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Forums will stay up (Page 2)
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subego
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Jun 25, 2016, 12:56 PM
 
Originally Posted by turtle777 View Post
don't know Patreon, but I agree, PayPal should work for what we're trying to do: donate occasionally, or even recurring.

-t
And I know people who have both, because some people hate Patreon for some reason. Of course people hate PayPal, too. I hate it.

Think of Patreon as like Kickstarter or IndieGoGo for continuing projects. It has rewards and donation levels, just like Kickstarter, but rather than a one time donation, it's a recurring one. Podcasting would be a good (and common) example use case. I put out a podcast every week, you make a recurring donation every week.
( Last edited by subego; Jun 25, 2016 at 02:33 PM. )
     
turtle777
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Jun 25, 2016, 04:06 PM
 
PayPal supports recurring payments, AFAIK.

-t
     
Steve Wilkinson
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Jun 25, 2016, 05:57 PM
 
It's the community aspect of Patreon, IMO. You *can* even give extra something to people who meet various levels, etc. But, also, the visible knowing of what goals need to be hit, to fund what, etc. can be crucial from what I've seen. But, that requires a level of transparency as well. Everyone in the community can see... this is how much money we need, and this is how much money we're brining in now.

But, as I said in another thread, I think some such model is the future of honest journalism. This can certainly be done internally, onsite as well with PayPal and on-site reporting, but Patreon makes it pretty easy. And, yes, some people love/hate PayPal. I'm actually transitioning one of my big clients off of PayPal right now, as they are upset with some of PayPal's political initiatives. So, lots of reasons for one or the other. I'm mostly going on what I see as useful and/or working best. (Tons of people seem to complain that PayPal's subscription aspects don't work well, for whatever that's worth.)

Personally - as much as I love arguing in forums - I'm not sure I'm willing to pay just for that. But, since I need to keep up with all the Apple news somewhere, I would be willing to contribute to keep a good Apple news site operating. But, here's the thing... I think most people like me wouldn't be happy with a mix (ad and value-for-value). And, of course, there are economic realities, both for supporters and content creators. I know podcasts where listeners give thousands of dollars on a regular basis, and others that are struggling to get any contributions. And, I'd love to give all the podcasts (and news sites) I frequent some nice big donations, but that isn't currently in the budget-cards.
------
Steve Wilkinson
Web designer | Christian apologist
cgWerks | TilledSoil.org
     
turtle777
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Jun 25, 2016, 07:37 PM
 
Originally Posted by Steve Wilkinson View Post
Personally - as much as I love arguing in forums - I'm not sure I'm willing to pay just for that. But, since I need to keep up with all the Apple news somewhere, I would be willing to contribute to keep a good Apple news site operating.
A lot of people here come ONLY for the forums.

I haven't been reading the NN front pages (news etc...) in probably 12 years.

-t
     
Cap'n Tightpants
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Jun 25, 2016, 10:28 PM
 
Originally Posted by turtle777 View Post
PayPal supports recurring payments, AFAIK.

-t
That IS true, but even they have fees for that.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
     
Cap'n Tightpants
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Jun 25, 2016, 10:29 PM
 
Originally Posted by turtle777 View Post
A lot of people here come ONLY for the forums.

I haven't been reading the NN front pages (news etc...) in probably 12 years.

-t
I'm guilty of that too, though I do/did browse the tech news forum sometimes.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
     
iMOTOR
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Jun 26, 2016, 03:44 AM
 
Originally Posted by turtle777 View Post
A lot of people here come ONLY for the forums.

I haven't been reading the NN front pages (news etc...) in probably 12 years.

-t

Same here. Been getting my daily news from Ars Technica.
     
Mike Wuerthele
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Jun 26, 2016, 08:18 AM
 
Not visiting the main news page is.... disappointing.
     
Montanan
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Jun 26, 2016, 09:29 AM
 
Originally Posted by Mike Wuerthele View Post
Not visiting the main news page is.... disappointing.
If it's any consolation, there are plenty of us who continued visiting the main news page every day, but who gave up on the forums years ago.
     
OAW
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Jun 26, 2016, 10:12 AM
 
Originally Posted by turtle777 View Post
A lot of people here come ONLY for the forums.

I haven't been reading the NN front pages (news etc...) in probably 12 years.

-t
This! I even abandoned the tech oriented forums for Ars years ago. My daily visits here have only been to the Lounge.

OAW
     
Mike Wuerthele
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Jun 26, 2016, 10:32 AM
 
Anyway... I'll be generating a post this week about things that the readers can do to help keep the lights on, as far as referrals, and things. The MacNN Deals at deals.macnn.com still feed the coffers, so anything you buy from stack social counts.

This is one of the reasons that I'm pushing the photo bundle so hard. Each sale doles out $10 to the powers that be.

https://fotopromos.com


Buy crap from Amazon, help the forums


Buy crap from Newegg to help the forums.

With any luck, I'll have a few links posted for general shopping. Newegg, Amazon, that kind of thing, where a small percentage of the sale goes to forum coffers.
( Last edited by Mike Wuerthele; Jun 26, 2016 at 04:20 PM. )
     
vmarks
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Jun 27, 2016, 12:13 AM
 
Originally Posted by milhous View Post
I'm relieved. For me, MacNN was always about the forums, though the stories and reviews were also very important. In the age of reddit, twitter, etc, I'm not sure when I last posted to a bulletin board forum, but it sure feels nice. I'm willing to help in any way that I can.
Originally Posted by OAW View Post
And now the question becomes how long will it take for forum traffic to return to a crawl again?

OAW
Not long?

Originally Posted by reader50 View Post
The end has been postponed for us. We're told so long as residual MacNN and forum traffic pays the bills, the forums will stay up.

Not completely reassuring, but the forums will not be shuttered on July 1.
I have to admit, it's nice seeing all the old familiar usernames again.
If this post is in the Lounge forum, it is likely to be my own opinion, and not representative of the position of MacNN.com.
     
mindwaves
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Jun 27, 2016, 03:24 AM
 
I saw this thread and wondered why would the forums be closing? Then I read another farewell thread and did some investigating. Wow, MacNN will be shutting down!

This place has been my home since maybe 2000. This was my to go site when MacWeek passed away. So sad to see it close and one of the longest Mac sites in history!

I really think that there is a need for MacNN related sites to stay in existence. Just need to do more reviews like The Verge and introduce more gizmos based on homekit and the such.

Will definitely miss MacNN but will constantly be visiting these forums.
     
P
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Jun 27, 2016, 04:16 AM
 
Originally Posted by Mike Wuerthele View Post
Anyway... I'll be generating a post this week about things that the readers can do to help keep the lights on, as far as referrals, and things. The MacNN Deals at deals.macnn.com still feed the coffers, so anything you buy from stack social counts.

This is one of the reasons that I'm pushing the photo bundle so hard. Each sale doles out $10 to the powers that be.

https://fotopromos.com


Buy crap from Amazon, help the forums


Buy crap from Newegg to help the forums.

With any luck, I'll have a few links posted for general shopping. Newegg, Amazon, that kind of thing, where a small percentage of the sale goes to forum coffers.
Is there an amazon.co.uk (or amazon.de) link like that? I'd love to support, but they're usually not so hot on shipping to Scandinavia.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
subego
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Jun 29, 2016, 12:37 PM
 
I'm deducing other MNM joints are sticking around, so they still have someone doing ad buys.

This person will be managing ad buys for here as well?
     
subego
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Jun 29, 2016, 12:40 PM
 
Also, how much is the Amazon kickback?
     
design219
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Jun 29, 2016, 01:59 PM
 
I will probably never get my 5th star.
__________________________________________________

My stupid iPhone game: Nesen Probe, it's rather old, annoying and pointless, but it's free.
Was free. Now it's gone. Never to be seen again.
Off to join its brother and sister apps that could not
keep up with the ever updating iOS. RIP Nesen Probe.
     
Steve Wilkinson
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Jun 29, 2016, 02:04 PM
 
I think it starts around 4%, but increases as you send more business their way. But, here's the thing: a lot of people are doing a lot of shopping via Amazon, and affiliate referrals last some amount of time after being sent via the link for everything they purchase during that time period. So, 4% of a book isn't much, but if they also buy a tent and sleeping bags, etc. it can start to add up. (I'm just getting into this, but from what I'm seeing some others do, it's could be pretty powerful with enough traffic.) BTW, this is the WordPress plugin I'm getting: EasyAzon v4 - The #1 Amazon Affiliate WordPress Plugin which allows you to localize shoppers to their proper amazon store (you only get commission for countries where you have affiliate accounts... so, for example, since I'm in Canada, but a reader might be in the USA, if I send them to the Amazon.ca they probably won't buy from there. I'd have to send them to the US store AND have a US affiliate account.)
------
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cgWerks | TilledSoil.org
     
subego
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Jun 29, 2016, 02:42 PM
 
All great info! Thanks!

Do they tell you how long the "active time" is?
     
Steve Wilkinson
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Jun 29, 2016, 03:12 PM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
All great info! Thanks!

Do they tell you how long the "active time" is?
I think 24 hours. And, if you use an 'add to cart' type link (which might offend your readers, IMO), then it's like 90 days.
------
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Web designer | Christian apologist
cgWerks | TilledSoil.org
     
Laminar
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Jun 29, 2016, 04:14 PM
 
Originally Posted by design219 View Post
I will probably never get my 5th star.
I'd give you a fifth star if I could.
     
design219
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Jun 29, 2016, 04:20 PM
 
Originally Posted by Laminar View Post
I'd give you a fifth star if I could.
- aw, just made my day!
__________________________________________________

My stupid iPhone game: Nesen Probe, it's rather old, annoying and pointless, but it's free.
Was free. Now it's gone. Never to be seen again.
Off to join its brother and sister apps that could not
keep up with the ever updating iOS. RIP Nesen Probe.
     
Ham Sandwich
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Jun 29, 2016, 04:30 PM
 
Can I be "Unprofessional Poster"? Seriously I wanna change my own title sometimes.
     
Laminar
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Jun 29, 2016, 04:38 PM
 
Originally Posted by design219 View Post
- aw, just made my day!
Are you still staying home Sunday and saving 10%?
     
OldManMac
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Jun 30, 2016, 12:25 AM
 
Originally Posted by turtle777 View Post
don't know Patreon, but I agree, PayPal should work for what we're trying to do: donate occasionally, or even recurring.

-t
Don't know him either.
Why is there always money for war, but none for education?
     
Laminar
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Jun 30, 2016, 09:56 AM
 
He sounds Greek.
     
subego
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Jun 30, 2016, 10:03 AM
 
You learn it at Hogwarts.
     
ort888
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Jun 30, 2016, 10:39 AM
 
This is good news, but I really feel like it's only delaying the inevitable.

My sig is 1 pixel too big.
     
Laminar
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Jun 30, 2016, 10:51 AM
 
The forum has plodded along with any new members in the past...like...5+ years. Sure it's inevitable that we'll all die someday, but for now can't we all just go back to complaining about O'Bummer and Hitlery?
     
The Final Dakar
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Jun 30, 2016, 11:53 AM
 
We should pull huge topics from 2004-06 and reargue them.
     
subego
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Jun 30, 2016, 11:56 AM
 
HD-DVD is the best.
     
Laminar
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Jun 30, 2016, 12:02 PM
 
Where's Eug when you need him most?
     
Mike Wuerthele
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Jun 30, 2016, 12:05 PM
 
Originally Posted by ort888 View Post
This is good news, but I really feel like it's only delaying the inevitable.
What these forums are, and will become, has never been up to me. If you want the forums to survive, then MAKE them survive. Tell people about them, invite people. Do your thing.
     
Laminar
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Jun 30, 2016, 12:33 PM
 
We don't let ort talk to other people.
     
starman
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Jun 30, 2016, 12:37 PM
 
Originally Posted by Mike Wuerthele View Post
What these forums are, and will become, has never been up to me. If you want the forums to survive, then MAKE them survive. Tell people about them, invite people. Do your thing.
You mean....OUTSIDERS???

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ort888
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Jun 30, 2016, 02:04 PM
 
Well, if we're taking advice, we need to go from the 30ish sub-forums we have now to 3 or so. This forum does not have the traffic to support all of those sub forums.

It should be...

General
Computers and Tech
Politics

That's it.

My sig is 1 pixel too big.
     
ort888
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Jun 30, 2016, 02:09 PM
 
Originally Posted by starman View Post
You mean....OUTSIDERS???

My sig is 1 pixel too big.
     
osiris
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Jun 30, 2016, 02:20 PM
 
Geez, I go away for a few months and the place almost closes. Sorry.
"Faster, faster! 'Till the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death." - HST
     
osiris
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Jun 30, 2016, 02:26 PM
 
Originally Posted by Mike Wuerthele View Post
Block if you want -- your computer, and your call.

I understand both sides of the argument, but we have very reasonable ads, and are responsive to complaints about them.

Just don't ever, ever tell me that there aren't consequences to others.
I feel guilty now, so I also unblocked macnn
"Faster, faster! 'Till the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death." - HST
     
design219
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Jun 30, 2016, 02:46 PM
 
Originally Posted by Laminar View Post
Are you still staying home Sunday and saving 10%?
Yeah. Got me through the recession. Still probably going to hell.
__________________________________________________

My stupid iPhone game: Nesen Probe, it's rather old, annoying and pointless, but it's free.
Was free. Now it's gone. Never to be seen again.
Off to join its brother and sister apps that could not
keep up with the ever updating iOS. RIP Nesen Probe.
     
design219
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Jun 30, 2016, 02:48 PM
 
Originally Posted by ort888 View Post
Well, if we're taking advice, we need to go from the 30ish sub-forums we have now to 3 or so. This forum does not have the traffic to support all of those sub forums.

It should be...

General
Computers and Tech
Politics

That's it.
Sound's good. I'll second that.
__________________________________________________

My stupid iPhone game: Nesen Probe, it's rather old, annoying and pointless, but it's free.
Was free. Now it's gone. Never to be seen again.
Off to join its brother and sister apps that could not
keep up with the ever updating iOS. RIP Nesen Probe.
     
starman
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Jun 30, 2016, 02:49 PM
 
Originally Posted by osiris View Post
Geez, I go away for a few months and the place almost closes. Sorry.
It was an elaborate scheme to keep you out. Dammit!

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starman
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Jun 30, 2016, 02:50 PM
 
Originally Posted by ort888 View Post
Well, if we're taking advice, we need to go from the 30ish sub-forums we have now to 3 or so. This forum does not have the traffic to support all of those sub forums.

It should be...

General
Computers and Tech
Politics

That's it.
To be fair, Neowin is nothing but a forum and it's doing very well. There's no reason why this place can't do the same.

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osiris
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Jun 30, 2016, 03:52 PM
 
I know I'm not around as much as I can be, but I suggest making Politics a sub part of the Lounge, as it is:
To keep the raunchier stuff away from easily offended eyes, and we don't have to watch our language.

General
Computers and Tech
Lounge/Politics
"Faster, faster! 'Till the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death." - HST
     
vmarks
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Jun 30, 2016, 08:02 PM
 
I recommend keeping the same rules Demon and I had for pol/war. They're still good.
If this post is in the Lounge forum, it is likely to be my own opinion, and not representative of the position of MacNN.com.
     
Ham Sandwich
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Jul 1, 2016, 09:25 PM
 
Well it's July 1 (happy Canada Day!), and the forums are still up.

So with that being said, I request to be a forum mod. I want to rule this place just before it all goes to smithereens.
     
ghporter
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Jul 2, 2016, 06:26 PM
 
Originally Posted by ort888 View Post
Perfect illustration!

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
aspire2inspire
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Jul 16, 2016, 01:16 AM
 
Your content is your gift to forums? Really, so when you go into a restaurant, does that mean your talking pays the restaurant's bills? You sound like a politician -- I'm so good that just my mere presence should force all to bow before me. Someone or something has to pay the bills, and a couple ads don't impede that. So what if you have to scroll a bit. It is not going to kill you. I still cannot get over the fact that you hail from Iowa with an attitude like that. From the rest of this state: Get over yourself.

Originally Posted by Laminar View Post
No, one giant ad that doesn't exist within the confines of the page isn't okay. And especially since the ad loads after everything else on the page, right as I'm about to click a button, moving the button halfway down the page. It has happened twice already.

I run adblock on every other forum I visit. The content I create is my gift to those forums.
     
starman
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Jul 16, 2016, 04:24 AM
 
Someone hasn't seen "The Music Man"

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subego
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Jul 16, 2016, 07:00 AM
 
**** you, Laminar! You suck!

Hope this helps.
     
 
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