*Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.*

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Steve E.
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*Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.*

Post: # 23782Unread post Steve E.
Fri Mar 01, 2013 1:48 pm

Dear all,

Steve E., the site admin, here.

I am about to make a couple of changes to the Lathe Trolls forum, and I want to explain them before they happen.

First of all: On the advice of many people, both onsite and off, I am going to try putting Google Ads on the site in a couple days. It is an experiment. It is my fervent hope that this will not degrade the site --aesthetically or functionally-- to any serious extent. It is also my hope that it will help to fund Lathe Trolls, and therefore allow me to spend a lot more time on the site, making it more useful and more fun.

The ads will show up as banners. The banners will be located after the first posting of a given thread. Possibly, they will show up on the index as well, though I have not figured out how to do this.

I have now been running the site for nearly eight years, as an entirely volunteer operation; sometimes, in a very hands-on way; and, in some earlier years, due to the other commitments in my life, barely at all. Recently, though, it's been a significant (enjoyable) job, with personal financial investment, yet no income. The last part needs to change, for both the site's survival and my well-being.

It is my commitment that all money coming in will lead to better content going out. I'm planning to add more features, probably on tabs adjacent to the forum section. Interviews with many of you! Videos! Perhaps, eventually, articles and columns.

I have no idea yet if Google ads will actually WORK on such an intensely niche site. We shall see! It seems that it would make more sense for the very niche businesses that serve this site's audience, as well as the business-owning participants on the site, to run banners here instead. So, if the Google Ads experiment is a failure....let's talk. (in fact, I am happy to begin talking now. PM me.)

This brings me to the second change. See that banner on the top? You might notice that it has finally changed from that silly "phpBB" logo.

Coming up, it will mention Dr. Dub, as a THANK YOU for their creation and funding of the "LatheTrolls.com" URL for the prior several years, and for related help and support. In the future, I may open that banner up for additional sponsorships as well.

It is my hope that these developments will be understood and received positively.

Please feel free to discuss these changes in this thread, or in private correspondence with me! if you have any concerns, please be civil and respectful.

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piaptk
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Re: Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.

Post: # 23784Unread post piaptk
Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:00 pm

You might even consider a pay wall... This is the kind of specialized forum and community that (I would imagine) people would have no problem paying $20 a year to be involved with. At least I wouldn't.

Might even convince some of the lurkers to contribute... Will also cut down on the number of repetitive newbie posts from people with a passing interest that is not actually piqued enough to bother reading the forum BEFORE asking questions.

What does everyone else think? Would you pay $1.75/mo to have access to all the information and resources this forum offers?
I Buy/Sell/Restore Vintage Machines/Parts and Provide Phone/In Person Tech Support
www.MichaelDixonVinylArt.com
www.LatheCutCamp.com
www.RecordLatheParts.com
www.MobileVinylRecorders.com
www.LatheCuts.com

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mratx
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Re: Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.

Post: # 23785Unread post mratx
Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:19 pm

I have no problems with ads, or a membership fee, or anything similar that will help. Not sure if the site has enough traffic to do one of those click through Amazon deals (where the site gets some small percentage from any Amazon sales that are a result of the buyer clicking through to Amazon from the site), but that might be an additional option.

Also, the site should probably have some type of Donate Now button for voluntary donations to support the site, a lot of the free sites tend to have those.

Mark

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Virtalahde
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Re: Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.

Post: # 23786Unread post Virtalahde
Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:35 pm

I'm ready to fund this site right now. Yearly fee would be fine for me.

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Steve E.
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Re: Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.

Post: # 23787Unread post Steve E.
Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:06 pm

I love the donation button idea. Any donations would have to be volunteer.....no quicker way to gum up the Feng Shui of this place than to restrict access, though if there was a way to give extra privileges or content to paying members, that could be cool. Not sure what bonuses they might get, or even how to do that.

If anyone with experience in phpBB3 knows how to program/install such a donation button with a minimum of fuss, I am all ears.

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Virtalahde
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Re: Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.

Post: # 23790Unread post Virtalahde
Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:42 pm

While waiting for that button to appear, just give us the paypal address and we'll push the button manually.

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markrob
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Re: Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.

Post: # 23791Unread post markrob
Fri Mar 01, 2013 4:30 pm

Hi Steve,

I have no problem with a subscritpion/donation. Its amazing that you have been able to fund this for so long out of your pocket.

It would seem that many of the pro's here could run low cost ad's for services; maybe even links to some of the music that is being cut by many here. Many of the small lables could benefit from this.

Mark

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markrob
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Re: Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.

Post: # 23793Unread post markrob
Fri Mar 01, 2013 4:39 pm

Hi Again,

I had one other possible funding thought. Maybe you could run a once a year fundrasing drive ala' NPR. Just ask those of us that find the fourm worthwile to contribute and I'll bet you get the funds you need to keep things running with little trouble. You could avoid all of the hassle of running ads and other web based solutions.

Mark

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Angus McCarthy
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Re: Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.

Post: # 23798Unread post Angus McCarthy
Fri Mar 01, 2013 6:28 pm

I'm going to have to chime in as being fundamentally against a pay-wall. The open sharing of the information on the forums here is what got me involved in this crazy scheme in the first place.

If we're looking for ways to encourage and acknowledge supporting the site there's the simple option of adding a "Donor" tag to everybody that contributes.

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jjgolden
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Re: Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.

Post: # 23799Unread post jjgolden
Fri Mar 01, 2013 7:34 pm

I'm all for convenience and not excluding anybody from accessing the site, casual lurkers included. We are the life support and future of vinyl records.We need to do everything we can to encourage and inspire people.
I think there are enough of us between donations, google ads and as-needed fundraisers to offset operational costs. Steve would need to be the judge of that last comment as I have no Idea what's involved work-wise there...

Thanks for all the work you've put into this steve!
JJG

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Steve E.
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Re: Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.

Post: # 23802Unread post Steve E.
Sat Mar 02, 2013 12:57 am

I appreciate all the suggestions so far. Keep 'em coming!

Angus and JJG, I hear you loud and clear. I think, fundamentally, the site's primary content must be available to everyone, or it will simply stop working as a vital entity.

I have thought about the classified section. It is a free service, but obviously it is a major revenue producer for some. Perhaps, if/when I put up a "donate" button, it would be a simple matter of encouraging people to tip the board a little if they have a large, successful sale. A couple of people have done that recently of their own accord, after selling a high-end refurbished lathe or some similar thing, and it truly helped me out (and the gesture felt good to me, as well).

On the other hand, I could go the Craigslist route and charge a fee for posting certain kinds of classified content. It's an underdeveloped idea. I have an impulse to censor myself until I think it out more, but in fact I'm interested in people's brainstorms.

By the way...when I say the unsolicited donations "helped me out" I mean it. I don't want to get into a melodramatic and boring recounting of the collapse of the freelance industry that had paid my bills for the past decade. Suffice it to say that this has been a period of necessary reinventing of myself professionally, and re-marketing my skills (animating, audio editing, composing) to new job networks. I'm sure I'm not the only one on the board in this situation. Still, please understand that this is the context in which I am thinking these monetary things through. It's the change in my situation that's made it seem more necessary.

I want this board to help everyone out. I love the idea of people sustaining their professions --and this craft and art-- with the help of it. I simply need to make sure that I don't forget to sustain myself in the process. I'm probably preaching to the choir here.

So by the way: If you come across any job leads for me, especially in the greater New York area....let me know. That will help sustain this board, too. ;) It's a bit of a tangent, but here's my website: http://www.paleophone.net.

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drdub
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Re: *Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.*

Post: # 23803Unread post drdub
Sat Mar 02, 2013 3:57 am

i am contributing and running 2 other sites and we fund them using the paypal donation button.
on the top left corner all registered membersee the currernt amount of money on the forum account.
payment is optional and its up to the user to determine how much he /she will pay.
it works perfect and is absolutely transparent.

...and thanks for oputting all your work in this. only few peaople ralize how much time it really takes...

mex
satan spins vinyl

*** www.drdub.com ***

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Angus McCarthy
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Re: *Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.*

Post: # 23804Unread post Angus McCarthy
Sat Mar 02, 2013 9:30 am

Everybody just remember, if you are running Adblock or a similar program, to include an exception for the Forums!

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piaptk
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Re: *Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.*

Post: # 23815Unread post piaptk
Sun Mar 03, 2013 11:48 am

I like the idea of people on the site advertising instead of Google ads. If there is any way to set up your own ads through the phpbb, that would be way more useful than some random crap that google tries to shoehorn in. Ill buy an ad!
I Buy/Sell/Restore Vintage Machines/Parts and Provide Phone/In Person Tech Support
www.MichaelDixonVinylArt.com
www.LatheCutCamp.com
www.RecordLatheParts.com
www.MobileVinylRecorders.com
www.LatheCuts.com

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Steve E.
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Re: *Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.*

Post: # 23845Unread post Steve E.
Mon Mar 04, 2013 7:58 pm

I made a penny on google adsense today!!!! Someone actually clicked one of the appropriate ads on gold or silver or dating! At that rate....

oh crap, wait a minute.

"Finalized earnings may be slightly lower than estimated earnings."

boo.

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Angus McCarthy
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Re: *Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.*

Post: # 23858Unread post Angus McCarthy
Tue Mar 05, 2013 12:24 pm

Oh, I just NEED NEED NEED a stretch elastic corset!

(Come on, Google, get your Ads together...) :P

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Steve E.
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Re: *Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.*

Post: # 23873Unread post Steve E.
Wed Mar 06, 2013 1:27 am

Well, I added a paypal donate button, above. I put a little text about it in the Classifieds, though maybe it belongs in this section.

It's simple to the point of crudeness and I'm not sure that's the best place for it. I am all ears if people have suggestions. I don't want it to be oppressive or annoying.

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Virtalahde
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Re: *Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.*

Post: # 23876Unread post Virtalahde
Wed Mar 06, 2013 1:54 am

Not oppressed at all. Gathering the vinyl people together is a job well done, and I hope everyone remembers to donate something every now and then.

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Serif
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Re: *Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.*

Post: # 23881Unread post Serif
Wed Mar 06, 2013 5:33 am

Maybe one less button? Like the one at the top. Don't need the other one at the bottom?

That's what she might say....



- Roald Hirrh

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Steve E.
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Re: *Changes afoot at Lathe Trolls, Please read.*

Post: # 23887Unread post Steve E.
Wed Mar 06, 2013 11:17 am

They are the same "block" which is why it's showing up twice. but yeah, it would be better if that weren't the case.

Google ads is starting to get more specific. There are lots of ads for "lathes" but they are wood-turning lathes. I just got an ad that said "boring machines." I beg your pardon, but our machines are anything but boring.

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