Agent Johnson's Holiday Message to the Kids....

CoasterBuzz has never been about the events. Well, it's kind of about BeastBuzz, because that has become an incredible and huge event, but even on my radar that's not a primary reason to join (probably two-thirds of event attendees are not members). With things being the way they have the last few years, it's getting harder and harder to get parks to work with you on events.

Being a website designer and operator, I too know how much work and money can go into a website. I run websites totally unrelated to coasters, but the same things Jeff deals with, I deal with. While I still avoid putting ads on, it can be tough maintaining costs (especially when the site gets large with thousands of members), and this site has a geat way to earn money to keep it rolling, and keep Jeff going. 20 dollars is not much, especially if you frequent this site daily.

Myself, I use Firefox with popup blocker and adblocker fully in use, and since I'm starting to frequent this site more then once every few weeks, and more like daily now, knowing I can become a paid member to support this site is a great deal, and more then makes up for me hiding those ads! My money will be coming soon one the monthly payday rolls around. Thanks to AJ, for the kick in the pants to remind us about the club! ;)

While I do block popups, I dont block banner ads as they dont deter from my surfing experience just as tv ads dont appear during the program.

The deal with web banner ads is they are usually irrelevant. There are always ads on tv where if I could click to get more info I would. I wish the same thing would transfer to the web. I dont think marketing folks really understand the potential in a good banner ad/companion website.

I have only clicked on Google adsense ads and occasionaly game ads from gaming websites.

I tried Google AdSense on this site for a few days last year, and it bombed. That shouldn't surprise you because if you were to generate ads based on the content of the average page on CoasterBuzz, you probably won't get any relevant ads, and therefore they'll never be clicked.

The problem lies in the fact that this is one of 20 other sites i visit on a very frequent basis, each in the same situation...

It may only be $20, but i visit a bunch of other website that would like donations as well and it all adds up.

-- alan "poor college student" j.

You don't have to justify not buying a membership. I was in college once, too.

I don't think that $20 is unreasonable but maybe in a few years I'll join.

I like the site, but I don't need the track record, the ads don't really bother me because they are on every other site as well, and I also don't attend any of the coaster events.

So for me it's really not worth it. If those perks are important to you than spend the $20. I just like browsing the site.

I have a great popup blocker that I use to block everything. I love this site but all the events are mostly in Ohio. :>(

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SFDL_Dude said:
-- alan "poor college student" j.

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LOL me too ;)

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RamblinWreck said:

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SFDL_Dude said:
-- alan "poor college student" j.

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LOL me too

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Well...college graduate here...starting to pay student loans...job that pays only $9/hr...yeah...not quite yet ready for a membership...but as soon as i get a bit more cash.....

Pop ups and Ads don't bother me because I got Norton IS with all that good stuff. Not really to block the popups but to block adware/spyware, which I don't think you would put on here anyway Jeff.

I enjoy helping out and doing charity and stuff, but my problem is that I barely ever get on here anymore. I mean I guess I could spend 20 dollars but I rather spend it on a Christmas Gift for someone I love, etc.

A real good idea though, and I probably will spend it eventually on this site, but I definitely need to get some Christmas Shopping done first.

To each his own I guess.:)

Jeff, Kyle has brought up something that I have been meaning to ask for a long time.

What does the PoP in PoPForum stand for or mean? Does it stand for People on PC? Also, I don't trust cookies that I didn't ask for, especially cookies that come from closing ads. I know a lot of sites do this, I just think it sucks.

Also Jeff, I really appreciate what you do here. I visit almost once a day for an hour or two. Everyone and their Mother knows that this is the best coaster website anywhere. I have NO problem in any way with you wanting to make money off of this or any other site. It is your right to do so. I wish you good luck. I still think you are a meanie though ;)

Agent J, I usuially run from sales techniques like you have used to start this thread, yet this time I agree.

IMO its really not worth it at all...lets see you pay 20 bucks a month for what....

1. No pop up adds and banners(1/2 fixed by firefox)

2. Track Record....can be done in excel or some other word program(notepad)

3. Coasterbuzz games stuff....well you can go on coastersims or ACN or something with more people for free.

4. Coaster events....well I live in NorCal so I doubt I will go to any of those(maybe solace but problay not)99% of them are in the east/midwest regon so....and plus you still have to pay you just get a discount

I really dont see where the 20 bucks goes except like charity because sites like somethingawful.com charge you 10 bucks ONCE and you get acess to tons of files, music movies and huge message boards with over like 50000 memebers. They have to pay 2000 bucks a month on bandwidth.
ACN I think charges you like 12 bucks ONCE and you get no adds and you get acess to all there videos. So most of that money goes to hosting the videos.

CB doesnt really offer much to a Club member than a normal member. And I really can't see how this site could cost THAT much, there isnt much, there really isnt that much....

So you wont ever get my 20 dollars(yea i know you problay dont want it bla bla bla)

The POP comes from POP World Media. That name dates back to my broadcast days when you were hot if you knew HTML, so I thought I'd build sites for radio stations. That plan never worked out, and I didn't know what the hell I was doing (I'm still not entirely sure). The name stuck because domains were $100 to register at the time, and I wasn't going to buy another one. Considering I sold popworld.com for $100,000 back in 2000 (those Brits are still using it), I'm glad I held on to it. Granted, that was the year I went to Hawaii, paid off my car, paid off thousands in credit card debt, got married, bought the original CoasterBuzz server and software, and used whatever was left after taxes (boy did I get screwed there) as the down payment to my house. You'd think it would go a lot further.

I finally got around to doing some more comprehensive analysis regarding traffic and revenue today. CoasterBuzz traffic is up around 15% on the year, but revenue is actually down slightly. That's a bummer. Here's hoping the ad market gets a little stronger.

NorCal Kid: The site doesn't cost that much to run... it costs that much for me to make a living. This isn't just a hobby for me anymore. Not counting time spent on further development (everything on this site is code I wrote, including the forum, not some free software), I put about 15 hours in to this site a week. Figure in the development time, for each of the site's three versions, and you're looking at something that at my billing rate would have cost around $30k total. Needless to say, I'm not making anything near that amount.

That's my choice, sure, and I can just as well choose to stop doing it some day.

Of course, at your age, it's not surprising that you don't see the value of $20 or paying for something you find useful. Maybe you don't find the site useful. You get what you pay for.

I can't spare the $20 at the moment but I did turn off the ad-blocking for Coasterbuzz in my FireFox. :)

Wow, I'm really behind on paying 20 bucks a year for all the sites I find useful. Now I have to make a list, so I know who to make all the checks out to. CoasterBuzz, Screamscape, Roller Coaster Database, PKIUnlimited, official park sites (Cedar Point, Kings Island, Dollywood, etc.), Abercrombie site, American Eagle site, Hollister site, Hot Topic site, E-MailAnywhere, Newport Music Hall site, Bogarts concert hall site, Ticketmaster, MTV and VH1 sites, Rolling Stone site, NBC, CBS, Fox, The WB, Rotten Tomatoes, Internet Movie Database, Box Office Mojo, DVDFile, DVDReview, DVDAficianado, Yahoo!, CNN, Google, Amazon, The Facebook, the Ohio State University website, LiveJournal, Xanga, Alternative Press site, official band sites (Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, Straylight Run, Bright Eyes, Coldplay, Goo Goo Dolls, Dashboard Confessional, Something Corporate, anyone I plan on seeing in concert), Lyrics sites (AZLyrics, Singrandomnumbers, etc.), SongMeanings, Circuit City site, Best Buy site, Target site,... Wow, there's a lot of Christmas shopping I need to do. I wonder if they'll accept gift certificates. I'll get right on that.

Don't hate for lightening it up. Take it as a chance to get to know me if nothing else. ;)

+Danny, "Do you like to be used? I do, I do. So use me." *** Edited 12/10/2004 9:12:51 AM UTC by +Danny***

Maybe we should have a PBS/NPR-style pledge drive. ;)

Since we're on testamonials, I'll tell you why I plunk down my $20. There are two reasons. First, I'm a curmudgeon, and even banner ads suck. They don't fit the color scheme I've chosen.

Second, and most importantly, there are *lots* of sites out there with discussion on coasters. Most of them are flooded with "me too" messages and "my park is better than your park" screeds, and the average level of discourse is that of your typical pre-adolescent.

This site has good discussions. Well, not always, but at least from time to time. Part of that is thanks to moderation, but it is also thanks ot the community that has formed here. I value that, and it's worth $20 to me to support that community. Do I expect everyone to do so? No. That's up to you. $20 means different things to different folks, and that's okay.

Without having any sourse of income except for a full-time summer job, I just don't have the money either. Being my first year with morgage/cable/gas/electric/water payments, I just can't justify paying ANOTHER 20 bucks for something like this. I have never been to an event, and track record isn't something that I really am into. I enjoy the forum and I am gratefull for the (temporary?) free memberships, but if you have to make everybody pay. . .you gotta do what you gotta do.

I know you said we don't have to justify not paying, but you put a guilt trip on myself and probably others, regaurdless of if that is what this thread was meant for. I think I can contribute with my brain, regaurdless of poor writing/grammar/spelling, (something I struggle with) rather than with cash. At least until my financial situation does a 180.

I couldn't imagine what would happen if you could only be a member of this site if you payed $20, I guess from a financial aspect it would be a wonderful idea, but for those teens on this site (myself included) who's parents don't allow memberships to forums, that would be a problem.

I agree with you word, I don't feel that money is really an issue on this site, I think the issue is common sense. People complain so much on this site when mods and people jump down there throats for violating the TOS or opening a thread with a repetitive subject.

All the newbs need to do is read the TOS, and stay back for maybe a week or 2 and just read what people have to say, and then when they are ready to make their first post, make sure it's intelligent (I think that's spelled right ;)) and original.

Also if anyone in here is new, don't have an attitude, most of the people on this board are just trying to help.

Oh, and I didn't post my "excuses" for not joining to squirm out of not joining. I posted them so people would have a reason why I can't join, rather than just a cold-hearted answer. *** Edited 12/11/2004 10:13:59 PM UTC by Kyle Fobe***