And that there is why the commenting system will very likely stay gone.

Edited by author 04-06-2004 10:38 PM
Ha! Good one Ramon.

May I add that your blog and novels are quite impressive in their nullity?

I've asked myself that question about Cory's novels and the answer was, "Yes. Yes they would."

But don't let the fact that you didn't understand the novels stop you from reading! There are quite a few great books waiting for you at your level.

Now, I am going to return to Mark's topic and continue to read it with interest.

(Edited to point out that Mark's original post never mentioned a subscription model.)

I haven't read through all 200+ comments, but surely someone must have already suggested that links open in a new window? That alone would cut your bandwidth consumption considerably.

Although it may have already been mentioned, why not establish mirror sites. It works well for Cryptome.

Warren wrote:

"And that there is why the commenting system will very likely stay gone."

One would hope not. That would be a pretty lousy reason for not having a commenting system -- does one or two comments by trolls really negate the other 200+ comments? Before, the comments were a large part of the reason I and others visited the site.

Otherwise it's just Gizmodo for weirdos (in the best possible sence of that term). It's a bit incongruous to see people license their works in a format that would allow someone to do much worse than that comment to Cory's book, but for Boing! Boing! itself to be a one-way street. The comments and suggestions by other visitors were half the fun -- why let the occasional idiot troll hold that hostage?

Why not charge for the latest content... for instance, if you are a paying member (I'm thinking $1/month) you get up-to-date content. Penny pincher's get yesterdays with teasers. Just a thought.

boing, boing, boing...

http://www.filmrot.com

Edited by author 04-07-2004 01:15 AM
simple answer: autogenerate a torrent with the current html/gfx of the site every hour or other predefined time.

forget turning into a paysite. offer one torrent as 'the archive' (needed only to update this once a month or so) and one as the 'news of the day' or 'monthly news'. put it up on suprnova.org/other or have your own tracker site hosting the torrent file. this would work because the content is fresh and would have many seeders/leechers at any given time.

you could take this further and develop an app that runs in your html page that acts as the bittorrent client and once the download is complete, automatically displays the html and graphics.

Edited by author 04-07-2004 01:45 AM
actually, as I recall, the comments went away when an influx of twits came to see the guy from rotten.com in the guest bar, and near the same time, for some bizarre reason, images were enabled in the discussion forum... so we had goatse left and right til the comments were removed in their entirety.

[edit]And a torrent is a bad idea. torrents are fine for downloading linux isos and porn, but not for a website. corporate networks don't allow that stuff, it has to use normal http.

Mark, David, you've already received a good number of solutions... optimising your code and images and opening links in a new window would probably cut your bandwidth to 1/3 the current amount, and changing to a new host will remove the worries over excessive bandwidth. (and if the host prices listed thus far are too high, you can get 500 megs of bandwidth at 1and1.com's lowest end dedicated server for only 49 a month). The assorted ideas for raising money are good, but cutting cost is much more valuable than raising money (tell that to the government) though of course both can be helpful.

Adding comments back in would be nice, but leave the images off. And keep in mind that comments will greatly *increase* your traffic, especially if you dump quicktopic and host them yourself.

Edited by author 04-07-2004 04:17 AM
Freenet and its ilk run over port 80, encrypted, just like SSL (or ssh if config'd thus). Snoop-proof to all but the extremely motivated (Flowers By Irene), and therefore invulnerable to firewalling and other such impediments.

Freenet runs on Java, and IIRC, there's a version of it out there that comes complete with a standalone JVM, so it'll run on lockdown office-drone PC's. (It's how I play Battletech at work... a fan-developed, network aware bootleg computer version of the classic board/miniature game. Runs on my Mac and Ultra2 at home and my nazibox at work.)

I'm sure something dreary like a subscription or epilepsy-inducing flash banner ads will be implemented instead.

I'd simply add google adsense. With your hit levels and if you put them in the right position, I would suggest you could more than cover your costs. I've used this strategy on my sites and found it to be very effective. You won't be able to retire from them, but should be able to cut some costs.

Also as others have said - your front page is pretty massive - perhaps use extended entries more...thumbnails for pictures...whatever it takes to cut down bandwidth from that end.

Good luck and keep up the great work.

Sell Blogads. You'll be in a network with some of the most interesting blogs around: DailyKos, Talkingpointsmemo, Atrios... and hundreds more. Good for you, good for them. Some political advertisers crave BoingBoing's audience, and a bunch of tech advertisers are lining up too. Should make $2000-$4000 a month. Give me a call @ 617 395 0176.

Since this thread runs to well over 200+ posts I doubt my idea will be all that unique (or even read!) but I am a casual reader of Boing Boing and feel partially responsible for its current state.

First off I have to say charging for content is not going to work, unless your goal is to reduce the number of readers you have, as people are accustomed to getting high quality content for free.

But sometimes I see two 'ill's and wonder why they can't cancel each other out. I think Boing Boing should go 'print' and fill the vacuum of literate / geeky magazines which is left on the newstands today. Since Wired went corporate there has been nothing to replace the voice of the fringe in print. I really lament the great magazines of the past; High Frontiers, Mondo 2000, Omni, and the early run of Wired.

I think Boing Boing has that cohesive stickiness that other sites lack. if someone sents me a link to a Boing Boing story I already know I am going to read it before I even click the URL.

So I guess I am saying there has to be a publisher out there willing to take on Boing Boing and make it a brand with all the good (server space, really wide readership, really big glossy pictures and articles which you can read on the bus) and bad (corporate influence, crass promotions, loss of creative control and huge new egos for all the Boing Boing contributors ) that that implies.

Opening links in a new window will not affect bandwidth usage.

Edited by author 04-07-2004 09:26 AM
Subscription...

http://drhome.digitalriver.com/livehtml/newsite/pr_307.html

Deleon: [edit]And a torrent is a bad idea. torrents are fine for downloading linux isos and porn, but not for a website. corporate networks don't allow that stuff, it has to use normal http.

bittorrents are distributed via http. perhaps what you mean to say is: corp's don't allow exchanges over anything other than ports 80 (http) and maybe 21 (ftp).

otherwise, the homepage of this site could have a link to download the torrent file via http. once a bittorrent client is open, it is using http to communicate and download from trackers and users.

the advantages to this system are obvious. the bandwidth is spread out among many users. file distribution of legal product is absolutely safe and has no logical objectionability.

Edited by author 04-07-2004 11:14 AM
Marlon: bOING bOING began as a print 'zine, back in 1988! More on that here...
http://www.zinebook.com/interv/boing.html

-pesco