Welcome to the new and improved mplsbikelove.com!
Don't worry, the site isn't going away, it's just changing, and expanding into more than it was before. Three years ago, when I started this site, it was almost a joke. We simply wanted a place where cyclicsts in the Twin Cities could talk to each other. Since then, it's become apparent that there was a void that was suddenly filled. Bikelove serves so many needs that we didn't even know we had before it existed.
Well, that's somewhat hard to say, and really, somewhat up to you. Which packages people decide to sponsor for the site will determine the direction that coding it goes.
On the back end, we're currently running a few different platforms, and I'm trying to tie them together. The main goal right now is integration. There is some of this done so far, but there is still a TON more work to do. I'm hoping to have most everything programmed by early spring, keep reading for a fuller feature list.
The forums will mostly the same, you will still be able to become a member and join different groups just like you do now. But the overall look has been upgraded substantially, though. There are several other planned features, which will be coming over the course of the winter.
What will change is the ability to create sub-forums throughout the site for different member communities. People would be able to create their own sections of the forum, and limit discussion only to people within their group. This feature is planned for entities like community Advocacy Organizations, social and competitive riding clubs, or other groups like polo teams.
Threads will become more integrated into the expanded site, as well. I would like site areas like Bicycle Friendly Businesses and the Infrastructure Wiki to be able to have forum threads associated with them, too.
This isn't really new, but now it's actually worked into the site navigation. You can also now purchase advertisement space in the store, as well as upgrade your site membership. When you upgrade your membership, you will be able to choose which features of the new site you would like your dollars applied to.
I'm hoping that down the road, we can expand this to allow some members to list their own wares online, or host auctions.
This section is under heavy development, and will really be at the heart of the new system. The goal is to tie in with Cyclopath for routing, and allow people to edit pages with very easy to use editors. I'm hoping for something similar to public earth but filled with information relevant to local cyclicsts. I'd like to be able to list threads, events, stolen bicycles, race stops, best bike racks, coffee shops that have spare bicycle pumps, - basically anything and everything related to cycling.
This could even become a tool for planning our infrastructure, as cyclicsts could identify problem areas of the city by plotting incidents with motorists, areas that need better striping. Community advocacy organizations could be formed around segments of city infrastructure that need improvement, on a grass-roots level by neighborhood, but visible to the larger population.
You will be able to become a sponsor of the site for a small fee, and be listed on the communal maps, as well as have an expanded profile page in the community review boards. Businesses will be able to offer coupons, provide bicycling directions, upload photo galleries, etc. They will also recieve a discounted rate on banner advertisements in the forum.
One problem that I consistently hear whenever people get together to try and foster positive change in cycling infrastructure is just how difficult it is to figure out what everyone is doing. One goal of the site redesign is to offer a quick and easy way for members to form their own advocacy group, and invite other members to join. They will also be able to publish their events to the communal calendar and map.
Again, this feature will be customizable to the needs of the individual group. I would like to be able to offer:
All members will still have the same permissions and access to the forum - you will still be able to post just like you do now even if you don't become a donating member.
Donating members will get the following in addition to posting on the board
Power Users will get even more
Many of the other features will incorporate the ability to use this, but the overall goal is one communtiy calendar that can be filtered by event.
Well, like I said, that's up to you. If you'd like to support the features that I'd like to build, please contact me or look through the store for a package that you'd like. I'll be working non-stop on the site over the winter, at least, that's what I would like to do. I want to make the best cycling community forum on the face of planet earth, and I want to make it for the Twin Cities.
Eventually, I'm hoping that we will be able to take the code that's generated here, and the format, and apply it to cycling communites across the globe. But first, we have to build it, and we have to find out what works and what doesn't.
This could be the beginning of a new wave of cycing advocacy and awareness, I really hope people decide to support this vision.