News Flash: Lileks forum added

[jough]

You know what?  FUCK James Lileks.  Fuck him in the face.

That's all I have to say about that.

[fuddes]

Go with banner ads if you have to.  They're not too bad.  I think it's mainly pop-up ads that bug most people.  Luckily, PHPBB boards aren't too huge, so size shouldn't be as much of a problem as bandwidth.  If size does become a problem, though, you can always turn on the "pruning" function.

[chomphaggis]

I was surprised to find so many others who like achewood and Lileks-although I found Lilek's site via Tomato Nation, and find his politics inane, reprehensible, apalling...spent a few weeks moping about it, got over it- still like much of the site. He's an acher? I saw him more as a Family Circus kinda guy

[chomphaggis]

Or are we 'woodies? Did Onstad kill anyone before he pulled the switch?

[jay-ell]

I think the generally accepted term is "Ache-head," although I've also seen 'Woodies in use.  Either way, yes, Lileks dropped by the board a couple of times, and linked to Achewood at least twice.  That's how about 40% of us found it in the first place, myself included.

[CortJstr]

I think the generally accepted term is "Ache-head," although I've also seen 'Woodies in use.

Yup, Ache-head. We had a vote back on the old-old board. Personally I liked "Onstad's Ever Growing Army of the Undead" but some people thought it wouldn't go over in middle America.

[jough]

Go with banner ads if you have to.  They're not too bad.  I think it's mainly pop-up ads that bug most people.  Luckily, PHPBB boards aren't too huge, so size shouldn't be as much of a problem as bandwidth.  If size does become a problem, though, you can always turn on the "pruning" function.

Eh.  Hard drive space is cheap.  I could devote 500 mb to the achewood board and not even feel it.

Yes, it's bandwidth that's expensive, but not overly so.  I'm looking into a banner ad provider that:

Pays by impression, rather than clicks.

Doesn't show those flashing things that enduces epilepsy

Generally appeals to Achewood readership (this one may be difficult)

Isn't too ugly or annoying

And of course, allows banners to be displayed on a message board

So if no one objects, that may be the best thing to do to ensure that I can afford to keep the boards up indefinitely.  I'd rather not have to worry about it every month, and impression-driven ads would mean that the busier the board got the more ad serves would show up - so hopefully the ad money would at least keep up with the amount of traffic.  

I have another site that gets about the same amount of traffic as these boards are getting, and I just about break even every month with its costs, so it shouldn't be a problem.

And for those who are interested, we're using about 700mb a day of bandwidth right now, but I'm trying to anticipate the board growing and taking on new members.

Already it's been busier than the old boards, but of course there's that novelty factor too.

Or maybe it's just more fun to post here.  I know I've found that to be the case.

-- Jough

[pmcd9]

What do you anticipate this board actually costing you?  I say keep the ads at bay if you can.  I'm reaching for my credit card now, but I don't really want to line your pocket Jough.  What do you think an appropriate donation would be?

~Paul

[jough]

As I've said, donations are nice and will help out - but I know many among you, myself included, don't have a lot of extra scratch for things like message boards.

And those that do could probably better spend their money supporting another artist or something.

Is this a vote for no banner then?  I'll put up a poll in the Community section, because I'd rather have this thing sustain itself than have to beg for cash at the end of each month.

With a little 468x60 banner at at the top of each page, the site's traffic would *probably* cover itself - i.e. the more traffic, the more bandwidth, but then the more banner impressions, too.  So it would hopefully at least even out.

It shouldn't really be a problem.

[jay-ell]

Jough, I meant it when I said I'd pitch in if you were having trouble making the board pay for itself.  There are enough of us on here that it seems like we ought to be able to all pitch in a buck or so and meet the financial demands.  

Hell, it worked for Sluggy Freelance.

[Jim Treacher]

Lileks did post once or twice on the old board.  I actually heard about Achewood from him.  He seems quite the fan.

Yep! And he found out about it from my "blog." So I guess in a way it's my fault that now people want to copulate with his face or whatever. Sorry, everybody!