• NOTICE: Starting March 24th, we've shifted to a mandatory user Account upgrade (donation) to post here. Once you've created an account, see the SITE SUPPORT section at the bottom on how to upgrade. This is to help try and cover site costs, and reduce redundant and argumentative posts. Small $ donations via our link above will not be considered. We still require ONE post in the Intro section (bottom of the main Forum section list) to introduce yourself: NO QUESTIONS THERE - THEY WILL BE DELETED; Search and read first before staring a new thread, most topics are WELL covered here. Also to NOTE, the owner of this website lost his home in the L.A. Wildfire storm in January; See the USA section for more details. Your consideration and understanding on use of this site is expected. It's NOT a free social media platform - decades of time and personal money are invested. We have a zero tolerance policy on attacks. Do NOT write us direct and ask questions unrelated to the Forum, we do not offer Tech support direct, they will be deleted.

L.A. Wildfires

So here we are again; I'm doing more refunding than receiving orders, and donations have stopped to a slow trickle. People show up here daily and say where they buy things away from helping support this site. It looks like the days of normal operations here are counting down quickly. No threat, just public notice.
 
I don't want to to take Todd's thunder on this, rather I would like to add to it. See Todd's last post above. Seems to me that this site has been and is still a formidable and valuable source of technological information as it relates to Moto Guzzi motorcycles. The founder and source of this gem of unique support to our shared love and enjoyment of Moto Guzzi motorcycles (Todd) has endured a devastating loss of his house and belongings and it seems to me (a rather new member of this group) that the rest of us who profit from this forum could do better in our support of the man who put this all together. Even though Todd is dealing with this personal loss of home and property he still had time today to connect via Internet with me to fine-tune my 2020 Cali 1400 Touring fueling settings. This is the measure of a man committed to our shared love and appreciation of Moto Guzzi bikes. Let's get a grip here and help a fellow Moto Guzzi lover and aficionado even if only to keep this forum going as a viable source of Guzzi tech info and support for months and years to come. But if nothing else let's just help a fellow Gussist (a renowned Gussist) in his hour of need. This is an opportunity to help someone who has had a direct impact on your enjoyment of motorcycling life. Please let's dig deep.
 
Skysailor said:
This is an opportunity to help someone who has had a direct impact on your enjoyment of motorcycling life. Please let's dig deep.
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I so appreciate your words, thoughts and very generous donation along with your significant product purchases. Your words again fall on the deaf ears of entitlement these days. I have again endured a week of legal threats, cancelled and disputed order refunds galore, virtually no new orders, very few small $ account upgrades here, along with a slew of direct emails asking for advice on how not to spend a $ using my advice.
It looks like I will be shifting this Forum soon to an upgraded/paid user only to post format. My final attempt to not lose money every month here, along with constant monitoring and arguing with people who land here with a free and demanding social media mindset.
This website is a service I have been offering here for free since 2001, out of my pocket and valuable time, which I now am just starting to invest in the fight to rebuild my life. I sincerely appreciate the small handful here who have contributed. It means a great deal in a time of need, that is very hard to ask for help.
 
GTM® said:
…It looks like I will be shifting this Forum soon to an upgraded/paid user only to post format…
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Apologies but it should have been this way years ago.

Ask yourself honestly, what to freeloaders actually contribute here? My answer is almost always, “Nothing”.

If you don’t put value on it, it is silly to think that they will.
 
Thanks guys, slippery slope…
There is decades of fantastic factual data here, that as Pete said, has an immense value. Scott, as you’ve seen, new users, regardless of contributions here, can be combative and rude from day one. If no new posts land here, visits plummet as my data shows. A small handful of contributors won’t keep us afloat. I've now put this in place. I'll leave the Introduction section open (for now), but I’ll be aggressive to those who don’t read the simple directions there.
 
Sam P said:
Just upgraded my membership to GT di Razza Pura. Hope this helps a little.
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Every $ helps immensely, as I still have more cancellations than donations. Posts and usage here have plummeted since we switched.
 
I am so sorry to hear that. I guess a lot of people were happy to get a free ride but balked at helping to support the site. I noticed the drop in the number of posts. I hope the money situation improves. I also hope fewer hours are spent moderating redundant questions.
 
GTM® said:
Every $ helps immensely, as I still have more cancellations than donations. Posts and usage here have plummeted since we switched.
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So given the fact of site hosting billing based upon traffic, your cost should see a large decrease, right?

I feel your pain.

I have thought about this situation in depth and honestly, if it isn't economically viable as a free for all with minimal donations and profits from the STORE to cover your lead generation costs, and it isn't economically viable as a pay to participate format, then there are only three options left:

1. You give in to ads and click revenue to cover operations and learn to live with the obnoxious clutter.

2. Sell it.

3. Throw in the towel.

You are honestly torturing yourself here and we all read post after post about it, but we are really powerless to do anything demonstrably constructive about it.

Only you can.

I hope a palatable solution reveals itself to you soon.

🙏🤞👍
 
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scott_m said:
So given the fact of site hosting billing based upon traffic, your cost should see a large decrease, right?

I feel your pain.

I have thought about this situation in depth and honestly, if it isn't economically viable as a free for all with minimal donations and profits from the STORE to cover your lead generation costs, and it isn't economically viable as a pay to participate format, then there are only threeoptions left:

1. You give in to ads and click revenue to cover operations and learn to live with the obnoxious clutter.

2. Sell it.

3. Throw in the towel.

You are honestly torturing yourself here and we all read post after post about it, but we are really powerless to do anything demonstrably constructive about it.

Only you can.

I hope a palatable solution reveals itself to you soon.

🙏🤞👍
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I vote for option #1. We'll learn to live with it as a necessary evil in order to maintain this important source of information and dialog. Should not be carried on your shoulders as a deficit, especially now.
 
Pete BoBeet said:
I am so sorry to hear that. I guess a lot of people were happy to get a free ride but balked at helping to support the site. I noticed the drop in the number of posts. I hope the money situation improves. I also hope fewer hours are spent moderating redundant questions.
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Thanks, and indeed the time has been massively reduced, however cost to run it has not. ;)
I again appreciate all of those who have contributed, those few who have very generously (and even more than once) since January.
 
scott_m said:
So given the fact of site hosting billing based upon traffic, your cost should see a large decrease, right?
I feel your pain.
I have thought about this situation in depth and honestly, if it isn't economically viable as a free for all with minimal donations and profits from the STORE to cover your lead generation costs, and it isn't economically viable as a pay to participate format, then there are only three options left:
1. You give in to ads and click revenue to cover operations and learn to live with the obnoxious clutter.
2. Sell it.
3. Throw in the towel.
You are honestly torturing yourself here and we all read post after post about it, but we are really powerless to do anything demonstrably constructive about it.
Click to expand...
I pay for both data (overall site size) and bandwidth, (visits per day) which have not dropped. Appreciated.
1. It would take more time and money to initiate ads, which in the past was a joke for monthly income from them, so not interested. If everyone blocks the ads, they are pointless (as noted above to the two who posted on it).
2. Possible, but no one will pay what it's worth.
3. That is looking more and more like the only solution. I will investigate ways to bring costs down, and keep it online for now.

The only torture I have, and am enduring, is in my personal life (fire and unrelated), and the online abuse I endure daily both online and direct email. Just trying to stay transparent here on what battles are ahead.
 
Personally, I have only had 100% satisfaction with GTM's care, service, response time, store products, and improvements to the running of my bike.
I don't know the details regarding what has prompted the online abuse. But, it seems that GTM, being a responsible company, would most certainly have made honest efforts to address any complaints within reason. That being said, I have found, in my own business dealings, that it sometimes helps to grease the wheels. I suggest mailing a bright pink pair of big girl panties with the GTM logo on them to those who have been, shall we say, inconvenienced. Imagine the wonder and gratitude that such a small gift would inspire.
 
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