[Carnage]

As per some of the folk above, I'd be happy to chuck in and I'd see any contribution as a donation rather than an investment. Only downside for me is the exchange rate which, while pretty good at the moment, reduces the amount of $ I can chuck in.

One of my fears would be tighter moderation if someone were to buy out the whole thing tho. That would suck.

[granticus]

I propose an X-rated pay-per-view forum where DFBWGC make w/ the sexy-business at places we all know and love, picture the scene: Cockrise at Crookrise, Bring Out The Crimp Vol. 2, Jugz! etc

I think the solution to this whole situation is as such: I will win the lottery, buy UKB, make you all my bitches and then force you to strip and pose for a Boys of UKB calendar which I will then sell, making me loads of money, some of which I will use to keep the site running nicely.  It's a fool proof plan.

 

That's what I'm talking about real grass roots community spirit and folks willing to go that extra mile for each other.  I'll gladly be your bitch and strip to save UKB!

Surely amongst us someone has the marketing and tinternet knowledge to help Bubba make the site profitable.  If there is potential to make a £1000 a month he'll be able to buy a car in no time and another car in 6 months.  No need to sell, everyone's happy?!

[slackline]

It's a damn shame everyone uses Adblock or won't click ads on principle 

Today I found out about traversing walls for schools thanks to an ad! 

I think the solution to this whole situation is as such: I will win the lottery, buy UKB, make you all my bitches and then force you to strip and pose for a Boys of UKB calendar which I will then sell, making me loads of money, some of which I will use to keep the site running nicely.  It's a fool proof plan.

On an almost on topic note, I click the ads quite often, partly cause I know it pays but mainly because some of them are so random I get curious and have to have a look.   

  

[Bubba]

Hey B-dawg, out of interest, how much would Alan and Mick have to offer you.....??

I feel dirty just thinking about it

The "Magpie's Beeatches Calendar" is a more likely scenario tbh

[Houdini]

An Overbite File Calender would be great too.

[grumpycrumpy]

Hey B-dawg, out of interest, how much would Alan and Mick have to offer you.....??

I feel dirty just thinking about it

The "Magpie's Beeatches Calendar" is a more likely scenario tbh

Sounds like the way forward , I'd be prepared to loosen a few buttons , not sure if it would help sales though what with me looking like Don Estelle in a smaller hat  .....
I do like the ideas of shares , if only  because then we could have an AGM and although I've built a lot of stages etc etc for other people's  I've never actually been to one of my own    ......

[dobbin]

I hope you dont think I was being all dour and not wanting us/a collective to buy ukb! I'm fully supportive of your motives for looking at this, but whilst driving I suddenly thought, if i was being asked about this at work, what would i say then - i.e. removing the emotion from the situation what would I do in a similar situation at work? And in which case, I felt I needed to better understand what I was getting and how I was going to return my investment.

Putting some of the emotion back in the situation - clearly, the best way forward is for the site to continue as is with some money going to buy bubba out and some thought and development to making it not necessarily turn a profit but at least cover the costs going forwards. Thing is though, that for the sort of money thats been mentioned so far it needs to be run as a commercial entity. It just doesnt add up to pay commercial prices and not run it as such.

Its a difficult one isnt it? I think a lot of the utopian subscription and share schemes i have heard mooted are interesting ideas in a perfect world were everyone is nice to each other but that's not where we live, and all these things require maintenance which is going to be a pain in the arse, and who's going to want to do that?

I did also mention it to Sam at the works last night. He laughed, but I didnt pitch it very clearly perhaps. I'll be back there on Thursday, so will seriously try to guage their reaction then.

[BB]

An Overbite File Calender would be great too.

How about the "shit, isn't that Jaspersharpe" calendar?

We could have 8-10 photos per month.

[dave]

How about a UKB animosity darkboard, commemorating all the people we've pissed off over the years? Stevie Haston, Mick Ryan, Si O'Bullshit, Dave Buchannan,.......

[bobkatebob]

How about a UKB animosity darkboard, commemorating all the people we've pissed off over the years?  Mick Ryan,

pissing off Mick Ryan is not something to shout about, anyone talking common sense (ie not living in the land of MR) would piss him off.

[erm, sam]

Thing is though, that for the sort of money thats been mentioned so far it needs to be run as a commercial entity. It just doesnt add up to pay commercial prices and not run it as such.

It doesn't add up to not run it as a commerical operation if you only apply standard corporate capitalist thinking.  If you apply wider elements such as having a greater pride of involvement or ensuring the forum doesn't change beyond recognition, or what have you, then the calculation could be different.

True hard to justify 20grand with no commercial plans in the future, but 10grand raised by individuals with a love of the forum would not need a commercial imperitive to be justified, in my opinion.

[BB]

pissing off Mick Ryan is not something to shout about, anyone talking common sense (ie not living in the land of MR) would piss him off.

Bubba knows how to deal with him 

Ah, Mick's back is he? Sorry Alan but now you're banned too.

Get the fuck off my forum Ryan you sad little cunt.

[Serpico]

I do like the ideas of shares , if only  because then we could have an AGM and although I've built a lot of stages etc etc for other people's  I've never actually been to one of my own    ......

I've op'ped sound on more AGMs than I care to remember, so it sounds like we're halfway there to a full production.
You don't work for any of the northern set co's (Atlas, Set2, Art Attack, etc) by any chance?

[petejh]

Just voted on the poll for a fifty quid donation never to be seen again. And I'm skint and hardly ever post on here but would gladly give fifty quid. I was going to write some long sentimental post about the importance of having freedom of expression free from commercial agendas and why this site is too good to let it go to the dogs but maybe some other time. Just to say that I hope it can be kept going in it's present guise because it's got the potential to make a bit of money whilst still remaining free from 'edit by advertisers'.

Funnily enough I just received a ranting email from that utter cunt m. ryan today, berating me for daring to post on ukc that it's full of 'hyperbole and is an advertising-driven freakshow'. The post was a side comment in a discussion about the merits of the ice-climbing world cup ffs (it doesn't have many merits). Freedom of expression on ukc?, I think fucking not.

[Bubba]

Well if nobody stumps up the cash then at least this whole episode has made me realise that I can in fact make this place pay....I just need to get my shit together.

I might experiment with some other pay per click ad suppliers to see if the ads served are actually a bit more interesting than the not entirely relevant ones that get served up currently.

[fried]

I'd never realised that there was advertising on this site before until it was mentioned. If you want to go the commercial route you should probably try to find out a way of making them more......relevant, I know they're climbing related but the ones I've seen seem to all be for bolt on holds from Slovenia, not something you're likely to click on every day.

If you take the money and run I'd happily bung in 50 notes into the pot, (and I almost never post here), just so we can say fuck, cunt and bollocks on a forum.

[Bubba]

Yeah, I'm going to look into other advertising providers that provide better targeting this weekend. After that I'll start getting some stats together so that prospective advertisers who want to run banners can have some idea of what traffic to expect, etc.

[fatdoc]

Well if nobody stumps up the cash then at least this whole episode has made me realise that I can in fact make this place pay....I just need to get my shit together.

In the meantime if people could click an ad here and there and have a quick look round the site it leads to (to keep google happy) then that'd be most helpful. Don't go mad, one or two a day from a significant number of visitors is all it needs.

I might experiment with some other pay per click ad suppliers to see if the ads served are actually a bit more interesting than the not entirely relevant ones that get served up currently.

no dis respect ment but do some work... bang on more ads... banners.. get the shop up and fully running... stickers / chalk bags. whatever

you sell now for a few grand... or you keep and you get less initially... but you get more over time.. that's the return you deserve.

[GCW]

Have you approached people like The Works, Slap Holds, Beardown etc with a deal for ads at a fair deal?  I'm sure it wouldn't do any harm to them being associated with this place.

Then you can get a (small) but steady income, and charge more for other people that want to advertise.

And I know I'd deffo buy another few items of clothing and a bumper sticker that says my other biatch is hOUdINi.

[Bubba]

Aye, once I get the PPC ads sorted I'll try to get some "real" advertisers on board.

[fatdoc]

it wont sort an immediate cash flow need... but the consensus is ad the place up dude...
BTW, UKB niche weirdness would sell soft goods like hot cakes...

gold larrmmey chalkbags anyone???

now... if you asked for a few quid to sort that out.. with a small return... you will get the support... dont be shy to ask the hardcore...

[dave]

Have you approached people like ....... Beardown etc with a deal for ads at a fair deal?

Why the fuck would a website the me kim and cofe did several years ago that's never been updated and isn't likely to be anytime in the near future need an ad?

[fatdoc]

Have you approached people like The Works, Slap Holds, Beardown etc with a deal for ads at a fair deal?  I'm sure it wouldn't do any harm to them being associated with this place.

Then you can get a (small) but steady income, and charge more for other people that want to advertise.

And I know I'd deffo buy another few items of clothing and a bumper sticker that says my other biatch is hOUdINi.

and I've never met the man.. ( I think )

or... "FBSF is my love child"

and...

that [wad]  [punter] T / hoodie  is the dogs...

[GCW]

Have you approached people like ....... Beardown etc with a deal for ads at a fair deal?

Why the fuck would a website the me kim and cofe did several years ago that's never been updated and isn't likely to be anytime in the near future need an ad?

Just listing a few people already involved with UKB.   

Why not?  Or are you not in support of UKB 

[GraemeA]

Well The Works has always supported UKB