I hope they are long gone.
I would like to join in as I used to - though I am more of an art journaller these days!

Yes, the downside of this many (mostly) women in one place at the same time. Do NOT miss that blog at all!

[Beautifullily]

I've long abandoned my blog, so for me a forum based crop would be preferable, but as mentioned ran over a longer time period in order to help with the server load.