Okay...just kidding I haven't really posted that many. I figure it was time to update everyone on the new server. As some of you know I leased a new dedicated server from Interland about a month ago. This server turned out to be a non-performer in that it ran slower than our current shared server WITHOUT even having a load (lots of users on it). So...that server will not help us. The bad news of course is that the site is out $180 for this little "experiment" and I can't get it back. In fact the contract I signed would have even made me liable for another months payment (as you have to allow them 30 days cancellation notice). But thank goodness my whining and the fact that I am a valued Interland customer won the day and they will not be charging me another month for a server we aren't even using. That's the good news I guess.

I have located a company in the UK that I am impressed with. The company is Burton Hosting (www.burtonhosting.com). They offer a dedicated server with outstanding specs:

• DUAL Xeon 2.4Ghz
• 1 GB DDR ECC Registered RAM
• HD1: 73GB SCSI 10K RPM
• HD2: 80GB IDE 7,200 RPM
• 500 GB of Monthly Traffic (Actualy Transfer, Fully Burstable)
• NO SETUP FEES
• APC Reboot port included!
• 10/100Mpbs Fast Ethernet Port
• Super Internal Cooling for Maximum Reliability!
• 5 Usable IPs
• cPanel / WHM Included FREE

So this is the package I think will work well for us. Not only will the site run faster for those in Europe, but after checking out some of the sites they host and viewing them from here (California) I am confident their will be no lag for the Western Hemisphere crowd. Ain't technology great.

So Armorama may go British. I guess this means I am returning to my ancestoral roots. At least virtually.

The cost will be considerably higher than the existing servers we are using. It will run about $300 USD per month. I am hopeful that a few more advertisers will realize the potential this site has and decide to attach themselves to this...err....rocket. Having now priced advertising for the software company I work for I can tell you most certainly that our ad rates are WAY cheap.

I will be posting an additional plea in this forum for users to use our affiliate links here on the site whenever possible. So look for that.

I appriciate everyones support, both past, present, and future on this project. I am sorry this is taking as long as it has. I admit I have made some poor choices and that has unfortunately meant a certain amount of money has been wasted. I know that many of you will want to personally help out so that I can go forward and get the dedicated server. Let me make it clear. I have the money to acquire the server now. What we don't have is enough of a monthly intake to afford the server on a monthly basis. So, until we can bring on a few more advertisers or start generating more revenue through other means (pxstores was one idea for this) I am going to have to hold on actually commiting to this new server. I don't think this will be a very long "hold" though. At least I hope not.

Thanks again!

Jim

Yikes! Only 33 people have read this. And no responses. Maybe I should title these "WARNING COMPUTER VIRUS" instead. Lol....

Jim

Jim,

Sorry I didn't reply... I used the time instead to "talk" to some possible European advertisers

If something comes out of that, you be the first to know !

Danny,
Lol...I forgive you then.

Jim

As you can tell by my rank, I am a newbie. I don't know the background behind all this, and I'm not sure what it all means, but I hope what it doesn't mean is that this site may go the way of kithobbiest.com. Just when I 'discover' the on-line world of model communities they seem to be dropping like flies. It would be a shame to see a fantastic forum like this disappear.

If it is any consolation I have been clicking on advertisers like crazy. The good side effect of that is I am learning lots about what is out there in the way of this hobby at the same time. I guess that was the whole idea behind advertising, huh?

Hey Jim!
I'll see what I can do to drum up some advertising candidates.

Jim,

I will try and do my part to help in this funding! I am going to order a couple of Armorama Items from you and I think a couple of books from Amazon.

Hopes this helps at least a little,
-Chris

Jim, we should get a special "staff weenie" (Army term here) logo to wear on our shirts. Like Armorama Staff or something like that.

BTW, whatever happened to that neat site where we could get the denim shirts or colored polo shirts? Been meaning to ask, I wanted a polo shirt, the denim is too warm to wear in summertime. I see a white golf shirt, is that the choice now?

Thanks for your support. As to sites going away like Kithobbyist.com I have to say that the owner of that site provided an excellent service in hosting some popular sites (like AFV Interiors and What-If) but I can really see how doing that did not help him attract advertisers. It's ironic as this site got it's first users from a posting on Kithobbyist (Rob!). To give my counterpart credit he does have an excellent grouping of reptile sites and I really think he has got something special going with that. The one thing it takes to really keep a site like this going is manpower. People posting. People interacting. Contributors submitting material. And the ability for a group of people (Not just me!) to add the content and manage the forums. The other KEY element in making all this work is a little more technical. This site is about modelers getting together to share. But it's made up of data. Bytes. Giga-bytes of information. And without the ability to own and control that info then a lot of sites out there are probably on their way to extinction. It happens all the time. You click on a link and....nothing. That's why I am fairly confident that this site will be around for the long haul. Our forums are actually run off of OUR server. The information is available and backed-up at all times. There are a few major sites that rely on forum hosting services like Network54. I have been around the Internet for about 8 years now. Companies like this come and go. And when they do go, they will take that archive of information with them. Sad but true.

Armorama is planning to stay around a long time. You have my word on it.

Cheers,
Jim

Rob,
Staff Weenie? Lol...I will see what I can do.

The denim shirts and other embroidered apparel is still available. Just click on the Shopping link to the left.

Cheers,
Jim

Chris,
Thanks for the support. It's always appriciated!

Jim

I'll let Rob speak for the Army and "staff weenies" but in the Navy we call'em "staff studs"...lol! :-)