Any news on the server business?

[Silo]

So what’s up?

Is the Chi-Reader going to let us pool money towards an improved server?

(anxiously looking forward to a faster site)

-Mike

[TubaDiva]

I have yet to get a reply, so I asked Ed to ask again.

I dunno if they’re all booked up with other stuff and haven’t been able to get back to me or if they just don’t believe what they read. I mean, this is pretty freaking amazing, that y’all would even think of it, much less do it.

I’ll ask Ed if he’s heard anything next time I see him.

your humble TubaDiva
Administrator
maybe there’s a new server under the CR tree, who knows?

[TubaDiva]

Please see Ed explains for more information.

your humble TubaDiva
Adminstrator

[Silo]

Well I’ll repost Ed’s response:

Guys, we’re seriously impressed (and touched) that you’re willing to pony up nearly five grand toward a new server - and yes, $8K is pretty much what we’re thinking it’s going to cost. But we have to decline for a variety of reasons, the foremost in my mind being that as a for-profit entity we just feel weird accepting donations. We would also have the somewhat ticklish problem of trying to collect on all those pledges, plus the fact that this might not be a permanent solution - we’ll probably have to upgrade the comm lines next, and that runs into a pretty steep monthly charge. So we’d be taking money from people without necessarily being able to deliver top quality service.

Lest you despair, however, you should know that we’ve just embarked on a new ad program that MAY enable us to take advantage of our high traffic (we’re close to a million page views a week on the MB alone) to generate some significant revenue. We’ll know in six months. If that’s no go, well, there’s always Plan B. But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Thanks for your patience and support. Someday we’re going to figure out how to make this thing pay.

Thanks for the replies, Ed & Tuba.

Well, I guess we’ll have to endure the traffic slowness for a while longer. I pray to Allah that Altoids will be “The next SD-fad” and a year down the road this site will outclock google.

[BoBettie]

I have a few suggestions:
Teeming millions coffee mugs (specifically SDMB mugs, not SD mugs.)
Putz face pins
Teeming millions T-shirts
etc…
(Yes, I know the SD has merchandise, that’s not what I’m talking about. I mean MESSAGE BOARD merchandise)

Sell 'em for say $15 a shirt, $10 a mug, $5 a pin. Rake in profits. Upgrade server and other needed items. Everyone happy.

If I knew the SDMB would make, say $10/shirt for each $15 shirt I buy, I might buy 5 of 'em to make my donation. Maybe I’d give mugs for Christmas, or pins. People could wear 'em to Dopefests and such. Big fun had by all, money made, equipment bought. Easy as pie!

Zette

[cornflakes]

*Originally posted by Zette *
**I have a few suggestions:
Teeming millions coffee mugs (specifically SDMB mugs, not SD mugs.)

Sell 'em for say… $10 a mug…**

I can impersonate a moderator for only ten bucks??? I won’t get arrested, will I?

[TubaDiva]

I wish you’d been so inspired earlier, when we coulda maybe ordered some stuff and made some sales in time for the holidays.

Thanks, Zette, I’ll pass this on to the powers that be. Maybe you can buy Valentine’s gifts for your many sweethearts . . . or vice versa.

And cornflakes? All we’ll do is hunt you down like a dog and then . . . well, you don’t wanna know.

your humble TubaDiva

[BoBettie]

Thanks Tuba- I think that selling some board merchandise would be a great solution. Everyone gets to make whatever donation they want (while still getting something for it), the Reader can keep some percentage of the profits, and we can have a new server. Thanks for taking it under consideration.
Zette

[andros]

And while we’re waiting, CLICK ON THE BANNERS!!!