Running the site

[Admin aka Dan]

Hi All,

I'm in a bit of a pickle ....

The financial costs of hosting the site are growing, and I'm considering the best way of dealing with it.

I do not want to charge for any kind of membership, that is not fair - I want the site to be a free resource.

I also do not want intrusive advertising - pop up windows, adverts with sound, scrolling and all that.  It is annoying, and slows the site down - and hopefully it zips along most of the time - even on non broadband connections.

This leaves me with two options.

I can either try to get some unobtrusive advertising / sponsorship from a friendly company (any suggestions welcome).

Or

Place a PayPal button on the site in the hope that people will donate an amount to help with the costs.

I would be interested in hearing peoples opinions - don't hold back!

Cheers

Dan

[tim]

- shame, isn't it? - don't know the finer points, but I would happily offer £50 a year.  Better than TV! But I may not live that long? - Tim

[Admin aka Dan]

Tim - very generous - bit more than I was thinking about !

[rdak]

I don't mind making a donation. Dread to think what I would have paid in books by now and still not got the amount of knowledge I have from this site.
Am very against prominent advertisements

Dan -is there any backup for running this site? I was just thinking if you left for whatever reason (long holiday,hospital etc) would the site still be able to keep going?
thanks for all the hard work

[rosebud]

Hi Dan i do not know what to say .i would want to donate BUT my husband does not like the idea of me usingthe card on the net dead against it  .so it looks like i shall have to eat humble pie and eventually go back to whence i came the boring beebie board. .
I will keep my fingers crossed you will find an advertiser
very soon.   I do wish you all the best with this.I am sure you did not think it would take off in such a big way but once we found out on the beeb board how good this was WELL WOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWE .You do a fantastic job hope it sorts out very soon good luck Rosebud.

    .

[Admin aka Dan]

I'm only a young pup - hopefully I'll not be going anywhere soon, but ...

The site is hosted professionally by a hosting company - who deal with any hardware problems (www.easily.co.uk).

I am the only administrator / moderator at the moment, but as the site grows I may ask one or two people to assist in that process.

Hope that answers your questions !

PS

I've just come back from a few days in Madrid and the site kept going.

[Admin aka Dan]

Rosebud ....

Don't go - I will not force anyone to pay, and would not want anyone to feel obliged.

Everyone is more than welcome here - I'm just looking at the options to keep the site running and free.

[budgiebreeder]

Sponsership sounds the best idea to me.But like who? that i suppose is the question.
I think that it goes without saying(by the numbers using the boards and joiningeach day) how much we all enjoy the site,also appreciate your hard work.

[Ozzy_aka_Pothead]

Yo Dan

Go for sponsorship mate, you will have no probs.... any garding magazine or gardening programme makers would be falling over themselves for a slice of your pie...  I will make a donation Dan, but as rosebud sez.. credit cards and the net.... maybe a PO box? then
we could pop a fiver in your crimbo card....

Madrid eh?

!Hola!

?Que tal mi amigo?

adios

oZzY %)

[legless]

crocus have loads of banner ads everywhere, they might be worth a go.....

[rdak]

Dan, if you need someone to help out with administration then I offer my services.

I know my way around a computer. Now..where's that 'Post' button...

..ah, there it is.

[Hyacinth]

I'm voting with Oz & his suggestions, who

seems to be making sense  

Lishka

[Tenuse]

What about Kitchen Garden magazine, or some of the seed companies, maybe they would sponsor you if you put a link to their online seed catalogues?

Ten x

[Suze_O]

Just my thoughts exactly.

I would suggest one of the seed catalogues, it surely would generate income fom them and maybe some of the posters here could take part in their seed trials?

[tim]

Is it polite to ask what sort of money we're looking at?

And, beaten to the post, surely there's alternative to credit cards?

We are NOT going to let this one slip out of our hands!! - Tim

[Hyacinth]

I'm out tonight to my Organic Gardeners Soc, taking my seed order along...E.W.King & Co. Ltd, Coggeshall Road, Kelvedon, Essex CO5 9PG; tel:01376 570000; Fax01376 571189;email:sales@kingsseeds.com...

Produce a special catalogue for allotment & horticultural societies & gardening clubs..got organic seeds too.. p'raps worth a try? - Lishka

[Hugh_Jones]

Like Rosebud and oZzY, there`s just no way I`d be prepared to use my credit card on the internet, or even have the details on my computer, and a PayPal button would simply see me off.

Like oZzY I agree that sponsorship is probably the best way to go, since that would avoid all the accounting and other problems involved in collecting from the members.

However, like Tim, I would have no objection to putting a cheque in the post from time to time if that were the only way to keep the site going.

Of course, you could always try flogging my jokes - especially the tutorial ones.

[Suze_O]

Sorry Dan, should have included this thought in previous post.

Regarding the pay option.  The site lists 390 members.  If you scroll down Members page, particularly pages 2,3,4 many of them, although registered, have never posted.  This does not mean they don't visit the Board, but certainly I do not think they would want to pay for the privilege of reading messages.

The hardcore of posters probably numbers around 50, you would know exact figure.

Knowing what Internet hosting costs are I just do not think that paying (as a voluntary option) would be feasible in that it would not generate enough dosh from the (relatively small) amount of regular users.

[gavin]

Hi folks

Hmmmm!  I like the idea of sponsorship, being pretty cash-strapped myself!  But is there a sponsor?  I suspect we might have a choice between

• the good-willing, discreet, and cash-poor;
  
• and the willing, rich, and splashing/bannering/redirecting all over.
  

Or am I just getting too cynical in my old age?

My choice would be a donation system - Paypal and postal equivalent.  But, I don't know what the costs involved are - looking at http://www.realgardeners.co.uk/fund_raising.htm suggests that may my choice may not be sufficient?

All best - Gavin

PS  If you do want any backup or help on running A4A, I'll happily volunteer!

[busy_lizzie]

This is a fabulous Site and I would hate to see it disappear.  You produced something you should  feel rightly proud about Dan.  

I would be happy do any of the things that have been suggested.  Certainly don't mind adverts or sponsorship and feel quite secure with Paypal.  We have used it many times, as my Husband is a great Stamp Collector and that is what he uses and it is pretty straightforward.  I agree though that those who don't take a very active role on the Board might not be too hapyy to pay a fee for just browsing.    busy_lizzie