Note to Moderators: Sorry if you feel that this is "invading" your board's community and going against the grain of your community, but I thought it would be okay, as it is addressed to the entire Ambrosia community. Feel free to lock it and direct those interested to the version of this over at one of the other boards if you really don't like it.

Heya all. I'm thinking about creating a third site (for those who don't know jack squat about me, the other two would be (url="http://"http://www.evula.com/")The Lair(/url) and (url="http://"http://www.evula.net/")evula.net(/url)). Keep in mind that this service would be offered only to the Ambrosia community, ie: anyone around here, from Ambrosia Banter to pop-pop can sign up, but people from other communities would be SOL. This is just for you guys.

Anyway, the third site (anyone should be able to guess what it'll be called ;)) will provide free web hosting and email. The only draw back to this is that any sites hosted would have to have banners so that I can recoup the monetary losses of having 3 sites (three domains and three hosting fees can eat up a significant amount of money).

For those of you who aren't crazy about the banners, there is a way to "upgrade" your account to some of the higher levels so that you don't have to have the banners or the other promotional elements (a navigation table that links you into the rest of the site).

Also, for people who only want an email address to replace their mac.com one, I'm willing to set those up too.

Pointers for users:

• free email that can be checked via web or POP3

• part of a larger network of sites, all linking to the rest (and to (url="http://"http://www.evula.net/")evula.net(/url) member sites), to increase traffic

• FTP access

• image hosting won't botch on the Image Galleries

• a single board for the hosted site, hosted inside the coming-soon Lair Forums; another way to increase traffic

• nice, clean, familiar banner ads (nothing stupid like clicking on a stupid monkey for $50 and DEFINETLY no pop up/under ads)

• you get the warm fuzzy feeling you can only get from helping me take over the world.

Anyway, I'm no idiot, so I realize that this may not be a great deal for everyone, and it certainly doesn't offer some of the perks that iTools did (web templates, that whole iDisk thing), or for that matter sourcecod. That's why I'm posting this, to get feedback from the people who I'd be offering this service to.

Feel free to voice any concerns, make suggestions, ridicule the idea (seriously; I'm trying to get a serious feel for if this is a worthwhile venture; if you think it's stupid, please tell me).

Suggestions needed: What prices are fair, and what disk alotment would be fair.

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(url="http://"http://www.evula.com/")EVula,(/url) your friendly (url="http://"http://www.evula.com/")self-promoting(/url) EV & EVO Boards/Addon/Newswire/Chronicles moderator
(url="http://"http://www.evula.com/")EVula.com(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.evula.net/")evula.net(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.ev-nova.net/")ev-nova.net(/url)
(url="http://"http://pftn.evula.net")pftn.evula.net(/url) | (url="http://"http://plugs3.evula.net")plugs3.evula.net(/url) | (url="http://"http://saberstudios.evula.net")saberstudios.evula.net(/url) | (url="http://"http://davidarthur.evula.net")davidarthur.evula.net(/url) | (url="http://"http://ucplugs.evula.net")ucplugs.evula.net(/url)

Quote

Originally posted by EVula:
**< snip!>
**

Whoa, sounds great EVula.
/me considers having an EVula account.

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Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
"Logic is futile"-Scott Adams

Sigh. I suppose I don't mind your self promotion here all that much, EVula.

Anyway, I'd suggest a three tiered pricing system as follows (depending on features of the host, of course)

EVula Dominion Stormtrooper Account:

15MB hosting
Banners
FTP
Email
1 Web Board
$0

EVula Dominion Squad Leader Account

25MB hosting
No Banners
FTP
Email (2 addresses)
2 Web Boards
$5-7/month

EVula Dominion Tactical Officers Account

30-40MB hosting
No Banners
FTP
Email (3-5 addresses)
5 Web Boards
$10-15/month

At least the names of the accounts denote the real importance and purpose of the mission. Also, if stuff like PHP, Perl, SQL etc. is suggested, you might want to include it with the more 'advanced' accoutns, or perhaps to add an option to buy it/them monthly. But since you mentioned this isn't going to be a sourcecod style thing, I doubt it. Increments in web space, lack of bannners nad increasing numbers of email etc. is probably the best bet.

Perhaps you could also add to people's disk space at, say, $5 per extra 15MB on top of their account, or something. Anyways, good luck with it! ( I, however, have sourcecod. )

-Andiyar

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"Any good that I may do here, let me do now, for I may not pass this way again"

Quote

Originally posted by spitfire:
Whoa, sounds great EVula.
/me considers having an EVula account.

Thanks. I've gotten a pretty good response so far; I was afraid that the need for banners on a site would turn off some from the service. So far, though, it seems as if that's a lesser concern than I thought it would be.

Quote

Originally posted by Tarnćlion Andiyarus:
Sigh. I suppose I don't mind your self promotion here all that much, EVula.

Many thanks.

Quote

Originally posted by Tarnćlion Andiyarus:
**Anyway, I'd suggest a three tiered pricing system as follows (depending on features of the host, of course)

<snipped stats>**

Good idea; I previously had the idea for 5 of so different levels, but I think it would work better if reduced down to three or four. As for some of the perks you listed, some work well for this, some don't.

Quote

Originally posted by Tarnćlion Andiyarus:
Perhaps you could also add to people's disk space at, say, $5 per extra 15MB on top of their account, or something. Anyways, good luck with it!

Thats a good idea, one that I hadn't thought of yet. Thanks.

Quote

Originally posted by Tarnćlion Andiyarus:
( I, however, have sourcecod.;) )

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(url="http://"http://www.evula.com/")EVula,(/url) your friendly (url="http://"http://www.evula.com/")self-promoting(/url) EV & EVO Boards/Addon/Newswire/Chronicles moderator
(url="http://"http://www.evula.com/")EVula.com(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.evula.net/")evula.net(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.ev-nova.net/")ev-nova.net(/url)
(url="http://"http://pftn.evula.net")pftn.evula.net(/url) | (url="http://"http://plugs3.evula.net")plugs3.evula.net(/url) | (url="http://"http://saberstudios.evula.net")saberstudios.evula.net(/url) | (url="http://"http://davidarthur.evula.net")davidarthur.evula.net(/url) | (url="http://"http://ucplugs.evula.net")ucplugs.evula.net(/url)