Site was down?

Last couple times today i tried accessing the site(xjbikes) i would get the "the site has exceeded its bandwidth and needs upgrading"



but now it is back it seems (obviously i suppose as i'm typing this, lol)

Perhaps we shoud have a short financial campaign to help cover what sno probably just coughed up to get the site back up and running?

Trust me, im just as short on cash as the next guy, but just even a dollar or two given to the site, instead of choosing to buy a soda from a vending machine once.

Just think of how invaluable this site is to allowing us to keep our XJ's running and on the road, and the money and time saved due to the help of members and wealth of information that this allows to be exchanged.

Imagine if xjb shut down and all connections between the awesome people on this site, all people just known by a handle and avatar, that without this site could not interact with eachother. Imagine no xjbikes! Just crazy!

So really, just a dollar or two, think of if you have found out information on this site that you value more than one or two bucks for! Information that you got for free!

It works because theres so many of us! Seriously just a dollar or two!

Lets see how long of a list we can get going this month of July!



Heres a link to the donation page, through paypal its super easy to do!
http://xjbikes.com/index.php?name=Treasury

Just a thought, have a great day!

Chris

 

IMHO, someone or something is flogging the site and sucking down all its bandwidth. Look at the left side under "visitors" and you'll see what I mean. Search engine spiders, perhaps? Maybe time to block them?

 

Hmm, spiders, eh?

Maybe just a newfound batch of xj owners, i did see a lot on CL last time i checked out the xj market on the local craigslist

 

Wait, 111 visitors? yeahhhh, i think you;re right in thinking something's up.

We're getting invaded!!! :O

 

yea i have 76, and its 3am central time

 

I've noticed the long list of visitors for some time at all hours. Something is wrong!

Mtnbikecrazy, good idea. Very quiet on the donation page...

 

mtnbikecrazy55 thanks for the link,well worth putting something back.

 

Is this link good to donate ?? Yes the folks and knowledge on this page are very helpful. Love this sight

 

31 visitors - 7:30 AM - then 2 minutes later jumped to 63

Thanks Sno for all you do !!

any REAL lurkers - come join the fun. Register and show your bikes !

 

MAN, I WAS FREAKING OUT!!!!!! 8O Will definitely check out donation site.

 

I had to go to the doctor for some anxiety medicine.

Dave

 

Are any of the admins active here anymore? Who actually owns the site? I never see woot or sno posting.

 

was also thinking of donating, and your right even a dollar from just half of the registered users would be huge!

P.S. just donated $10! thanks for a great site!

 

...and if my number recognition is working right, the number of views (just below visitors) is closing in on ONE HUNDRED MILLION 99934898

 

OK, so I clicked on the total hits number and it brought up the "stats", a large percent says "BOTS"

 

If they can set up a paypal account, the I'm sure many of will be happy to make a donation.

 

its all done by paypal very easy and quick!

 

I can honestly say that the information and advice here, as well as XJ4Ever, is well worth sending the site owner a few bucks. I probably could of restored my bike without this site, but it would of been more difficult, more time consuming, and probably very frustrating. Having said all that, I sent $10 in and will do again. Well worth it. Besides that, most of us who figure out where we spent our last $10 won't miss it by giving it here anyway.

 

CINDERELLA said it best. I had this song stuck in my head the entire time I was working on the bike without using this site.

I can't tell ya baby what went wrong
I can't make you feel what you felt
So long ago, I'll let it show
I can't give you back what's been hurt
Heartaches come and go and all that's
left are the words I can't let go
If we take some time to think it over baby
Take some time let me know
If you really wanna go

Don't know what you got till it's gone
Don't know what it is I did so wrong
Now I know what I got
It's just this song
And it ain't easy to get back
Takes so long

I can't feel the things that cause you pain
I can't clear my heart of your love
It falls like rain, ain't the same
I hear you calling far away
Tearing through my soul I just can't
Take another day, Who's to blame
If we take some time to think it over baby
Take some time let me know
If you really wanna go

Don't know what you got till it's gone
Don't know what it is I did so wrong
Now I know what I got
It's just this song
And it ain't easy to get back
Takes so long

Do you wanna see me beggin' baby
Can't you give me just one more day
Can't you see my heart's been draggin' lately
I've been lookin' for the words to say

Don't know what you got till it's gone
Don't know what it is I did so wrong
Now I know what I got
It's just this song
And it ain't easy to get back
Takes so long

 

Gave my $10. Gotten more than that from here in the last 3 weeks.

 

Thanks for the info Raven, just donated 10 bones.

 

Perhaps they should do like they do on the Venture Rider forum. you log on as a trial member for 60 days if you want stay on you pay $12 for the year. If you don't pay you don't get access to the site. Well worth it in my opinion and its cheap for all the help you get.

 

It took me that shotdown to make me realize the "make a donation" tab on the left side of the page, I haven't even seen it before.

 

Thats lame. I already pay my ISP. The stuff people put on the internet should be free.

 

sadly thats how most things are (charities, blood banks and such) all in need of support at all times but it takes a "tragedy" for them to get what they need. I had seen the button but didnt have that much needed 'push' to make me donate.

hmmm... maybe the mods just shit the site down for a day in hopes that would happen? lol i love conspiracy theories.

 

SnoSheriff puts money out his pocket to run this site. It is not free for him to keep it up and running. If it was not for him, the moderators and others most of the XJ/Secas on this site would be in the junk yards. 8O Not on the roads. Your ISP fee does not pay for this site and does not give you free access to anything. And this not a corporation site that makes money off of software users. It has been put up by an individual to help get these bikes back on the road and kept on the road. If there was a bike shop around that actually could work on them you would be paying $$$$$$$ big bucks to keep them on the road. You will spend all kinds of money on your bike but you begrudge a small token fee for the help you get. If you think the information and help you receive from this site is not worth anything to you. You my friend DO NOT belong here!! :evil: I think the pay for access is the only way to go if it means keeping the forum online and running.

 

I dont like the "have to pay" sites, but I also believe in people supporting things that prove beneficial to them, be it only a dollar or two, or whatever feels right to the individual. Thats just me though.

 

Well I'm one of the people that spends countless hours looking up topics for my bike to her back on the road. She almost there. Hopefully! And I have learned so much from this site as well. It was also all free!!!! That's why I helped out with 10 bucks not much but its better than nothing.

 

Do we know for a fact that the site is running at a loss? I wouldnt mind contributing perhaps, but the owner maybe in the positive on this operation.

I would like a "state of the union" post if it isnt too much trouble.

 

?? It has no mechanism for making money! How could it NOT run at a loss? RU volunteering to be the Treasurer? :lol:

 

There's ads, but not many, i doubt it covers what it costs to keep it up and running, server upgrades, etc. But thats just my thinking.

 

Having Photos that are far too large contributes a good deal to the problem, I would think.

 

Lol some woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I run a shop that fixes old bikes. Don't make shit doin it either cause i dont want people to have to pay out the ass to ride em and keep em going.

 

never noticed it or bothered to look but if your NOT signed on and go to where it says Visitors and find a "my account" it looks like if the person has a e-mail listed, it's available to whoever looks.
that's kind of a security problem.

 

That's why there is a field to enter a fake email address

 

Have you noticed that XJ4Ever is referred to as the "supporting vendor". My understanding is that XJBikes.com gets a kickback from XJ4Ever from all of the sales that are generated through this site. Between that and the small advertisements that kick out a few pennies for every thousand hits or so I feel like I've already contributed plenty. Now if the owners of the site were to show me otherwise I may feel compelled to make a donation but Snosherrif or whoever is in charge doesn't really seem to contribute much to the site anymore. If I was going to donate money anywhere I'd probably write a check to RickCoMatic, BigFitz52, and maybe a couple others that truly make this forum a valuable resource.

 

In that case I need to send a consultant fee to fitz for the airhead valve clearance and one to Rick for the carb cleaning "whole 9 yards".

Maybe one to Polock for the toilet mop post, too.

 

Dan, did you use one of those yet?

 

A few of the other bike forums I frequent have a "gold member" or similar system. Basically everyone can view and post in the main forums, but only gold members can sell stuff. Makes sense, why should traders (private or otherwise) be allowed to advertise for free?

 

Sorry Polock, still sitting in my wish list. Had to sacrifice that expense for a new bulk order of diapers 8O

I like that idea KDub. Although that would kill the sell/swap section here, and ruin the day for a lot of us poor guys that need cheap shizzle, from the less fortunate dudes that need to part out the bikes that the forum just couldn't help.

 

Because if they couldn't, they would likely not bother posting here and we might miss out on some cool stuff that they might not know is worth more than the asking price?

 

Yo, I've barely been on this site and already I love it and the help I get. I'd gladly throw a dollar around here or there to help it survive.

 

SnoSheriff you cant buy much with it,but you have my heartfelt thanks.Oh and I have thrown some bucks in once or twice but it would take a lot of bucks to actually cover the knowledge base your site offers to all of us.Thanks again.

 

We all like free, and usually we get what we pay for, however on this site, we get so much more than we pay for. Knowing that many here have budget restraints, a fee based premium content would exclude many of them. A monthly or yearly subscription fee could be considered. Not knowing the exact expense structure, and exactly how many members are willing to help, I would say that a monthly subscription be offered on a volunteer basis to members. Only two perks come with membership, one, the site stays alive, and two, a members only forum which would be locked from view by non members. I know that I would be able to throw $5.00 a month at this site and with maybe 100 members that would add up to $500.00 per month. Just a suggestion......

 

Here is my suggestion:

Free access to all to see/read/search, but no ability to ask questions/PM/or view video (if we could get a video section going).

I would propose a buck for a "Monthly" subscription..this way those those in need aren't subjected undue fees, yet they could get help in the short run if they needed it.

Lastly, you could charge $10 for a yearly...have complete access. I'd also like to see some sort of "Contributing Member" policy...let's say you post an article or video, like "Airhead Valve adjustment" or "Church of Clean" or any of the invaluable stuff we all enjoy from the "experts"....If you produce content like that...perhaps you earn a free year long membership...

One more lastly...perhaps you could buy a "lifetime" for $50?

Just my $0.02 (which is actually what I just donated)

 

i like patmac's idea of the $1 a month or $10 a year, thats not all that painful and with the number of users on the site on a daily basis, that could definitely help bring in some cash and maybe get a few changes on here like Sno suggested, and possibly a 60 day limited trial period. i know i probably wouldnt have joined up at first if i had to pay, but after 60 days on here with all the info i certainly wouldve paid, and i have donated now as well. this site has saved me an uncountable amount of money over the past few months ive been here.

and with the paid subscription, you might cut down on some of the bots/spam that we get occasionally.

 

I agree with the above two! I like the idea of varying levels of membership as well. However, the unregistered should still be able to PM chacal for orders

 

I like it to be modled like the street fighter.com sight. If your a nonmember you have to deal with ads, the ad click throughs generate revenue. If you are paid member your dues generate the revenue. Win win.

 

Revenue, moderators, memberships, and more...

I am also a member of VFRdiscussion and Sport-Touring.net and we have a contributor's/supporter's level of membership and also a regular/freebie level of membership.

I think the differences are:
1. Uploads and galleries are bigger for contributors
2. Adverts disappear for contributors (banner ads on side and also embeded 1/2way through the threads in the forum.
3. You can have a bigger signature and/or avatar picture
4. a title under your name (moderator, supporter, etc)

The owner of STN wrestled with the idea of allowing external advertising, and some people left over it, but ultimately the idea of paying to be a member, and then having the ability to make adverts disappear, was a fairly good one. THe site gets a constant stream of revenue from advertisers, and people that hate advertising can put their money where their mouth is and watch it disappear.

VFRdiscussion has such a small, clicky membership, they actually get their full year's budget from donations usually by April or May and the rest of the year is gravy.




Regarding moderators, we have lost a few moderators in the forums, so we likely should revoke their privileges and appoint a few more active contributors