Deena-

What I do is just keep hitting read new at the end of every page I am reading. I don't know if this is better or not.

I never quite understood the value of the message center.

Do you read every single thread? I don't (fanfic for instance). The message center displays only those threads to which you're subscribed. It removes some of the clutter. Using message center won't help the sql resource issue. It might, however, make your experience on the board friendlier.

Deena-

What I do is just keep hitting read new at the end of every page I am reading. I don't know if this is better or not.

This is only going to be good for you Deena (in a personal sense) if you only subscribe to the threads you always want to read. If you subscribe to threads you only sometimes read when things are slow, you're going to get in there with the read new function, whether you choose to, or not.

Thanks everyone. I tried Read New, but I ended up being in threads I didn't expect to land in and not realizing it at first and, when I have time (which doesn't seem to be a commodity right now) I like to catch up in the threads I don't regularly read. I think the only threads I don't at least skim every once in awhile are Farscape and Due South.

But what we can't provide, as far as I know, are links to independent bookstores and music stores.

Actually, I imagine we could by doing a little digging. For example, Powell's has a program. What we might not be able to do (or, per amych's post, maybe we could) is promote small local stores or even small chains that can't afford partnerships.

OTOH, it sounds like, with a little tinkering like QOTD and possibly increasing the default number of posts (to 20?), we aren't likely to need our own server for a while. So for now, we can probably keep it at the loose talk level.

(Edit because I screwed up a link.)

We can sell banner ads, too, if raising money is what we're after. But the idea of Amazon and other retailer ads on our main pages gives me a serious wiggins.

t shudder

Me too. I was envisioning a corner of the site, tucked away under a single word link (like Buffiliates) that if clicked would bring up a page of just shopping links for those people who do a ton of online shopping anyway (like me), to help raise money for the cause. But banner ads and pop ups would be horrible.

A banner ad to Amazon doesn't bother me, because plenty of us talk about what we've ordered on Amazon, and what's in our gold boxes, etc., at least a couple of times a week. To me, it's capitalizing on word-of-mouth advertising that we already do.

Pop-ups? No. I'll give not only money, but blood, to avoid pop-ups, but I don't think anyone has suggested them, Wolfram. We already link to Amazon in a quiet spot, and the point has been made that people forget to use the link.

Dudes, we are so far from needing pop-ups, it's....well, it's really far. One, we've got a large community of people who'd rather donate to the site than see them, and two, Kristen just said we probably don't need a dedicated server after all, in which case, AFAIK, we're not hurting for funds. (Jesse's got the actual numbers, but I'm assuming if we were low she would have mentioned it by now.)

WRT the Amazon thing, I was just thinking of what we've got now, only moreso -- links to the all the Buffy & Angel (& eventually Firefly, and maybe Farscape?) DVDs with Jon's store id (or a separate Buffista store id, if we wanted one), so that every time a Buffista orders another season of Buffy, the board gets a leetle bit of cash out of it. I think the FAQ is a fine place for them.

If we don't need a dedicated server, we don't need lots more money right now. Of course, I'm always happy to take contributions at any time.

Pop-ups? No. I'll give not only money, but blood, to avoid pop-ups, but I don't think anyone has suggested them, Wolfram.

I know, I just wanted to make it clear that I am also firmly in the bleed me with a fork before having pop-ups camp.

We already link to Amazon in a quiet spot, and the point has been made that people forget to use the link.

Because it's in too quiet a place. I've read the FAQ many times since registering, and I can never remember that we have an Amazon link there.