Let's buy DZ.com

[JoeWeber 2,820]

Maybe if enough of us are willing to toss in just a grand knowing it was a probable loser we can keep it going a while. For sure someone will need to agree to be the Honcho but otherwise no changes. Let's not discuss money or details. If you would be in for the number just yes or a thumbs up to start.

[metalslug 36]

Do you regard this as a Speakers Corner topic?

[JoeWeber 2,820]

22 minutes ago, metalslug said:

Do you regard this as a Speakers Corner topic?

I reckon the money and interest is here. 

[nigel99 567]

1 hour ago, JoeWeber said:

Maybe if enough of us are willing to toss in just a grand knowing it was a probable loser we can keep it going a while. For sure someone will need to agree to be the Honcho but otherwise no changes. Let's not discuss money or details. If you would be in for the number just yes or a thumbs up to start.

I’ve thought about it. For many of us this has been an online home for over 20 years.

The site has been a staple of skydiving for a long time. I would definitely pay a monthly subscription, but I suspect there aren’t the numbers to make that viable.

I’m guessing this is a passion project and the rise of reddit, Facebook and YouTube mean that resources are spread more widely now. Speakers corner is one of the most active forums and that poll I did a while ago shows that I’m a youngster at 50.

[JoeWeber 2,820]

1 minute ago, nigel99 said:

I’ve thought about it. For many of us this has been an online home for over 20 years.

The site has been a staple of skydiving for a long time. I would definitely pay a monthly subscription, but I suspect there aren’t the numbers to make that viable.

I’m guessing this is a passion project and the rise of reddit, Facebook and YouTube mean that resources are spread more widely now. Speakers corner is one of the most active forums and that poll I did a while ago shows that I’m a youngster at 50.

Thanks for the delightful story. Are you good for a grand?

[nigel99 567]

32 minutes ago, JoeWeber said:

Thanks for the delightful story. Are you good for a grand?

Not in one hit, but happy to commit to a subscription 

[Phil1111 1,149]

5 hours ago, JoeWeber said:

... Are you good for a grand?

sure

[wmw999 2,532]

I hate to say it, but I'm not sure that we have the energy to make it run right (i.e. not turn into basically a donut shop where all the same people sit around the corner of the counter and argue the same issues all the time). Someone younger, more tied into how people want to discuss things now would be required, and we might just have to put up with not being the big dogs on the block that we're all used to being in here.

I know I don't; to do anything other than just pay $3000/month for the privilege of keeping a memorial to early 2000's social media going, I think it'd need at least one person who's willing to do maintenance (e.g. bug fixes, periodic upgrades, diagnostics), possibly a marketing person for advertising, and someone (that communications person) to actually run it, set the tone, and maybe clip and archive some of the plethora of dead fora (foreign language fora?), and reorganize things so that it's less overwhelming. Remember shortly after it opened, when there were about 6 fora, instead of 197? Maybe something like that, and we still have to attract actual people to it.

I'm happy to pay, and contribute ideas, and brainstorm, but I'm in no way interested in investing significant more amounts of time than I do currently in social media. I'm not sure who does.

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, I love this place, but that's where I'm at. 

Wendy P.

[JoeWeber 2,820]

1 hour ago, wmw999 said:

I hate to say it, but I'm not sure that we have the energy to make it run right (i.e. not turn into basically a donut shop where all the same people sit around the corner of the counter and argue the same issues all the time). Someone younger, more tied into how people want to discuss things now would be required, and we might just have to put up with not being the big dogs on the block that we're all used to being in here.

I know I don't; to do anything other than just pay $3000/month for the privilege of keeping a memorial to early 2000's social media going, I think it'd need at least one person who's willing to do maintenance (e.g. bug fixes, periodic upgrades, diagnostics), possibly a marketing person for advertising, and someone (that communications person) to actually run it, set the tone, and maybe clip and archive some of the plethora of dead fora (foreign language fora?), and reorganize things so that it's less overwhelming. Remember shortly after it opened, when there were about 6 fora, instead of 197? Maybe something like that, and we still have to attract actual people to it.

I'm happy to pay, and contribute ideas, and brainstorm, but I'm in no way interested in investing significant more amounts of time than I do currently in social media. I'm not sure who does.

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, I love this place, but that's where I'm at. 

Wendy P.

So I should take you off the short list of new Honchos? Is there anyone we have something on?

[gowlerk 2,249]

I would commit to a paid subscription. But I suspect that model would cause the membership base to shrink even more. The original mission of the site seems to be no longer valid as we all know. SC is not what brought me here originally. Skydiving, incidents, camera, and the rigging forums were and they are nearly dead. I only have a limited amount of energy to devote to swimming upstream, but if a plan emerges I will participate.

[JoeWeber 2,820]

33 minutes ago, gowlerk said:

I would commit to a paid subscription. But I suspect that model would cause the membership base to shrink even more. The original mission of the site seems to be no longer valid as we all know. SC is not what brought me here originally. Skydiving, incidents, camera, and the rigging forums were and they are nearly dead. I only have a limited amount of energy to devote to swimming upstream, but if a plan emerges I will participate.

I'll bite, how many US Dollars per year would you pay?

[nigel99 567]

1 hour ago, JoeWeber said:

I'll bite, how many US Dollars per year would you pay?

I would happily part with $10 a month. Of course on a paid subscription we need to allow for a couple of bottles of whisky a month for Bill and Wendy to drown their sorrows at being stuck with all of us

[normiss 848]

Just now, nigel99 said:

I would happily part with $10 a month. Of course on a paid subscription we need to allow for a couple of bottles of whisky a month for Bill and Wendy to drown their sorrows at being stuck with all of us

Can we still get the dating forum??

It's pretty close to my heart. Skymama's too, I would hope.

I do know she's been trying to save all of our messages from when I first started flirting with her, and there seems to be a challenge in getting them all.

[JoeWeber 2,820]

33 minutes ago, normiss said:

Can we still get the dating forum??

It's pretty close to my heart. Skymama's too, I would hope.

I do know she's been trying to save all of our messages from when I first started flirting with her, and there seems to be a challenge in getting them all.

Fuck, I'll flirt with you. How much are you good for?

[feuergnom 29]

if sc is all that is left (which is the truth) it would be easier to create a site named "speakers corner leftovers" somewhere else and have the content of this forum transfered. 

[billvon 3,067]

1 hour ago, feuergnom said:

if sc is all that is left (which is the truth) it would be easier to create a site named "speakers corner leftovers" somewhere else and have the content of this forum transfered. 

There's nothing useful here; just bickering and people trying to bait each other.

The value here is in the Incidents and S+T forums.  It's avoided one serious indcident/fatality I know of and has probably saved a lot of others.

[feuergnom 29]

6 minutes ago, billvon said:

There's nothing useful here; just bickering and people trying to bait each other.

The value here is in the Incidents and S+T forums.  It's avoided one serious indcident/fatality I know of and has probably saved a lot of others.

that was my feeble attempt of a snide remark... my bad, I failed. thx for taking your time to reply

 

honestly: the days of vital forums are gone, and the place is but a shadow of it's former glory which is truly sad. I miss it. why do I still come and why did I get stuck in sc? cause it gives an insight how americans think. 

as for the other forums I guess I've seen my share and I am not that active anymore. meaning the value of reading has dropped dramatically. and guess that is not only my observation

 

[SethInMI 174]

I'm curious as to two things:
1. How much does this site actually make in ads per month?

2. How much does it cost to host it? 

or the real question, what is the ROI on buying it? Joe can you find out? Make an offer real enough to see the financials?

[nigel99 567]

4 minutes ago, SethInMI said:

I'm curious as to two things:
1. How much does this site actually make in ads per month?

2. How much does it cost to host it? 

or the real question, what is the ROI on buying it? Joe can you find out? Make an offer real enough to see the financials?

Pretty sure in Bonfire Sangiro said operating costs are $3k a month 

[SethInMI 174]

45 minutes ago, nigel99 said:

Pretty sure in Bonfire Sangiro said operating costs are $3k a month 

I thought he said he wanted 3k to keep it going. Not that it costs 3k to keep it going. Maybe it does, or maybe it doesn't.  I would be somewhat surprised if this site was losing money (like it was 3k short each month) if it was not sure how he was planning to pitch a sale. "please buy my money losing website with steadily decreasing user base"

[nigel99 567]

28 minutes ago, SethInMI said:

I thought he said he wanted 3k to keep it going. Not that it costs 3k to keep it going. Maybe it does, or maybe it doesn't.  I would be somewhat surprised if this site was losing money (like it was 3k short each month) if it was not sure how he was planning to pitch a sale. "please buy my money losing website with steadily decreasing user base"

Easily my mistake. If that is all it is then like Joe I’m happy to throw in a once off donation. Bearing in mind there are the mods who give a lot of time.

Maybe Bill or Wendy can clarify? If it is the case then I suggest we start up a go fund me  (I don’t know how it’s done). In fact I would support that regardless of outcome as a thank you. 

As Bill has pointed out this is the most actively posted in forum - but the true value is in the skydiving forums that are the most comprehensive source of skydiving knowledge anywhere

Edited November 14, 2024 by nigel99

[billvon 3,067]

2 hours ago, SethInMI said:

or the real question, what is the ROI on buying it?

None, unless you are willing to put in the work to drive ad revenues up.  If anyone is looking to contribute some money and have the website support itsel with no effort, that won't happen.  It will need either:

1) Constant money to pay for hosting (not much but some)
2) A sales effort to get ads.

If anyone has time, 2) is a great option.  I don't and no one I talked to does.

[JoeWeber 2,820]

22 minutes ago, billvon said:

None, unless you are willing to put in the work to drive ad revenues up.  If anyone is looking to contribute some money and have the website support itsel with no effort, that won't happen.  It will need either:

1) Constant money to pay for hosting (not much but some)
2) A sales effort to get ads.

If anyone has time, 2) is a great option.  I don't and no one I talked to does.

I nominate Brent Hutchings. Can we let him out of time out to gauge his interest?

[murps2000 86]

6 hours ago, billvon said:

There's nothing useful here; just bickering and people trying to bait each other.

The value here is in the Incidents and S+T forums.  It's avoided one serious indcident/fatality I know of and has probably saved a lot of others.

Agree and I offered nothing but the same whenever I participated. I have no desire to do it again but I have 2 nephews that each just got their A license so I have to ask, if the site goes away, is there any way to archive the incident and S+T forums so they are still available to view? Institutional knowledge is a terrible thing to waste. I want it to remain available to them as it was to me, and I would contribute to that.

[billvon 3,067]

10 minutes ago, murps2000 said:

Agree and I offered nothing but the same whenever I participated. I have no desire to do it again but I have 2 nephews that each just got their A license so I have to ask, if the site goes away, is there any way to archive the incident and S+T forums so they are still available to view?

Sure.  You could get someone to do the work to extract all that data then host a site to allow access.  But it would be way easier to just maintain this one.

If we can't find enough people to support this site financially or with their time, we likely won't find anyone to do even more work and spend more money to host a static repository.