# You know what? It's really not that fucking expensive to run a message board. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 24, 2005, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184 "2005-09-24T05:44:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/41 "2005-09-24T14:55:36Z")
> [@Mama Tiger](#): > > Frankly, if paying $7 a year and ignoring a few ads is that big a hassle, what do you guys do for entertainment? You can’t even go to a movie for that price, and you certainly can’t ignore the pre-show ads there. Some of us go to movies and spend money on other entertainment _in addition_ to paying for an SDMB subscription. And it’s not hard to skip the ads at a movie - just arrive 10-15 minutes late. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/42 "2005-09-24T14:58:09Z")
> [@Mama Tiger](#): > > Frankly, if paying $7 a year and ignoring a few ads is that big a hassle, what do you guys do for entertainment? You can’t even go to a movie for that price, and you certainly can’t ignore the pre-show ads there. When I’m in Albuquerque, I go to Century Theatres, where I can catch an earlier showing for less than 7 bucks and they have no pre-show ads. In fact, I actively boycott movie theatres with ads. It means I don’t go to many movies here in Las Cruces, but then again, there ain’t much I want to see. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/43 "2005-09-24T15:34:13Z")
> [@Harborwolf](#): > > Oh how adorable. Wookit dat cute wittle swippewy swope. > > Next thing you know, Ed Zotti will be going door to door with a tattoo gun putting ads on our foreheads. CURSE THEM AND THEIR CORPORATE OVERLORDS!! PAWNS OF THE MACHINE!!! Wel, with assholes such as yourself around to justify every move the admins make nothing would surprise me. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/44 "2005-09-24T15:39:45Z")
I haven’t seen so many guys complain about two inches since camp. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/45 "2005-09-24T15:40:42Z")
> [@Seven](#): > > You know what? SDMB is owned by The Chicago Reader; a **for-profit** company. Yeah, that’s part of the problem. If it was community-run, like many boards, just breaking even would be fantastic. Instead there’s always this constant pressure to make it somehow make money, because it’s a business. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/46 "2005-09-24T15:41:14Z")
> [@furt](#): > > Pretty much spot-on. > > The more I see the reasons people object to these ads and threaten to leave, the more I think the ads are terrific. Yeah, imagine how great it’ll be with just you and a few sycophants and the moderators. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/47 "2005-09-24T15:46:54Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > Yeah, imagine how great it’ll be with just you and a few sycophants and the moderators. Isn’t that how it is now? I mean, I thought all the freethinkers left after the boards went P2P/ **Tuba** didn’t get banned/any other sky fell. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/48 "2005-09-24T15:57:51Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > Yeah, imagine how great it’ll be with just you and a few sycophants and the moderators. Yup. Be great. I’ve never had a sycophant before, so I’m really looking forward to it. Not that I don’t wish you all the best. Like they say, don’t go away angry … ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/49 "2005-09-24T15:58:39Z")
> [@mstay](#): > > I haven’t seen so many guys complain about two inches since camp. \*:: Tears springing into eyes:: heeheeheeheeheehee 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/50 "2005-09-24T15:59:33Z")
> [@AugestWest](#): > > If this board is such a money pit, why do they keep running it? Just feeling charitable? It’s less of a money pit than it used to be. We make enough on subscriptions to cover the cost of the server and some but not all of the staff costs (me and Jerry). We’re hoping the Google ad revenue will make up the remainder of the deficit. From what Jerry says, we might even bring in enough to turn a profit, but most of us think this is mad talk and pay it no mind. Why do we keep doing this? Entertainment value is part of it, but we also look at the monthly page view count (high seven figures) and figure, jeez, there’s gotta be a way to make a buck on this. Hasn’t happened yet, though, and these are tough times in the newspaper business. So at least breaking even has become a more pressing concern. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/51 "2005-09-24T16:11:34Z")
**Ed** , you may have gotten the board into a vicious circle. You’ve already lost at least one subscription because of the ads. If fewer people renew, for whatever reason, will we start seeing more ads? ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/52 "2005-09-24T16:13:02Z")
> [@Ed Zotti](#): > > … we also look at the monthly page view count (high seven figures) … Page hits: 9,000,000/mo? Damn, that’s a lotta hits! OK, I saved this page and came up with the following number of bytes. Test Page htm: 286KB Assoc Images: 112KB Total 398KB per page?!?! If I assume that’s an average page I get 9 million \* 398KB = 3,667,968,000,000 bytes = 3,416 TB !?!?! Per month? Well, I must admin, that is far, far more than I suspected. That would explain a lot of the server problems. ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/53 "2005-09-24T16:15:39Z")
You’re actually saying that it costs more than $41,000/year to run [boards.straightdope.com](http://boards.straightdope.com)? You’ve got some balls if you expect that to be believed. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/54 "2005-09-24T16:15:50Z")
> [@furt](#): > > Yup. Be great. I’ve never had a sycophant before, so I’m really looking forward to it. > > Not that I don’t wish you all the best. Like they say, don’t go away angry … And why is the board better with fewer people, and/or why is the advertising a “wedge” issue that will serve as a good filter for the wrong element? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/55 "2005-09-24T16:16:04Z")
> [@Harborwolf](#): > > CURSE THEM AND THEIR CORPORATE OVERLORDS!! PAWNS OF THE MACHINE!!! I’m holding out for “Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal,” myself. I don’t mind the Google ads at all; I just wish they were better targeted. How many people here are looking to buy mailing lists? Maybe they shoulda tried Blogads instead, I don’t know. As I’ve said before, I’m not the least bit bothered by having to pay an inexpensive annual membership fee to keep on posting here. What has always bothered me about the fee is that it’s a barrier to new people joining - and it really takes new blood to keep a board like this fresh; otherwise it’s just the same people having the same old arguments with each other, over and over again. There had been threads around here since late 2000, IIRC, discussing the question of how this board could make money for the Chicago Reader, rather than siphon cash away from them. Numerous ideas were proposed (aside from paid memberships), of which maybe four or five had real merit, and even Zotti admitted that some of them would be profitable. My disappointment has been that (a) they didn’t try any of those ideas before going with pay-to-post, and (b) that they didn’t try a pay-to-post model that would allow people to try out this place for a bit more than a month before paying up or going away. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/56 "2005-09-24T16:17:29Z")
> [@Ed Zotti](#): > > … jeez, there’s gotta be a way to make a buck on this. Cue the advertisers. Cue a hike in the subscription fee. Cue charging for ‘extras’. Cue _exeunt omnes_. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/57 "2005-09-24T16:20:38Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > …If I understand correctly, the boards were in the red for a long time. … It’s been much better since **Chumpsky** disappeared, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/58 "2005-09-24T16:30:45Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > OK, I saved this page and came up with the following number of bytes. > Test Page htm: 286KB > Assoc Images: 112KB > Total 398KB per page?!?! > > If I assume that’s an average page I get 9 million \* 398KB = 3,667,968,000,000 bytes = 3,416 TB !?!?! Per month? Well, I must admin, that is far, far more than I suspected. That would explain a lot of the server problems. Those images only have to be downloaded once per user. The vast majority of page views will be nothing but HTML. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/59 "2005-09-24T16:31:06Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Wel, with assholes such as yourself around to justify every move the admins make nothing would surprise me. That’s me. I’m just another tool of the SDMB dictatorship. :rolleyes: Maybe I’m just not as histrionic as those of you who are freaking out about this like it’s the end of the world. Maybe I think all of the hand wringing and whining is a little over the top and just ripe for some mockery. Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s a knock at my door. Hey Ed. What’s going…\Owie ow ow ow. \ Wow, Gilette has a new five bladed razor coming out. ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184/60 "2005-09-24T16:34:14Z")
JOOC, was this announced before the ads suddenly appeared? I’m not always faithful about reading ATMB, so if it was posted there in advance it’s my fault for not noticing. However, as a paying member (even at the Charter Member rate), I think that it would have been a courtesy for the administrators to let us know by email that this was coming, and a small inconvenience for them to do this. In a perfect world, we should have been notified and this should have been deferred until the major renewal date that is coming up, but I appreciate that it came before that date, and not after. All that said, I can ignore the ads at the bottom of the page. And I fully intend to. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-what-its-really-not-that-fucking-expensive-to-run-a-message-board/323184.md?page=4)