How Would You Like to See This Club Change?

[Roger]

Don't be shy. Post your ideas.

[Gman]

In case this is directed at me, I'll float an idea. I like the casual plinking shoots, but I'd like to see something a little more formal maybe once or twice a year. A real range, with specific courses of fire, for scores. I sure wouldn't mind paying a fee for the privilege.

[WETWRKS]

In case this is directed at me, I'll float an idea. I like the casual plinking shoots, but I'd like to see something a little more formal maybe once or twice a year. A real range, with specific courses of fire, for scores. I sure wouldn't mind paying a fee for the privilege.

And maby some prizes?

I don't see anything wrong with all that has been mentioned. Most seems to be a good idea but also keep in mind that with growth comes problems.

Maby a current news area that would list the big firearm related news for the state and another for the nation. What each major company is up to.

[Delphi]

Also i like noobs bieng able to post in the for sale/buy sections. I think it just gives us more cool stuff to look over/buy...

Cant be anything bad about having extra things to buy

[chrisguy]

I think it would be pretty cool to go through a training class with the guys here as long as it's not too physically demanding. It's taken me years to get this out of shape and it's going to take more than a couple of weeks to get back in shape.

+1

I'd try to get a larger user base.

One I'd drop the ar-15 from colorado ar-15 shooters from and just make it colorado shooters.

I kinda like that idea. -Edit- wasn't the "old" forum hosted on coloradoshooting.org? I know there were some server/stability issues, and there's potentially a challenge if the hostname were to change...

Two I'd make a section for each type of major interest i.e.; AR-15, Pistol, Scatter gun, etc with a for sale section in each to keep everything clean.

Opinion: there's already a pretty good breakdown of sections for various interests, though currently only AR topics have their own subsections. If we went with your first idea I think that would have to change some.

Things like active communication with the range owners, shop owners ect.. to find out what we can better do to engage them. What do they like/dislike about the site? How can we get them to sponsor charity events.

We should be engaging in fund raisers for the shooting community. Engage with folks like USMC03 (Jeff) and Zak Smith to help sponsor the events they put on, or even better get them to help coordinate the charitable efforts we as a community should be engaging in.

+1 on those points above, but...

Membership should be strongly encouraged and funded to improve the site and allow for incentives...Site advertisement should be pushed really hard. Things like business cards placed at every gun store and range in the state!...another thought would be a minimum post count to participate in the for sales area.. we've talked about it before, but I think something like a 30-50 post min. should be enacted.. paid memberships should still be held to that as well.

Don't agree with those. I think you'd need a paid site to follow up on those ideas, but I also think as soon as you make it a pay site you'd lose many potential members. I'm on several forums on misc topics, varying sizes - they're all free.

What I worry about is folks feeling like this is a community that does not welcome diverging opinions or tollerate them. We have done so with some members for years, but it seems to me that we as a community are becoming increasingly paranoid and closed minded.

To me, it already feels like that (closed, one-sided), and it has since I joined a couple years ago. Leads me to my first request/suggestion:

1. Create a subforum - call it The Lounge, The Corner Pub, whatever - for ALL non-firearm discussion. I know that General sports a label saying "you can talk about anything in here", but I'd rather see all non-gun talk of that sort by itself, not mixed in with general questions about shooting etc. We don't all have the same political or spiritual beliefs, and it's hard to browse General without getting the impression this place is pretty homogenized.

2. Make logins and PM's secure (https), or at least optionally so.

Also i like noobs bieng able to post in the for sale/buy sections. I think it just gives us more cool stuff to look over/buy...

Cant be anything bad about having extra things to buy

+100

That's all I have for now.

[bjl913]

As far as making it a "pay" sight(free to use, but encouraged to become a paying member). I think this is a great idea. I am a member of naxja.org, an site for jeep cherokee(xj) owners. Their site is completely free to use, but it is encouraged that you pay a membership fee of something like 25 bucks a year or 100 for 5. the site gets listed as a not-for-profit, and the funding goes into things such as events for the members to attend(for us that could be for targets and possibly building some easily moved target stands/ cover and such for tactical style matches)

When you pay the membership fee for naxja, they change your name on the account to appear in a different color, just to show you are a due paying member, and they send you some nifty stuff like bumper stickers and shirts and stuff. Pretty cool little perk, and its good when im driving around to see fellow cherokee drivers with naxja stickers on their back windows! Just a thought!

[BadShot]

Either I'm not writing clearly or my points are not being taken.

1. Paying memberships -

Don't take away from the free memberships, but build upon them. Access to members only forums and or content and materials. Not intended as a large revenue stream, but a funding buffer to add value to club events.

-Side bar .. why I don't go to club events is fairly simple. Other than getting to meet a few of you, there is negligible value to me and many who I associate with in my daily life. Static line shooting is all well and good, but has little to no value in making me a better shooter.

Now if we add some sort of 30-45 sponsored class, training, tips and tricks at some point during the shoot.. well hot damn there's value. Add a little contest and a few prizes.. even better.

Also consider that with paid membership (which we already have for CMP membership folks) that additional user and club management efforts would need to be made, we could actually form the non-profit and take advantage of that... if there is someone(s) to step up and do the work.

2. Advertising -

Yeah this is the only way a web site makes any real income. Do we really need a lot, no. But actively pursuing site sponsors... getting our name out and more can be and should be done if we're going to be more than this small group.

Better teaming with other Colorado and Regionally based shooters organizations could also help.

Guess I'm looking at how to improve the business of the club, not just redividing content or what not. Paid membership doesn't have to be expensive, but it does need a value beyond.. "Hey, you're paying for club shoot prizes for shoots you don't go to"

and again, all just my ever so less than humble opinion.

[Gman]

I'd also love to see us work with other shooting orgs for things like shooting site cleanups or help with community service type shtuff. It could change some folks prejudices towards the black rifle afficianados.

[Delphi]

Nothing will ever make those who hate us and our want to go shoot anything we want ever like us. Even if we saved a thousand children with our evil weapons, they still wouldnt like us.

Cleanups are nice and keep our shooting grounds well kept and more enjoyable, but other than that they will never do anything to make people like us

[Gman]

Dude, you need to relax. Not everyone is an absolutist. There are shooters/hunters that may feel us black rifle folks are a bit unusual. I'm not talking about trying to convince Sarah Brady.