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gentleman loser

17:47 / 19.09.01

Is having to login before viewing the Underground a new policy or is it just a temporary glitch? I delete my cookies daily and sometimes I just like to read messages without having to log in. I'd also hate to think that all of the folks out there in lurkerland might be deprived of Barbelith goodness. . .

Tom Coates

19:08 / 19.09.01

I have indeed instituted a no-registration, no entry policy in the short term. I want to see what impact it has on bandwidth. If it doesn't have a substantial impact then I'll probably get rid of it in favour of the rolling black outs. But it occurred to me that this might be a way to either force people to register or not let them consume bandwidth. All opinions would be appreciated on this one...

Annunnaki-9

03:14 / 20.09.01

I think it's absolute BullShit. Especially 'in these trying times.'

P.S.- how does one delete one's cookies? I got a lot of cyber-porn I'd prefer my girlfriend not to become aware of.

Tom Coates

07:24 / 20.09.01

Are you serious, Theo? If so, then I'll consider removing it. I just thought people would prefer having limited access than they would me shutting down the site for a full week next week...

Cavatina

08:15 / 20.09.01

It seems to me a bit of lateral thinking;I certainly think it's worth trying. Logging in is not a deprivation, whereas being without Barbelith for a whole week would be.

Magic Mutley

08:45 / 20.09.01

For what it's worth, I'm fine with it. People can still lurk - just register & not post anything.

The Return Of Rothkoid

08:45 / 20.09.01

Theo, if you think such ideas (logging in or having rolling blackouts - take your pick) are bullshit, have you considered donating a chunk of cash to Tom to help him pay for the excessive bandwidth charges for this place? Unfortunately, someone still has to foot the bill here, trying times or no.

But like I say... blackouts might force people into some circumspection before posting... FLUFFPATROLGO!

sleazenation

10:42 / 20.09.01

I must say i don't like the idea of having to register. I think people *need* to be able to try before they give out their email address for access to the content. Yes Bartbelith is still free but I'm sure as hell that If I had to register before I could have a look round this place I probably wouldn't have bothered

Having said that its not like Barbelith has any kind of public service remit-- we are playing in Tom's front garden and when too many visitors begin to take their toll on the grass *someone* has to pay to have it replaced.

Annunnaki-9

13:21 / 20.09.01

Why not just dump any topic that no-one has posted on for, say, two weeks? It's not as if people don't already cover a lot of the same ground over and over again here. If it's an important topic, it will come up again.

Magic Mutley

13:59 / 20.09.01

I might be wrong, but I think it's pretty much the rate of things being retrieved/posted that causes the problem, rather than the total volume of material on the board.

I think that archived threads by definition wouldn't cause too many hits, so getting rid of them wouldn't help much.

[ 20-09-2001: Message edited by: Wheaty Goodness ]

Lt. Oi

18:36 / 20.09.01

I really don't mind at all either. It forces anyone that wants to become privy to any of the info on this board to identify themselves first.

Tom Coates

20:54 / 20.09.01

I completely agree with Rob that it's not ideal. I also want people to be able to read the site without registering. It is a short-term thing, though (if it works) and if it doesn't work (which I have to say seems likely at the moment) then the site will have to be shut down from Saturday until the end of the month.

Magic Mutley

09:00 / 21.09.01

Tom: Would donations help at this point?

autopilot disengaged

09:02 / 21.09.01

yeah: this barbelithian is ready to put his money where his mouth is.

Lt. Oi

09:02 / 21.09.01

Do you except US dollars or am I gonna have to hit a currency exchange?

Tom Coates

09:02 / 21.09.01

I just don't know that I'm comfortable about donations to be honest. I mean - people have given so much, and I just feel increasingly awkward about it.

sleazenation

09:02 / 21.09.01

an alternative solution-- and/or request

Could you make some pages view-only-- I'm thinking stuff like the gathering?

would this help?

Naked Flame

09:02 / 21.09.01

tom, I for one dig this place and have set up a paypal thang to add my subs. Please don't feel bad about taking our money, cos we'd feel bad about you feeling bad about it and then we'd get into some kind of horrible Twiglet Zone recursive loop.

The best idea I can come up with is a Lithometer... a little graphic we can access that shows us what the monthly site 'target' is and how much has been raised. I'm not sure people know how much a fair contribution would be.

The Return Of Rothkoid

09:02 / 21.09.01

Sleaze; I'm pretty sure that making some stuff view-only wouldn't really lower the amount of bandwidth consumed by enough of an amount to make it worthwhile. I tend to read more than I post anyway, so the saving (in my case) would be minimal, if anything...

Magic Mutley

10:28 / 21.09.01

Tom, I really like this place & appreciate what you're doing. I don't mind sending off a few quid - 'sides I feel guilty you're doing all this work & I'm just sitting here having fun...

Anyway this is the internet, I'm supposed to send off large sums of money to people I've never met in exchange for exotic porn or miracle cures to diseases I don't have - at least according to all those mails in my inbox...

Tom Coates

11:00 / 21.09.01

Possible funding alternatives thread

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

10:32 / 22.09.01

Registering/logging in? C'mon, it's not like it's that much of a hassle. It's not like you have to sign away your first-born's soul or anything (and much as I love this place, that may be going a little TOO far.) Hope it works- a blackout, while necessary, would be kind of painful- I'd need a new addiction for a while, and I can't afford crack/whores/crackwhores.
The money thing seems to be the most popular option as far as I can tell from your funding thread. Till then, I'm sure we can all live with whatever you have to do.

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