*new 28th May * Foundation Stage Forum - Relaunch!

[Steve]

Hi all -

As promised, here is the announcement of the FSF re-launch!

 

As many of you will have read in various conversations in this forum, we have no source of funding to maintain and develop this site and community. For the last year and a half we have made approaches for funding to local and national government departments, and also to charitable organisations such as the CfBT, various lottery bodies and others. All these efforts drew a blank, and as the site membership developed and the cost of maintaining and developing the site grew, we made the decision that its future was best secured by establishing it as a subscription based site.

 

The time has come for the conversion!

 

Next week (the exact day is uncertain for technical reasons) we will open access to the new site. It will be obvious to all of you when it happens as the appearance will be completely different - a taster of the new look site appears below in the shape of our new logo. Here are some of the things you can expect:

• The site and forum will be much more closely integrated, with navigation between articles and forum available at all times
  
• All conversations will still be available, and your current profiles will remain untouched
  
• You can upgrade your membership to a full subscription by clicking 'My Controls' and 'Purchase Paid Subscription' (Edit: NB - please note that although this link is already there, it's only there for testing purposes, and will not carry out any real transactions until we let you know).
  
• The cost of a year's membership will be £20
  
• You are welcome to pay the subscription online, or by post
  
• You will still have the same forum posting rights as you do currently for a month after the change
  
• There will be a number of new articles available to full subscribers, in addition to those currently available
  
• Many more articles are planned, along with other resources
  
• We guarantee the availability of the forum from a year from the last subscription fee we take - the hosting of the service is already paid
  

I welcome any feedback on these changes - please regard this post as the beginning of a new conversation. It has been an extraordinary experience to watch the community take root and grow over the last year, and I would love the current members to stay with us as we move on to the next stage of building a national support network and resource pool of Foundation Stage professionals !

 

Best wishes,

Steve.

[Beau]

Thanks for the fantastic site. I have used this more than any other and would far prefer to pay for the privilege than not having it at all. I'm getting to know so many lovely people and the discussions are always interesting and friendly. Long may it continue.

[Guest]

Steve,

 

It is more than worth it.

 

This site has kept me sane (open to arguement, I suppose - not the site).

 

Diane.

 

 

 

P.S. Goodness gracious, look at that logo.

[Rea]

I'll get the money, I'l kill to get the money. (John Travolta eat your heart out)

[Guest]

I'm definitely signing up-- its good to speak to other like minded people and have a sounding borad.

Keep up the good work.

[Guest]

just paid up can't be without this site !!!!!!!

 

i would have to get a life

 

this site is worth every penny and more

[Steve]

Crikey - wasn't expecting that!

 

That's very good of you Pinkwillow, but the Purchase Paid Subscription link is still working on my test server - I wasn't expecting anyone to be so keen as to jump in before the re-launch.

 

The test server is just as secure as the live server, so don't worry about that. The only difference is that no funds will actually be subtracted from your account (or credited to the FSF account come to that... )

 

I think I'd better go and edit the original message...

 

Thanks again Kelly!

[Guest]

Well you can count me in I love this site, and thanks Steve for all your efforts and for making the site so user friendly

 

Trea

[Sue R]

And, of course, ME.

 

Iwould never have survived the last few weeks without all you lovely people and this wonderful site!

 

keep up the good work!

 

Sue

[hali]

Cant wait steve

 

Such a fab site you have worked really hard

[hali]

Done it steve all paid up and im in blue (happy bunny now - how sad)

and am happy with blue - unlike some others.......

[Rea]

Phew! Debit card worked.

[Guest]

Hello there ! I will definitely pay too! When I first discovered the site I thought 'How do people find the time to write so much ?' All I can say is once you start you're hooked !

 

Have a lovely break every one

Galleon

[Gezabel]

I am all paid up now too

I have to say its the best £20 I have spent in a long time.

 

Hoping I will turn blue too!!!

[Guest]

Am trying to pay up as I speak. All I can say is ' Snap' to every thing everyone has already said

 

Kate

[Steve]

Aaaagh! Busy with my daughters birthday party today so I haven't had time to get back to you all...

 

Don't do the payment thing - it's not real money! (See previous post)

 

I'll take the option out in a minute, but these payments are only running though my test server, no money is being paid out...

 

Bless you all for being so keen, but I can't put the live server online till next wednesday. I'll leave you all as paid up members in blue for the moment though - wouldn't like to upset hali!

[hali]

Thank you Steve promise to do it properly when you have time to set it up... hope party is going well....

[Guest]

whats going on?

Am I the only one who doesnt understand this? Do we pay for this site? One very confused member Please enlighten me as it doesnt take alot to confuse me!!

[Guest]

Steve

 

Please let me know as well. I thought I had joined up as a full member and was going to post you the cheque, but can't for the life of me find your address now or the subsricbtion nos etc etc. Pleasde advise.

cheers

Leo

[Steve]

Ok people - really sorry for the confusion.

 

When I first made the announcement I was only intending to let you know of the changes. In that first post I indicated where you would be able to pay your subscription when the site was re-launched. But I hadn't expected people to actually try to pay at that time. Seven of you (and many thanks for your enthusiasm) did so during the first few hours after I made the announcement (while I was away from my post at my daughters birthday party).

 

You were able to do this because I had set up a testing server to make sure that the subscription payments would work. As soon as I realised that this was happening, I took away the link so no-one else could try to pay and posted a message letting people know that no cards had been charged as this was a test server (you can read this message earlier in this topic.

 

As soon as the site is re-launched, which will happen on the 17th June, you will see straight away that this has happened. There will be a new layout to the site which will be unmistakeably different, and new content in the form of a number of new articles.

 

Just to be absolutely clear - although the seven of you thought you were paying a subscription fee, actually no card was charged - this was a test environment which has allowed me to develop the system for subscription access. If you read over the sequence of events in this topic, you'll see what happened.

At the time I posted I was unclear on the launch date and thought maybe I could have everything in place for last thursday and friday. In the event we have decided to make the date an exact one, and for various - um - kind of technical reasons, this is going to be:

 

17th June

 

The date is selected by Mundia!

 

Hope this clears things up. If you have any more concerns do let me know, either here or by email (steve@foundation-stage.info) or PM. All my fault and I apologise again for any confusion.

[Guest AllyB]

I don't get it!!! Am i being thick? Will people who don't pay the subscription still be able to access the site?

[Helen]

Hi Ally,

No, you're not being thick

Non-members will be able to access parts of the site; the "visitors' articles" but not the "members' articles", and only limited forums. I'm sure Steve will add some more detail, here......he is currently playing with the rabbit and guinea pig outside with the kids at the moment!!

[Steve]

Hi all -

As promised, here is the announcement of the FSF re-launch!

 

As many of you will have read in various conversations in this forum, we have no source of funding to maintain and develop this site and community. For the last year and a half we have made approaches for funding to local and national government departments, and also to charitable organisations such as the CfBT, various lottery bodies and others. All these efforts drew a blank, and as the site membership developed and the cost of maintaining and developing the site grew, we made the decision that its future was best secured by establishing it as a subscription based site.

 

The time has come for the conversion!

 

Next week (the exact day is uncertain for technical reasons) we will open access to the new site. It will be obvious to all of you when it happens as the appearance will be completely different - a taster of the new look site appears below in the shape of our new logo. Here are some of the things you can expect:

• The site and forum will be much more closely integrated, with navigation between articles and forum available at all times
  
• All conversations will still be available, and your current profiles will remain untouched
  
• You can upgrade your membership to a full subscription by clicking 'My Controls' and 'Purchase Paid Subscription' (Edit: NB - please note that although this link is already there, it's only there for testing purposes, and will not carry out any real transactions until we let you know).
  
• The cost of a year's membership will be £20
  
• You are welcome to pay the subscription online, or by post
  
• You will still have the same forum posting rights as you do currently for a month after the change
  
• There will be a number of new articles available to full subscribers, in addition to those currently available
  
• Many more articles are planned, along with other resources
  
• We guarantee the availability of the forum from a year from the last subscription fee we take - the hosting of the service is already paid
  

I welcome any feedback on these changes - please regard this post as the beginning of a new conversation. It has been an extraordinary experience to watch the community take root and grow over the last year, and I would love the current members to stay with us as we move on to the next stage of building a national support network and resource pool of Foundation Stage professionals !

 

Best wishes,

Steve.

Hi Ally -

Rather than point you back to the first post in this conversation it's probably easier to re-quote it here, so others can find it more easily.

 

Don't panic, when the site is relaunched on the 17th, you'll have a month to make up your mind whether or not you would like to subscribe (£20 for full access for a year).

 

Hopefully most of you will find this very good value and be happy to join - otherwise, you'll still be able to access many of the forum conversations and as Helen mentioned, some of the articles and resources.

 

Regards, Steve.