URGENT ATTENTION The Time is Now to Save ATS!

originally posted by: Helious
I fail to see how the operational cost of ATS could be of such burden that it couldn't be paid for. It's a message board for God's sake, what operational costs are required that ad revenue doesn't pay for? Am I missing something?

Quite a bit. Read this original thread on the issue: www.abovetopsecret.com...

Here's one short snippet from SO:

For those in the know... consider the cloud datastore costs for this: our entire content database instance is over 50GB, with an average of 56 queries a second... with more than 3TB of supporting (images) files. What would that cost on AWS?

SO estimates the cost is $25K per MONTH. Current financials will be available to some of the "Working Group" who are willing to abide by an NDA, but that hasn't happened yet.

Im a bit confused. If I throw a $100.00 at this right now and then find out the site is being put down, then what? Or are you just looking for those 3 things specifically and not just anything we can throw at it right now?

a reply to: humanityliveson

atsworkinggroup.boards.net...

a reply to: vegas.lurker

Link to working group. We need as many IT people as we can get! Thank you!

atsworkinggroup.boards.net...

The IT folks are in the brainstorming phase. Please contribute!

a reply to: schuyler

25k a month? Nah man, nobody is going to buy something that costs that much with so little return. Any new "owner" isn't going to be able to generate new views. In fact, views will fall off sharply and 25k a month is just not what a website like this costs, trust me. It's not.

This website should cost about 3-4k a month to operate.

Iv'e ran and run now multiple websites like this, mostly adult oriented. I know about storage, hosting, 25k a month for ATS is just not realistic.

a reply to: Helious

25k a month? Nah man, nobody is going to buy something that costs that much with so little return.

According to our IT gurus — the system is archaic.

The budget can be drastically reduced, with modifications.

originally posted by: Helious
a reply to: schuyler

25k a month? Nah man, nobody is going to buy something that costs that much with so little return. Any new "owner" isn't going to be able to generate new views. In fact, views will fall off sharply and 25k a month is just not what a website like this costs, trust me. It's not.

This website should cost about 3-4k a month to operate.

Correction. SO said $25K a month for a few months to get the site in order to be able to transfer to another platform. It
is old archaic code, much of which is broken. And the database itself is huge.

originally posted by: UKTruth

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

originally posted by: Nyiah

originally posted by: KKLOCO
a reply to: Nyiah

are you all willing to commit to weeding out the toxicity and return it to its former glory?

Reread and truly listen to what you just said.

Is our entire world at its glory? Even close?

You post here OFTEN for a reason.

Do not discredit the efforts of private individuals — trying to keep your free speech platform alive.

If you don’t like the Pit — don’t click on it. Pure and simple.

I didn't say get rid of the Pit. I wouldn't mind seeing it poof, but I didn't say that. What I implied, and probably should have said, was more attentive moderation where applicable. SUCH AS, outside of the Pit, instead of removing entire posts with one smarmy line in it, but otherwise good content, just remove the smarm.

Jesus people, if you can't manage that simple of a procedure shift that meets everything in the middle, then why bother taking it on in the first place?

Interestingly enough a few of the more vocal members here that have signed up at that other site are there complaining about the lefties on this site, they really can't handle their world views being challenged.

Really?
What are they saying?

a reply to: Nyiah

If this is how you genuinely think then any attempts to "save" ATS are going to fail. Your mindset is precisely why we have unabated censorship running rampant across all social media and mainstream media.

originally posted by: Helious
a reply to: schuyler

Iv'e ran and run now multiple websites like this,

Then your input would be greatly appreciated at the site linked in the post above yours.

We would welcome all, especially with experience.

Serious question... why are we to believe that a sale of the site would be a bad thing?

Obviously if there is a buyer they know about the site and have interest in it.

Also...

Maybe the buyers won't be right wing slanted like it seems the current owners are, that could be a plus.

a reply to: KKLOCO

Politics? A very interesting leak

No. I was not talking about politics I was talking about your sh**** attitude.

Good luck. You’ll need it.

a reply to: UKTruth
Like I said to one of your other eloquent partners in crime, good luck... you’re going to need it.

You guys are blind to the truth.

Kids playing with adult toys.

a reply to: schuyler

I’m not tech savvy at all. I cannot fathom why the monthly operating cost here is so high .

Is it because the members images are hosted on site ? I’ve been here two years and my image library is huge in bulk. I’d love to delete some but you have to do it one at a time and it’s a time-consuming pain in the ass . I’m sure I’m not alone with this predicament. I’d be willing to bet people that haven’t been here in 10 years have library’s just as big as mine . Why has all of that unnecessary data been carried around for 20 years ?

ATS is the only site I go to that doesn’t use offsite image hosting . Something like tiny pic or a Luna pic .

Forgive me for linking to this liberal gladiator camp that has around half of our daily traffic .


D operates on $200 a month

I’m not casting doubt. I just can’t wrap my head around it ?

If you want something to grow and stay strong. Sometimes you’ve got to make some sacrifices .

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

originally posted by: UKTruth

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

originally posted by: Nyiah

originally posted by: KKLOCO
a reply to: Nyiah

are you all willing to commit to weeding out the toxicity and return it to its former glory?

Reread and truly listen to what you just said.

Is our entire world at its glory? Even close?

You post here OFTEN for a reason.

Do not discredit the efforts of private individuals — trying to keep your free speech platform alive.

If you don’t like the Pit — don’t click on it. Pure and simple.

I didn't say get rid of the Pit. I wouldn't mind seeing it poof, but I didn't say that. What I implied, and probably should have said, was more attentive moderation where applicable. SUCH AS, outside of the Pit, instead of removing entire posts with one smarmy line in it, but otherwise good content, just remove the smarm.

Jesus people, if you can't manage that simple of a procedure shift that meets everything in the middle, then why bother taking it on in the first place?

Interestingly enough a few of the more vocal members here that have signed up at that other site are there complaining about the lefties on this site, they really can't handle their world views being challenged.

Really?
What are they saying?

Nice deflection.
You made a claim that people on the other site were bitching about leftists.

So, are you able to tell us what was said or not?
Surely you didn't just make it up, you have the detail, right?

originally posted by: and14263
a reply to: UKTruth
Like I said to one of your other eloquent partners in crime, good luck... you’re going to need it.

You guys are blind to the truth.

Kids playing with adult toys.

Which truth are you referring to?
Which toys are you referring to? Last time I checked there were no adult toys involved, it's not that kind of site.

originally posted by: and14263
a reply to: KKLOCO

Politics? A very interesting leak

No. I was not talking about politics I was talking about your sh**** attitude.

Good luck. You’ll need it.

I don’t care what you think about me or my attitude.

Your avatar explains your posts in full. You think you’re clever — but your not.

This will be my last response to you. No time for the negativity.

We're still brainstorming an extremely wide range of ideas while we wait for the next step in the formal negotiation process.

I just want to re-assure people though...we're members just like you, who want to preserve a niche on the internet for narratives that question authorities and the media, a haven for uncensored but respectfully moderated free debate, and a place for ideas of high strangeness to be approached critically but openly. We want ATS to stay ATS, fundamentally. Like I said to FCD earlier today: we're weirdos too, just weirdos with relevant experience. I know I can safely speak for the entire working group here: we're doing this because we love ATS, and we know there's nothing else like it anywhere.

Stay tuned. These discussions are not likely to be over quickly.

And Grenade: that would be the best funding goal in the history of Kickstarter. 10k and you find out where they keep the aliens! Also, you get a coffee mug and some stickers.

originally posted by: and14263
a reply to: KKLOCO

Politics? A very interesting leak

No. I was not talking about politics I was talking about your sh**** attitude.

Good luck. You’ll need it.

Says the guy who needs to look in a mirror and remove that tree from thine eyes.

If you got time to bitch you got time to help no?

originally posted by: Lucidparadox
Serious question... why are we to believe that a sale of the site would be a bad thing?

Obviously if there is a buyer they know about the site and have interest in it.

Also...

Maybe the buyers won't be right wing slanted like it seems the current owners are, that could be a plus.

So, this is actually a very good question.

Simply put, it would not be a problem at all. In fact, I think everyone (including the working group) would absolutely support the idea and have no objection (not that any objection would mean one iota anyway). If the new owners changed it for the worse, well, then that would be very unfortunate likely for everyone (the membership and them).

The challenge du jour is, to create a safety net in case that doesn't happen. And, given the sense of urgency expressed by management coupled with the financial hardships and the current economic climate makes this timeline very short indeed. This is the underpinning spirit behind the efforts of the working group.

More than just tangentially related though is the notion that a member consortium ownership will have a lot more control and flexibility for the direction of the website than some corporate conglomerate might allow. And further, just as noted above, the same paradigm applies if people don't like that direction. So, the benefits of that flexibility works to the advantage of the membership as a whole.

Honest answer.