Ning Now Charging To Run CrimeSpace

[Daniel Hatadi]

As you all may already know, Ning, the company whose servers and software power CrimeSpace, has decided to start charging for the service. You can read the previous discussions on this here and here, but it all comes down to this:

CrimeSpace will continue to run on the Ning Network and I am happy to pay for the service.

In fact, I already have. Looking at the plans available, the only sensible option was the Ning Plus plan, which is $US199.95 a year. On this plan, I can see only two changes to the way the network runs:

• Users will no longer be able to upload / play music. I always liked this feature, but it would take a fair amount of server space so, fair enough.
  
• Video uploading is disabled, but embedding still works. I don't think any of us will even notice the difference here as we mostly embed YouTube clips.

Some of you have mentioned that you'd be happy to chip in to run the place and it was suggested that I set up a PayPal donation link. So I did.

If you look at the top of the screen, you will now see a Donate tab. Roughly speaking, I'd only probably need about 20 people to donate $5 each to break even. Any subsequent donations I'll hold on to for next year.

I'm going to run Google Ads over in the sidebar (previously, these were run by Ning), so I should make about $10 a month based on the times I experimented with running ads myself. Feel free to click on them when the mood hits you. That money will just come back to running CrimeSpace.

We had a great, free run for the last three years and I think it's fair enough to start paying for the service. Plenty of other forums with 2000+ members have to and I think Ning provides a pretty damned good service.

Hopefully you all agree!

[Benjamin Sobieck]

Thank you, Daniel. You're a gentleman and a scholar.

[Patrick Balester]

Fair Enough. This is oe of the best places on the web for crime fiction fans and writers alike.

[Gaile Hughes]

And a thank you from me also Daniel. Ditto PayPal/daughter for me.

[Pepper Smith]

Thanks, Daniel. There's not another place like this one out there.

[Lindy Cameron]

Thanks Daniel, you're a legend and CrimeSpace will continue to rock!

[Jon Loomis]

Good on ya, Daniel. Will donate today!

[Daniel Hatadi]

Thanks for the kind words, all. It was a little stressful to being with, but once I had a plan it all came together.

[Beth Groundwater]

Thanks, Daniel!

[J W Nelson]

Thanks, Daniel. Count on me to click on those google ads (and maybe even make the occasional purchase!)

[Barbara DaCosta]

Sounds good. These web freebies could not last forever. However, I suggest people not "madly click on ads" at side. Only do so when you have a legit interest, as these are businesses that are paying per click, and it's not fair to them to drive up their expenses.
That's a bit like someone browsing in the bookstore, bending up the the book covers, and then going home and ordering online.

[Daniel Hatadi]

Good point, Barbara. I removed the word 'madly' from the post.