Hello Mod

Just a thought to attract more members. At the moment you have log in to be able to read the threads on here. Would it not be a better idea to scrap this so you only need to be a member if you are going to post ? This way information on the forum will be accessed by Google and can be read by anyone. Having open access means a greater number of people will know about the forum. If someone can openly read useful information from here they are much more likely to become a forum member.

Just an idea !

We have done this in the past and it didn't make any difference at all, there are a great deal of members on this forum who only read but never post for whatever reason? Google does access this forum along with over 100 other search engines here is an example

Ourbulgariaforum • Expats get winter fuel allowance: UK pensioners ...
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10 posts - 9 authors - 31 Aug
An independent discussion forum for all things Bulgaria. ... I've just come across this and wondered what your thoughts were? and is it fare? My thoughts are. ... Ex-pats get winter fuel allowance: UK pensioners lose out ...

Admin wrote:

We have done this in the past and it didn't make any difference at all, there are a great deal of members on this forum who only read but never post for whatever reason? Google does access this forum along with over 100 other search engines here is an example

Ourbulgariaforum • Expats get winter fuel allowance: UK pensioners ...
viewtopic.php?f=46&
t=6032
10 posts - 9 authors - 31 Aug
An independent discussion forum for all things Bulgaria. ... I've just come across this and wondered what your thoughts were? and is it fare? My thoughts are. ... Ex-pats get winter fuel allowance: UK pensioners lose out ...

I agree with what Ashley says here you only have to look at the amount of members that log in regularly and never post, Its a bit like MYBG they may boast of thousands of members but its always the same people who post the others just read.

Rakiaplease wrote:

Just a thought to attract more members. At the moment you have log in to be able to read the threads on here. Would it not be a better idea to scrap this so you only need to be a member if you are going to post ?

You've actually hit the nail on the head yourself!

Opening the forum up in this way actually means we get less new members.

Most folks would prefer to never sign-up for an account because they can access all the information already if we give them open access.

At least currently, people have to sign-up for a forum account to access the info and hence we get new members on a daily basis.

Just a shame that so many people sign-up and never join in

And frustrating too that people take the time to log on and read information but don't give others the benefit of their own experience. In our position it is good to get as many different views of life in Bulgaria as possible.

Fair enough if you have tried it and it did not work. I am surprised though - I would have thought that the easier you make it to access a forum the more people you would attract

I joined this forum earlier in the year to find out if moving to Bulgaria from Turkey was a feasible option, the information I have obtained by reading forum members postings has been an invaluable resource to making that final decision, new members like myself can not really comment or offer advice on many forum subjects until we have actually moved to, brought property in or lived in Bulgaria. You need to gain the experience first in order to share it. So give us newbies time to do this and I am sure we will be able to make a contribution to the forum in the future.

Looking forward to it Trev as I do with all those who make the move very often those who have been in Bulgaria for a while can indeed learn something new from a newbie