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Changing course, part 1 (read this first)
13 years ago
I haven't been making status updates lately because the status hasn't updated. Literally zero people have donated since the site went down, not that I can blame them. The server is still in my living room, and still only half-working. I'm beginning to recognize this as a sign of insanity: Trying to do the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.
So I decided to rethink the server situation. Previously, I'd been renting space on a shared server, with bandwidth caps and connection limits, and it was clearly priced for sites nowhere near as busy as Watchtail. At the time demand outstripped supply, I ignored their dedicated server systems, considering them too expensive for the budget at hand. The decision I made was to try to use an open-source alternative on a donated server, and to host it in a colo near my house. We can see how well that open-source alternative has worked out so far.
I've thought about biting the bullet and getting the real deal, but that's pretty hairy. To try and buy a full license of the Adobe software myself is $955. Add to that roughly $250-300 in bandwidth from the colo. If I were to budget $400 a month, roughly what you guys donated at peak, it'd take six months to pay off that license, ignoring interest or increases in bandwidth. (There's also a version that costs $4500, but has features well outside of what I need - that'd take almost three years to pay off!)
I even went so far as to give the dedicated servers from my old host a second look. I'd need at least the standard plan ($795/mo) to handle the usage Watchtail saw, and possibly more than that. I can't ask that of you. At those rates, I could have the FMS license paid off in two months!
So here's the deal. To re-launch the site, I'll either need to get red5 working perfectly, or I start a Kickstarter to fund the FMS license (and I'm counting on you guys to help fund that) up front. On top of that, I need to find a more reliable way to cover the cost of bandwidth. That's a separate discussion, so I'll break this up into two journals.
What do you guys think about the server situation?
So I decided to rethink the server situation. Previously, I'd been renting space on a shared server, with bandwidth caps and connection limits, and it was clearly priced for sites nowhere near as busy as Watchtail. At the time demand outstripped supply, I ignored their dedicated server systems, considering them too expensive for the budget at hand. The decision I made was to try to use an open-source alternative on a donated server, and to host it in a colo near my house. We can see how well that open-source alternative has worked out so far.
I've thought about biting the bullet and getting the real deal, but that's pretty hairy. To try and buy a full license of the Adobe software myself is $955. Add to that roughly $250-300 in bandwidth from the colo. If I were to budget $400 a month, roughly what you guys donated at peak, it'd take six months to pay off that license, ignoring interest or increases in bandwidth. (There's also a version that costs $4500, but has features well outside of what I need - that'd take almost three years to pay off!)
I even went so far as to give the dedicated servers from my old host a second look. I'd need at least the standard plan ($795/mo) to handle the usage Watchtail saw, and possibly more than that. I can't ask that of you. At those rates, I could have the FMS license paid off in two months!
So here's the deal. To re-launch the site, I'll either need to get red5 working perfectly, or I start a Kickstarter to fund the FMS license (and I'm counting on you guys to help fund that) up front. On top of that, I need to find a more reliable way to cover the cost of bandwidth. That's a separate discussion, so I'll break this up into two journals.
What do you guys think about the server situation?
I have no experiences about servers, so I don't have any advice. But I think people will start donating once the site is up in some form, when they have more hope that their donations will do something.
I think the problem with donations is that when the site has been down for so long, lots of people don't have much hope of the returning.
You should probably keep informing people of whats happening more, so people wont think the project is all dumbed.
I really want to see Watchtail back up and running!
are there things you need help with code/server wise? Specifically? I could spread the word and see if any of my knowledgeable friends could offer their knowledge?