Need feedback

[PJ]

Hi All,

 

Well, we're finally starting to hit what I consider "yellow warning zone" in terms of disk space.

 

Here's the deal. We have 100 MB avaliable under our hosting plan.

 

We've used up 76 MB from November 25, 2002 until today (May 30, 2004).

 

I am debating on whether to archive the topics highlighted in the FAQ post and delete all topics older than 6 months, or to buy more disk space.

 

Right now, Candle costs about $14/month to host, including the domain name.

 

We're still operating on donations from a few generous members a while back. Went back and checked my spreadsheet and we've still got $90 in our community chest.

 

Buying more disk spaceIt would cost an extra $5/month for an additional 256 MB. If we moved up to this, I am sure that since it takes this long to use up 76 MB this would last us for a long, long time. The only thing is I'm sort of leery about a long-run solution of buying more space whenever we run out.

 

Archiving topics and deleting those past a certain date

Seems more sustainable in the long-run. But I would hate for us to lose some great pieces of information.

 

Would like to hear what everyone thinks. I feel like we're all part of a very positive and supportive community, and I don't feel right making decisions in a vaccuum.

 

I feel badly that I never got around to coding a content management / knowledge base, but I have had a lot going on in my personal and professional life. I'll have to share more of it in the RR later.

 

P.J.

[se_lang]

PJ

I have a lot of disk space on my website I can spare so if it is needed I have it and it is open for use if you have trouble linking to it maybe you can export it as plain text, not sure, I am no web wizard but if you need space it is there.

[NicolaNSam]

PJ,

 

Why don't you give the RR a 6 month time limit. Most of the topics are recent and I'm not sure there is a need for keeping that longer than 6 months. Not sure how much disk space that would help out with.

[Martytb]

Where do I send a donation?

[Guest Gene]

I like that idea. The information on this site is to valuable to delete any of it. Is there and email address to pay pal money or should we snail mail it?

[PJ]

That would be cool and greatly appreciated. I originally donated a bit of money to get the site up and running, and then sometime ago, a few members made donations.

 

I figure that would be the best way, 256 MB should keep us going for some time. I've thought about self-hosting, but the websites I've seen where someone's running it off their computer ... these tend to go down a lot and are very slow. What I like about our hosting service is that the site is available at decent speeds from both US and China.

 

Figured I'll set up a paypal account for Candle and post the amount in our community chest and recurring monthly cost. Getting the extra 256 MB would put us around $19/month recurring, but we wouldn't need to start paying the extra $5/month for a little while.

 

I do agree the RR should be deleted after a certain amount of time. However, it's not the big resource drain ... it is relatively new.

 

Does everyone think this is a good course of action?

 

P.J.

 

PS se_lang ... do you have web space and a mySQL server? Maybe we could point some of the old data there ... not sure how this would work or what it would entail, pointing the majority of the data here and the older data over to where you host. It's a possibility I'd be interested in exploring though.

[Bryan_Qunying]

PJ,

 

     Why don't you give the RR a 6 month time limit.  Most of the topics are recent and I'm not sure there is a need for keeping that longer than 6 months.  Not sure how much disk space that would help out with.

PJ,

 

Maybe do what NicolaNSam suggested but instead of 6 months on the other topics, perhaps 1 year would provide the room needed. Some of the information that is used on a daily or so basis could maybe, be kept in a spreadsheet or listing. (i.e. Phone numbers, special addresses web or physical, etc.)

 

Even moving those archived items to Darrel's space he has offered using a direct link that is only visible to CFL members. Put the archive in a ZIP format for additional optimized space.

 

I am thinking the combination of the above plus the additional space should give Candle space for a very long time.

 

Just a thought.

 

Bryan

[Trigg]

I agree, at least in part, that the information on CFL, including RR, is too valuable to delete. If 100 Megs has lasted this long then an addition 256 would get the Candle to the point were there would be deleteable material--4-5 years old. It seems that if it is only an addition $5.00 a month and several of us would gladly donate, then there is no need to make a decision until the 256 is used up. I'm sure that a 'call to donate' post would get more than enough to cover everything for quite some time.

 

Just my .02

Trigg

[oregonknl]

Lets ask the Guangzhou Consulate to sponsor the site---

 

We obviously save them a lot of headaches, and man power by assisting each other (and not calling them for answers...)

 

I'm not kidding... !

[se_lang]

PS se_lang ... do you have web space and a mySQL server?  Maybe we could point some of the old data there ... not sure how this would work or what it would entail, pointing the majority of the data here and the older data over to where you host.  It's a possibility I'd be interested in exploring though.

Here is what I have

 

Features

 

Which ever you think is the best route. It only allows 3 users per database not sure if that matters.

[jkobman]

Maybe it makes sense to do both - buy extra space and delete some of "old stuff", keeping the info/postings that contain important/useful info. The PayPal acct. is also a good idea, our $ in will help replenish "the fund."

 

YUP!

[resp]

count me in on any donations

resp

[Trigg]

Maybe it makes sense to do both - buy extra space and delete some of "old stuff", keeping the info/postings that contain important/useful info. The PayPal acct. is also a good idea, our $ in will help replenish "the fund."

 

YUP!

If your going to buy more space, doesn't it make more sense to keep the old stuff until you use up most of the new space?? You have to pay for the space anyway and if you delete things before you need the space you always run the risk of deleting something someone wants to see again.

 

I. Buy more space and delete nonessential items

--A.)Positive=Have more space

--B.)Negative=cost $5.00 per month and Items must been deleted

----1) Nonessential data must be deleted

------b.) nonessential=??? How to determine

 

 

 

II. Buy more space but defer decision to delete until most is used

--A.) Positive=have more space and no potentially harmful decision to be made at this time

--B.) Negative=cost $5.00 per month

 

 

Item I.--1 positive+3 negative=(-2)

 

Item II.--2 positive +1 negative=(+1)

 

Feel free to Add and subtract form the list--then weigh them and do the math--looks like an easy decision to me!! And I do like things easy!!

Trigg

[C4Racer]

This site is great. I am all for donations. Tell me where or how to send you a donation.

 

Michael

[keelec]

P.J.

 

I am sure you could easily incorporate a suggested "voluntary" membership fee, perhaps $5 / year / person (on a purely voluntary basis).

 

One of the things about purging data.....

 

Say, it takes you 10 hrs to purge old data.... At $20 / hr, that is $200 (or nearly enough to pay for the 256 MB for 4 years).

 

Truthfully, I rarely look up stuff over 6 months in the Candle (except for some of the stuff that have been posted in the FAQ).

 

However, I am also not familiar with the old stuff on the Candle either. For example, the "War Brides" video seemed appropriate to repost (from my HDD) a week ago.... Then, Robert S. mentioned that he had already transcribed the entire program.

 

He gave me the keys to find it "dispicable, I think".....

Perhaps it wouldn't have been a big loss to have deleted that posting, but we would have missed something.

 

Thus, my vote is for the 256 MB.

 

One other thing to keep in mind.... Space will likely be cheaper in the future.... If we can keep the candle up for 2-3 years on 256 MB (or was that 356 MB?), then we may be able to get 1 GB for the same price at that time.

 

One thing to keep in mind.... We have had a lot of posts lately, I wonder if the space usage will go up exponentially like everything else in the world.

 

Space for graphics, resources, and etc would be nice, but it would likely use up too much space too quickly. I am still amazed at how much you can do with the text only posting.

 

----- Clifford ------