IMPORTANT: BT needs to start charging a small monthly fee for the Training Log (unless...)

Alice,

First of all I appreciate what you have done over the past 5? 6? years keeping BT afloat, and I know it's a PITA and you didn't exactly expect to retire early on the revenue.  If it weren't for you buying it, likely it would be gone like a few other forums that went poof in the night.  So thanks for that.

I'm one of those decades-long subscribers to the training logs (and equally as important, race logs), though I have been at least a Bronze member for as long as I can remember.  No issue from me if you need to raise pricing/levels to make ends meet.  Hell, with what I spend on triathlon equipment and other subscriptions like Zwift, Training Peaks, and Trainer Road, BT is a rounding error. 

I hope you get a positive response to your outreach.

ETA:  I knew this was coming at some point, am surprised it didn't come earlier and I'm thankful it wasn't in the form of "domain not found" error.

Following

BTer since 2005 here. While I had to 'retire' from triathlons last year, I'm still on the site keeping up with friends and logging as a journal of sorts. With 18 years of history on this site, it's fascinating to look back on all of the phases of my life through my training blog.

With that said, I would likely not pay a fee to keep what's essentially a blogging feature. I'd be sad to see it go of course, but most of the BT friends I've made here, I'm also connected with on other platforms. And goodness, those friendships are treasured. 3 of the 40 guests at my wedding just 2 months ago were BTers ... lifelong friends because of this site. Cheers to BT, and best of luck with the decision.

Thanks Alice.

I joined in 2005, and while I haven’t competed for several years, I still keep up on BT. 

for me, I’d subscribe annually (bronze level?) rather than monthly. I don’t have anything paid automatically, so a monthly charge is less desirable than annual. 

Mike

I joined BT 3/17/2004. We're coming up on 20 years of BT for me! 

I met my husband here, I met A LOT of friends here, virtually and IRL. 

I really want to keep the lights on over here, so I could happily upgrade to whatever you want me to upgrade to. 

I have been here since 2006, I have a lot of logging and information in my log that I don't have anywhere else. I stopped racing in 2016 I think because the injuries kept coming and I spent more time in PT than I did training. The forums have lost their activity through the years, between people who left or were previously banned from the site and the increased activity of bots posting weird stuff I rarely visit the forums. I keep up with people via the inspires, but I would guess that I am Facebook friends and real life friends with many of these people so we keep up--it's just that our individual logs are great places to mull our thoughts in a place that isn't as public as other blogging sites or may not be appropriate to a post on any other social media outlet.  Would I pay a nominal fee to keep my log? I lean against it, only because that's the only thing I use this site for.  Thanks for the transparency about the potential future here.

I've been here since 2004 and have years and years of data and thoughts recorded. I don't really use the logs to socialize anymore, and stopped doing triathlons long ago, but I stay because I have yet to find another platform where I can log my workouts and my thoughts in the same space. I'd pay a fee to keep my training log for sure, but would prefer to pay one time per year vs something monthly. 

 I agree, I'd rather pay yearly. 

1. Go to your Profile
2. Scroll town to Training Log Settings
3. Select Export Log Data, select dates

This will export a CSV that you can then open in Excel, Google Sheets, etc.  One of the fields that is included is "Overall Comments" which appears to be your blog type info.

Feel the same. I really love the log and some social aspects - would be okay to do pay relatively low dollar but more infrequent (like a bronze membership). I really do appreciate you letting us all know and have a chance to weigh in but also  I think many of us know that web communities and websites don't last forever. 

This is pretty important to me regarding data (although I do backup semi-annually) and community.  My log has turned into a journal that I look back at a LOT.  Even when a lot of folks left for Facebook, etc. I kept this going for several reasons.

I'd get a Bronze membership at the $50 rate (prepaid 12 months).   I probably should have, a while ago...   I do also really like the graphs that come with a paid membership.

Hmm. Thought I had posted here, but perhaps I hit preview and then never submitted? Anywho.

Been a member for a long time here (member 3341!) and 20 years of logs and blogs are worth it to me to save even though I haven't done a triathlon in a very long time. The community here is wonderful and while many of my BT friends are also on Facebook and other places, there's still no other home for my training stats and my ramblings about my life and training and whatever else might be on my mind. I honestly don't know where else I could post the stuff that I post here (even though I understand that this isn't a private site by any stretch, it still feels insulated from the rest of the world).

I would pay to keep the lights on. Like others have said, I'd prefer an annual amount to a monthly subscription.

Wow!  I met my wife on here, and countless friends that I remain close with IRL too. 

I admit that I don't frequent the site very much anymore, as while Triathlon has been a long 20 year run for me and my attentions and sports interests have evolved.  I haven't done a triathlon since before COVID.  I still am training, mostly cycling and running, doing Cross races and Running races.

I do have a lot of my early Tri history catalogued here, so hoping to see that there is a way to keep the community going.

Hi Alice..

Long time member here (2004) also.Appreciate both your efforts and the opportunity to comment on the future of BT. BT was an absolutely invaluable resource and community in the early days. With the increasing popularity of triathlon and the evolution of social media & internet in general Bt also I think saw its peak but many of us quietly stayed around. I went from first season of a couple of sprints to full Ironmen  over a decade here. As others have said -the community aspect has pretty much dwindled- I think as of now none of my original BT crew are still active here. That being said- the training log & race & gear logs have been a constant for me- I use them to this day. I stopped having a paid membership a while back as I have not done a triathlon in several years- focusing more on trail running ..but I still S-B-R..! As others have said it is unique to have a "safe space" to log workouts-life events & more and I value that a lot. Almost 20 years of living here! I would be willing/interested in an annual maintenance type fee to continue to use them and to be able to go back in time. I also hope that whatever you decide is feasible for the overall site that we may have some way to back up some of those records .As someone else commented- I dont have them anywhere else and they do matter-to me. Thanks again .

Jo