I don't think it's wise to PUNISH Proc by a "walk-out" (at this point) - I think this thread has a strong message developing and Proc will need to think about his response to us.

Marco's idea of a "sig Thread" is a good idea. Something that makes a simple clear statement of where each member is feeling about the site management at this time.

Does anyone have a "normal" email address for Proc? I'm not sure how often he checks his PSC PM box... but If we each sent him an email with a simple statement like "PLEASE LOOK AFTER PHOTOSHOP CONTEST IN A MORE PROFESSIONAL MANOR - sincerely, SITE MEMBER" ... something that shows, without a bunch of whining, that we are not too happy with his lack of presence around here.

I had no idea the server was slow. An email notificaiton would be sufficient to get my attention.

Proc

At this point...this is not the point...

Proc - with respect - read over this thread and notice the vibe.

It's not a new vibe around here - it has been brewing for a while.

In someone else's favorite words, the natives are getting restless.

[I'm not PMing this to you because I do feel this is a Community Issue and I think needs to be handled publicly.]

sadly I must agree, slowness is possibly the least of the problem.

also this is true, this needs to be public, needs to be discussed, and needs some direction

tag it in ya siggy

Maybe you need to articulate your requests.

We asked for anonymous contests and got them.

Other than the recent slow site server, could you list what things you think need to be addressed?

new members come in expecting prizes...where are they, and when we have them, they are not really prizes anyone wants to win, bring back the ipods, tablets, quality software etc.

mega prizes went down the shitter straight away, and that really was a shame.

The monthly prize draw lasted what? 3 months? another good idea stopped. yet still advertised!

Advantage members should not have ads, especially the massive one that showed up today that several people have pointed out that takes up the screen nearly.

Speed comps, get them implimented.

Team comps.

anything, just make it fun, admin be around more and maybe hold a weekly discussion in the chat for an hour or so, listening to what we want and visa versa. Otherwise whats the point.

I am certainly not renewing my advantage until this is sorted.

Bad vibes? True! I can't deny it after being absent for a about a year. It was in no way my intention to get PSC to this point.

I'd like to clear up this myth of me making huge profits. This is simpy not true. I feel like people always use this as an argument, but at the end of the day they don't have any figures to back it up. The monthly minimum cost to run PSC is at about $200/month. This is the server running and nothing else. I'm probably spending 20-30 minutes on emails every day including weekends. This may seem transparent to you guys, but is some of the PSC work I do. Then there are other factors that take up my time. I appreciate the mods help a lot, as I wouldn't be able to run the site without them. Another clarification. Some people think that the more you guys use PSC, the more I profit. This is probably true to a certain extend, but keep in mind that server costs rise as well. Last time I had to upgrade the hard drive, which is a monthly cost at a web host.

I do not want to annoy members with banner ads - they have a different purpose, which is to keep this website running. The banner ads barely end up paying for the server. That's all. If I were to make nice margins, then I would gladly remove some banners. Next clarification: I also do not make a "huge" profit with advantage. Where does some of the money end up going? Marketing the website.

In terms of time and numbers I can without hesitation tell you that PSC wasn't the best investment. This is in terms of time and numbers ONLY. I do not regret the investment, as I've actually enjoyed running the site even through hard times.

My next point. I'm not a programmer, but rather a server admin meaning it would take me an awful amount of time to program new features. We can all agree outsourcing the work would be wiser. My next step is to update the tutorials section (ledirlo didn't finish this last year, as he suddenly disappeared - no hard feelings). Finding a good and trusting (!) programmer is hard. It is like letting somebody work in your house for 3 months without you being around.

I professor of mine once said: In university you will need to choose wisely if you want to get good grades. He said that for most of us we can only choose 2 out of the 3 following. 1) Work 2) School 3) Friends/Social life.
Why am I telling you this? As I think it is quite similar with PSC.

1) Running the site on a marketing perspective - I think I am doing pretty good here. I've managed to improve rankings, which brings in more people. There are also a few pay per click listings. If newbies end up staying, I would say that it really depends on you guys. Sometimes when I see how people are treated in here I can understand that a certain number of users will not stay. It seems that PSC is a closely knit community, which doesn't have much room for new members.

2) Programming is certainly my weakest point. I honestly didn't realize the ongoing work this website requires (the previous owner didn't clarify it either). I've tried it with the help of other PSC users. That worked for a while, but not in the long run.

3) Keeping the server optimized. I think I've done a good job. You guys can't expect me to sit in front of the computer most of the time. Servers have problems just like anything else in life. Cars break down, houses have to be repaired, your own computers crash and have to be rebooted. Idealy I would be able to check the server 16 hrs per day, but we all know this isn't realistic. I have a life just like you guys.

Edit: Mega prizes - great idea, but not realistic unless properly promoted. The previous owner got them from a friend who liquidated his store. Did he tell me that before he sold me the site? Unfortunately not.

I'd like to hear your feedback.

Proc

I meant the server issue.

Proc

I love the new square ads. There's another one now. They look nice.

what square ad?
if you are talking about the home page banner, then this one has always been there if you are not logged in to fill the empty space (calendar not existant for non-members).

NO...every forum thread has a huge square ad on it rather than the long rectangular ones I'm used to seeing.

Every thread.