Does BladeForums need help? Let's help!

fulloflead

fulloflead

Joined
May 3, 2002
Messages
6,192
I couldn't help noticing that BladeForums has had some problems lately.
Avatars aren't showing up.
The forum is very slow sometimes.
Searches aren't available to everyone.
Pictures don't post sometimes.
They've had to remove a lot of old posts to make room.

I'm NOT complaining! This is STILL the best knife site on the net and I love this site.
The paid members get a lot for the money.
Non-paying members get a LOT for the money.

I assume that the problems are because of money. Perhaps they need a better server?

I PROPOSE that we all get together and try to come up with some ideas to increase revenue to the forum host so that they can buy what ever they need to improve or maintain this forum.

My minor in College was Advertising/Marketing and I'd certainly be willing to offer some ideas to increase revenue.

I'm SURE we could get a lot of good ideas from all the, many, members on how to make some money to better the forum.

WHAT DO YOU SAY? Should we all get together and try to help the hosts get what ever money they need to maintain this forum?

If I'm off-base here, please, a moderator can chime in and tell me so and we'll drop it. Otherwise I think we can rally the troops to pay for any upgrades you may need. -fulloflead
 
Hey, I'm with you all the way. You are dead on about this forum needing money to do hardware upgrades. If a new server is not put on-line in the very near future more paring of very important information and attachments such as pictures is going to have to be done. It is also likely that the search feature that was just turned back on for basic members will be turned off again in the not to distant future.

What is needed right now is $14,000.00 for a new server. There is somewhere near 2,000 members that use this forum on a fairly regular basis. That would only be $7.00 dollars each. I am sure that most of us can afford $7.00.

Are we just going to sit on our asses and let BladeForums deteriorate, or are we going to pull together and help Spark out. He has provided us with this fantastic community and he requires our assistance. It has cost him a great deal of money to keep Bladeforums going. The least we can do is figure out a way to come up with the money that is needed for the new server.

To those that have been thinking about purchasing an upgraded membership, this would be a perfect to do so. If anyone else has any ideas as to how to raise money, let's hear them. As for me, the best way that I can think of to help out is to just send in a few more bucks.

Let's show Spark that we really do care about what he has provided for us and maybe even possibly surprise him a little and come up with a solution to keep BladeForums alive and healthy. I for one would really kick myself if one day I woke up and BladeForums was gone and I hadn't done what I could to prevent it from happening.

Sorry for this long winded post, but as you can tell, this means a lot to me. Hopefully it means a lot to you as well.
 
Several Ideas here:

One wouldn’t it be good for the current server to limit the time a picture would stay in the for sale forums, say like 2 weeks then they are all purged automatically, I mean after two weeks most people are going to have sold their item or repost it anyway.


Second thing: I used to run a forum somewhere else and unlike bladeforums here it was hosted and the software owned by a company elsewhere but the point is we kept a little picture at the top of every forum page of a little treasure chest and called it the community chest, you could click on it and be taken to a page where you could make a donation of any amount to keep the forum paid for. If you did that here it would make it easy for everyone to send 5 bucks here and there when they had it extra, or for those that don't really want a Gold or Premium membership or can't afford one to make a smaller donation to the cause. We also had a list connected to the chest that showed everyone that made a donation and the amount kind of a wall of supporters or bragging wall if you will. I think this would be a viable option for bladeforums and will donate the time and/or help set it up.

Just my 2 cents
 
What is needed right now is $14,000.00 for a new server
Click to expand...
Perhaps one of the members could get a better deal on the server hardware/software. It would be helpful to know exactly what is required.

Were does one send BladeForums cash contributions? Could we have knife and equipment auctions to support BladeForums?

Finally, I'm a proponent of clear, measurable goals. I would appreciate some kind of running status report, like a sticky thread with a "xx% toward our goal".
 
I'm not one for donating to a business to keep it in operation. BF is an extension of 1SKS. Before you flame me read on.

I do get value from BF and I pay for a Gold Membership that allows me to sell knives that I've bought that I find don't meet my need. I've also been able to buy used knives from other forum members.

I try to buy from 1SKS when buying new but sometimes support the dealers who regularly (please Mike Dye don't rat me out) participate here.

You don't really expect everyone to chip in $ 7 (if you do expect that, I've got rare custom Randall Model 1 Vietnam veteran for $ 15,000 and I'll donate $ 14,000 to BF)?

How about 1SKS and the other on-line knife dealers that benefit from the site and their buyers chipping in a little on each knife purchase. Sort of like the "NRA Roundup" where the cost is rounded up and the difference given to BF? I would also agree to pay a "sales commission" to BF every time I sold a knife here (even double posting here and at KF, 90% of my sales have been through BF). It would have to be an honor system and BF would have to provide a way to allow easy transfer of the fee (say $ 0.50 on knives sold less than $ 50, $1 on $ 50 to $99 and so on).
 
1SKS chips in about $2500 each month to keep BFC open. Minimum. The Gold, Premium, Knifemaker & Dealer memberships help a lot, but 1SKS picks up the majority of the tab for keeping this site open.

Rev. Pete - that's just one of the servers I priced out at Dell. We're also looking at clustering our current server with another server(s) to see if that will help as well... we'd just have to get that second server. :eek:
 
roshi, no flame intended but...

I believe that 1SKS is actually an extension of BF. An extension intended to not only fund BF but to keep it open.

Without BF, I think 1SKS could stay open.
Not so sure about the other way around.
 
I don't think it's a matter of having those who already support the forums putting up more cash. I think more people who haven't given any money should just buck up and get a Premium or Gold membership. $30 is not a whole lot of money, but the burden shouldn't fall on those who have already paid their dues. Or just check out 1SKS.com, and contribute that way.

As far as charging a membership for basic members, I have a different slant on that (in reference to upcoming posts) People can still enjoy THE CONTENT of this site without even being a registered member. It's the actual posts themselves which take up bandwidth, so, I say let "Newbies" browse as much as they desire. Charge them for higher functions, like the Search feature, or adding smilies/pics/links to their posts (if the new software would allow the distinction between differing memberships) I say, charge for bandwidth, not for browsing.

DD

edited to add some more thoughts
 
Not only is there the memberships, and 1SKS, but you can also get a bladeforums.com t-shirt and hat! Those are available at 1sks as well.

I think a community chest might be a good idea for those who don't have $20 for a shirt, but do have a spare $5. I'm not sure, though, how much you could generate with $5 here and $5 there. But hey. it's worth a shot! I like the idea of a "donation goal" or what have you. We need $14k for a server? It would be neat to see that "We have x amount of $14 000 for the new server!" attached somewhere.

Of course, I think that one of the best things we can do is buy from 1sks, since they are the largest single factor keeping the forums open. I have to admit though that it is hard for Canadians (and I''m sure for others abroad) to shop at 1SKS. Prices on producst are great, but Mr. UPS and Mr. Border makes a killing off of such orders. For example, My wonderful fiancee ordered me an Inova X5T from 1SKS for Christmas. Shipping to Canada was $18 US, and then there was another $18 (about) she had to pay for a brokerage fee. Since she and I are both going to university, we cannot afford to do that all the time! But I was happy to direct her to 1SKS for my X-Mas present, since it does help the forums.
 
Slashdot.org, with millions of hits a day, runs on 10 machines. The SQL server is pretty hardcore, but the rest of the web servers are PIII 600mhz, not exactly top-of-the-line.

Maybe adding a few, cheaper machines is a better solution.

Actually, I'm not sure a new server is the best solution. Pruning the forums, making it faster, leaner, meaner, and using less bandwidth might be a better. My ideas for this are:

-------------

1) Avatars for paying members only

2) Searching for paying members only, or, limit the number of searches per day for non-members. Also, it might be a good idea to make searches limited to certain forums only, instead of being able to search the entire forums.

3) Take the archives offline. Bladeforums owns the copyrights to the posts - sell CDs with "the best of" archives.

4) The emoticons and message icons waste bandwidth. Sure, they're only a few hundred bytes, but, thats a few hundred bytes of text that could be served instead. Also, every time someone posts, you have to serve 15 smilies, and 14 message icons (unless its in their browser cache, which is not always the case). That can add up in a hurry.

5) Aggresively prune picture posts, especially in the for sale forums

6) Reduce other pictures that get served on a regular basis, such as the bladeforums.com logo - smaller size = less bandwidth and server usage

7) As much as I hate to say it, how bout some ad banners? Make it for manufacturers/makers only, so there is no competition with 1sks. Maybe it could be an extra perk for those manufacturers that choose to participate. Have the banners hosted on the manufacturers web site, so it doesnt eat bandwidth or load the server.

8) More FAQ's - in an easier place to access. Like, in the BF main menu at the top of each screen. Would help to reduce the number of same old same old questions. I'm sure lots of members would be more than happy to contribute by writing them.

9) Limit anonymous/guest users to browsing 1 or 2 forums, and maybe only the last few days. That way, they still have access, but dont take up as many resources.

---------------

Spark,
1sks contributes $2500 a month?!? For all that work?!? Wow. There has to be a way to make the forums at least stand on their own, if not build up some savings. You should be making house payments on a beach house with that money from 1sks or something. I'm suprised you're willing to do run the forums at all!

I'm planning on getting a membership soon, with X-mas money. Wish I could have joined sooner.

I've gotta say, the memberships are a little confusing.

Instead of gold and premium, how bout membership level names that make sense on a more basic level? Like Silver, Gold, and Platinum? Or Basic, Advanced, Premium? I can honestly say that without looking, I don't understand the difference between Premium and Gold features.

It seems to me that membership should be a bigger deal. Members should get more perks, and nonmembers should get less. Selling in the for-sale forums is nice, but not everyone wants to sell knives. Pictures are nice too, but non-paying members can still post without having a membership by hosting it off-site.

Maybe it could go something like
1) Bronze - Avatars
2) Silver - Search + above
3) Gold - Pictures + above
4) Platinum - Selling + above
5) Knife Knut - All of above features, but special designation for big contribution ($100+)

Something like a symphony. You could pull PBS/NPR-like fundraising techniques, and throw in a free BF tee-shirt with a $150 contribution, and a mug/hat, etc with a $300 contribution.

So many of the best internet sites have gone away because of the high price of bandwidth & servers, and the cheapness of people who want everything for free. I don't want to see that happen here. If I had more money, I'd contribute that way, but.. unfortunatley, I am basically pretty poor. If there's any other way I could help, let me know.

Anyways, I hope at least one of my $.02 of suggestions is helpful. You're already doing one heck of a good job.

Good luck!
-- Rob
 
So Roshi, why wouldn't everybody chip in $7.00? That seems like a pretty cheap price to keep this forum running at peak efficiency. Maybe I am just a dreamer or a sap, but I would think that everyone that takes part here would want to help out.

Of course you are correct, not everyone will pitch in $7.00, but some might even donate more to make up for those that don't feel it is worth the price.

I like the idea of auctions to raise money, but that raises a point. Auctions are not allowed on BladeForums without first getting permission from the management, and then only for a good cause. If Spark were to start auctions to support BladeForums some members might be resentful of this and think it as being hypocritical. Personally, I don't give a rat's ass what these members would think, but Spark might.

Support this forum in any way you see fit, but understand that financial support is required now. This money must come from somewhere and it should come from the people that take part here. Hopefully manufacturers will start to show more support, because I am sure that they get quite a bit of profit out of this forum. They should put something back other than just their time in moderating a forum. Maybe some of them do, I don't know. Dealers already pay $850.00 a year for a membership here. To many dealers that is a lot of money. More dealer memberships would be nice since there seems to be so many that are recommended by people that have not anteed up and they are getting great advertising.
 
Name it.
We could have contests, raffles, auctions; whatever and have half the proceeds go to the forum.

We could have special "Members Only" sections of the forum to stimulate people to upgrade.

Hell, you could RAISE THE PRICE for memberships or require EVERYONE to pay SOMETHING to post on the forum. Even if it's just a $10/yr. "Basic" membership.

I like the Community Chest idea from above.
I also like the Multiple Levels of membership idea.

We could also do like (Ahem) Guns America does and use the honor system where people who sell on the forum should contribute 5% to the forum at the end of the month.

I like the "NRA Roundup" idea for the dealers that support the forum the most. That's a GREAT idea.

We could have a Membership Drive where all the money from people who upgrade in a certain month goes into a Server pot.
(We could pin up a big thermometer and color it with Crayons!):D

We could all make turkeys by tracing our hands and color them and sell them to our relatives and... :D :D
 
I think baraqyal has a lot of good ideas about pruning the forums. Emoticons aren't strictly required, and avatars should definitely be restricted to paying members if they eat badwidth. I also like the idea of a "community chest," however sad to say the only people who would give to it are people who already forked over the $$ to be members, because they are the only ones with the CHARACTER to pay for something that gives so much enjoyment. I know a few people are low-income & so say they can't support the forums, but we're talking the price of 2-3 movie tickets, or 2 minor-league dinners, for a years' worth of entertainment. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR . . . . . Anyway, I'll give more, just tell me how. But I certainly also encourage use of streamlining and technical expertise to make it as cost-efficient as possible.
 
You guys are all my geeky kumputer knife friends, I'm willing to do what I can to help, so I'll need a head count, whose commin' to the first annual BF fund raiser picnic?:D
Just kiddin, but it would be nice.:)
 
The frustrating thing to me is that many of these very good ideas have been suggested before but never implemented. I don't know why. Maybe its pride or stubbornness by those who decide, but regardless,,,I want to help.
Why can't we charge everyone who is not a premium or gold member $7.00 yearly to use the forum. It seems to me this would do at least a couple of things. It would create revenue, and reduce the number of members using/searching the forum thereby reducing the nedd for more capacity. I don't believe for a second this would harm 1SKS as anybody not willing/able to pay $7 a year ain't buyin' anyway.
This simple idea could be supplemented(suggested by many others before in one form or another)with donations by members auctioned in an informal setting(as another forum does).

The above posts and many in the past show that there are many members who sincerely care about this forum and want to help,,please let us.


Phillip Doss:)
 
Originally posted by notdos
Why can't we charge everyone who is not a premium or gold member $7.00 yearly to use the forum.
Click to expand...
That's an idea that sounds good in concept but I'll bet if you tried it the forum would die out. The best quality of this forum is the diversity of the members and their views on a common subject. If the site is changed to mandatory pay, new people will not be able to come in, get comfortable and contribute. I know that if I was searching the net or somehow stumbled across this site for the first time and there was a $7 toll gate at the entrance, I would simply go somewhere else.
 
I agree with Frank...I think that a charge to come in and look would be a bad idea. I "contributed" about 100 or so posts before I upgraded, and in hind-sight, should have done so earlier. I will admit to shopping other on line sites than 1SKS, but will certainly buy from them in the future. (P.S. Spark... start carrying Queen knives!) I too like the idea of different grades of memberships. I for one would upgrade to "knife-knut" or something similar. I think the people who are currently basic members ought to reflect upon how much BFC has given them, and how much they can give back to keep this valuable resource running.
That's all/my .02
Mongo
 
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