Official how to keep AO alive thread

[hitech]

On a side note, I've had plans for the last 3 years (which I spent every day working towards) to start a business that had some kind of tie to AGD. It's only been underway for 6 months or so and as of yesterday I'm not sure where it's going to go.

...but I really wonder if AO will loose it's luster without a direct link to AGD?????

Actually one of my first thought was what effect would this have on those making custom parts for 'mags. There is a lot of nice stuff out there. And it appeared that more was/is on the way. I'd hate to see that stop or slow. But I'm afraid it will. Hopefully the warp quick-disconnect will still be available after the New Year.

...but I really wonder if AO will loose it's luster without a direct link to AGD?????

I wonder that also. Tom had stopped posting very much, and AO seems to have lost some of its luster during that time (hence why I saw something coming). I'm afraid that it's going to get worse.

On a side note, I don't imagine you can make electrical solenoids, can you? How about a redesigned on/off valve? I have so many ideas' kicking around in my head...

[Cyberious]

[QUOTE=Mango]$10 a year will NOT be enough to pay the $1000.00 a month operating fee tom says there is.[/QUOTE


I agree if things stay the way they are. However, having managed a forum webspace before there are lots of things you can do that will subtantially lower your bandwidth consumption. A few that seem to make the biggest difference are expiring old accounts that haven't logged in for "X" number of months, not storing attachments, and limiting those attachments you do upload. When I did this on a few of my older forums I lowered the space used by a factor of 5. Within that charging for the ads can help pick up some of the slack.

[InexactMelissa]

they would save nothing... because it pays nothing...

I want to point out that Toms figures include both AGD's site AND AO. So its not going to cost that much to just do AO.... and there are things in the works to reduce that significantly. So hold on to your hats. Remember that at this time... AO and AGD are seperate. I got no indication AGD wants to pick up AO. And there is no reason to expect AO to host AGD's site either. So don't get too worried. It will all shake out in the next month or so.

Really? AGD doesn't want to pick up AO? Crap...that means that we are all just a bunch of inbred internet geeks. Well, regardless....there's tons of good ideas out there, notably:

1. reduce bandwidth by not hosting images on the ao server
2. include an easy way to make donations
3. offer supporter perks...I'm gonna say only one or two levels to keep the site very distinct from becoming a 'pay' site
4. offer advertising space in banners or sidebars...we're a lot of members that companies will pay to reach, but they never would have thought to do so when we were tied to agd.

Other items that I don't think have been addressed, though I admit to not having read carefully are:
1. What is the exact bandwidth breakdown? Is it mainly pictures...are people using the ao server as hosting space? Is a lot of traffic coming from chat? Is the BB code bloated and inefficient?
2. Where are the referrals to the site coming from? What is the new sign-up rate? Is it all usage from repeat members or are we gaining new members and new traffic at a rate that we can track and calculate?
3. Number two will be helpful as we are going to have to become a self-supporting entity. That means marketing AO separate from AGD. Maybe we will have to buy ad space somewhere to get a click-thru rate on donations or memberships that will be favorable.
4. Who will be the owning entity? That's important because there are legal ramifications, for example COPPA, that require some degree of responsibility.

I dunno...I really want to see AO continue, but at this point, as big as it is, it is a huge responsibility, and basically a business that needs to be run. My only ecommerce experience is in porn, which probably isn't applicable here. There's a bunch of different ways that I can think of to do it, but the main thing is to get the facts straight and a business plan in place because of all the lazy slobs that we are, it will just become an embarassing debacle without the appropriate leadership, guidance, and capital.

[cphilip]

Really? AGD doesn't want to pick up AO?

That I never ment to imply... because I don't know that yet. Remains to be seen. I don't think it will be answered until maybe the first of the year.

But I can tell you that there are several fixes already there if it does not. And AO will continue on. Without any problem. I am aware of about four alternatives already in place to host AO. Very generous members here are ready to step to the plate. And I am going to keep them quite. But best case scenario is that AGD keep directly affiliated because thier site and AO exist on the same server. But its not totaly nessicary if they cannot. Just a bit more work is all.

[1stdeadeye]

What the heck is going on?

[Lohman446]

Deadeye, quick update.

TK retired from AGD - but kept AO and has said it is going to have to become self-supportive somehow (though it sounds like Dave Zupan (?), the new owner of AGD may be reconsidering the value of AGD having AO).

If TK cannot make AO self-supportive then we are going to have to find an alternative. Jayloo has offered to host (most generously). TK estimates that (includign hosting) it costs about $1000 a month to run AO. If other things fall through there is going to have to be an alternative - such as all members paying a fee, which I think would kill AO. Without it we are goign to have to have a handful of members (sounds like Phil might have) to pay a larger portion. Your name has been nominated

[Thordic]

My only ecommerce experience is in porn, which probably isn't applicable here.

Am I the only one that caught that?

[cphilip]

... Without it we are goign to have to have a handful of members (sounds like Phil might have) to pay a larger portion...

What we have are offers for free server hosting of the site. And at very reduced costs. We may need some minor equipment is all. Most of that we can find easily. Some we already know where it is. Although there would probably have to be some reduction in service like picture hosting (reasonable to expect)... most of the efforts will be to reduce costs first if it moves off this server... so that it's then very feasible to run on Adds and Donations very easily. I don't think the current costs are reasonable to expect that. So it would be the first step. And thats what members here are doing for us behind the scenes. But there is very much we can do to reduce those costs... significantly. And easily and pretty much painlessly.

But again.... It's all rather up in the air until we see what AGD wants to do. And Tom takes some time off and decides what he wants to do. But the offers are there. Enough to know its sound. And encouraging enough to know that it AO will continue. Without fear. But it will be the first part of next year before we see which direction we will go. But we will "go on"... no doubt about it now.

[1stdeadeye]

Deadeye, quick update.

TK retired from AGD - but kept AO and has said it is going to have to become self-supportive somehow (though it sounds like Dave Zupan (?), the new owner of AGD may be reconsidering the value of AGD having AO).

If TK cannot make AO self-supportive then we are going to have to find an alternative. Jayloo has offered to host (most generously). TK estimates that (includign hosting) it costs about $1000 a month to run AO. If other things fall through there is going to have to be an alternative - such as all members paying a fee, which I think would kill AO. Without it we are goign to have to have a handful of members (sounds like Phil might have) to pay a larger portion. Your name has been nominated

Thank you. I read in Tom's retirement thread that he is leaving AGD. Where was the keeping AO thing at? Same thread?

How much $$$ are they looking to raise?

[Beemer]

http://www.automags.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1713974#post1713974

see post #27

[Bad_Dog]

I think there should be a Donate Button, and when you do you get a little icon next to your name saying that you did.

this seys it all to me...

[Lohman446]

I don't know how to do the quote thing from another source thia was posted in the welcome Dave to AO thread, by Zupe (Dave / AGD)


I talked to Tom this afternoon and told him I am...

I talked to Tom this afternoon and told him I am willing to pay the bills to keep AO
here while I am operating AGD! Tom said OK.

You all seem like a good ...