THE FUTURE OF THE SPLOSH! FORUM

[Big Al]

I'd be more than happy to pop down for a day (e.g. a Saturday) from London to help do any necessary cleaning/heavy lifting etc if you need any help. Just let me know!

Many thanks to everyone that has helped keep every aspect of this going - I'm sure there is no greater tribute to Bill than to keep his legacy alive!

[Getmessy]

Well done to everyone involved in keeping Splosh going.

It is the most important website for the British wam community and I might have too book a session at the new studio when it's ready.

[Richard]

I am now looking forward to the London meet so that we can discuss the future of this site and of the studio, face to face rather than sending messages backwards & forwards. We need to sort out the terms for using the studio, i.e. payment of the models, how to obtain the splosh materials, practicalities of filming the action, cleaning up after a session, etc.
I have just sent a cheque for some more of the rent and although I feel pleased to be able to do so, I would like to see the studio paying for its self by the sales of scripted films/video downloads, etc. or for individual private sessions. Although this will mean competing with some of our friends who already produce excellent material for sale, perhaps some people with experience would be able to give advice on how to proceed?
Anyway, it will give us something to talk about as well as depleting the pub's stock of ale! .

Richard (now teetotal!).

[muckypup]

Welcome back everyone!

[muckypup]

Thinking we could discuss the future here?

I think we need:

a new URL without splosh in the title (so lawyers can't google it), I was thinking splunch.co.uk??

A new logo and possibly a new colour scheme?

After that could do with a new host and figuring out how to fund the site. All thoughts appreciated!

Temporarily remove/hidden pretty much everything other than the forum....

[MessClub]

Yes agreed Pup, the first should be ok just need someone to design a logo.

As I think its important to have a UK site I'd be happy myself to help fund the site in the first year - contribute. Then hope that we could put something in place for the second year that enables it to become self funding. Like online donations...or some models help with some downloads that can be sold on...enabling them to promote their own ppv downloads through here.

[Richard]

I would be OK with the word "splunch" but isn't it a shade too close to the old title if any legal types try to find it? Also it will get mixed up with the various meets around the country. I'm still not clear what to call the studio, I send the rent for Mercatoria Number 1. without mention of 'Splosh'.
By the way; I hope there will be a good crowd at Sammyjanes' "do".
Richard.

[HenryWilcox]

Hi there, thanks for the invite Pup - I agree, you'd need to lose the logo and probably the name too, stop the lawyers getting fussy.
As for all the old content, i'm not sure at all what might be needed.

Enough of a downer - what to pick for the new name? I think splunch is confusing, since that's an established name for the meets.

Probably best to have a complete break rather than try and 'revive' something similar - how about something simple, like 'muckers'?

Henry

[Mike Nomic]

Thinking we could discuss the future here?

I think we need:

a new URL without splosh in the title (so lawyers can't google it), I was thinking splunch.co.uk??

A new logo and possibly a new colour scheme?

After that could do with a new host and figuring out how to fund the site. All thoughts appreciated!

Why NOT the current name? Just google 'splosh', and there are dozens of responses not related to this or the other site. Lawyers have far better things to do with their highly-paid time.

A new logo? How about one of those badges Henry had. Colour scheme - knock yourself out.

Funding - maybe we (all) contribute a few quid, rather like I think they do on DeepSinking. How much is it likely to cost per month, year, etc and how many members might we have? £1000 p.a and 10 members is hardly viable, but £100 p.a and 1000 members is a different matter. Give me some numbers.

Mike.

[Lizzie_Claymore]

Evening all.

Yes, I think anything that the lawyers might consider to be Bill's copyright will probably have to go. The forum is arguably user-generated content and, therefore, not automatically under the control of Bill's estate. However, the logo, name, pics, stories, articles etc. written by Bill from the old site would, I'm sure, fall into that category. (Incidentally, I'm not sure whether you realise that you can still get to a few things from the top menu, Pup?)

I agree with Richard that calling it Splunch could become confusing, with the various splunches around these days. Here's a thought - 'Splosh' would logically be the last of the three words 'Splish, Splash, Splosh' so why not call it the SplishSplash forum? However, that would have the somewhat unfortunate probability of being abbreviated to the SS Forum!

Alternatively, we could go for the John Lloyd approach - you may remember one of his early productions: "Not the Nine O'Clock News". I wonder whether we could get away with calling it "Not the Splosh Forum"? I noticed that you had someone volunteer to provide legal advice the other day, pup. Perhaps he could comment on whether that would be allowed?

Another thought would be the Splat forum. Splat sounds a bit more messy than splosh (which always reminds me more of Count Arthur Strong talking about wine "Ooooh - that's a nice drop of splosh, that is!" etc.)

For funding, have a look at the TVChix.com site (uk-based crossdressing site). They have a panel on the RHS which shows the monthly cost of running the site (it's *incredibly* busy- far more so than UMD, even!) and the current level of donations that month, which is a handy indicator as to whether the target has been met, along with a donations button. (Ah - you might not be able to see that unless you've registered.) A few of the more advanced features are only available to those who have donated and become a 'friend of TVChix' whereas the basics are available to all. That seems to work quite well - they always meet their monthly target and the free access to most things pulls people in to make a vibrant community. (Paywalls right at the entrance to things are a massive turnoff. If people can't do anything without paying up front, they don't bother to even come in and look around.)

Anyway - a few things to think about there.

Regards,
L_C

[Lizzie_Claymore]

Oooh - how about the 'Sploshing UK' Forum. I doubt that they could consider that as being part of Bill's copyright since there is plenty of evidence to show that the term is in general use so it's a description of the act rather than an organisation.

[Candy Custard]

How about some advertising or being a paid link host to help with funding

change the copyrighted stuff as much as possible, but make it clearly about wam and get as much mention of splosh splosh! and splosh forum, etc onto the site and into tags for search engines, so that anyone looking for the old forum has a chance of finding it, and then the forum has a chance of getting decent traffic

[andy250]

I emailed Pup direct on UMD so everybody knows, the reason for the pm was to inform him and warn of the possible dangers he is putting himself into, if you don't think things through.

I warned pup about copyright, logo's, costing, paying for everything himself and the possibility of everything going wrong, I also warned him about the costing aspect and the root of most problems in business MONEY!!!

Your first issue is the domain name SploshUk, guess what it's not a problem. Plenty of people own a domain name that uses the word splosh, example the sploshme website.

What you do have a problem with is the logo, that's part of Bill's logo from his business/estate, I would go / do something along the lines of Mike's suggestion think of something new.... Example: Sammi-Jane Queen of Splosh...

Host: The best person in the world for this job would be Sammi-Jane, she would need a lot of help doing it, but from where I'm sat she is the best person for the job, if she wants it... This could also tie in with the running of the studio, for session's, filming, etc. I kind of gave that away in the name!!! Though of course it's upto Sammi, depending on her commitment's in work and her private life.

Costing: I reckon using some of my supplier's you could host one website with upto seven pages, unlimited bandwidth, including domain name, for less than £30 a year.... That's not going to break the bank, not being funny, but if Mike did a whip round, at both Bristol meet's that would cover your costing for the entire year!!! Pup could pm me, for details of the host/supplier, trading details, planet location, etc.

Bill's Legacy: This one is a bit more tricky, maybe if Candy opened a thread on the board, for everybody to put some input into, about how to best do this, maybe a section on the board with pics and trailer's etc. From Bill's work, along with some wording, explaining how he is/was the godfather of what we do. Maybe input from producers alongside fans, showing how Bill's work reached out to everybody across the fetish.

I'll reply to answer answer's/suggestion's/queries/comments, on the thread, so that everybody get to put some input in, plus then there's no he said, she said, from pm's.

regards

Andy and the team

[andy250]

I've just though of something for Pup or anybody to answer, or anybody who may know anything. Surely you cannot have the extra pages, like messy macs, etc. As that was part of Bll's online business, also the blog etc. As they where forms of advertising to sells his product's/events. That could well be in breach of his estate???

I ask as I don't know, I have my own business's to run. so also don't have the time required to investigate....

regards

Andy and the team

[MessClub]

Some people in the fetish world call Sploshing "Splodging" so what do people think of "Splodge" ? is it too close too Splosh to cause problems. I see the point with Splunch but as its a UK forum it would have been a good place for the Splunches to converge.