View Poll Results: Do you agree with the statement made below? Please feel free to give your input.
Yes, completely! 2 33.33%
I mostly agree. 2 33.33%
I somewhat agree. 2 33.33%
No, I totally disagree. 0 0%
Voters: 6. You may not vote on this poll

 
 
Thread Tools
Old November 6, 2001, 21:05   #1
Zer0_T0lerance
Warlord
 
Zer0_T0lerance's Avatar
 
Local Time: 10:13
Local Date: October 31, 2010
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: for Eternity
Posts: 229
Growing Pains
This website is now at the same phase that Dell Computer was once at: It's Growing Pains--the phase when the organizatiom starts to grow so fast that it literally can't keep up with the technology and money it needs to operate efficiently. If my calculations are correct at the rate this site growing right now it will grow from tens of thousands of users today to millions of users over the next few years. And because of this rapid growth, soon and very soon something quite drastic will have to be done to make sure that this website doesn't come crashing down on us in the near future.

So, how should this organization make sure that 'doomsday' never comes? How does it keep from making the same mistakes that Dell Computer made and not end up struggling to survive? Simple.

Look to the future. Far into the future! Squeeze every last dime that this organization can out of it's bank account and buy a server that is so powerful it may be an enterprise server by today's standards, but it will serve the enterprise traffic that this website will get over the course of the next few years.

And be prepared to prevent more growing pains. Endorse a financial plan that will allow this organization to add on more departmental level servers over time and replace obsolete servers that will soon no longer be able to handle those growing traffic levels. And as far as banner ads are concerned--. Let's get real! Over 99% of all people who surf the web never click on banner ads. And if that's the plan for the future of this web site, well, you better give it up cause sad to say it won't work forever ya'll. This site needs future plans that are more realistic. Charge a service fee for use of these forums and possibly other areas of the site. Make an exclusive content area--say a club for paying members. But no need to set the price tag too high--that will make people run away. A few dollars a month should do the trick. I wouldn't mind paying 3, 4, or 5 dollars for access to the forums and the exclusive content it offers(if it's good content that is) and I'm sure thousands and millions of others wouldn't mind either, especially if ensures that Apolyton will never ever see 'doomsday.'

But please never ever ever ever EVER go too far with anything. Never try and buy a server that is so expensive and so costly to maintain that inevitibaly weighs down this organization so that it never sees it's 'glory days.' I'm sorry to say, but in the words of Michael Dell, "you just can't build a $2 billion dollar infrastructure with $500 million in revenue." Doing such a thing spells DEATH for any organization that tries to be too aggressive.

Amen to that!
Zer0_T0lerance is offline  
Old November 6, 2001, 21:27   #2
Natan
Prince
 
Natan's Avatar
 
Local Time: 11:13
Local Date: October 31, 2010
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: New York State
Posts: 503
I think many people would leave in disgust if there was a fee for using the forums.
Natan is offline  
Old November 6, 2001, 22:11   #3
Wiglaf
Never Ending Stories
Emperor
 
Wiglaf's Avatar
 
Local Time: 11:13
Local Date: October 31, 2010
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 7,000
Quote:
Charge a service fee for use of these forums and possibly other areas of the site. Make an exclusive content area--say a club for paying members. But no need to set the price tag too high--that will make people run away. A few dollars a month should do the trick. I wouldn't mind paying 3, 4, or 5 dollars for access to the forums and the exclusive content it offers(if it's good content that is) and I'm sure thousands and millions of others wouldn't mind either, especially if ensures that Apolyton will never ever see 'doomsday.'
you'd completely eliminate the chance of getting new users and really piss off the few existing, established ones that don't leave. there are other forums out there that are competing with poly that are totally free and easy to use...demanding money from posters would knock this place off very quickly.

donations are a different story...
Wiglaf is offline  
Old November 6, 2001, 22:42   #4
DarkCloud
staff
NationStatesAlpha Centauri Democracy GameCivilization II Democracy GameInterSite Democracy Game: Apolyton TeamSpanish CiversCiv4 InterSite DG: Apolyton TeamPolyCast TeamApolyton Storywriters' GuildAge of Nations TeamApolytoners Hall of Fame
 
DarkCloud's Avatar
 
Local Time: 16:13
Local Date: October 31, 2010
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Deity of Lists
Posts: 11,873
Service fee is stupid- Apolyton has several competitors
-
CGN
CivFanatics
FreeFireZone
several ezboard sites, etc.

-
Apolyton does not depend on banner ad revenue- in fact Mark and Dan seem to be begging people to buy banners- the only revenue they get is if someone buys something- thus the Apolyton Store.

-
In additon, Gamestats seems to pay for some of the bandwith costs.

---
__________________
-->Visit CGN!
-->"Production! More Production! Production creates Wealth! Production creates more Jobs!"-Wendell Willkie -1944
DarkCloud is offline  
Old November 6, 2001, 23:15   #5
d_dudy
Prince
 
d_dudy's Avatar
 
Local Time: 10:13
Local Date: October 31, 2010
Join Date: May 2001
Location: MO
Posts: 543
and what if traffic dies down in a few months? what if traffic doesn't keep rising at its current rate because maybe civ games will be no more after this one or the next one will be a ways away?
__________________
Prince of...... the Civ Mac Forum
d_dudy is offline  
Old November 7, 2001, 18:51   #6
Dauphin
Civilization IV PBEMPolyCast Team
Deity
 
Dauphin's Avatar
 
Local Time: 17:13
Local Date: October 31, 2010
Join Date: Dec 1969
Location: Seouenaca, Cantium
Posts: 12,426
When the server problems become to much for some people the levels will fall until the problem dissipates. A happy equilibrium will be restored.

Although a gradual increase in capacity would be beneficial, as would a way to increase revenue. Maybe a few faux links are in order. "Post reply" could be an "ad banner" in disguise for particular users , such as spammers. That way Poly gets the ad money and the spammers think twice before deciding to click "post reply" again.
__________________
"Everybody knows you never go full retard. You went full retard man. Never go full retard"
Dauphin is offline  
 

Bookmarks

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:13.


Design by Vjacheslav Trushkin, color scheme by ColorizeIt!.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2010, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Apolyton Civilization Site | Copyright © The Apolyton Team