Server upgrade discussion...

DublinWriter

LiouVille wrote:

Sorry? But they do sell banner adds here. They have it all set up through some app called ad-server. wheres the missed oppertunity?

I haven't seen any banner ads in ages, except the ones for boards own events. I've seen similar community based sites in the states generate upwards of $100K+ from advertiser revenue.

what good would a commerical manager be? I'm pretty certain the admin team have allot of experience in that field.

Yeah, but they are busy with admin stuff after all! A commercial/business development manager would be primarily a decicated sales-person.

nesf

DublinWriter wrote:

Yeah, but they are busy with admin stuff after all! A commercial/business development manager would be primarily a decicated sales-person.

Part of the charm of this site is that it isn't commercially orientated. An advertising sales person is a step in that direction.

The site isn't run as a business. It would be a very fundamental change in the site for it to change in this regard. I'm not sure if it would work, since this site has a long tradition of being community run and supported. Every mod here does it for free because of this.

If this site started making a large profit every year, some people might resent it. It is an Irish site after all


Personally, I think fundraising in the community should be the first approach taken. Only if this does not work and the community fails to support the site that substansial changes to the site and it's ethos should be looked at.

evilhomer

I cannot see how a good fundraising campaign will not be enough.
Obviously suplemented by the subscriptions maybe we could put a nice little "subscribe to boards" image on the frontpage (I know there is one there but something a little more noticeable?).
We have over 40,000 registered members, if we get €20 off even 5-10% of the users to donate we would have between €40,000 - €80,000. thats a lot of cash to buy servers!
Even monster servers like we will need.

Zaph

Going on my hols tomorrow, but you can count on another subscription when I get back. Always fancied some red stars for myself...

RopeDrink

Or a Gathering card of the day... although a few more cards may have to be made first...

http://www.boards.ie/wiki/index.php/Gathering_Game:_FlameWar
http://www.boards.ie/wiki/index.php/Talk:Gathering_Game:_FlameWar
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=297275
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=297782

Currently trying to make something from the Gathering Cards.
One (Possibly two) of which will use a printed deck (Which would be a nice thing to sell, in my eyes, if designed properly) and one which includes a massive Gathering project, that sadly hasn't (And probably won't) be mentioned until it's been brought onto more solid ground (But will also make a means of trolling in some money for the site if done correctly, and with support).

Please offer your support

Other than that, the calender idea is definately one worth considering.
If any help is needed, give us a shout. A bit of photoshopping never killed anyone (Except maybe drive them into major embarrassed psycho drinking mode )

unkel

nesf wrote:

If this site started making a large profit every year, some people might resent it

Who said anything about making a profit? The purpose of the exercise is to improve the hardware to increase the uptime and stability and...

...how to fund this

I maintain upping the subscriber ratio is key. Obviously a new star rating system would have to be deployed to attract subscribers. A bold suggestion:

* n00b
** > 50 posts
*** > 500 posts
**** mods
***** admins
****** subscribers

Feel free to use any colouring deemed appropriate

nesf

unkel wrote:

Who said anything about making a profit? The purpose of the exercise is to improve the hardware to increase the uptime and stability and...

It was implied by DublinWriter.

Boston

That implies a subcriber gives more then an administrator or moderator. Thats hardly the case. The main problem with subscribing is that the boards demograph is largely made of of students, with feic all money. Thats the main reason it's so low. If i had a spare 50 euro I would hand to the admins, regardless of what was on offer.

mike65

hey the search feature's back! me makes note to hit paypal button.

Mike.

unkel

nesf wrote:

It was implied by DublinWriter.

revenue <> profit

As DublinWriter probably knows only too well

unkel

mike65 wrote:

hey the search feature's back!

Yeah noticed it a few minutes ago

Never realised I used it so much until it went down...

nesf

unkel wrote:

revenue <> profit

As DublinWriter probably knows only too well

Depends on your costs. Boards costs are quite small really and any substansial increase in revenue would lead to quite nice profits tbh.

Considering the traffic of this site, one could turn a nice profit from it. I wouldn't say easily, but it's doable.

RopeDrink

http://www.3v.ie

Gah - No place to get them here in Galway.
Is it possible to use someone elses credit card to subscribe?

unkel

nesf wrote:

Considering the traffic of this site, one could turn a nice profit from it. I wouldn't say easily, but it's doable.

This thread is about generating revenue to finance hardware upgrades. It is not about making profit

grimloch

RopeDrink wrote:

Gah - No place to get them here in Galway.
Is it possible to use someone elses credit card to subscribe?

AFAIK it is.

EDIT:It is yes.

nesf

unkel wrote:

This thread is about generating revenue to finance hardware upgrades. It is not about making profit

I agree, lets drop it.

CuLT

RopeDrink wrote:

Gah - No place to get them here in Galway.
Is it possible to use someone elses credit card to subscribe?

Plus I tried verifying my PayPal account with this but I'm having difficulties. Maybe I just don't know how to use paypal (quite likely)

CuLT

CuLT wrote:

Plus I tried verifying my PayPal account with this but I'm having difficulties. Maybe I just don't know how to use paypal (quite likely)

Yes, I'm an idiot.

Paid up for a 3 month subscription just there, which I intend to top up <_<

Cheers!

jesus_thats_gre

I transfered my 50 euro 2 weeks ago but still haven't got me red stars.. I want me red stars

Dingatron

jesus_thats_gre wrote:

I transfered my 50 euro 2 weeks ago but still haven't got me red stars.. I want me red stars

Me like red stars too. What else does a subscription give you? There was a thread but can't find it now.

grimloch

Dingatron wrote:

What else does a subscription give you? There was a thread but can't find it now.

There's asticky at the top of this page but here's what you get.

CrowdedHouse

jesus_thats_gre wrote:

I transfered my 50 euro 2 weeks ago but still haven't got me red stars.. I want me red stars

Did you go to : User CP - Group Memberships- and change to subscriber ?

RuggieBear

i'll subscribe anyone with my credit card if you transfer/give me the money first.

gaui3d0pnbz86o

how about raffeling off the server name?

eg a user offers x amount of cash to name the new server(s). they would then become part of the boards history, like muppet and wang and pie

wont make a large amount of money but will make some and is harmless money generating fun!

DoctorEdgeWild

I recently subscribed as I got a really good deal off the FS General board and felt it was only right as I'm now approaching 500 posts.

Maybe pm'ing people around the 500 post mark and asking them to subscribe?

Alternately, have a subscription drive, where the front page of boards has a PLEASE SUBSCRIBE banner? For those of us without credit cards and stuff, maybe someone could organise to be in town on a certain day at a certain time for cash subscribers? Not an ideal situation I know, but surely any money is good? I'd volunteer to hang around some street corner collecting if it comes to it.

billy the squid

maybe a subscribers only prize draw or something, just a thought.

I would also ask the admin to reconsider ditching the option of using bank transfer for payment of subscriptions. if the potential subscriber were to stick their username in the "details" section of the transfer, it would make bak transers workable.

jesus_thats_gre

Maybe providing subscribed users with prioritsed access to boards.ie its busy? If you get me..

jesus_thats_gre

CrowdedHouse wrote:

Did you go to : User CP - Group Memberships- and change to subscriber ?

God I wish I knew what you were talking about. I don't see Group Memberships anywhere..

flogen

jesus_thats_gre wrote:

Maybe providing subscribed users with prioritsed access to boards.ie its busy? If you get me..

not a half bad idea, I mean, it wouldn't be cursing us non-subs to dial up speeds, but it would just mean subs get the connection speeds their money is paying towards!

Maybe some sub-only downloadable content... like a 'Hairstyles of DeV' screensaver... but maybe not.

This may be a terrible idea, but how about extending the paid for hosted forums for stuff like Clans, Bands, Artists etc., basically groups that aren't companies but that would benefit from a well run forum. I'm not sure what the prices are for the likes of komplett ATM, but you could have a smaller annual fee for the above (as they're non-profit) to have their own special forums. Traffic would rarely be big so it wouldn't be a big server load, if anything it might just be shifting announcement threads from general forums to their own.

jesus_thats_gre

Maybe offer them the tools or provide tutorials on how they could create their own skins for these forums also? Clans are very conscious of their image/branding so the skins would go down well..