Hosting for astrosafarivans.com

Questions, comments, criticisms, issues, suggestions, praise etc related to this Forum
(Please do not post van questions)

Would you be willing to make a donation to support the costs of moving astrosafaivans.com to its own hosting account?

Yes I would.
16
100%
No I would not.
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 16

User avatar

Topic author
justice
I sleep in my van
Posts: 875
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 1969 4:00 pm
Location: Keeping a good eye on all you yahoos

Hosting for astrosafarivans.com

Post by justice »

new domain names - which to use for site poll results
http://www.astrosafariclub.com 18% [ 7 ]
http://www.astrosafarivans.com 81% [ 30 ]

Total Votes : 37
Ok, it looks to me like there is interest in making this site more than just a "backup" for astrosafari.com, as evidenced by the requests for a "name" for the site. Well, a name has been chosen as you can see, so thats step number 1.

I personally would like to do other things to expand the site, such as addng a member gallery, a Wiki for archiving Astro/Safari history and knowledge and maybe some other things. I would also like to add a better chat (the upgraded version of BlaB. I mentioned in a post back during the AS.com downtime that I felt that if this site were to grow to be its "own" site that I would like it to have its own hosting and be moved off my current server.

There would be several benefits to moving the site to its own hosting account.
1) easier use of the astrosafarivans.com domain name
2) easier to move the site to new owner should something occur where I was no longer available to administer the site
3) more features could be easily added (chat, galleries, wiki, ect)
4) astrosafarivans.com email addresses
5) the ability to sell advertising on the site to make it self sufficient (pay for itself)


So see the new poll.
I have a ban hammer and I ain't fraid to use it!


Current - 2004 Astro Cargo


Former
95 Safari (money pit - sold)
93 Astro Cargo (totaled)
85 Astro - (Bought for parts and scrapped)
92 Astro Conversion (sold)
87 Safari Shorty (sold)

LiftedAWDAstro
I have my van tatooed on my cheeks
Posts: 4379
Joined: Sat Sep 09, 2006 3:35 pm
Location: New Haven, NY

Post by LiftedAWDAstro »

Definately!

Something to consider is giving those who donate money a star or small astro van next to their name to show they are a supporting member. This is done on the http://www.pirate4x4.com forum that I frequent. It give access to addidtional features such as search and allows us to enter into vendor giveaways.
Current rides:
2013 Toyota Tundra DC 4x4
2008 Dodge Nitro 4x4
2005 Nissan Sentra 1.8S Special Edition

Mileage spreadsheet

Vans owned:
1986 Safari 2.5L 4 speed manual - scrapped
1995 Astro 2WD conversion 4.11 posi, shift kit, DHC rock rails - sold to Skippy
1998 Astro 4x4 D44, D60, NP231, full hydraulic system with 9k# Milemarker winch and snow plow - sold to Lockdoc
2003 Astro AWD all stock - traded for a 3/4 ton truck
2005 AWD, 4.10's - sold to skippy

astrozam
I have my van tatooed on my cheeks
Posts: 2770
Joined: Fri Sep 08, 2006 2:57 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 2 times

Post by astrozam »

Count me in =D>
User avatar

86astro
I am merely driving my van
I am merely driving my van
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Sep 16, 2006 6:52 am
Location: Crystal River, FL
Contact:

Post by 86astro »

yeah, count me in too

shawn
1986 Chevy Astro Van, 350 TBI, 1994 dash with a 93 suburban cluster, much more to come... 2/20/07, Astro Involved in Accident, front smacked... Time for new style front end!

Image

jakepatch
I get chills without my van.
Posts: 52
Joined: Sat Sep 09, 2006 5:32 pm
Location: Berlin, WI
Been thanked: 1 time

Post by jakepatch »

As much as I would love to see this site continue to grow, at this point I would have to say I'm not able to help, but when I can I will!
Hope to be vannin' again someday........
User avatar

ryanhettenbach
ASV Supporter
ASV Supporter
Posts: 54
Joined: Mon Sep 25, 2006 1:29 pm
Location: Whippany, NJ
Contact:

Post by ryanhettenbach »

I would donate as long as the board gets a significant update and continues to get updated when voted by it's members.

I also agree that paying members should get something for their contribution whether it be an icon next to their name or a free sticker.

I personally wouldn't be interested in an email account since I already have Gmail, Hotmail and a work email address. Not to mention ryanhettenbach@astrosafarivans.com is a little too long for my liking :)

Advertising is usually how these boards make money, (and they make the owner BUTTLOADS of money in some instances) but we're a pretty small group of enthusiasts when compared to the other automobile message boards out there. As a company it's hard to justifying paying for advertising on a message board when it has less than 200 members.

Like I've said before, I'm more than willing to help out the evolution of the board in any way possible.

Keep up the good work!
1989 Cargo 5spd. Fiberglass Roof.
2002 AWD LS, white

skippy
I sleep in my van
Posts: 717
Joined: Sat Sep 09, 2006 4:46 pm
Location: schenectady NY

Post by skippy »

yeah , I can cough up some cash to help out , it won't be a whole lot but every little bit helps right ?
just let us know where to send it .

thanx skippy
YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE.


DAILY THOUGHT:
SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.


Image
User avatar

SafariRob
ASV Supporter
ASV Supporter
Posts: 556
Joined: Wed Sep 20, 2006 4:57 pm
Location: Bryan, Ohio, USA

Post by SafariRob »

Count me in on contributing, too. I helped out on the other board way back when and now this is home for me.
Rob Shaver
1989 Astro 305 with an MSD 6A ignition and a dash-mounted MSD timing control, a 4160 Holley 465 cfm four barrel carb, and an HEI distributor.
Moog 625 front springs and Energy Suspension poly bushings. Rear OEM sway bar. Edelbrock shocks.

trybe13
ASV Supporter
ASV Supporter
Posts: 410
Joined: Sat Sep 09, 2006 6:53 pm
Location: Artesia, NM -a beautiful desert oasis
Contact:

Post by trybe13 »

I'm in. \:D/
Image
90 Safari XT Hi Top
Lead guitarist for The Jericho Effect
Click the link to bang that head! http://www.ilike.com/artist/Trybe13
Image
User avatar

mdmead
ASV Supporter
ASV Supporter
Posts: 2153
Joined: Sun Sep 10, 2006 6:45 pm
Location: Selah, WA
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Post by mdmead »

Yes, depending on how much we are talking here...

And another concern I have is how much use is this site really going to get. So many have quickly run back to AS.com and nearly abandoned this site. (And AS.com still has many of the same old problems it always had and nobody seems to mind........)
Matt
Selah, WA
-96 GMC Safari AWD Hi-Top Conversion -->Stalled 5.3L swap & 5" lift
-74 Ford Bronco -->Far from perfect but mine!
-99 V-10 Ford Super Duty Super Cab 4x4 -->Stock with 285 Cooper ATs
-00 Ford Focus Wagon -->The Red Turd
-95 Ford 24' Class C Motorhome -->My big block sleeper
-07 Can-Am Outlander XT -->My yellow 4x4 quad for work & play
-04 Ski Doo REV Summit -->Still several chassis behind!


No new projects until the current ones are done!

astrozam
I have my van tatooed on my cheeks
Posts: 2770
Joined: Fri Sep 08, 2006 2:57 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 2 times

Post by astrozam »

I was talking to Justice and I'll have some costs a little later, its really not as much as what some may think.

As to A.S I have a few things to say about that later as well, but I've got to
go see my kids so I'll be back on later, cya

PharmAstrocist
ASV Supporter
ASV Supporter
Posts: 120
Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:17 pm
Location: Monroe, NC

Post by PharmAstrocist »

I just hope you're not getting the "business stars" in your eyes...

Are you looking to sustain or make a living maintaining the site? The needs of this site with its current traffic on its own host ranges from about $4 to $6 a month. You could make that in profit on a single bumper sticker a month probably until it takes off... needs may go as high as $15 a month for increased space and bandwidth if it were insanely popular.

Anyway, I only say this so its remembered that one of the great things about the old site is a total absence of blinking banners telling me what I won, pop-ups, pop-unders, malware exploits etc. Just hope it doesn't go in that direction!

Generating content for a site and keeping it appealing is a lot of hard work, so fair contribution has a good deal of wiggle room.

I've seen the potential of the old site and often wondered why Bill never seemed interested in selling any of the things we are all interested in buying for these vans somehow in a +/- 10% range of the average of all the other sites we use, and we'd buy here/there just for loyalty and convenience... something like that could be cool, but I'd be sad to see the site become a prostitution of itself.

Those concerns aside... you can of course count on me for some support.

Rob
Krispy: '90 Astro Cargo Shorty ----------------------Newest Addition: Kremey: Stock '99 Astro LS 8 Passenger, New CD/MP3 w/ 10" Woofer
Lowered
Rimmed
Kitted
Wired for Sound

ImageImageImageImage Krispy&Kremey

astrozam
I have my van tatooed on my cheeks
Posts: 2770
Joined: Fri Sep 08, 2006 2:57 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 2 times

Post by astrozam »

O.k, here is what it would cost to be on our own as told to me by Justice...

"Currently the host i'm using has a discounted rate for 1 yr of hosting at $70 (usually $100) or we could get 2 years for $140.

Alternatively, we could buy a year and use excess to purchase the upgraded chat software.

Anything left over would be held until they next time renewal came around"

Pretty resonable if you ask me, I don't think anyone is trying to make any living off this site, nobody wants any banners or drop down this or that.

We've had 13 people so far say that they would be willing to contribute, I can't see it being that difficult for any of us to donate between $10-20 U.S depending on if its gonna be for 1 or two yrs, remember this would also include the cost of getting decent software for our chat, there may be some minimal costs to upgrade the chat software but anything excess that we collect will go to pay that kind of expense.

Justice is looking into opening a paypal account for this site, where all donated money would be sent. Also, for those who do not use Paypal, there is the option of sending a U.S postal Money order.

Lets get some feedback on this from the members, does this seem a resonable amount of money that you would be willing to donate??

astrozam
I have my van tatooed on my cheeks
Posts: 2770
Joined: Fri Sep 08, 2006 2:57 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 2 times

Post by astrozam »

mdmead wrote:Yes, depending on how much we are talking here...

And another concern I have is how much use is this site really going to get. So many have quickly run back to AS.com and nearly abandoned this site. (And AS.com still has many of the same old problems it always had and nobody seems to mind........)
Just a few things to say,

First is this, There is still a very real need for this site, its true that we don't have the traffic we were getting when A.S was at its worst, but the problems at A.S have not been eliminated, personally speaking I don't think we will ever be able to get things working 100%, its certainly not for a lack of trying,
both James and Dave and other mods have worked very hard at trying to resolve the chopped posts problem but it is still there.

Second, We have had good success with stopping all spam and cleaning up the member data base, but we have not been able to get back the posts that have been lost and I don't think we ever will.

Third, It may have even seemed as tho I had forgotten about this place, but that simply isn't true, We all had asked WILL to make certain changes to A.S and although the changes came very late in the game, he did make the changes, because of this it was important to at least try to save A.S which I think has been accomplished to a resonable extent, I don't believe there is much more to do other than the day to day stuff.

Personally speaking, I think it is time for me to spend more time here now
and help this place develop and grow into it's own little part of cyberspace
User avatar

Topic author
justice
I sleep in my van
Posts: 875
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 1969 4:00 pm
Location: Keeping a good eye on all you yahoos

Post by justice »

Image
I have a ban hammer and I ain't fraid to use it!


Current - 2004 Astro Cargo


Former
95 Safari (money pit - sold)
93 Astro Cargo (totaled)
85 Astro - (Bought for parts and scrapped)
92 Astro Conversion (sold)
87 Safari Shorty (sold)
Post Reply