Recent problems and our planned solutions

East Finchley.

 

Cloud is hosted over several datacenters

 

not sure if thats been updated yet by webmaster, as it currently costs more than listed there

 

Only virtual restaurant are in the Cloud

 

The advertising which is lurking all over the place should pay for most of it....Me thinks.

 

Says Armandi , from the GC Admin pool car outside GC HQ

 

So it must be in the USA then?

Am I the only one who keeps thinking of this?

 

Lawns look impeccable Armandii,
a credit to Gardeners Corner

 

Perhaps.

I belong to a web forum where there are two tiers: the visitor tier and the subscription tier. Now, just like GC, it began life as a free for all. But, as the internet grew (and grew!) the need arose where the costs of hosting a free-for-all-for-a-large-traffic-site could no longer be sustainable.

So, a nominal annual fee was introduced. At the time this caused an uproar but, the 'pay off' was that people paying the fee were given access to areas which were not viewable by all and sundry (just as Admin have a forum for topics *they* need to discuss, but which is closed to us plebs ).

So, the "Beginners" arena (and a few select others) were available for anyone to view - as was the advertising - thus getting a taster of what the site had to offer: but, those who paid the annual fee had access to all areas but, without the ads. This was a great compromise because the die-hards/most keen were sort of getting privacy in a way which isn't quite as 'secure' on GC. For example, pictures of members/families/private "identifiable" stuff, tended to only be posted in the areas used by sub payers, but, that never detracted from the help/advice/friendliness of the areas open to the 'public'/free for all.

It is also a stronger "protection" against trolling and other potential abuses.

If revenue generation for this site becomes a necessity, careful thought needs to be given to a) how that can be achieved; b) what would be deemed "value for money"; c) collating it all; d) where you draw a line (if any - which there isn't at the moment aka no incentive for anyone to part with their hard earned ). It's a complex issue all round and one which demands much thought, a number of compromises, a change in (overall) ethos and a spine of steel to if a leap is to be made!

However, I'll end by saying this: I have subscribed to the other website since it began charging way back in 2003. I continue to pay because: a) the 'value' is worth it to me; b) I've made some very solid friends there - despite it being a US site; c) the "privacy" aspect is well worth the cost and d) because I "choose" to (and for me that is the most important aspect: choice!)

The bottom line is: websites cost money. The more popular the site, the more money/time it costs (victims of their own success?).
The dilemma is: how to make the balance sheet (at least) 'balance'; at best, give a return on the time, challenges and expertise required to keep it up and running.