WTR browser

[paulears]

Not something I use much, but a nice resource. Today I couldn't get logged in and despite the word free at the top there is a veiled threat to turn it off if people don't donate before November. Now - I'm the sort of person that would be happy to donate to sites useful to me, and have done so in the past two weeks, but I notice the link to Facebook doesn't work and the wtr group doesn't;t appear to exist either, so I'm hardly feeling like donating to a free site that threatens a turn off and has already abandoned Facebook.

Sure - the owner gave his time and energy for free, but it's a database of radio frequencies, using the OFCOM data. It's useful, but not exactly an everyday go to site. Most info sites like this run with few donations simply because once people have the data, they don't need to repeat visit. I ran one of my own - and paid for the hosting and other costs from my funds. It was a kind of public service.

I'm not going to donate to a site already on the way out, and having banners that threaten. If he gets a few quid, he could still pull the plug. I get it, but you don't set up a site like this to make money. Covering costs is probably unlikely. Worse - he's written a database to use free data, available to anyone - and people used the war site because his database was more friendly than OFCOM's one!


A bit sad. It was a useful site last year when I needed something and it would have been a good one today.

[Ianeast]

Would you rather the site be littered with ads to pay for the domain and server cost ? You don’t have to donate it’s purely optional. The Facebook group is working and can be found. Have you reached out to the owner for any assistance or have you taken straight to here to make your complaint ?

[paulears]

My point is that it is a nice resource, and for sites like this I use regularly I make voluntary donations, but this site clearly has reached the owners patience limit, so thee are threats, pay up or lose the site. Fair enough, but when was that threat made? Yesterday, with the closure threat later in the year, which I think is probable, or could I pay and find it shut tomorrow.

I am NOT complaining, but airing the issue. Why would I contact the owner? You view information, wonder, so ask elsewhere? The owner is probably a very pleasant person, who has offered the service. Maybe the problem is that the costs are out of proportion? For years a ran a site that people with a certain price of specialist kit could put themselves on a map, so equipment location of owner operators could be shared. I had lots of people add entries, and usage stats showed a fair bit of traffic. Gradually, more and more kit was sold by the manufacturer and the need for the site diminished. I carried on the hosting until just a few months back. The site is actually still there, but I redirected it and got just one person ask if it was dead? I paid nearly a grand during its life for helping others. I made nothing from it.

Hopefully, he’ll carry on

[paulears]

Edit!
He’s raised enough and has extended service for another year! Good news.

[Ianeast]

WTR Browser has been going for a few years, it was a paid service but now it’s free as it’s taken away all the stress for him. He used to receive a lot of grief over a few quid. The threat as you call it is a straight to the point of what might happen and it works, as you can see he’s already got enough money to carry on as like you others see as a valuable service. Why should he fork out of his own pocket all the time ? He has done on many occasions. You will not get a better free service, Wayne is extremely helpful and responds quickly to an problems.