how much would be willing to pya for an apolyton without ads?

[MarkG]

<center><table width=80%><tr><td><font color=000080 face="Verdana" size=2><font size="1">quote:
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1>
</font><font size=1>Originally posted by yin26 on 03-12-2001 10:40 AM</font>
Well, I donated a few hundred hours over the past two years. Times that by my tutoring salary of $100 / hour (yes, my real fee...but is it worth it? ). So I'd say moderators already donate enough.
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1></font></td></tr></table></center>it goes without saying that people who have worked for the site would get whatever the paying members got

[Ming]

I kind of like the "contribution" approach better than some type of subscription service. And, as Rah points out... no technical changes would be needed... just an address to send to checks to

Yin takes it to the next level by having a PRINTED LIST OF SUPPORTERS and offering some type of prize/raffle for those who contribute. The printed list approach works well for many Universities. People like to see their name in lights, and show their support.

Even though I contribute a lot of my time to Apolyton already, I would be more than willing to contribute money also to help the site out.

[MarkG]

<center><table width=80%><tr><td><font color=000080 face="Verdana" size=2><font size="1">quote:
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1>
</font><font size=1>Originally posted by rah on 03-12-2001 11:23 AM</font>
I'd be will to pay a nominal amount per year to avoid pop-ups. And if that included the regular ads, it would be an added bonus.
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1></font></td></tr></table></center>hmmm well, our plan is that the ads that are under our control will never pop-ups

[MarkG]

<center><table width=80%><tr><td><font color=000080 face="Verdana" size=2><font size="1">quote:
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1>
</font><font size=1>Originally posted by -- but not Snapcase on 03-12-2001 11:25 AM</font>
The problem with a fee is that it changes the position of everyone from "viewers" to "customers".
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1></font></td></tr></table></center>guess what? some people already consider themselves as "customers"

[MarkG]

<center><table width=80%><tr><td><font color=000080 face="Verdana" size=2><font size="1">quote:
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1>
</font><font size=1>Originally posted by cpoulos on 03-12-2001 11:55 AM</font>
I like this one because it is very active, but with a fee I think the number of subscribers would drop quite dramatically. Who wants to pay for something that they always got for free?
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1></font></td></tr></table></center>as i said, there will always be the option to use the site for free(but with ads)


<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by MarkG (edited March 12, 2001).]</font>

[MarkG]

<center><table width=80%><tr><td><font color=000080 face="Verdana" size=2><font size="1">quote:
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1>
</font><font size=1>Originally posted by Eli on 03-12-2001 11:55 AM</font>
There are two advertisments, if you press on one you will get acres bonus(Kingdom Building game ) and if you press on the other one you will get food bonus. But there is a limit of one bonus per day.
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1></font></td></tr></table></center>interesting idea! so are you suggesting that each poster has the ability to post 10 messages, and in order to get 10 more "posting points" to have to click on an ad?

i'm not sure if the company who has bought the ads on that site happy with the results(since none of the people who click on the ads are really interested in what they click)...

anyway, got a url?

[Scouse Gits]

I buy far too many games anyway - some of them never seem to get a good airing - So, for the fun of this site I would definitely DONATE the cost of one or two games a year say 25 to 50 GBP -- like many others, I would be unhappy if required to subscribe - if only because I would be subscribing to something other than the ACS that I have grown to love.

It has been said above, but let's say it again - Dan, Mark, if you need some financial support - ask us -- many of us are impecunious, but many are at least moderately well off - we love this site and would not like to see it die for any reason (be it death by pop-up advertising or death by subscription only services)

------------------
Scouse Git[1]

"Staring at your screen in horror and disbelief when you open a saved game is one of the fun things of a succession game " - Hueij
"The Great Library must be built!"
"A short cut has to be challenging,
were it not so it would be 'the way'." - Paul Craven

[MarkG]

thanks for the suggestions and the ideas everyone

as i said, we are not in the position to need donations to keep the site alive. it's very good to know though that if we ever come to that(which doesnt seem likely right now) there will be people willing to help. still, i would hate to be in that position and seeing how the ad business is going i'm discussing alternative ideas in order to avoid being in that position. that's all.

some good people were amazingly fast to characterize us for trying to make a profit. let me just say that if we were looking for profits we would have quit years ago.


Yin, on your suggestion for an article: we cant give out specific numbers on costs and earnings. but here are some facts on the usage
we currently occupy over 2-2.5GB of disk space and we do around 1-2GB of traffic every day

starchild, i went to Planetout and i got a pop-up

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Markos, Apolyton Civilization Site

edit: "can't" not "can"
<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by MarkG (edited March 13, 2001).]</font>

[MarkG]

correction: we exceed 3gb for disk space...

[MikeH]

Did you mean you can't give out specifics on earnings? If you mean that you CAN do it then I'd be very interested in reading it as well.

[yin26]

Markos,

Not being an admin guy, I'm not sure what that means in terms of cost. I suppose if you can't release the info publically, perhaps you could point me in the right direction to find the info on my own?

[MarkG]

yin, just check out some web hosting companies...

[Henrik]

<center><table width=80%><tr><td><font color=000080 face="Verdana" size=2><font size="1">quote:
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1>
</font><font size=1>Originally posted by OldWarrior_42 on 03-12-2001 11:26 PM</font>
Why would it "not be fair"? If someone decides that paying customers get more for what they contribute for, then it is perfectly fair. Do people that cannot afford a large house to own, complain it is not fair to them because they cannot afford to pay for it? It is free enterprise. That is how the system works and if the owners of this site decide it is what they want or need to do... it is their decision. Of course they will either reap the rewards of this decision or live with the demise of their site, depending on whether or not they get lots of subscribers or suffer a mass exodus. But as Markos explained anyway, there will always be an option for those to view the site free of charge, so fairness to you is not really a question.

I am just pointing out that what is fair is not always a clear cut vision. Take into consideration all sides to see whether it is a fair decision, a hard one, neccesary or whatever. There are always more than one side to a story.
<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by OldWarrior_42 (edited March 12, 2001).]</font>
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1></font></td></tr></table></center>

This was not what I meant, over here you have to have reached a certain age (18) to have a credit card (which as far as I know is the only way to pay for stuff like this over the net).
It's not that I can't afford paying, but rather that I am not allowed to pay, now that would be unfair (though not necesarily Apolyton fault, which is why I think that paying should just remove ads for you).
I would very much like to pay but I am simply not allowed to by the law.
Besides ads don't bother me that much, but would it come to the survival of the site (which seems to not be the case) I would like to pay, but still be unable to do so. Hope I made myself clear old warrior.

[MikeH]

OK...

Hosting from demon in the UK puts the price at £250 a month for 500mb at 30,000mb traffic a month (gig a day) that's the highest they do. OTOH they'll also lease you an entire server (13Gb) with unlimited traffic on a 512Kb for a similar price.

[Aredhran]

Just to throw some gasoline on the fire here... If the ads bug you that much, there are quite a few freeware and shareware utilities out there that let you browse without even seeing the ads.

Aredhran