time to redecorate AO

[Dark Side]

I'll pay to become a supporting member. The whole pursuit thing worked for PBN to gain more traffic; a similiar idea to bring AO back couldn't hurt to try.

[Dayspring]

Well, I can start some of the work on this if some of the mod team is willing to help out.

I'd need some numbers in regards to monthly traffic, server load, etc. That might have to come from the hosting company though.

Tom - is this something you can help with?


Getting this info would help us figure out the monthly hosting costs elsewhere if need be.

Also, can we get a SQL backup of our Database in case something DOES happen? This would make the transfer easy too.

[BTAutoMag]

Just a side note, I'm on a work computer that isnt used for anything but record keeping and online forums... and I keep getting ads for ukranian women who want to date me

[OPBN]

Just a side note, I'm on a work computer that isnt used for anything but record keeping and online forums... and I keep getting ads for ukranian women who want to date me

Well apparently you need to stop frequenting Ukranian singles forums.

[BTAutoMag]

Well apparently you need to stop frequenting Ukranian singles forums.

apperently I need to stop shopping for GM products as well even though I'm loyal to dodge

[justme-]

The forum has limited appeal no matter what ads are coming up, what server it's hosted on or what format the information is displayed in. Remember the state of paintball, AGD, and the marker we all love so dearly. There is nothing to draw non AGD fans here and there really would be a tough time to find anything. IF AGD were active in manufacturing anything paintball there would be a draw for the product support but alas...and the difficulty a wanting to register member must endure to actually get registered here will dissuade all but die-hards anyway... seems you have to know someone who knows someone to get a registration approved by a MOD and word on other sites is it's been this way for a long time. If there is a prayer at getting new people here registered to do more then lurk new registrations must be dealt with appropriately and more timely. This situation makes the site look dead to outsiders, and the community look "closed" and snobby.

You can host a pretty massive website for a lot less these days than one could back on 06 when TK was quoted on the costs. Company I was working for was hosted on a virtual dedicated for $400/year with over 5ooGB storage and that was an older server - newer hardware means cheaper hosting costs. Godaddy is a great host even if you dislike their political views. Dreamhost (mentioned before) is so so rated in what I have seen.

I agree with Luke, adding a required membership will be the death of the site/forum - there is not enough content to create traffic from enough people. PBNB and MCB have a much wider audience to draw from. Advertising and user donations are the only viable sources.

We have become a nitch community. I'm all for saving the data here, and moving it to a cheaper host, especially if TK is still paying that exorbitant fee every month, however recently loosing my job precludes me from donating much in the way of funds...I can click ad links, but not for milfs, ukraninian women or such... I can't afford a divorce either

[BTAutoMag]

I can click ad links, but not for milfs, ukraninian women or such... I can't afford a divorce either

well when the ukrainian woman moves in just say youre supporting the site

[Olsson]

I wholeheartedly agree that a required paid membership would be a very bad move. I still believe, however, that a premium membership, or support member or whatever it might be called for sure would bring in a decent sum of yearly $$$. Especially if there were perks apart from bragging rights, such as membership only deals on AGD apparel. Ukranian women might not be the answer we're looking for, even though some of us are looking for Ukranian women, or so it seems.

[BTAutoMag]

this is why I love this site

[Darring D]

I found a Ukranian woman that shoots a Mag...... win/win!

[GoatBoy]

Got to disagree here. Forums aren't a thing of the past, they've really come to the forefront of topical internet dialogue for the sharing of common interests and ideas. And I don't know why you'd want something that is decentralized. That would prohibit everyone from finding like-minded individuals and relevant information.

I mean, once you have a group of like-minded people who all want to converse about the same topics, then yeah you could go to something a little more fluid like a Facebook group or something. But for the purpose of archiving information and ideas to make them convenient and easy to find and join in, nothing beats a good ol' message board.

[NU_METAL]

I have to agree with him on these points

Also , i never understood why there are pics of guys up on the banner( rt/hand corner)
that are from 1990's ?
Shouldn't we be adding guys up there like "BIG EVIL" for example ,that are "active" on here ?
You know @ least giving the attempt of "mixing it up " a little
Maybe some variety & fairness ?? Just a thought

Btw its not going to matter what we did to this site @ this moment in economic time.Lets be realistic, cuz paintball & other hobbies are down across the board ,and there are some fancy sites out there we all know that .
I could make this site dance & do "Global thermal Nuclear war games" if i could ,& thats not going to change a thing as far as AGD revenue

[RT Lover]

My .02 cents:
*I think paying a fee to be a member is a mistake over all.
*I think there should be enough advertising for the site to pay the yearly hosting fees. (Add more if needed.)
*So that leaves us in need of raising funds for software and hardware.
A. Tom needs to set up a PayPal account for straight out donations.
B. We can hold online raffles to raise additional funds.
C. I have no ideas for labor and regular maintenance.

I have no problem chipping in a few dollars and I can also chip in parts to help raise some money in the raffles. Additional raffle donations can come from members that have an overflow of used parts, for most that wont be a problem.
We need some real number$ so we have a place to start.

Shouldn't we be adding guys up there like "BIG EVIL" for example ,that are "active" on here ?
I have always thought there should be pic updates, show the mag in action! Perhaps a video how to and look what i have tab?

i like this idea also, lets all chip in and get some well over due updates... if we can cut out the fees, but if there was a option to be a "supporting member" i would do that, keeping in mind that u can roam free if u like just a little plus for additional support!

[RT Lover]

a point I would like to make:


AGD was a super power in the paintball world and why? because the design is simple, reliable, low cost and fast. name one other paintball marker that has all 4 of those attributes.

and then came AO. Tom would say what should I make next? and we would tell him. or he would say look what I made and we would go, THATS AWESOME or I dont like that at all.

Ideas like the deldrin bolt which died quickly because we the site put its through the ringer and found the fatal flaw... who found the flaw? WE DID!

Automags have become IMO the longest lived single paintball gun thats still competitive and the FIRST open source paintball marker!

In AO you have everything to keep a company going. look what Luke, hill, renie and eeryone else has done for the mag, AGD stepped back and we forced its evolution.

Long live AGD, Long live the MAG.

Let us design the future of this company YOU founded Tom. You will will be amazed at what a group of fanatics can acheive with the permission to do so

BRANCH OUT!!! as we have shown that the mag is customizable. he made it and perhaps can breath new life in to it! Just a new marker style would b cool... they all have the same motor.... idk if u can out do the xvalve

[Dark Side]

BRANCH OUT!!! as we have shown that the mag is customizable. he made it and perhaps can breath new life in to it! Just a new marker style would b cool... they all have the same motor.... idk if u can out do the xvalve

I agree. TK adding something new to AGD would do just that.


Making it mandatory to become a paying member is a bad idea any way you slice it. However making it an option to pay to help out AO as a whole is something I feel a lot of old schoolers would do here.