Transparency On The Future of ATS

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

The site is a custom built/modified board with a huge amount of data retention needed and - if you want guaranteed, protected up-time and reliability, catering for the number of hits and bandwidth used, you have to pay the money.

I'd wager that the background database architecture needs upgrading as well, and potentially the data needs re-indexing in order to get the search and other functions working properly. That's not going to be cheap.

a reply to: Debunkology

Yup... I was in the Bahamas getting ready for scuba earlier this year. This tanned tub of gutz with no shirt on in 20 year old Oakleys starts mouthing off about some political crap and everyone (about 20 people) just all started cringing in their own way. He was from Chicago.

It's definitely "out in the open" now and not exclusive to this site.

a reply to: neformore

I don't know if this even still applies, but I think it ran the xmb forum package in the past

I went to find them, and they are not even in service anymore

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: Bigburgh

Huh????

Don't understand.

We said we would pay monthly for ATS.

You chimed back with "?????".

I said I would pay $8 per month to be here on ATS.
Even if you posted another home on the range thread or recipe. You are an honored member contributor of this website. You're a hell of a writer.

So yes I'd pay to read what you write. Heartfelt truth 👍🤗


Edit: saw your edit.

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

Grim, news to hear. I practically GREW up here. Has it really been that long?

I will do what I can to keep the lights on, I remember the donation tab from years ago, but it sounds and I understand, it’s time to sell the site. It’s a much different time now then it ever has been, the carefree fringe freedom of thought and goofy times of ats, are long gone indeed..

Well I will keep coming here until the doors shut and the lights are off. I want to thank you and the others who have devoted allot of their time “LIFE” into this site, this place is one of my favorite places to live in, and be a part of.

🙋‍♂️

Can anyone explain how ads work on websites ?

Like does the same person visiting a site (like ATS) 20 times a day --- does that count as 20 "paid" clicks or just one from an IP per day ?

a reply to: neformore

Trust me, I am very familiar with big server enterprises including storage way larger than what is being bantered around here (we've got 26,000 daily users and storage in the dozens of petabytes) all in a hyper-converged, fully redundant, high-availability environment. It's orders of magnitude bigger than ATS. It's also mission critical for aviation in the western United States. So I get it, but $25k per month is quite a bit for something like this.

It would be interesting to know how much of that figure is leased bandwidth.

originally posted by: yuppa
a reply to: DISRAELI

HEy isnt there a site that archives websites...i seem to remember something about that. Ah wayback machine.

Exactly . They want the content . But isn't there a copyright clause that enables mass and micro content removal , perhaps to high bidders . Like nasa
.

a reply to: xuenchen

There are thousands of different models, but yeah that's kind of how it works. They work up packages based on numbers of members, numbers of views, dwell time per page, number of clicks. Ad placement on page, size, how much user demographics they can collect. All sorts of things. There's a million different schemes.

One of the real bummers about this (for me at least) is, I've written a whole bunch of stuff here, and I didn't keep any of that stuff. Going back and trying to capture all that stuff now would take forever. I guess I just figured ATS would always be here. Dumb me I guess.

Wish there was a 'copy thread' feature where you could just copy an entire thread and then save it.



ETA - A copy of the database would be nice because then you wouldn't have to worry about all the other 'noise' (i.e. graphics, icons, headers and footers, etc.) honking up the whole copy effort. Heck, I'd even pay for that!

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
One of the real bummers about this (for me at least) is, I've written a whole bunch of stuff here, and I didn't keep any of that stuff. Going back and trying to capture all that stuff now would take forever.

Wish there was a 'copy thread' feature where you could just copy an entire thread and then save it.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

All I know is that this has been one of the best sites that I have ever belonged to. With its wealth of knowledge and topics to explore and all the people who have become like family...We cannot let this die out like an ember left behind from a raging fire of life.

I believe in hope and possibilities, naive or not, this what I am holding on to.

ATS is a second home, an extended family who breathe life into a challenging and chaotic world.
If you have any ideas whatsoever or can possibly help financially, come forward now before it's too late.

originally posted by: neformore
a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

The site is a custom built/modified board with a huge amount of data retention needed and - if you want guaranteed, protected up-time and reliability, catering for the number of hits and bandwidth used, you have to pay the money.

I'd wager that the background database architecture needs upgrading as well, and potentially the data needs re-indexing in order to get the search and other functions working properly. That's not going to be cheap.

Why not go ATS 2.0 then and on the cheap use a BB board and start again $ 10 one time per year fee with no facebook etc sign ups

originally posted by: rom12345
Would moving to discord work ? I would miss the crazy chit chat with (sometimes) like minded folk.

I'm just going to say it, because I know I'm not the only one thinking it --

What the hell IS Discord?

The impression I have is like some sort of AOL IM service, or a Skype service. I'm not down with either one, and know I'm far from alone.

a reply to: stonerwilliam

Thanks!

I missed that one.

ETA - I archived that page. Not too bad. 1mb. Just wind up creating a whole bunch of PDF's though. Especially when you throw in some of the other great stuff other members have contributed. I've got about 5TB of storage here at the house, but I'm thinking that might not be enough doing it that way.

Again, sure would be nice to be able to get access to the raw data, even if there was a cost. (hint...hint, ATS)

a reply to: Night Star

Well before I can think of any realistic solution, I have to see the books. ATS technically is a recreation site per se, now if someone pays to keep the site, up to provide this service for people who recreate it, well as much as I like everyone, I need to make a profit. Skeptic, is pretty much saying ats is in the red. I dunno thou. How can ats pay the bills and make a profit?

originally posted by: Night Star
All I know is that this has been one of the best sites that I have ever belonged to. With its wealth of knowledge and topics to explore and all the people who have become like family...We cannot let this die out like an ember left behind from a raging fire of life.

I believe in hope and possibilities, naive or not, this what I am holding on to.

ATS is a second home, an extended family who breathe life into a challenging and chaotic world.
If you have any ideas whatsoever or can possibly help financially, come forward now before it's too late.

The lady I'll miss the most.
You don't judge.
Always said happy birthday.
Reminds us of our ATS anniversary.
Kept up The Shed....

I know affection is not permitted here, but you are loved.
I know MODS watch these and I mean this with kindness.

DTOM Don't Tread On Me is also highly feared and deeply adored.
But you've always been fair, and also very kind.

originally posted by: Bicent
a reply to: Night Star

Well before I can think of any realistic solution, I have to see the books. ATS technically is a recreation site per se, now if someone pays to keep the site, up to provide this service for people who recreate it, well as much as I like everyone, I need to make a profit. Skeptic, is pretty much saying ats is in the red. I dunno thou. How can ats pay the bills and make a profit?

Not what they need to focus on, really, that profit part. They need to manage at least breaking even in operational costs (i.e paying those bills) if they aren't already doing well in that regard, before trying to restructure anything for profit purposes.

a reply to: Nyiah

I have to see the books, to see where they are losing money. Sounds like ad revenue is drying up, so innovation is needed to break even, and make a profit for my investment. If I had to guess a paid membership would be a start, but that is very volatile.. selling merchandise or having a member selling auction tab might help, etc. this is just some guesses. Again, I have to see the books.

Then I would need advertising to build my member base, then I have to keep them active, want to keep coming to ats etc.

You could think about this a little differently. Rather than the revenue side, look at the expense side.

Seems to me that the cost blow out is due to bandwidth requirements rather than storage; storage is fairly cheap these days, bandwidth for a high volume of users is expensive.

Bandwidth seems to be driven by the numerous political discussion threads, which are way off topic from the ATS that many of us joined many years ago. So cut the politics out; allow political-related conspiracy as the site used to but the discussion needs to be targeted and issue focused. Basically, return ATS to the former ATS. Chances are this buys some of the time needed to secure a longer term future for the site, but it should also reduce the time requirements for ownership and mods.

Seems to me that ATS got caught up in the idea of continual growth, without realising that unending growth is unsustainable. This is a conspiracy site, not a political site. Less is more.