Forum Admin Greg Posted September 4, 2015 Forum Admin Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 Here's the thing. The domain costs $10/year, hosting about $50/year, and forum software is $80/year after the initial cost of about $200 (and that's only if you want the chatroom to support up to 50 users at a time). So the forum could be hosted and run for somewhere in the neighbourhood of $10/month. If every one of the regulars pitched in $1/month the costs would be entirely covered and then some. And those are the prices I can find without looking for any sort of deals. Not exactly. The forum DB is over 3GB, with the rest of the website taking up another 1GB. The forum also has over 1M postings, and has an active membership posting on average 500+ postings a day and logging over 200,000 topic views a month. The site as a whole (forums plus features, etc) attracts 60,000 unique users a month. The disk-space requirements, along with the server load is considerable. No $10 a month hosting package will accommodate that type of load - no matter what the cheap web hosts say, there is no way they would provide a level of service everyone expects. The economics of providing shared hosting (at discounted prices) only work if you put thousands of domains on one server... The pitch to reinvigorate the entire site (nut just the forum) with new articles and work is worth a lot, but as a desperate measure, failing finding that money, I'm definitely willing to pitch in to keep the forum active. The wheels are in motion on that very topic! I don't see the site being revived. This place could have been the answer to Rabble's singular focus. MLW could have provided a similar format for writers and posters but with a broader perspective. It's not that and it will never be that because it takes far too much work to manage something that big without any material incentive to do so. I agree cybercoma, there is a important place for MLW going forward and I will be looking at different options in the coming months. I appreciate everyone's concerns and ideas and you will all be notified when I have something more concrete. To those of you who feel the moderation isn't sufficient or unfair, all I can say is that we're only human and we're doing the best we can. Are we perfect? Hell no, but this forum has existed for nearly 16 years and we've outlasted many others. I have always tried to create an environment where ideas and opinions can be discussed without fear that it will run counter to some internal or external agenda. Thanks everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestCoastRunner Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 The forum also has over 1M postings, and has an active membership posting on average 500+ postings a day and logging over 200,000 topic views a month. The site as a whole (forums plus features, etc) attracts 60,000 unique users a month. Can you break down the 60,000 further? By Country, region in Canada? As I mentioned earlier Greg, with that many visitors a month, especially in Canada, advertisors would love to advertise here. Given the demographics, this is a highly targeted audience. For example, Real Estate, travel etc. All you have to do is plug in their code and popups can appear (only once per visitor usually, so it's not intrusive). I would suggest getting an advertising package together with the stats and start selling your space! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waldo Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 Not exactly. The forum DB is over 3GB, with the rest of the website taking up another 1GB. The forum also has over 1M postings, and has an active membership posting on average 500+ postings a day and logging over 200,000 topic views a month. The site as a whole (forums plus features, etc) attracts 60,000 unique users a month. The disk-space requirements, along with the server load is considerable. No $10 a month hosting package will accommodate that type of load - no matter what the cheap web hosts say, there is no way they would provide a level of service everyone expects. The economics of providing shared hosting (at discounted prices) only work if you put thousands of domains on one server... yet you appear to be hosting the forum on your personal business related name servers. Given a fund-raising context, in the interests of full disclosure... just what would you estimate the costs you're presuming to... fund raise for? As an aside, I'd kick in sumthin to get you to host in Canada - just so we could finally put an end to that lil' "CAN-AM microcosm" that gets played out, ad nauseum, by that certain MLW member who, apparently, thinks it's quite the deal to have a Canadian political discussion forum hosted in USA, USA, USA! It appears the domain registration expires in October... do you plan to renew... contingent on fund raising? I mean, c'mon - the moderator flying his avatar upside-down... just what is the degree of "dire distress"? . The pitch to reinvigorate the entire site (nut just the forum) with new articles and work is worth a lot, but as a desperate measure, failing finding that money, I'm definitely willing to pitch in to keep the forum active. The wheels are in motion on that very topic! which topic? Site invigoration... full, just forum... or both? . To those of you who feel the moderation isn't sufficient or unfair, all I can say is that we're only human and we're doing the best we can. Are we perfect? Hell no, but this forum has existed for nearly 16 years and we've outlasted many others. I have always tried to create an environment where ideas and opinions can be discussed without fear that it will run counter to some internal or external agenda. uhhh..... this is deja-vu, right? I do believe you raised a similar intent some time back now (hence the Jan, 2014 Improvements thread you started... which appears to have simply become a 'bitch-fest' over time). Don't be tuggin' at heart-strings all over agin', hey! . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 No drama or special conditions required...just tell us where to send the money and it shall be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waldo Posted September 5, 2015 Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 fund raising... to bring forward actual moderation that properly enforces the MLW rule against trolling (whatever the actual definition is)... nah, say it ain't so! (note: this post is rated TrollFree) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIP Posted September 7, 2015 Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 Not exactly. The forum DB is over 3GB, with the rest of the website taking up another 1GB. The forum also has over 1M postings, and has an active membership posting on average 500+ postings a day and logging over 200,000 topic views a month. The site as a whole (forums plus features, etc) attracts 60,000 unique users a month. The disk-space requirements, along with the server load is considerable. No $10 a month hosting package will accommodate that type of load - no matter what the cheap web hosts say, there is no way they would provide a level of service everyone expects. The economics of providing shared hosting (at discounted prices) only work if you put thousands of domains on one server... I would go with a premium member service that charges a set monthly or annual fee. I've tried a couple where premium members get a few perks like access to special subforums etc.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argus Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 fund raising... to bring forward actual moderation that properly enforces the MLW rule against trolling (whatever the actual definition is)... nah, say it ain't so! (note: this post is rated TrollFree) Waldo if we had proper moderation, ie, full enforcement of the rules, you'd be suspended after every post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argus Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 The pitch to reinvigorate the entire site (nut just the forum) with new articles and work is worth a lot, but as a desperate measure, failing finding that money, I'm definitely willing to pitch in to keep the forum active. I, as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waldo Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 Waldo if we had proper moderation, ie, full enforcement of the rules, you'd be suspended after every post. thank you for your (less than proper) service moderation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argus Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 thank you for your (less than proper) service moderation! Just pointing out that the rules call for respecting other posters and refraining from 'antagonistic behaviour' and I think almost any post of yours qualifies as violating both of those requirements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 Oh that's rich. haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waldo Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 Oh that's rich. haha yup - there's reality... and then there's a member 'Argus' take on reality Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argus Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 yup - there's reality... and then there's a member 'Argus' take on reality I don't think you'll find a lot of people disagreeing with my take on your aggressively disrespectful posting style. I can be snappish myself, at times, too, but usually in response to snotty, insulting posts directed at me. We'd both be suspended a lot more if the rules were rigidly enforced, but you, considerably more than I. The great majority of my posts deal with the material under discussion and don't mock, sneer at or belittle those I'm arguing with the way ALL yours do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scribblet Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 I don't think you'll find a lot of people disagreeing with my take on your aggressively disrespectful posting style. I can be snappish myself, at times, too, but usually in response to snotty, insulting posts directed at me. We'd both be suspended a lot more if the rules were rigidly enforced, but you, considerably more than I. The great majority of my posts deal with the material under discussion and don't mock, sneer at or belittle those I'm arguing with the way ALL yours do. Well said... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waldo Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 why's everybody always pickin' on me! Et tu, scribbler? Et tu? I'd suggest the both of you grow a set but then I do believe someone would lay a micro-aggression charge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrimeNumber Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 There are always sites like proboards and forums.net. If you don't want the rest of the site, just the forum. Purchase your own domain name and link it to the forum and you're set. There are ads on the basic forums like proboards but a simple ad-blocker installed on your computer will make them go away. If you don't have ad-blocker software and your browsing the web I don't know how you can manage to do it because it drives me nuts without it.Sites like proboards offer a tonne of support and with the plugins you can customize the forum damn near anyway you wish.https://www.proboards.com/The costs would be low and the basic proboards forums actually have more options than this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 The hosting with proboards is awful though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scribblet Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 Why do you say that, I had one - no problem, but I merged my members with another stand alone forum which pays for hosting... I don't see the point, pro boards was fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrimeNumber Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 The hosting with proboards is awful though. I've never had a problem with proboards. Been a member of multiple forums, even ran a few myself. Me and some friends use one for our hockey pool, which probably has more permanent members than this site. I've even been a member of a 100+ user forum 100% hosted on just the proboards site without any problems, the real problem was when they switched to vbulletin, which eventually led to it's shut down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted September 9, 2015 Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 A couple of the proboards forums I've been at had problems with downtime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argus Posted September 9, 2015 Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 (edited) why's everybody always pickin' on me! Et tu, scribbler? Et tu? I'd suggest the both of you grow a set but then I do believe someone would lay a micro-aggression charge! I'm not condemning you, Waldo, or even trying to insult you. I'm simply pointing out that by strict interpretation of the rules, particularly those on 'respect' and 'antagonistic behaviour' you violate the rules with almost every single post. If you want the moderators to rigidly enforce the rules then you'll have to completely change your posting style or leave. Edited September 9, 2015 by Argus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestCoastRunner Posted September 9, 2015 Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 I'm not condemning you, Waldo, or even trying to insult you. I'm simply pointing out that by strict interpretation of the rules, particularly those on 'respect' and 'antagonistic behaviour' you violate the rules with almost every single post. If you want the moderators to rigidly enforce the rules then you'll have to completely change your posting style or leave. That's rich!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
On Guard for Thee Posted September 9, 2015 Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 Oh that's rich. haha That's more than rich. What comes after rich I wonder...hilarious maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestCoastRunner Posted September 9, 2015 Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 why's everybody always pickin' on me! Et tu, scribbler? Et tu? I'd suggest the both of you grow a set but then I do believe someone would lay a micro-aggression charge! They just don't like being called out for lack of substance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallc Posted September 9, 2015 Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 I actually don't like the name calling and condescension. I have no problem with being called out. I only recently took Waldo off of ignore because of his posting..."style". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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