CFC membership down.
&
TC numbers down - only months away from possible closure.

Why the downturn in interest when our onfield results are improving?

Obviously nothing to whinge about.

Who's closing down Talking Carlton?

_________________

Haha. As usual Rexy is being overdramatic.

The membership results reflect something of a downturn as people have looked to cut back on amenities given 3 years of economic volatility, and am I right in thinking that there were 2-year membership plans on offer in 2008? There's the added effect of the loss of Fev, further impacted by complete media panning between that and the booze cruise. The club is fine.

TC will give a shout out if they're having money troubles. Ad figures are definitely down though.

_________________
29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

Overdramatic? The mods words Jimmae, not mine. Don't shoot the messenger mate.

None of them confirmed what you were saying, unless you count Grro's Graham Smorgon act.

They did make the point that revenue needs to go up a bit, but they have surplus cash from previous years which is sitting there.

I don't think merging will help either: CSC is a much slower site in terms of traffic, and TBV is all but dead, meanwhile SCE has a very small, if incredibly active, clientele. The Carlton board on BF is the closest thing to competition TC has. There's just a lot of jaded regulars who are sitting in the shadows or have gone AWOL.

What happened to the TC merchandise plans? Is sponsorship a possibility? It wouldn't take much. Have alternative hosting services/agreements been canvassed?

EDIT: Just for some additional perspective, server costs are currently around USD$700 per year, and there's AUD$450 in the bank, with about AUD$30 coming in each month at present. Projecting based on those figures, TC would 'go broke' in just under 12 months.

_________________
29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

Don't worry that won't happen...

_________________
"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

That is a huge drop in revenue since 2007 Is there any reson why the 2007 revenue was so high?

Looks to have been a steady decline since IMO.

When did the Carlton board on Big Footy start to take off?

In 2007 the Ads were new and people were clicking. The novelty has since worn off, which is understandable.

TC isn't in any danger of closing down, but it would be nice to have revenue back to those 2007 levels

_________________
"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

Damn just realised Synbad was right. I don't add value to the site

I never click on the adds

Well Rexy I'll let you in on something.

I did have it out with the Mods earlier this year, and made the point about the negative impact the current (Mods) regime was having on the site. I was a tad frustrated at how TC was going, and about to leave altogether like so many others, but out of respect and loyalty I thought I'd share my frustrations with the Mods as well as offer my opinion, some advise, some home truths and some suggestions.

There were a lot of areas that needed attention imo. One area was 'attitude', but I didn't make that such a big issue, as there were bigger issues to consider. Some really serious issues were discussed. I'm not sure if the issues raised fell on deaf ears. I know grro was keen to make things happen, and did. Onya Grro

Hey, interesting that the Talking Players thread was returned; the real differentiator to all other sites.
Whose idea was it to close it down in the first place?
What was the expected result of the closure?
Whom did the decision makers decide to consult with to make this happen?
When feedback was made and disappointment displayed by loyal long term posters how were they treated?
I know the answers to all of the above.

Let me say, it's a people business and people like to be treated like.......people.
I could see some blatant ethical issues that needed addressing.

Look, I presented a rather lengthy case for them to consider with evidence because I could see TC going downhill for quite a while; couldn't you?

Why am I here? Loyalty and hope that the site will be back to its best, because I like intelligent viewpoints on a subject I'm very passionate about.
Would I subscribe to TC? Yeah!
Would I subscribe to the current Mods regime? Well I need to know what values they represent and how they represent the values of TC subscribers if it was to happen.

I think the site has improved a bit, and I have to thank Grrofunger for a lot of the improvement. Done that already. You have my bank account grro. Don't you?

How many ex TCers are regulars on the other sites CSC and BF? Plenty. So the posters and the inquisitive are still around, just not here.

I discussed some of the issues with some who had left around the same time I was sadly leaving TC, and they had the same issues. The Mods can take that up maybe in "Talking Stuff" and maybe this is their chance to communicate to the TC followers in a quest to build bridges and even use it as a"Think Tank" because imo there was a need for more 'thinkers' on board before heavy handed decisions are made.

As for me, I've done my bit in good faith. I made my points in detail and I'm happy to have done my bit for open and honest communication with a view to bring back TC to its former glory.

_________________
Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Mixed messages.

Hard to get a straight answer around here.

TalkingCarlton is still ticking along well. Lots of quality discussion still going on.

TalkingPlayers - If it didn't get so personal and vendetta-ish would flourish.

TalkingStuff is dying but when most of the large posters in there join their own site its to be expected.

As for the moderators, there needs to be a clean out. There are atleast two who shouldn't be involved due to their tendancies to over moderate and alienate posters.

The site cost issue will resolve itself I am sure. Even if it means having a donation incorporated into player sponsorships.

In regards to memberships I think we will finish up around 3k down.
Half of those probably to do with Fev. (Read that as good ridance)

Carlton is on the up. Thats all that matters to me.

Go Blues!

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dane's trolling again

Swine flu has probably had a bit of an impact too.

Lurker isn't a mod. He's taken his own concern and made grro's response sound genuine.

Here's the original grro quote:



If you can't recognise that as satire, with all due respect, you are very much struggling.

Let me put it in perspective yet again: if ad revenue didn't go up, that's still AUD$360 a year generated, which would leave around an AUD$500 shortfall. TC has well over 100 regular members, and I'm sure they'd be more than happy to throw $5 at the site each year if it came to that.

_________________
29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

I just gave you a straight answer.

Lurker was right that we'll run out of funds before the end of the season at the current rate of advertising revenue...however that doesn't mean the site will be forced to shut down.

We're looking at other options, including some mentioned here, including further sponsorship/advertising and alternate hosting. Not sure merchandise is the way to go. Even the moderators would be reluctant to wear TC caps and shirts

Apart from the obvious way of increasing current revenue streams, any suggestions would be welcomed.

_________________
"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

Dim Sims............

when all else fails........steamed Dim Sims are the arnswer..........!


kindest regards tommi

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that'siti'mnotchangingthistagain......!

Become socially responsible and get a sponsored banner from a gambling agency

Or I could sell myself to the highest bidder?

Not this again. TalkingPlayers wasn't always here, and the reasons for its closing were valid.

Could they have been analysed and addressed in a shorter time frame? Sure, but people have day jobs bondi. At the end of the day this is a site run out of the pockets of a select few and the work here is done voluntarily. I think a review and better perspective is required on both sides of the line that seemingly divides. In retrospect, the mods could have been more public about their issues with that specific section of the site, and the members could have realised they were creating circular drivel that was generating angst. Didn't happen that way - oh well.


October? Really? My math suggested May, or are you predicting the dollar to get much worse against the US?


Absolutely, but what about TC towels, TC bumper stickers, TC stubbie holders, TC mouse pads, TC mugs, TC pins, TC badges, etc. Doesn't have to be as loud a statement of support as an item of clothing. If it does, maybe work some site jokes in, or come up with some funny slogans to go with the site logo.

_________________
29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

Cheers for that TBB.


Jimmae, relax mate. I've got it in my mind that Lurker Blue is in the Senior Members Group and thus would be in the know on this.


Tommi, I had 4, that is FOUR, with sauce, today.