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Loupe Troop is down 01 July 2024 - would anyone know for how long please?

An easy way to have a "code" is just ask people their PS username. If the username is new, that is different then if it has been around for a decade. The seller can check and see if their posts line up with what seems to be a real person. Obviously, scammers can play a long game, but it is less likely.
 
I would support an alternate platform for PSers only, however, yes to safeguarding with some restrictions on who can post items for sale and who can buy them, etc. etc...

DK :))
 
Jsbasket said:
Maybe we could list items on Craigslist but include some kind of “code” in the listing that would let other Loupetroopers know who you are, and the interested parties could use a “code” to identify themselves as being fellow loupetroopers - or could be cross-referenced on Pricescope. I used to always put “I am Jsbasket on LT, PS and EBay” in my LT listings so folks could check me out. You could put the same kind of thing in a Craigslist post and only respond to those folks who express understanding of what you mean. I miss all my LT bling buddies and have stuff I need to sell (and buy ).
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I once asked an LT seller to post on PS “hi” to me as a way of proving identity. Because really, anyone could spot a username and say it’s theirs…
 
diamondyes said:
I once asked an LT seller to post on PS “hi” to me as a way of proving identity. Because really, anyone could spot a username and say it’s theirs…
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As a newer member even if I'm a long-time lurker, I really liked buying from established PSers. I I always thought that commenting "emailed you!" on the listing thread would be reassuring to people that the person emailing is the PSer that they say they are.

It seems like a Craigslist listing with the PS username included for the seller and asking buyers to give their PS username in the Craigslist message and comment on the original listing PS post would get us most of the way there, though with the extra management of emails since Craigslist is more popular than LoupeTroop was...
 
Jsbasket said:
Maybe we could list items on Craigslist but include some kind of “code” in the listing that would let other Loupetroopers know who you are, and the interested parties could use a “code” to identify themselves as being fellow loupetroopers - or could be cross-referenced on Pricescope. I used to always put “I am Jsbasket on LT, PS and EBay” in my LT listings so folks could check me out. You could put the same kind of thing in a Craigslist post and only respond to those folks who express understanding of what you mean. I miss all my LT bling buddies and have stuff I need to sell (and buy ).
Click to expand...

Yes, that's what I was thinking. Rather than actually post the item with pics just post something like size 6 green dress with your handle or code phrase or whatever and that's what you would use on PS when posting the item with your CL link. The person who contacts you will have seen the actual item on PS and you can verify the are a PSer and go from there.
 
diamondyes said:
I once asked an LT seller to post on PS “hi” to me as a way of proving identity. Because really, anyone could spot a username and say it’s theirs…
Click to expand...

Great idea!
 
My Craigslist posting looks just like my PS one with less photos. If I sell to a non-PSer who happens to live near Arvada, CO, so be it. But then, I am using an appraiser there as escrow agent, so I'm not as concerned as to whether I'm selling to a PSer or not.

denver.craigslist.org

1.534 ct. G SI1 AV Distinctive Gem Elyque Oval loose natural diamond - jewelry - by owner - sale - craigslist

For sale: Opulence/Elyque Oval natural diamond purchased from Distinctive Gem. This oval is not like anything you've ever seen before. Superior sparkle and light return with no bow tie. Has an AGS...
denver.craigslist.org denver.craigslist.org
 
I’m just curious, how much does maintaining a forum for users to post text listings are that allows for messaging one another? I mean if we want it mostly as a way for established PS folk to connect, we could post images and deets in our PS preloved post (proving we are PSers we say we are ) and just link out to the text post on a different site that is just the listing titles and a Contact Me button that starts a private message. It would likely deter non PSers who don’t read Preloved but personally I prefer selling to PSers too.

Anyone have thoughts of how much something like this would cost? I’ll ask my friends who work in websites as well.

I’m still of the mindset that companies like white flash, Brian Gavin, James Allen, jewels by Erica grace etc would have vested interest in empowering PSers to resell in order to buy new pieces. And they could be plastered all over the site as ads if they want lol. I wonder if they’d be willing to contribute money to such a site, but Im not sure who I’d email to ask assuming I even had a plan to pitch
 
MakingTheGrade said:
I’m just curious, how much does maintaining a forum for users to post text listings are that allows for messaging one another?
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To put it simply, there are three main expenses related to any website.

1. Hosting. You need a server to place the website on. Hostings vary by how much disk space they allow you and what volume of traffic they can handle. More disk space and more traffic = more money. So in a way it depends on how hungry the project is. If we're talking just a basic system to serve as a very basic sales platform strictly for the use of PSers, the cost can be minimal because it won't require a lot of disk space and won't need to serve a large number of connections.

2. Domain. You need to type something in the address bar in order to visit the website. Compared to other costs it's pennies. I pay like... idk, 10-15 euro for my domain? Something like that.

3. Labour. You need someone to install and maintain the website. If one's going the custom route, then we can also include building the website. In this case it won't be a custom built website, but ready and free to use platform, and if several people pool together to split the labour, it could be done without additional expenses.
 
@Avondale how much disk space and bandwidth would be required?

I have a reseller hosting account for my own domain names for work and personal use mainly for e-mail purposes.

I can host a domain name to save on hosting fee.

DK :))
 
dk168 said:
@Avondale how much disk space and bandwidth would be required?
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Mmm... bandwidth is difficult to judge from the outside. We just don't have enough information, can only guess. For example, this thread was posted at the beginning of the month and so far has 6k views. If we assume that anyone who's interested in buying or selling something within PS comes to check this thread, and up the number conservatively to 10k connections per month, then we have a starting number. But then it could be much bigger because anyone visiting would also open multiple postings, thus visit multiple pages and generate multiple connections. Furthermore, at the start there wouldn't be much to browse, but as time goes on more and more listings will get posted, thus more things to browse.

If we had a way of knowing what traffic LT was handling before it went down, that would've been mighty useful.

The disk space is dependent on how content is managed. The base is probably going to be one of the open source forum board systems because they're already made to allow for hassle-free user posted content. The system itself won't be much, I believe it should be less than 50MB installed. Images are the main devourers of disk space but if we prohibit uploading any and instead say people must use an outside image hosting like imgur, even a couple of GBs could be plenty.
 
@Avondale

This is the basic information of my Reseller Hosting account:

1722328488910.png

It is hosting my 5 domain names (1 for work) mainly for e-mails purposes which does not eat up that much disk space and bandwidth, in case it is any good.

DK :))
 
dk168 said:
@Avondale

This is the basic information of my Reseller Hosting account:

1722328488910.png

It is hosting my 5 domain names (1 for work) mainly for e-mails purposes which does not eat up that much disk space and bandwidth, in case it is any good.

DK :))
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I don't see why it wouldn't be. What's the worst case scenario? If it ends up being so active as to disrupt your own personal use, we just take it down, look into different solutions and that's that.
 
Avondale said:
I don't see why it wouldn't be. What's the worst case scenario? If it ends up being so active as to disrupt your own personal use, we just take it down, look into different solutions and that's that.
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About the disk space, we could limit up to 3 photos of a smaller file size such as under 3MB each in a listing.

I checked and have set the biggest photo size as 12MP (4000 x 3000) and 3.85MB each. 30GB should allow a fair amount of photos to be stored.

DK :))
 
@Redwoods-hiker-girl @Avondale Can I ask you to please consider charging a small fee to list or participate? For real.

Your time isn’t free, and the expenses associated with maintaining a site - even one that’s easily-configured - aren’t free, keeping a site secure isn’t free, and I’m confident PSers would happily support other forum members who are doing everyone such a favour! It’d have the happy side effect of keeping the spammers off.
 
yssie said:
@Redwoods-hiker-girl @Avondale Can I ask you to please consider charging a small fee to list or participate? For real.

Your time isn’t free, and the expenses associated with maintaining a site - even one that’s easily-configured - aren’t free, keeping a site secure isn’t free, and I’m confident PSers would happily support other forum members who are doing everyone such a favour! It’d have the happy side effect of keeping the spammers off.
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Yup, happy to be charged a small fee for listing/participating.

Just look at the amount of free-loaders on LT!

DK :))
 
It seems like a lot of people would be happy to pay a small listing fee. Count me in that group too! It would certainly be less than the commission on eBay or Etsy.
 
If someone is working on a new forum, check this out:

https://xenforo.com/

My husband is a member of a forum that just moved to one that is self hosted using this software. He has been raving about how easy it is to use and how much better than their old one.
 
yssie said:
@Redwoods-hiker-girl @Avondale Can I ask you to please consider charging a small fee to list or participate? For real.

Your time isn’t free, and the expenses associated with maintaining a site - even one that’s easily-configured - aren’t free, keeping a site secure isn’t free, and I’m confident PSers would happily support other forum members who are doing everyone such a favour! It’d have the happy side effect of keeping the spammers off.
Click to expand...

Technically so far I have only offered help but haven’t had the opportunity to actually provide it, just so it’s clear. At this point it’s still all @Redwoods-hiker-girl.
 
Tonks said:
If someone is working on a new forum, check this out:

https://xenforo.com/

My husband is a member of a forum that just moved to one that is self hosted using this software. He has been raving about how easy it is to use and how much better than their old one.
Click to expand...

Checking it out now, @Tonks -- thank you for sharing your husband's recommendation!
 
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