Current Admins usergroups are now changed to super moderator. I’m keeping myself admin because I’m the only one who makes changes to the backend of the server. This is solely for security purposes. Since we are now highly ranked on all three major search engines so I need to make these changes to protect this site. Other changes that I have or will be making changes to are; changing the default url of the mod and admin control panel, changing the permission of the files running this forum so only they can edit each other, identifying security holes with our current software and attempting to fix them.
Interesting. It seems a lot of my options in the control panel have disappeared. Actually, after having another look, it seems all I can really do is add announcements or ban a user. Wow.
Still trying to figure out all the changes going on around here, and figuring out how they’re beneficial to the forums future.
Also, what is the actual name of the forum? Werksberg Composites or Composites Central? Confusing, and a .net site won’t draw nearly the same amount of people in. There are plenty more people in the composites industry than we see here and I could draw them in, but they stay away due to the lack of real information. With most people here concerned about a “glossy CF overlay” and too cheap to even buy the right materials, 90% of people actually doing something good with composites won’t bother registering.
I can appreciate some of the changes to the site, as it had been kind of stagnant for a while, but in some way it could be moving backwards. Also, never received a clear answer to my offer of paying for the site and you can still run it.
Maybe I’ll save myself the trouble of posting a thread of one of my companies current projects involving composite helicopter blades and laser projection ply positioning. 
I’ll change you back to administrator. I was just concerned with the security of the site since this is an old version of vbulletin and since it is now highly ranked on the three major search engines.
As for your suggestion of having real engineers come in here I’m trying my best to lure them in. I added the engineering section and another section for users to post their companies information.
I’m changing the name to Composites Central to remove company branding, I’m trying to do one thing at a time though. Most of the Werksberg text is now gone, the last remnant that I’ve noticed is the graphic up top.
The .com domain for this site was not available but I am monitoring it closely and I will pounce on it as soon as it is open. I also picked this domain name since JM asked me to find a composites related one and most were taken. I also was trying to avoid any sort of trademark issues and this ended up being a very neutral available domain name
I would like to keep the site since I have put so much work in it. If I had known sooner that you were interested in running it I would have sold it but I’ve grown somewhat attached after making so many changes to the original server.
Lastly I’ll post my general plan. I am trying to do one thing at a time since I’ve never run a forum. This way I can track issues and see what work and doesn’t and cause minimal visible disturbance to users.
Here’s what it is
- Get site running rock solid
- Inform users of domain change
- Clean up site of broken references. Add 301 redirect to old forum
- Troubleshoot database for known errors and missing links
- Add plugins to improve performance
- Improve search engine visibility
- Add new sections
- Complete renaming of forum (icons and favicons included)
After that goals are
9. Increase user registration through better content
10. Add more engineering content
11. Save up and update entire site with new version of vbulletin
I really apologize for the changes you don’t like and I please beg of you to make suggestions. I’m really more than happy to implement a good idea but I’m the only one on here most of the time so I just have to pick an idea, test it and if it doesn’t work try another one. I’ve made all the changes as transparent as possible so anyone can openly agree or disagree with them. I’m only 21 and inexperienced with both composites and forum administration and I’m sure it shows. With that in mind though I’m trying to create the best environment for real professionals to discuss their work and I’m hoping this site grows with me.
I sincerely appreciate the feedback and I really hope you can help me troubleshoot changes and find ones that we agree will help the site. Please tell me what changes you are unhappy with. I have already changed you back to administrator.
Once again I’d like to apologize for changing your user status. It really was nothing personal, I was just trying to improve the security of this site by reducing the number of ways a hacker could gain entry. This wasn’t the only thing I did, I spoke to host monster about securing the hosting account, I changed the write permissions of the forum files and I changed the default directories of the control panels.
Thank you for posting your concern.
Sincerely,
Ravin
Thanks for the info. Appreciate the admin change too, as it really speeds things up when users PM me with issues or I need to make changes to accomodate technical content that I feel is badly needed to maintain an edge over the mediocre competing forums.
You’re doing a good job of keeping the forum going. It really does require a bunch of time, and that’s something that few can contribute.
I think the technical content of the site is extremely important, as that’s why the forum is here in the first place. That alone will draw in more “industry” people and increase search ranking, or at least I think it should.
For that reason and when I can spare some time, I like putting up information and pictures that are damn near impossible to find anywhere else. Not that I expect much in return, but I feel it’s an important contribution and need some flexibility in return. No matter how hard one searches, companies simply don’t release images of defense/military or commercial aerospace projects!
That’s what I can bring to the table, and I’ll leave most of the forum administration to someone else.
I really appreciate that. It’s exactly what I needed to hear. When I took over the forum I was in an unsure position because I wasn’t sure whether you were willing to stay on here, whether you really cared about this forum if JM wasn’t running it etc.
After you responded that I wasn’t sure whether you were just sticking on for the ride but I’m confident now that you really care. I apologize for the difficulty but it’s very hard to judge the character of a person over a forum.
I 110 percent understand your point about this forum. The technical aspect of this forum is little to none and it’s my biggest bother. It’s all cosmetics and little design. At the moment though I can’t do much about it because I don’t have access to top notch facilities like you do. I’ve asked a few but they’re unwilling to let me in to take pictures.
Your contributions are extremely important, not only to this site but even to me as well.
That all being said I have no doubts about leaving you as an administrator anymore. Just make sure your password is secure and there will be little threat of anyone breaching our database.
The biggest problem I have in learning composites technology is how secretive it is. Companies can’t tell me the formulation of their resin, the content of their fiber sizing baths or even the volume fraction of a finished piece. I am hoping that this forum promotes at least some free discussion to benefit us all as a whole and hopefully increase the strength and effectiveness of this fledgling field.
I will be keeping the forum but I do not intend to monetize this forum. Although I’ve only received a grand total of 5 dollars all contributions are going into hosting fees and more important better software. All money donated to this forum will be reinvested into it.
Oh yea and I would like to reinforce how new I am to forum permissions and all that. If you find that you are unable to access something or some permission is off tell me. It isn’t me trying to be sneaky or anything. I’ll announce the changes I know I’ve made but I might accidentally mess something up in the process. Just let me know and I’ll make the fix.