Server moving (again)

A decade ago I worked at a record label and started an internet forum. That forum has over 1.6 million posts and several thousand active members. That forum also pays for the server on which this forum is hosted.

On the 10th anniversary of the forum it will be closing. 10 Years is enough time to be doing something for which there is no payment, reward, recognition and from which I do get a lot of politics and rubbish.

So as that forum is being shut in just over 6 months time, this forum is going to be without a home.

The donations towards this forum have been set aside and I have hired a much smaller server for the stuff that I do that will survive the other server being wiped.

So this is notice that sometime over the next month I am going to be moving this site yet again. It will go onto a new server that I'm renting.

A few things will be changing as a result of this:

1) The server is not managed, and so I shall be doing everything myself from compiling the kernel and web app all the way through to maintaining the software that runs the web apps.

2) The new server does not have an outbound mail server. So I'm going to route it via a Gmail account and hopefully keep things like the "notifications" working.

3) The new server has no revenue stream to pay for it... it's costing about £60 per month and I'm hoping that I can raise this through a combination of donations from regular (registered) users, and showing adverts to those who aren't registered. The difference I'll have to cover myself.

When I have completed the testing, I'll let you all know and give you a day or two notice that I'll be moving the site over. You shouldn't have to do anything from your end, you'll just pick up the new site within a day or so.

And if you're interested to see how we've grown over time, the graphs in this thread are still being updated daily:
The growth of London Fg Ss
The dip in user activity was the Christmas and New Year break.

Fair enough vb. Well done on it all.

What is your plan for registered users? A option of a regular contribution of x a month per month for ad free viewing? Or the random donations like you are getting now?

Thanks for all so far...

isn't gmail limited to 500 outgoing emails per day though?

Having never given you a penny, I now feel like a dirty scavenger.
Care for one of my kidneys? Well used, but some life left in them. Sure they'll get a pretty penny or two...

Oh yes, and thanks for everything. My work would be constructive unbearable without LFGSS.

TheBrick(Tommy) Fair enough vb. Well done on it all.

What is your plan for registered users? A option of a regular contribution of x a month per month for ad free viewing? Or the random donations like you are getting now?

Oh, I'm not that bothered. Whatever people feel is value for money/worth it is a fair enough donation. Random donations are fine, if there's a major shortfall we can have a party or sell t-shirts or something.

Everyone registered will be ad-free. It's more about seeing whether it's possible to get a revenue from people who ended here accidentally on their search for something else. So it's those who aren't registered who will see adverts, no-one else... in fact if they break none of us would notice.

winston Thanks for all so far...

isn't gmail limited to 500 outgoing emails per day though?

Damn, my plan is scuppered. And postfix was such a bitch to set up. I'll think of something else.

velocity boy
[quote]winston Thanks for all so far...

isn't gmail limited to 500 outgoing emails per day though?

Damn, my plan is scuppered. And postfix was such a bitch to set up. I'll think of something else.[/quote]
Apparently I'm fine:
http://www.emailaddressmanager.com/tips/email-address-limit.html

I'll give it a whirl, and if it doesn't work I'll panic accordingly.

i know you can buy the server a beer, you should have a link for yourself so we can thank you with a beer every now and again too

buying a beer for the server

David did you think anymore about using the ebay affliate scheme I mentioned yonks ago, that would mean whenever someone buys something from the bay the forum would get a proportions of the ebay fees.

Loads of us are buying stuff on ebay, it wouldn't require adverts and would only cost ebay money...

worth a think maybes

Kelvin ... and would only cost ebay money...

ebay money, is that like monopoly money? Surely it doesn't exist in the real world.

Says to better half, "Don't worry dear, just playing on ebay again - it won't cost a thing!"

;p

How do you donate?

<--------look that way

VB,

I work for a hosting company and may be able to help out, whisper me

velocity boy 3) The new server has no revenue stream to pay for it... it's costing about £60 per month and I'm hoping that I can raise this through a combination of donations from regular (registered) users, and showing adverts to those who aren't registered. The difference I'll have to cover myself.

I've just done this bit.

The adverts are annoying, but just login and you won't see them.

2/3 of the traffic to this site is to those who get here via Google searches. It's about getting the 2/3 to pay a little. The 1/3 who are registered and come here regularly will never see the adverts (just login).

Dave that dip isn't the Christmas holiday...its when me and hippy met up for a drink :)

I can't afford to contribute, but I'm happy to open links to ads (e.g. behind my current browser window) if it means any financial pressure is eased for the forum. Don't know if it's possible, but perhaps in our forum preferences a tick box to choose whether ads are displayed or not?

There's not really financial pressure. And a few people have been so generous we've been funded until close to the end of March.

It's more about distributing the costs a little so that I'm not paying everything every month. Especially if it continues to grow and get busy as then the costs would rise.

With the adverts, it's just a way to bring in a pound or two every few days, so that the guests effectively pay for themselves. There's no need to go clicking on them to help out, it would probably get us in trouble with Google.

yeah google are pretty hardcore when it comes to encouraging people to click ads... The way you've included them is really subtle and not too intrusive for the odd occasion when we forget to log in

what ads?

they are here now?

aha found them you sneaky programer