Where's the content????
- Thread starter Freak'n Big Panda
- Start date
Freak'n Big Panda
Regular
maybe make a thread in the job section to try and recruit people with the needed skills? Obviously they'd have to be willing to contribute without pay but given how much time some of the forum members spend on b3d anyway I don't think it's much of a stretch to assume they'd be willing to do an article every now and then.
It's a lot harder to write articles than to write forum posts... and then your writers go off and get jobs...
*cough*
I think we all would like to see more articles and timely reviews, but maybe we're more patient. Heck, when I first started visiting Beyond3D on a regular basis there was no front page, it was only a forum.
Whatever the reason for the delays hopefully Rys will get the passion back if it faded and find time away from his real job.
Freak'n Big Panda
Regular
In feb 2002 it was only a forum? I started lurking in September 2002 and I think I remember a front page.. but then again it was so long ago I'm not 100% sure.
The passion is still there (although it has waned in recent months, as I've not had the time to work on it as much as I'd like). It's basically a time (and thus money) problem. I sit for 9 hours a day at a computer to pay the bills, so when I get home my desire to spend more time in front of one is low, despite it being what I love. With enough time, things do happen (GT200 was done on time and mostly to my satisfaction), it's just hard to find that.
I'm actively working on turning it around though, when I can, it just needs patience. Geo, Arun, V, Stefan, Carl and every other part time contributor.....all of us have Real Life to deal with right now, so we're slow as a collective, too.
That said, if anyone feels they have something to contribute in terms of content or help on the forums, they just have to say hello. Freak'n Big Panda did just that a while ago, and we kicked some ideas around, but I dropped the ball a little and nothing quite stuck. I'll pick the ball up again though if people are keen.
I'm sorry I can't do it full-time, but making a business out of a small-size specialist website, especially one with a massively tech-savvy audience who tend to block ads rather than click them, is really hard.
It's really hard for me to "demand" more content from a site that would have a hard time generating cash flow no matter what really. The fact is that many people here use some form of ad blocking, which just happens to be the only real revenue possibility. People can throw around subscriptions but the fact is most people wouldn't like that and it makes it even harder to convince new people of signing up for it. I find it woefully funny that you'll find threads on this forum about ad blocking plugins for Firefox... do people even realize how badly that hurts the very site they're discussing it on?
Since I've been here and from what I've gathered no operator of Beyond3D has been truly able to run it as a full time job. When you're specialized in one area and very in depth in that area it'd be extremely hard to not have another career that actually supports you. Then you have to consider the level of Beyond3D's articles. These are not benchmark and a list of specs articles that the vast vast majority of sites do. These are in depth examinations of the architecture. Few, very few, have the knowledge and time to write interesting articles and reviews at the B3D level.
The fact is that while on vacation away from the B3D forums I realized something; no matter what if I want an intelligent discussion or to read one this is the place I come to. I want more articles the read, of course, but I can't seriously expect them unless something major was to change with regard to the format of the front page... which takes time, lots.
Since I've been here and from what I've gathered no operator of Beyond3D has been truly able to run it as a full time job. When you're specialized in one area and very in depth in that area it'd be extremely hard to not have another career that actually supports you. Then you have to consider the level of Beyond3D's articles. These are not benchmark and a list of specs articles that the vast vast majority of sites do. These are in depth examinations of the architecture. Few, very few, have the knowledge and time to write interesting articles and reviews at the B3D level.
The fact is that while on vacation away from the B3D forums I realized something; no matter what if I want an intelligent discussion or to read one this is the place I come to. I want more articles the read, of course, but I can't seriously expect them unless something major was to change with regard to the format of the front page... which takes time, lots.
Yep. I don't remember for how long it was only a forum, but in late Jan 2002 the old forum was blown away and the current forum began. Hence only Dave Baumann and a few others have Jan 2002 start dates. It was around this time when the version of Beyond3D that Dave Baumann ran started.
I think the Techreport model is a very interesting one. They don't post articles that frequently but when they do it's of high quality. Their front page is the major draw for me. A daily news and reviews blotter with a comments section is the primary attraction. The forum is very active but so is the one at B3D. Although the breadth of hardware they cover is much greater it seems to me that the model would work for B3D as well.
Speaking of getting revenue from content has anyone heard of IndieKarma? It's a bit Utopian, but I love the concept. The idea is the user decides to donate a certain amount of money to web sites they visit and the money is doled out one penny at a time. The amount can be increased if you so desire.
So if you visit Beyond3D once a day you'll donate $3.65 a year. Small potatoes for a few users, but IndieKarma can be supported by any web site so users will pay one cent to more than just Beyond3D.
Well, hardly any sites support it so you probably won't pay anything at this time.
Still I like the concept as I wouldn't mind donating a few bucks a month to support web sites I visit though I won't subscribe to more than one or two.
So if you visit Beyond3D once a day you'll donate $3.65 a year. Small potatoes for a few users, but IndieKarma can be supported by any web site so users will pay one cent to more than just Beyond3D.
Well, hardly any sites support it so you probably won't pay anything at this time.
Still I like the concept as I wouldn't mind donating a few bucks a month to support web sites I visit though I won't subscribe to more than one or two.
Exactly why I go there too. Also Scott's graphic card reviews have me laughing with some of the comments he makes
Shadowmage
Newcomer
Is there a RV770 article in the works? This is definitely one of the more interesting architectures in recent history and definitely deserves an in-depth B3D article. Hopefully you guys have the time for all this.
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