Adds on top and bottom of the posts I can live with.

But these bloody adds all through posts are getting damn annoying

How do I get rid of these damn things.

Send a bill to FD , 10% interest / month.

The more threads and posts I read about this 'issue' the more I'd like to see what all the fuss is about.

Then again, maybe not.  :)

---

http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1588603320

;)

The adds are a lot more welcome than the posts from some people here.

Oh, I've also been tempted a few times to block the image of Ayers Rock oops, Uluru with its fence and newly added coronavirus but it does have a certain amusement factor. 8-)

Sprintcyclist wrote on May 6^th, 2020 at 5:37pm:

The adds are a lot more welcome than the posts from some people here.

I agree, Sprint. I keep getting one for Muslim brides - 100% "intact", papers available upon enquiry.

I'll have to ask Gordon what it means.

Dirty Paki Khunt wrote on May 6^th, 2020 at 6:38pm:

Sprintcyclist wrote on May 6th, 2020 at 5:37pm: The adds are a lot more welcome than the posts from some people here. I agree, Sprint. I keep getting one for Muslim brides - 100% "intact", papers available upon enquiry. I'll have to ask Gordon what it means.

What's your preference today? Male or female?

Valkie wrote on May 6^th, 2020 at 5:22pm:

Adds on top and bottom of the posts I can live with. But these bloody adds all through posts are getting damn annoying How do I get rid of these damn things.

Get an effective ad blocker.

FD says he is running this place at a loss of $250.00 per month.

He has always had income from ads.......and still...a net loss of $250.00 a month...he says.

Frankly, I do not believe him, but, on the other hand, he is not seeking financial assistance from Members.

He says he has a dedicated server and that is what is costing him....large.

I don't understand it all.

I took over a diminishing Forum, a large one in its prime, and the Owner was a very ill bloke, and it cost me about $250.00 a year.

I am damn sure Monk is not paying $250.00 a month to run his Forum.

Aussie wrote on May 6^th, 2020 at 6:51pm:

Valkie wrote on May 6th, 2020 at 5:22pm: Adds on top and bottom of the posts I can live with. But these bloody adds all through posts are getting damn annoying How do I get rid of these damn things. Get an effective ad blocker. FD says he is running this place at a loss of $250.00 per month. He has always had income from ads.......and still...a net loss of $250.00 a month...he says. Frankly, I do not believe him, but, on the other hand, he is not seeking financial assistance from Members. He says he has a dedicated server and that is what is costing him....large. I don't understand it all. I took over a diminishing Forum, a large one in its prime, and the Owner was a very ill bloke, and it cost me about $250.00 a year. I am damn sure Monk is not paying $250.00 a month to run his Forum.

I can't explain why this forum costs an arm and a leg to run -
$250 month after the income from adverts is subtracted!

There must be a better deal out there.

Well if you 'scabs' don't want to help pay FreeDiver's $250 a month bill - then F*uck off with your whingefest.

I predict FD will close the Forum down next year, because of all you whinging tightwad scabs not wanting to contribute and have a cry instead.
HTFU you scabby whingers or send FD some money.

Aussie wrote on May 6^th, 2020 at 6:51pm:

Valkie wrote on May 6th, 2020 at 5:22pm: Adds on top and bottom of the posts I can live with. But these bloody adds all through posts are getting damn annoying How do I get rid of these damn things. Get an effective ad blocker. FD says he is running this place at a loss of $250.00 per month. He has always had income from ads.......and still...a net loss of $250.00 a month...he says. Frankly, I do not believe him, but, on the other hand, he is not seeking financial assistance from Members. He says he has a dedicated server and that is what is costing him....large. I don't understand it all. I took over a diminishing Forum, a large one in its prime, and the Owner was a very ill bloke, and it cost me about $250.00 a year. I am damn sure Monk is not paying $250.00 a month to run his Forum.

you're the biggest tightwad scab that ever was Aussie.

Jasin wrote on May 6^th, 2020 at 9:24pm:

Well if you 'scabs' don't want to help pay FreeDiver's $250 a month bill - then F*uck off with your whingefest.

how much have you donated? ::) ::) ::)

John Smith wrote on May 7^th, 2020 at 8:41am:

Jasin wrote on May 6th, 2020 at 9:24pm: Well if you 'scabs' don't want to help pay FreeDiver's $250 a month bill - then F*uck off with your whingefest. how much have you donated? ::) ::) ::)

I'm FreeDiver's 'mini-me'.
He calls me 'FreeLoader'.
He lets me off the leash to annoy you Trolls.
I'm like a white blood cell fighting infections like you.  :P
Does that annoy you?
FD gets his money's worth from me.  ;)
I get banned when they see you lot starting to cry  :'( :'(
It's the only way to put me back on the leash.  ;D

Part of the problem is no or very few new members coming and the inevitable drop off of existing members—I have not seen Phemanderac post for years now and he was a good poster, high quality posts.

Cleaning up the front page as I have suggested might help to get visitors to join.

I think a dedicated server is extravagant—and if it goes down in the middle of the night here there is no one to tell Hostgator about it. With a shared server plenty other website Admins will be screaming to Hostgator, some in the same or adjacent time zones to it—i.e. would be screaming to Hostgator during our night.

Transferring from YABB to an SQL based platform would do the most good, going by what FD said about it. Be a nightmare to export/import all the data (posts, avatars, PMs, passwords, user groups etc) from YABB to another platform unless this is done by the host. Not sure what platform allows for MRBs, phpBB3 doesn’t, really, (use Forum Moderator functions?) Then move to a better host than hostgator.

phpBB3 will alllow Forum Moderators to be appointed—some permissions for this role are global so, like here, a Forum/MRB Mod will not be able to ban members from his or her board.

WARNING: Members will have problems posting YouTubes and other media for people on Windoze10. Well, not posting but members using W10 won’t be able to see them.

PS: I run Adblocker and see no ads here. Not inclined to remove ad blocker either.

I have not seen anything yet to convert a YaBB forum to a database style forum, so we would start afresh, and keep this one online somewhere as a read only thing.

We had a lot more issues with the site going offline back when we were on a VPS. Sometimes it was me who requested the reboot or whatever the fix was. But it has definitely been a lot better since the upgrade. Not enough to justify the expense but.

I will look into making the ads work, then consider my options in terms of downgrading the hosting and switch the forum software. I have only heard that report about resource consumption from one person, so I am still a bit skeptical about it.

More members would make the ads produce more revenue.

Getting rid of the PA board here would reduce processor cycles.

Is there an intermediate step between shared and dedicated servers?

I am about to move from phbBB3.3 to paid-for software. I have added an enhanced search module—cost me a bit over $200 and I will need to pay a small sum yearly to be able to receive support, download updates etc. Will be good. Just waiting for a phpBB3.3 migration module.

Jovial Monk wrote on May 9^th, 2020 at 9:56am:

More members would make the ads produce more revenue. Getting rid of the PA board here would reduce processor cycles. Is there an intermediate step between shared and dedicated servers?

Monk would love to get rid of the real PA board.  :-X

You can all move to Naffy’s board.

PA costs nothing to run. It's YaBB that chews up the CPU.

It does use processor cycles and bandwidth and produces only trouble on OzPol. Why not put ads in the PA board? Then at least it does something for the whole site.

GMods meddling in MRBs is going to send OzPol on another downward turn as are ads within posts.

As to less trouble on the dedicated server—this place goes down more often than my place.

Will you at least look at reducing the size and clutter of the front page here? It is offputting to new members.

I look at it every day.

Look at as in doing something about it?

Look at as in look at.

freediver wrote on May 9^th, 2020 at 10:50am:

Look at as in look at.

Hi FD,
I can see you really appreciate Monk's advice.    :-[

His opinion has been noted and will be taken into consideration.

freediver wrote on May 9^th, 2020 at 10:55am:

His opinion has been noted and will be taken into consideration.

That's nice.
I will be sorry to lose Ozpolitic in its present form.
It's the best Australian forum right now.

"Where are these bloody adds (sic) coming from?"

Scotty from Marketing?   :-/

Wow, OzPol is slow!

Better so something soon, FD!

There is a YABB to smf conversion, if that helps—then convert to a SQL type environment of your choice.

But soon!

Jovial Monk wrote on May 9^th, 2020 at 5:08pm:

Wow, OzPol is slow! Better so something soon, FD! There is a YABB to smf conversion, if that helps—then convert to a SQL type environment of your choice. But soon!

I don't think you even know what you're trying to say most of the time.  ::) Skunk.

Jovial Monk wrote on May 9^th, 2020 at 10:18am:

Will you at least look at reducing the size and clutter of the front page here? It is offputting to new members.

Done a survey of prospective new members that haven't joined have you? Or are you just pissing into your own pocket?

freediver wrote on May 9^th, 2020 at 10:55am:

His opinion has been noted and will be taken into consideration.

That's nice.
I will be sorry to lose Ozpolitic in its present form.
It's the best Australian forum right now.

I am not getting adds.

Monk da Skunk waltzes in from his PA Forum to tell FD how to run his.  ;D ;D