Seltea Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 Done, a small price to pay for so much received. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
takashi Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 I would try to answer the first point... RWI - The Dark Side uses cheaper hosting service but still it's not "cheap". We live solely from donation from members. At one point of time, we were really doing badly, daytona4me chipped in. Now, it's doing pretty well, extra money channeled back to the forum via raffle and giveaways. No dealers fee charged. From what I heard, what makes running this place expensive is a "hidden" server. My 2 cents, I don't see it as being very important. If we can find this forum, I don't believe the gen owners/lawyers/makers can't locate us. Just try Google search. This site is almost on every first page when you type replica. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest carlsbadrolex Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 Well, I have had two people send me PM's asking if I had [censored] in your cornflakes again Lanikai... Maybe it wasnt as obvious as you thought. BUT, was this comment directed at me? "sorry just venting toward members that are here for recognition and "vain glory".. and take "cheap shots" on the board.. pretending to compliment..no need to name names.. it's obvious !!" Others seem to think that it was... I attempted to send you a PM, but it appears I am still blocked from "last time" we had a go-round! I truly hope that we dont have any issues as I have grown to appreciate your posts and dedication to the forum. T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephane Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 Same here...wondering ...I don't like when a thread is going that way... And, by the way, is a write up from a year ago or a couple of years ago still "a reference"? This place is alive, or at least should be, and is only going to stay alive with new blood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiterpete Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 Would the site be cheaper to operate if it was restricted to SUPPORTER members only - no pay - no play. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chronology1066 Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 Done, like I wouldnt support this place? Where else would I be able to kick my boots off and light a cigar away from the missus? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Posted May 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 will appreciate some answers before donating again. I'll do my best to answer your questions; How come other sites (we all know which sites I mean) they manage it ??? Dunno if this is a good answer, but this is how things are; The other forums have a completely different hosting setup thatn we have. They are either hosted on shared or VPS servers, located either in europe (repgeek) or in the in the US. RWG is hosted on 2 servers; 1 powerful dedicated server to handle all the traffic we get and a secondary server who acts like a reverse proxy to hide the identity of our main server. On top of this, our main server is hosted at a offshore datacentre. We pay a high premium for this, because offshort hosting is quite a bit more expensive than "regular" servers located anywhere in the world. Same thing goes for bandwidth. You don't get the same amount of bandwidth included in the price as you would elsewhere. But it is a good setup and it is a secure setup. Do we need this kind of setup? Well, that is a good question since it seems that both forums in the US and in europe don't have any problems. You tell me if we need this. 12000 members. That's not a true number. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ztech Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 First, I want to pitch in to help this great place. I would like to upgrade my account to supporter status and would be glad to pay the annual fee, but please tell me how I can just send a "one-time" amount and not have to sign up for recurring charges. If there is a way I can send the payment please let me know. I have a Paypal account. Second, I don't understand why this forum has financial problems to begin with. Well, I do but at the same time I don't. Why doesn't Admin charge the dealers enough money for the opportunity for them to market to such a diverse market. These dealers should well know that having their names associated with this forum gives them credibility that is "priceless". Personally, I feel that this issue should ne a non-issue. Start charging the dealers, they make a killing by their association to this forum! Again, I understand why this is an issue, but I seriously don't understand why it has even been allowed to become one when there are numerous "retailers" benefiting financially by offering their products via this forum. Charge them, if they leave, they'll only realize how much they "used" to gain from being associated with this forum and return. I think energy to get this forum on a financially stable footing is being directed at the wrong direction. Get the dealers financially liable to this forum and IMHO the QC issues will correct themselves as the dealers will see our members as a resource and not as a mass of free customers. It's because they view us in this light that they take care less if they lose of few due to QC issues. I hate to say this, and I'm sure I'll draw some flak for my statements, but I think the Admin shouldn't even be coming to the members for issues such as these. He/she should be creating a viable business plan with tied-in profit lines that will give this forum a stable footing for the future. I can understand charging members for special privelldges and such, but to continue to "depend" on the members generosity is a "loose-loose" proposition and must be corrected once and for all. Now I hope all of you understand that I'm not trying to attack the Admin and I know how much personal sacrafice he must put in to bring us this great forum, but there's one thing I've learned in my years in the military... "hope is not a method to success". So until you have a self sustaining plan for the long term success of this forum, this issue will never be resolved and will only turn into a festering issue and continue to spiral out of control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalcranium Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 First, I want to pitch in to help this great place. I would like to upgrade my account to supporter status and would be glad to pay the annual fee, but please tell me how I can just send a "one-time" amount and not have to sign up for recurring charges. If there is a way I can send the payment please let me know. I have a Paypal account. Second, I don't understand why this forum has financial problems to begin with. Well, I do but at the same time I don't. Why doesn't Admin charge the dealers enough money for the opportunity for them to market to such a diverse market. These dealers should well know that having their names associated with this forum gives them credibility that is "priceless". Personally, I feel that this issue should ne a non-issue. Start charging the dealers, they make a killing by their association to this forum! Again, I understand why this is an issue, but I seriously don't understand why it has even been allowed to become one when there are numerous "retailers" benefiting financially by offering their products via this forum. Charge them, if they leave, they'll only realize how much they "used" to gain from being associated with this forum and return. I think energy to get this forum on a financially stable footing is being directed at the wrong direction. Get the dealers financially liable to this forum and IMHO the QC issues will correct themselves as the dealers will see our members as a resource and not as a mass of free customers. It's because they view us in this light that they take care less if they lose of few due to QC issues. I hate to say this, and I'm sure I'll draw some flak for my statements, but I think the Admin shouldn't even be coming to the members for issues such as these. He/she should be creating a viable business plan with tied-in profit lines that will give this forum a stable footing for the future. I can understand charging members for special privelldges and such, but to continue to "depend" on the members generosity is a "loose-loose" proposition and must be corrected once and for all. Now I hope all of you understand that I'm not trying to attack the Admin and I know how much personal sacrafice he must put in to bring us this great forum, but there's one thing I've learned in my years in the military... "hope is not a method to success". So until you have a self sustaining plan for the long term success of this forum, this issue will never be resolved and will only turn into a festering issue and continue to spiral out of control. Please...never make the dealers responsible for the financial viability of this site. No matter how good the intentions of the current administrative team, if we put the dealers in charge of our economic well being here, this place will become replicacenter.com in short order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 Well, I have had two people send me PM's asking if I had [censored] in your cornflakes again Lanikai... Maybe it wasnt as obvious as you thought. BUT, was this comment directed at me? "sorry just venting toward members that are here for recognition and "vain glory".. and take "cheap shots" on the board.. pretending to compliment..no need to name names.. it's obvious !!" Others seem to think that it was... I attempted to send you a PM, but it appears I am still blocked from "last time" we had a go-round! I truly hope that we dont have any issues as I have grown to appreciate your posts and dedication to the forum. T NO ... .. unless I experienced a black out.. NO,,...NO... and NO.. we're all good T ... in fact i would say my respect for you has developed though the months.. I guess you can say we both have grown and learned a lot.. over the year and the last year.. shoot.. better unblock .. forgot all about that ...actually not.. but now I can laugh about it.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 Admin Posted Today, 11:28 AM Dunno if this is a good answer, but this is how things are; The other forums have a completely different hosting setup thatn we have. They are either hosted on shared or VPS servers, located either in europe (repgeek) or in the in the US. RWG is hosted on 2 servers; 1 powerful dedicated server to handle all the traffic we get and a secondary server who acts like a reverse proxy to hide the identity of our main server. On top of this, our main server is hosted at a offshore datacentre. We pay a high premium for this, because offshort hosting is quite a bit more expensive than "regular" servers located anywhere in the world. Same thing goes for bandwidth. You don't get the same amount of bandwidth included in the price as you would elsewhere. But it is a good setup and it is a secure setup. Do we need this kind of setup? Well, that is a good question since it seems that both forums in the US and in europe don't have any problems. You tell me if we need this. If this is about security .. then I'm for "if it ain't broke don't fix it" .. if we can gain the "same "security through US servers then we should look into that... by "we" I am referring to the Admin team discussing this issue.. it really depends on how the rest of the community feels about this point... Yes, the dealers pay a monthly fee for their dealer area. Raising the dealer fee could be one solution. I don't know if this is a "solution" as we only make up a very small percentage of sales for the dealers.. I believe we just have to educate the new members .. Just donate what you can.. 5 .. 10 ..15 .. etc.. I think a reasonable person will see the benefits.. open voluntary donations..(with all of us pressuring) .. may be worth a try... but if they are not aware of it .. they won't know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest carlsbadrolex Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 Glad to hear that Lani... I really was confused and slightly hurt by the confusion. PS: Im still blocked! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 Glad to hear that Lani... I really was confused and slightly hurt by the confusion. PS: Im still blocked! you can't be still blocked unless it takes a while.. dun know.. i leave Kailua .. drive over the mountain.. go to the market.. no gym today.... come home and...BAM.. what is this ??? so I was more confused than you.. .. so no worries.. thanks for the message though.. this could have snowballed into something that it was not.. Glad to hear that Lani... I really was confused and slightly hurt by the confusion. PS: Im still blocked! you can't be still blocked unless it takes a while.. dun know.. i leave Kailua .. drive over the mountain.. go to the market.. no gym today.... come home and...BAM.. what is this ??? so I was more confused than you.. .. so no worries.. thanks for the message though.. this could have snowballed into something that it was not.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkerouac Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 I'm just getting up to speed on this thread, so I apologize for not incorporating or addressing all of the great ideas that have been offered. I have always felt that I owed the board a percentage for every rep that I was able to purchase. Despite the annual dues and other fund raisers, the board has saved me a lot of money, and significantly improved the quality of watches in my small collection (although I have to admit the collection would have been smaller without the board, therefore saving me money, but the number of watches we buy is a separate issue). I am buying very few watches right now... only one in the last nine months. But that one watch is a killer, a cornerstone of any collection, and one reason I was able to snap it up was because the seller posted it for sale first in the Supporters Only sale section. If no one had purchased it there within a few days I have no doubt the seller would have posted it in the general sales/trade forum, which would be completely justified. My point is that we do not need to do away with the general sale/trade area, if only people would post initially in the Supporters sale forum, thus giving people who contribute financially first option to purchase the most attractive items that come up on the resale market. I think long-term supporters want to support RWG, but not at the cost of being unable to resell their watches, so if you close the general member sales forum you risk losing those people to the other boards. On the other hand, if you give supporting members first dibs on new sale or trade offerings, you offer a legitimate incentive for upgrading subscriptions. Plus, as I said at the beginning, I think people should be encouraged to donate something, even if just $5 or $10 for every rep they purchase-- because the board saves you at least that much with the insights, knowledge, and purchase opportunities that it offers. Add to that the convivial atmosphere, and the board becomes an even better bargain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Posted May 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 As I have said before; there are many good suggestions here. I'm off to bed now, but I'll try to assemle a list of all the suggestions and put it up for discussion in the admin area. One thing is for sure; the supporters will be the first ones to know what we would like to do and they will also be involved in making the decisions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llsteve80 Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 Ok, I am about to leave for work right now, I'll have to go back and read the entire thread later when I have time. I left off around where people were talking of the dislike towards automatic billing/recurring payments. How about if the "RWG 300" all PLEDGE to pay on say, the 20th or whenever, to a separate payment location than regular supporters and donors, and then on the 21st or 22nd, Admin or someone can look at whatever it is they look at, and see if 300 people paid? If not, they may have to work a little, but if everyone pays, it can be almost as automatic as recurring automatic payments. I would pay $5 a month no problem for this site. It is the best site of its kind out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ztech Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 Hey guys, I want to contribute funds to become a supporter. I would really like not to use my CC and use the recurring payment method. Is there any other method that I can do this? Help me out... z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virgil Hilts Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 Sent some more $$. All y'all who have benefitted in any way, shape or form from this forum, you better send some dough. Bad watch karma if you don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
promotersf Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 We have a home here @ RWG, let's make sure we keep the lights on. Our forum is built upon our members, hoping our members build upon our site. Payment enroute, our Admin already does enough for us..., let's help shoulder some of the cost. I also don't like recurring billing so I just made a donation for the whole year..an easier option for those who don't want the monthly billing! dave aka donor #77 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Carl Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 Been here a long time and have tried to be a supporter. But how do I get past the Argle-Bargle of the last six or so pages and make a further contribution? Carl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ztech Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 We have a home here @ RWG, let's make sure we keep the lights on. Our forum is built upon our members, hoping our members build upon our site. Payment enroute, our Admin already does enough for us..., let's help shoulder some of the cost. I also don't like recurring billing so I just made a donation for the whole year..an easier option for those who don't want the monthly billing! dave aka donor #77 Hey promotersf how do you make a one-time donation? I'd like to do that ASAP. z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
promotersf Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 On the first page of the thread posted by the Admin, he posted this link. Here it is: http://www.seochamps.net/forum you will set up a new username using your current rwg email access and password. after setting up your new account, you can click on the donate icon button, which will then allow you to donate. it was quick and pleasant, and i'm happy to see many familiar member names listed on the donation page. hope this helps everyone that wants to donate a full year's support without the concern of reoccurring monthly debits. dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevethebest Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 Wow that could have even been easier, it is a good suggestion and should in my opinion be publicised more clearly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 Well..... The costs are what they are. As CBR mentioned, shutting down the non-supporting members would definitely cut back on bandwidth and make things cheaper. It would also make things much quieter. If the forum were to go solely subscription-only, that wouldn't bother me, I feel the information, assistance and community is worth it. But. There are many who would disagree and simply move on... I wish I was in a position to contribute, but at the moment, my hands are financially tied, I was living dangerously when I kicked up the auction price like I did, I was just lucky someone decided to up my bid... Believe me, if I could contribute some extra for the fees, I would Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalcranium Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 Will you guys please edit these posts to get rid of the link!!!!!!!!!! The reasons the moderators had it accessable to supporters with a positive and trustworthy history as a HIDDEN message is that someone screwed with the old PP account and hence our current problems. PROMOTERSF PLEASE EDIT YOUR POST!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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