[quote name='flash' timestamp='1386346525' post='153302']
p.s. - to address the points the idiot mistakenly assumes:
the membership here is actually quite active. while i can't easily pull up specific numbers on a member by member basis, i regularly purge dead or incomplete memberships, so as not to artificially inflate that number, and have looked at each member periodically. i would estimate that about 30% of our over 2000 members have posted in the last year, and more than 50% have popped on and read. that is actually a very good level of activity, and per member far exceeding that of any other site with 968 content. our number of posts in that year was over 16,000. views was over 160,000.
revenues have been deliberately limited. we did not want the site to be laden with ads. we only sought out enough advertisement to cover physical costs. we were essentially operating as a non-profit. that could easily change. it would not be hard at all to pick up other advertisers. this site could easily make $10000 a year profit, without requiring members to pay a membership fee.
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Ok, forget "revenues" for the moment. Can you disclose what the approximate "hard costs" or "physical costs" of maintaining existing site service are, ( i.e. server costs, any ongoing outside service provider contracts necessary to continue the site, any annual renewal of service charges) might be? If I'm not concerned with a financial return on investment, what does it cost just to maintain the site as is without outside revenues?
I ask because I note significant interest in maintaining the status quo. Return on potentially invested capital is a whole different question. If there are parties out there willing to pony up only enough to eat the costs, that would be a factor in your, and their, decision process and would impact an individual or group effort to keep this gem alive. Just asking.
