ST's Future Discussion

[Joey Ketcham]

Skip is going to try and get ownership of the site. I think that's step 1 in the right direction.

I agree, I think that would be a step in the right direction and I would think that in a way, Tim would be relieved to have the burden of running StormTrack off his shoulders. I do hope that Tim understands that this isn't us wanting to push him out and no longer be a part of StormTrack, it takes a lot of time and work to run a site like this and it's understandable that he may not have that time to do so and as a result ST suffers because of it. I am sure all of us would still like Tim to continue to have some sort of role with ST.

 

[Rick Schmidt]

Jacob F said just what I was thinking about the ownership; and I think Skip would be a great owner of this site. Heck, I might even donate!

 

[Mike Marz]

I just joined this site in March. I've always wondered why so many of the members from the past have just been missing from the forum, but I didn't care, I appreciate so much what is still here, and who is still here. The only way I get through the off season every year is to watch other's videos of chasing. I have seen a ton of awesome videos on youtube from names I recognize on this site, names that are still active on this site, and it is awesome to see posts and comments from those people on here. I would be SO sad if this site went away. I do not post very often, mostly because I am either not able to add anymore to what has been said in a forecast discussion, or I simply am a quiet person in general, even behind a keyboard. But there is rarely a day that goes by that I am not on ST looking at EVERYTHING. During the active season I can't get enough of what people are saying about a forecast for a specific day, even if I can't actually chase that day myself. During the cloudless ridge days of July and August, and all throughout the winter, I find the past discussions, forecast threads, reports, ect.. to be so incredibly awesome to read. I have learned so much from reading all of the past threads in ST and I know I have only read about 5% of what is on here. Days when I am bored at work or at home I can come onto ST and go through the archives and be entertained for hours reading and learning from past threads. I hope that this site can get back to what it once was, but I really don't mind if it just stayed the same either. If it is donating $20, or even paying a monthly fee to access the site, or whatever the solution is, I would be willing to contribute. The archives alone are worth it.

 

[Darren Needham]

I have been a member since 2008, I am a weather enthusiast, but not really an active chaser, heck I manage a bowling center for a living. I would really hate to see this forum go away. Paying a yearly membership seems fair. I think some of the "fun" for me was reading the "NOW" threads. When those got shut down, it seemed like a lot of traffic to the forum was choked off. I found those threads more accurate during the event than what the on-air weathermen were reporting. Facebook is a poor substitute for a dedicated community.

 

[Joey Ketcham]

I think some of the "fun" for me was reading the "NOW" threads. When those got shut down, it seemed like a lot of traffic to the forum was choked off. I found those threads more accurate during the event than what the on-air weathermen were reporting. Facebook is a poor substitute for a dedicated community.

I agree, bring back the NOW threads. When not out chasing, it was fun to keep up with what was going on. And on the Facebook part, nobody is saying that Facebook should substitute Stormtrack, that would never work. StormTrack should embrace Facebook and there should be a Facebook page, or group, that would direct people back to this site and would work along side this site.

 

[John Farley]

I agree on bringing back the NOW threads, and I think it would be a huge boost to this site if things worked out so Tim could pass the ownership along to Skip, who I think does have the time and energy to do what needs to be done to re-energize ST. I appreciate all that Tim has done for ST over the years, but if he does not have the time, energy, or ability to be actively involved any more, it would be best to pass ownership along to someone who does.

 

[Blake Naftel]

For historic purposes, should the StormTrack Forum be discontinued permanently, I would make a push, coupled with assistance of a few others; to somehow preserve the "digital" record this database has housed for over a decade. While others may be more attuned towards methods of digital preservation, it's well worth the effort, in my opinion, to save the existing information verses having it disappear into virtual oblivion. If the hard-copy StormTrack magazine can be preserved (and is), so can the information on this forum. I'll even go a step further in stating I would welcome a digital archive of this forum and offer to house it in time via the http://stormchasinghistory.net/ website.

Thank you John for passing this along. Admittedly I only learned of this news via social media (Facebook); as I visit/utilize this forum perhaps only twice a month. It's still a valuable resource, but should it be retired permanently, please consider the archival offer.

Blake

 

[Dan Robinson]

Here are a few ideas for features gleaned from this thread and from some brainstorming:

- Bring back NOW threads
- Create searchable database of current and past tornado/chase events, with fields that could include who chased, links to chase accounts/pictures/Youtube videos, damage surveys, maps, radar, upper air charts, etc. Some of this data is already available from SPC and Storm Data archives.
- Up-to-date bookmarks page for weather data and models
- Article section with exclusive content
- Partnerships with other weather-related sites for cross-publicity, collaboration or even shared hosting (The Tornado Project, Tornado History Project, Weatherbrains, Spotter Network, etc)
- Online training course for new chasers covering how to forecast, safety and ethics, spotting, copyright, etc (maybe a links page to get started)
- Official Facebook and Twitter pages to help promote threads, products in the store, articles and general awareness of the site's existence and activities
- Store section for selling DVDs, photos, books and other products. A cut of the sales goes to support ST.
- Multi-platform login (Facebook, standalone)
- Social media share buttons for all threads and sections
- Interviews or AMA-style (ask me anything) chat events.
- Regional dinners, picnics or get-togethers through the year
- Small yearly fee to support basic operating costs ($10 to $20 per year) to ensure the site can stay online indefinitely
- Voluntary fund for scholarships, advertising, outreach, new features, sponsorships of events and conferences, and professional IT/development needs over and above basic hosting/server costs
- Solicit sponsorships or advertising trades to assist with development and IT needs

What we would need:
- Voluntary help from 10 to 15 individuals to be responsible for various aspects of the site.
- Voluntary help from individuals with areas of expertise (graphic design, web development, marketing, programming, etc).

Please think of more items you feel would bring value. I'll be doing the same over the off season.

 

[Skip Talbot]

Stormtrack is more than a vBulletin messaging forum. It's a community of storm chasers and a hub for storm chaser news. I'd like to decouple the concept of Stormtrack from the software that is running on this site, as I think many folks think of them as one and the same.

Tim gave me access to the Facebook page he created in 2012, which has been sitting dormant since. I'd like to use it to share quality chasing content from the news feed. Think of it as a dedicated storm chasing news feed, and not a discussion forum like this site is. The Facebook page and this forum will remain separate and serve different purposes, but they can certainly work to promote each other as well.

I'll need your help to kick this off. The page needs "editors" and it's an easy job. If you see a little gem of storm chasing in your news feed, share it to the Stormtrack page. That's it. It takes two seconds. I'm going to make the staff on here admins of the page, and then I'll ask around for active chasers that want to be editors of the page.

I kicked it off by updating the profile and cover images and sharing a few examples links to the page. You can check it out here:

https://www.facebook.com/Stormtrack.org

You guys have brought up that the storm chasing content on Facebook is atomized and fragmented. Every chaser is in it for themselves or for their team. They share their own things and operate in their own circles. This Facebook page could bring the community back together, serving news and content from all storm chasers and groups. For example, there's a tribute to Jim Leonard from Roger Edwards and a link to information about the 2014 Indiana Storm Chasing Convention adjacent to each other. These are two circles of chasers that rarely mix on social media. If we can get a diverse group of active editors, we can gather relevant posts from all corners of the internet on this page. I think that's what the original magazine did, and what this page can recreate.

Give it a like and let me know if you have any ideas.

Keep the rest of the ideas coming too. Don't wait for Tim or the staff to implement them. If you don't implement your own idea for how to save Stormtrack or make the group more active, it's probably not going to happen. Stormtrack is a community effort. It's what you make it, not what Tim or the staff makes it. Take the initiative and do it. If you need access to something in order to create your idea, let me know and we'll see if we can get you setup.

 

[Danny Neal]

I'll be the first to admit that I haven't been nearly as active on this forum as in years past. Hell I am over a 10 year member! I migrated to social media along with the rest and have not looked back. My personal storm chasing/forecasting page has nearly 112,000 organic followers. Once the discussion threads became stale and "big events" went uncovered, I gave up checking the forum altogether. Every now and again I will come back and have a lookaround, but that's one or two times every few months. I wouldn't be upset to see the forum die quite frankly. Under the right leadership I would gladly do my part to see it thrive again, but I am very skeptical. If Skip takes over I think it would be a giant step in the right direction.

 

[Shane Adams]

The idea is that maybe with some quality restructuring, we'd attract a user base made up of old and new that would make it worthwhile for everyone. If after a year (or a chase season) that isn't happening, then we pull the plug with no regrets.

I'd be willing to try. One last time.

 

[Shane Adams]

Surely if the ownership changed to someone willing to work on the site, people might change their attitude a little?

DING DING DING. Tell him what he's won Bob!!!!!!

 

[Bob Schafer]

Seeing as how I started the thread, and haven't posted since, I suppose I should say something...

Thanks to everyone for the discussion! Despite those who have said "Kill it", isn't it pretty obvious that this thread shows a fair amount of love for this site? FWIW I also stopped coming here for 2 or 3 years when I got tired of the negativity. Now it seems like those guys are gone and we have a LOT of quality people here, though we could sure use more.

My favorite part is checking the reports. At the end of a chase day, even if I sat the day out, I can barely wait to find out what everyone saw, and the stories of weird happenings. That's one of the great things about every season: every storm is different, every chase is different, bizarre occurences are inevitable (Two F4's at once??? No way!!!) and the memories last forever.

I can't get onboard with the Tim bashing. Yeah, I suppose good points have been made, and save your breath about how wrong I am. You're right, I'm wrong, but I see this as OUR site, and I don't really care what's on the front page, just the stuff inside the forum.

 

[James Gustina]

I was on the "let it die" train, but I'm definitely in for making a run at it since I like having a chaser-oriented place to come that isn't the dribble on Facebook. We've got a good group of core users still here and could make it work if the effort is put in.

 

[Rob H]

Forums aren't outdated and unnecessary places, the weather thread that I started on one forum has 2300+ posts and 150,000+ views this year. Here's that forum's overall stats:

I'd treat this as a community problem and not a technical problem. Tim's been absent, moderation was heavy handed (seems to be better), and it's been a slow chasing season. A lot of people seem to come here to a) brag b) learn. It's easier to brag about a good chase on social media, and the extent of knowledge being dropped on the site is pretty low at this point. Not because the smart people have left, but because the basics of chasing are well-defined at this point. The more advanced stuff, like how to read isentropic charts, very few people care about.

Content is king, and there is very little content here.