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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

[FAQ] We're NOT moving

Discussion in 'Communications' started by Raven, Jan 17, 2005.

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  1. Dingo

    Dingo Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 23, 2001
    But if the JC is really that unwieldly, how can we afford to host it ourselves? Would the new site still have ad banners, then?

    I'm pretty sure that there would still be ad banners appearing, it's one of the most common ways for revenue raising online despite the prevalence of ad-blockers. You still have those people that go from work or don't impliment blockers adding to the coffers. Looking though at TFN, and other areas of sites run by Philip, they are extremely unlikely to be any more than we currently have now.


    As to the monetary figure, it's unlikely that that is the actual running cost. There are more than just the JC running on the board servers, and due to the now much larger size of these forums and IGNs I would be rather disappointed with IGN if they weren't going to use other groups that run their software to help fund their own site. The combined costs of running your own servers, plus licensing on a commercial software package are unlikely to reach $24k per year, especially given that the JC won't need a server farm the size of IGN's if it is only for TFN/JC material.
     
  2. malkieD2

    malkieD2 Ex-Manager and RSA star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 7, 2002
    Rather than run an ad blocker, I'd actually encourage users to click on a few banner ads every day to help contribute to the funding of the site.
     
  3. Falcon

    Falcon Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Feb 7, 2002
    Malkie the last time I did that was when I ended up with a nasty virus on my system through the popup add
     
  4. Darth_Ignant

    Darth_Ignant Jedi Grand Master star 7

    Registered:
    Oct 24, 2001
    Is that even possible?
     
  5. Errant_Venture

    Errant_Venture Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 21, 2002
    I wasn't aware you can get a virus via popups. . .
     
  6. Falcon

    Falcon Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Feb 7, 2002
    neither was I until it happened

    I think the website itself was infected and I wasn't the only one who had gotten the virus

    basically three others I know ended up formatting their harddrive just to wipe it out

    I wiped mine twice just for an experminent and thats the only thing I could think of

    I had a fire wall in place but no popup add blocker, it stopped after I wiped the harddrive and put a popup add blocker in place without the firewall

    what happens is this, when a popup add brings up a new website or opens a new window, it downloads components into your computer which is known as spy and addware, if a website is infected the virus will download itself onto your system through the spy and addware programs

    nice eh?



     
  7. YodaJeff

    YodaJeff Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2001
    You really have no idea about what you are talking about, do you?
     
  8. Darth_Ignant

    Darth_Ignant Jedi Grand Master star 7

    Registered:
    Oct 24, 2001
    It seems that way.

    Also, I meant coca-cola. Just because snowball is obsessed with illicit drugs, I assume because they're so damn cool, doesn't mean everyone else.
     
  9. DarthBrian

    DarthBrian Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 9, 2002
    On IE, if you're really serious about the icons, you can go to Tools -> Internet Options -> Advanced, then scroll down the list until you see "Multimedia". Under that heading, uncheck "Show Pictures". This will stop you from seeing any images at any website you visit, so it's very, very high-handed. It will, though, prevent Episode III spoiler images from leaking through.

    Yeah, that's going a little too far, thanks. :p
     
  10. Falcon

    Falcon Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Feb 7, 2002
    You really have no idea about what you are talking about, do you? o_O

    do you believe I made that up? when I've chosen my career in this field?

    viruses are transfered in files and programs, they unpack themselves automatically through a setup program. If you save a file onto a disk thats infected the disk becomes infected and you can transfer the virus that way. It works the same way with spy and addware, its hidden in the files. When the spy and addware is saved onto your system, the infected file is saved onto your system. how much more proof do you want?

    One of my collegues had a game and the cd was infected with a virus. That was a surprise.

    Theres certain websites that I heard about that you need to stay away, someone else I knew went to a website and ended up having his system crash with a war horse.

    I majored in computer science networking/system technology and thats one of the first lessons I learned at the college

    I'm also going for my A+ and MCP

    plus as stated above, hands on experiance, I run into this stuff all the time I go to someones house and they have tons of spy and addware on their computer, and several viruses

    and this because they don't have a popup add blocker or a firewall


     
  11. Everton

    Everton Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Jul 18, 2003
    Okay something I just thought of. Will there still be such a thing as 'colours' after the move? I ask because trivia games that award VIP status and colours as a prize (particularly my WWTBAMC game) would be in trouble if there wasn't.
     
  12. DarthSapient

    DarthSapient Jedi Youngling star 10

    Registered:
    Jun 26, 2001
    Yes, I believe so.
     
  13. JediHobbit

    JediHobbit Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 2, 2002
    thanks guys. very helpful. :)
     
  14. farraday

    farraday Jedi Knight star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    forgive me for saying so but a lot of the worries here seem to be over petty ****.


    Again, that's just my view on things.


    Colors for VIP games? Who really gives a rats ass?

    I notice no one has even mentioned if the cost of the boards will be transfered to the users in any way.

    Basically do the owners forsee they may start charging for board acess, complete or partial?

    For some reason I doubt the answer is an unequivical no.

    To look at it another way.

    Is the IGN price quoted unreasonable? If it is not, how much of that cost will being on our own server defray especially with the RotS spike upcoming? If the price is not unreasonable where is the money going to come from, no matter whose server we're on?

    And you're asking about VIP game colours.... quite the case of tunnel vision.
     
  15. Dark Lady Mara

    Dark Lady Mara Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 19, 1999
    If the new site had no colors, my self-esteem would implode.

    In all seriousness, this site has some features that have become so central to our community it would be hard to move to a place that didn't have them. UBB didn't have a private message feature, for example. It's mindboggling to try to figure out how we got by without PMs. And Snowboards, when we first started using them, didn't allow private boards. No MS!

    Rather than run an ad blocker, I'd actually encourage users to click on a few banner ads every day to help contribute to the funding of the site.

    Do we know as a fact that would help? I was under the impression advertisers paid upfront, not per number of clicks.

    Edit: farrie, I think they'd go under if they tried to charge for access. A significant number of users here are kids without credit cards (or, I suppose, unemployed middle aged guys living in their parents' basement without credit cards :p ). Besides, very few people would pay to use this board when there are other Star Wars boards that are free.
     
  16. Dingo

    Dingo Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 23, 2001
    Do we know as a fact that would help? I was under the impression advertisers paid upfront, not per number of clicks.

    Can't tell you about current arrangements, but the previous ones that the JC operated under were 2c for every banner loaded, 5c for every ad clicked on when I asked Nic about it once. Could have changed since then.
     
  17. farraday

    farraday Jedi Knight star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    I call foul, I have a credit card! :p

    I'm not saying it's gonna be 50 dollars a month or we delete your account and sell your laviscious pms on ebay(plz don't I'll pay!), but I see no reason to believe that the new boards will bring in any more revenue then the current ones do and nor do I believe Mr Wise is going to throw money at the JC to keep us all happy.

    Obviously some sort of compromise on services is going to be reached. More ads? More intrusive ads? fee for select areas of the boards? Drastic reductions in board capabilities?

    IGN wants up to 2k a month to host us(is that the right word?) whats it goign to cost to have our own server and how is that cost(including the not insubtantial cost of creating and transfering everything) going to be defrayed?
     
  18. Jesina_Dreis

    Jesina_Dreis Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2004
    My read on it, though I could very well be wrong, is that the $2000 is primarily a monthly rental fee - in addition to administrative and upkeep costs. If that is the case, hosting on their own server could alleviate a large amount of the cost. Granted, admin costs will likely increase, but the cost should be nowhere near $24,000 for the year.

    Anyone who knows more than me should feel free to say I'm wrong. Just, be kind please. :)

    Jes
     
  19. sergiurusu

    sergiurusu Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    May 30, 2001
    Obviously some sort of compromise on services is going to be reached. More ads? More intrusive ads?

    Not that pleaseeeeee! The ads kill the fun! ;)
     
  20. Errant_Venture

    Errant_Venture Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 21, 2002
    Farraday: I don't know, and I echo your sentiments wholeheartidly.
     
  21. Everton

    Everton Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Jul 18, 2003
    Colors for VIP games? Who really gives a rats ass?

    And you're asking about VIP game colours.... quite the case of tunnel vision.

    Yes and of course the fact that it's not the most important thing on the list, or even close, means it's wholly inappropriate to ask. :rolleyes: Since I ran a game I thought it pertinant to ask. There was to be no more conversation about it... just a simple query. Nothing more. How wonderful of you to drag it up as an example of how small everyone else's sense of perspective is, and how undoubtedly massive your own is. Bloody hell. Get over yourself. [face_plain]
     
  22. farraday

    farraday Jedi Knight star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    My sense of perception isn't massive, that's just the relationship between yours and mine. See your sense of perception in that case is bang on.


    Anyways.

    Thanks for the post EV. I would hope an admin or an owner would actually endevor to answer the fee question.
     
  23. Darth_Larsen

    Darth_Larsen Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 23, 2004
    Since it seems just about any star wars community board is moving off their servers. Because of there loads and server issues etc? here are a few things ive seen come up.

    Get a dedicated server, with a connection to a good backbone to the net. And put vboard on it (seems like the only real choice. phpbb is good, but I don?t think it will support this load and as of late is being attacked by hackers, the only other choice is to see if you could buy a license of this board software, would be best, but not likely).

    Hire/find someone to write a code to take this database and convert it to the new database format (shouldn?t be that big of a deal). Since you have this person see if he can add the color feature and other things (again shouldn?t be that hard, I know phpbb has ranks based of post number, id hope vboard did to)

    At most you should be paying 200 a month for a powerful enough server. The setup with the software license and find a tech person to write the code will be the pricy/hard part. (Maybe the mysterious board consultant could do some of this).

    Then to pay for this:
    Put up a donation link, and get rid of the banner ads or any other ads. You should be able to make enough money off donations, look at how many members you have, donation money would be more meaning full, since every one wants there colors and what not, give them a little rank as a supporting member. If donation do not generate enough then bring back the banner ads, but only if necessary, if the community is going to pay for itself don?t tax us even more.

    Just my two credits.



     
  24. Darth_Ignant

    Darth_Ignant Jedi Grand Master star 7

    Registered:
    Oct 24, 2001
    I like the cut of Larsen's gib.
     
  25. -Lord-Vader-

    -Lord-Vader- Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 15, 2003
    I was wondering about the charging us for use thing too.
     
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