Tom Veale
I have also followed this thread and have come to some conclusions, which are open for discussion.
Most people that have posted here have an agenda. Some posters are more obvious than are others, Bob for instance. His ideal agenda is included in this thread’s header. (today)
Subject 52006
As suggested by Bob Zumbrunnen....Here's the formula I like best:
1. Buy SI's database. No software. Just the accounts and messages on a few DVD-ROM's or tapes.
2. Plug it into a site like iHub, whose software, while still very undeveloped, is relatively functional and stable.
3. Grandfather all of SI's active members in via their accounts you got in Step 1.
4. Have enough in the bank to keep it rolling while you wait for SI's members to get active about posting.
5. Open the doors to new users, possibly charging for posting privileges, possibly not, but definitely charging them for enhanced features (multi-message view, no ads, etc)
6. Develop the software and when it's ready, deploy it elsewhere.
marketnoize.com
Bob, don’t take my comment the wrong way because everyone has both a right to his or her opinion as well as a right to earn a living in this great country of ours. Your own site pursuit is fine by me but I must say that I haven’t noticed any financial bulletin board web site business model that looks in anyway close to financially promising to anyone but the programmer/site owner, who is being paid until the site is running well. Never a profit to be made. I wish any partners in such an endeavor my best.
The big draw back is that any entrepreneur has to have a solid business plan in order to draw funding for the venture. The downside is that not even Yahoo makes money unless you call a penny a share at times “worth $300.00 a share” a wise investment or $8 a share a wise investment.
Then there are the politics of a site like SI. I see people here complaining of things that they are guilty of ten times over. I see some onlookers (?) who wonder why posts like mine are made.
If SI or any site sees you as “their meal ticket” they will roll out the red carpet……give out multiple accounts for free and the site’s Sandy Claws followers feel safe hiding behind the skirt of the site ’s political powers, purely based on my obervations on this and several other threads.
So……………………………………why are we here?
Most people have their own agendas, as do I. My agenda was to teach others how to fish the markets and my fee has always been $0 on SI or any other place that I have or do post. Who paid…..(?)….I did for a membership to this screwed up site.
If you or others are paying any site for a membership or if you own a site that charges a membership fee…someone is getting fleeced IMO.
Free is where it should be, content providers are key.
If you know what you are doing you can make money investing as well as share your knowledge with-a-smile at NO_CHARGE. I will never charge anyone for my knowledge. I will not pretend to know more that I do…….I will not sit in the political lap of any site….I will not be SI’s free content provider.
My SI post for the week,
Reid |
