National Signing Day

[Velcro]

Example Costs analysis:

Total cost for leaving as is, but move from hosted to self hosted:  Time

Benefits:  Low cost, Low effort, Not dealing with external hosting companies that have screwed us over numerous times.

Total cost for converting to MySQL using invision Board:

Time plus 60(conversion) + 199 (lifetime license)= $259

and if we weren't hosting it ourselves, another 10-75 per month.

Benefits:  Faster software using database(no file quotas).

Bulliever can check out those numbers and give his opinion... it seems rather expensive, in the short term.  long term...perhaps it is viable, but compared to virtually free, tough to say it is worth it.

Just my 2 cents.

[Velcro]

BTW NAM, if any of my #'s above look wrong... let me know, it was very quick glance at the IPB site to grab those #'s.

[NAM37]

Velcrogrip,

Those numbers look pretty real excect for POSSIBLY the hosting cost.

I don't know which host you guys are currently using, but most hosts (assuming they are Linux/apache/php based, which is the norm these days) provide the use of atleast 1 MySQL database for free in the normal monthly free. So you could probably use the same host you currently do.

If you are self hosted setting up MySQL (which is free) is pretty simple on either Windows or Linux.

NAM37

[Velcro]

We are planning on self hosting... currently on IPowerweb, not sure the cost.  They do have a free MySQL connection, but they have already threatened us that if we have 1 more unstable script (like last signing day) they will close down our site permanently.  Self Hosting fixes that problem, and the internet connection and computer are already paid for by other means... so hosting it ourselves would be free, unless we needed to upgrade any particular thing (bandwidth, memory, hd space etc, which hopefully we wouldn't need)

[Velcro]

the MySQL option is certainly an option... just a matter of cost though.  

Hosting ourselves would save the current monthly hosting charge and that could be diverted to other areas, such as the MySQL upgrade, perhaps.

[bullsmania]

Velcro, since you are guys are talking Greek, what makes the cost differentiate between $10-75 per month?  And if we (the board) put in about $300-400 would that cover the cost plus your (or someone's) time?  

[NAM37]

Velcro, since you are guys are talking Greek, what makes the cost differentiate between $10-75 per month?  

I'm not sure how he got those specific amounts, but it generally is dependent on the amount of bandwidth (hits/traffic) used.

NAM37

[Velcro]

yup, bandwidth, and server storage.  The 10 dollar package also has a 20$ setup fee.

see this site:

http://www.invisionzone.com/?packages

hosting ourselves negates all these charges since we wouldn't have to pay anyone at all.

[Velcro]

Brad can correct me on this, but i think we are currently paying for 50GB data transfer per month, and we sometimes come close to 70% capacity on that which is dangerously close to shutting the site down.  The closest package they have to what we have now is the 75$ package, but that is before all of the software purchase/conversion fees.

[Brad]

Over the last several months we have exceeded bandwidth, file quota and today - this new message:

You have exceeded your soft disc quota. You have 3 days grace period to rectify this. Either delete some files from your site or order additional services.

We are flirting with trouble as each day passes...I have no idea what happens if that is not rectified quickly, but will be calling to "order additional services."

We've exceeded bandwidth (at additonal expense) in two of the last four months, and were within a gig and a half of exceeding the limit in the last two months.  We had the same issue last year during football season.

Our base price includes just 30 Gig of transfer.

We are in hurry up mode and appreciate everyone's interest and offers to help.  

This last problem is new to velcro - we may need to move up our testing schedule...I'll let you know what I hear when I call them.