Anybody else having issues?
- Thread starter pclark
- Start date
Could we all pay $$ something per year to help w this or is it beyond our control
dfattack
Well-known member
I suggested that a few years ago when John was still with us. I didn't get a response. If the pop ups and adds are for money maybe we could all simply pay a membership fee to get rid of all the crap. At least worth looking into.
So how would that work pay to play can’t get in unless you’re a paid member? Just the discussion board or entire website?
No idea just curious if we could pay up to solve the worlds problems
I am probably the most computer illiterate person on this site. That being said, I have "2 Cups & a String" internet at home, a windows 7 & a 10 laptop & my cheap Samsung phone. (Also Windows 11 & high speed internet at work). Either they all work or none do. Getting onto JohnDee is no problem, it's the Discussion Board where it locks up.
I've been around over 20 years & the site kept expanding yet I typically only checked weather, Discussion Board & periodically Journal & webcams.
Now if I remember correctly, when John retired the pop-ups started & I just assumed they were to generate some revenue to fund the site in his retirement. It also seems to me that there were a few questions about the pop-ups & not everyone was having issues. Back to my cheap phone & my lack of skills (ad blocker? I don't know how to turn it on or off & not about to push buttons at random for experimentation). So I tolerated them.
Recently things are bad, real bad. Worse than this week's meltdown. And obviously everyone is enjoying them equally.
I don't know about making it a pay as you go site. Obviously no one will pay until before they know what it is. So free to view, pay to post?
Gary, do you have any access to usage #s. By this I mean by category. For example Discussion Board overall & breakdown by topic. It seems Misc, Snowfall & Area Conditions are the top 3 categories by a huge margin. Are there enough active posters to generate enough revenue?
I've been around over 20 years & the site kept expanding yet I typically only checked weather, Discussion Board & periodically Journal & webcams.
Now if I remember correctly, when John retired the pop-ups started & I just assumed they were to generate some revenue to fund the site in his retirement. It also seems to me that there were a few questions about the pop-ups & not everyone was having issues. Back to my cheap phone & my lack of skills (ad blocker? I don't know how to turn it on or off & not about to push buttons at random for experimentation). So I tolerated them.
Recently things are bad, real bad. Worse than this week's meltdown. And obviously everyone is enjoying them equally.
I don't know about making it a pay as you go site. Obviously no one will pay until before they know what it is. So free to view, pay to post?
Gary, do you have any access to usage #s. By this I mean by category. For example Discussion Board overall & breakdown by topic. It seems Misc, Snowfall & Area Conditions are the top 3 categories by a huge margin. Are there enough active posters to generate enough revenue?
As you might expect, Miscellaneous has the most interest. When there's storms/snow, the Current Conditions jumps to the top. Vintage probably comes in a close third almost certainly due to Skiroule's continued posts of his restorations.
A couple of thoughts on the pop ups and I have to be careful here for obvious reasons. When John was still with us, he was selling advertising to cover the costs of having his own site. I recall his saying that the revenue wasn't enough to live on, but it covered his expenses and was a nice bonus for his efforts. It was a win-win, for him and us.
Present day, I don't see any, or very little advertising outside of the pop ups. But they do generate income to cover the cost of having a place on the Internet. Unfortunately, it seems like the wild west for the volume of ads and I believe that's the cause of our outages.
When we lost John, many had suggested another placeholder for winter forecasts. Nora was adamant that no one else would be doing weather forecasts in place of John. She wanted to keep things as they were in memory of John. Apparently, the advertisers have been replaced by Adsense or whatever is placing the pop ups and we're being overrun. Which in turn causes the continued outages.
If you sense some frustration on my part, you're right. After we lost John I had a short discussion with Nora regarding future plans. We didn't have a webmaster, as that was all John's doing. Since then, I've had very little guidance. I'm responsible for content but have no control over the technical end of things. Sure wish I did, or I'd have a tech on my speed dial, but I don't. And that's where we are today.
It's not my place to tell someone how to run their business, so I won't. I'm hopeful that changes are made, at a minimum to eleviate these ads. This has been a special place for many of us over the years and I would like to see that continue. John wanted a website for the snow lovers that was a place you could catch a laugh, post an opinion without getting flamed or maybe find a solution to problem your having. I think we've managed the last part, the other stuff is up to someone else. Let's hope that it happens.....
A couple of thoughts on the pop ups and I have to be careful here for obvious reasons. When John was still with us, he was selling advertising to cover the costs of having his own site. I recall his saying that the revenue wasn't enough to live on, but it covered his expenses and was a nice bonus for his efforts. It was a win-win, for him and us.
Present day, I don't see any, or very little advertising outside of the pop ups. But they do generate income to cover the cost of having a place on the Internet. Unfortunately, it seems like the wild west for the volume of ads and I believe that's the cause of our outages.
When we lost John, many had suggested another placeholder for winter forecasts. Nora was adamant that no one else would be doing weather forecasts in place of John. She wanted to keep things as they were in memory of John. Apparently, the advertisers have been replaced by Adsense or whatever is placing the pop ups and we're being overrun. Which in turn causes the continued outages.
If you sense some frustration on my part, you're right. After we lost John I had a short discussion with Nora regarding future plans. We didn't have a webmaster, as that was all John's doing. Since then, I've had very little guidance. I'm responsible for content but have no control over the technical end of things. Sure wish I did, or I'd have a tech on my speed dial, but I don't. And that's where we are today.
It's not my place to tell someone how to run their business, so I won't. I'm hopeful that changes are made, at a minimum to eleviate these ads. This has been a special place for many of us over the years and I would like to see that continue. John wanted a website for the snow lovers that was a place you could catch a laugh, post an opinion without getting flamed or maybe find a solution to problem your having. I think we've managed the last part, the other stuff is up to someone else. Let's hope that it happens.....
Gary
heckler56
Well-known member
IT is truly a wild frontier of late. Every year about this time I get spam text, email, phone calls, etc. Since I won the lottery of personal info on the dark web, ss#-birthday-bank accounts-cc-email accounts-phone numbers-beneficiaries-and list goes on, this heightens the attacks this time of year. I suspect whatever/whoever out there use this time of year to go into overdrive attempting to snag the next score. Maybe after the holidays their robo attacks on this site will l lesson. Until then, my thanks to Gary and others that do what they can to provide us with a place to connect.
Wait... What??? I think I am the most computer illiterate person on this site and don't care to become computer literate either LOL!! I would definitely be interested in a "pay to remove pop up ads" option. I don't know if it could be done but instead of an everyone has to pay to access the site, is there a way each individual could pay to opt out of the ads and let the people who don't mind them deal with them? again not a computer guy so not sure if that would be possible. I understand the need for the ads, sometimes they just become overwhelming especially when surfing on phone. The other thing I hate is when they pop up at just the time you go to click something and are now in the ads website. To Gary and all the other moderators on this site, I am glad you have stuck to Nora's wishes not to have a weather outlet on this site, I for one dont think not having it really affected participation on this site. The weather section was John's own in his own style and will never be replicated, and being the site still thankfully bears his name and is still here, its only right to honor Nora's wishes and would not be the same bringing someone else in. There is a very tight knit group of guys and gals on this site, I have made many friends on this site, consider many of them family and have had the honor of riding with some of them. I for one am appreciative and thankful the site is still here, even with the occasional hiccup. I will admit when it is not accessible it is frustrating but that fact only nails in the importance of this site and the friends and family I have made here when I am unable to access them and see whats going on.
Gary I appreciate all your efforts and completely understand the root of your frustration. No biz can stay on top of its game without improvement and changes. Please keep on keeping on it would not be good for any of us if you left. I too hope changes and improvements are in the wind and will result in a better experience for members.
Wait, I'll chime in that I'm the most illiterate on the computer. Every time I turn this thing on I say 4 Novenas and 6 hail Marys: And I'm not even Catholic! lol. Rev
dfattack
Well-known member
you have to log in to the discussion board. I'm not a web IT guy but it could be similar to how the board knows we signed up for the bar stool. It can see we paid our annual amount whatever it is and know not to throw all the crap at us.
I do this for youtube. I pay a small amount each year and don't have to watch adds when a watch a video. not real complicated for a company who's in the business.