Regarding the ad blocker popups. Some of these are pretty heavy handed. Basically they block any access unless you whitelist the site. Usually this is news sites and such that have paid subscriptions. If anyone is like me they just move on.

Some are obtrusive but not as heavy handed. Maybe they come up after a short time period. Or perhaps when you try to view anything but the front page. When users do see the popup they're asked to whitelist our site because we're on a budget and operate on donations and ad revenue, etc. Basically we're begging for a handout.

Some are not obtrusive, but are persistent. They sit at the top of the page and bug you until you whitelist the site.

There's a happy medium in there somewhere. Don't push people away, but still get ads to show.

The next level would be to hide ads for paid subscribers. To determine the subscription value for that you'd have to know/guess the revenue per user that your losing. Unless you're wrapping some other value into the subscription.

Yes, we need to beg Gram to keep it up if at all possible and pay him his cost for doing so.

I am on here most of the day all day in some form or another. I am looking forward to the new software so we can connect easier with our phones via TapaTalk. That will entice more people too, especially the younger set since they tend to be the ones to only use phones for their 'Net fix.


MidwestMike wrote:
BubbaKahuna wrote:


To do it right will probably mean taking the existing site down for a period of time,...

That is something to that really needs to be thought about too. The longer it is down, the more chance of people not coming back.
Not that everyone doesn't want to, but gaps get filled.

We've seen a lot people say this is what they do first thing in the morning with their cup of coffee.
(or the posts we see the evening when we know there is more than coffee involved)

When the site is down they will look for something else during those times, and some might stick with what they find.

Not to discredit anything, but why not just let the domain name expire, or release it and allow someone else to get a forum going without customer software? I've started and ran forums when I was in high school and as long as it's not custom, anyone can do it. It would obviously be a fresh start. But at least the clinic won't die out.

adamp wrote:
Not to discredit anything, but why not just let the domain name expire, or release it and allow someone else to get a forum going without customer software? I've started and ran forums when I was in high school and as long as it's not custom, anyone can do it. It would obviously be a fresh start. But at least the clinic won't die out.

That would be Gram's decision alone & since the domain is probably the cheapest part of ownership he could literally own the domain for the rest of his life for very little money. It's not just about the domain, it's the content that we're trying to pound out a good way to archive & still have a secure site that's easy to use.

Jaybo wrote:
Yes, we need to beg Gram to keep it up if at all possible and pay him his cost for doing so.



If I may speak for Steve, money was never the prime driver in his decision .... it's time ... something he has little of and cannot buy,

Doc

DocShadow wrote:
If I may speak for Steve, money was never the prime driver in his decision .... it's time ... something he has little of and cannot buy,

Doc

Oh I totally get that but if we need just a little more time ...