If the cost of running it is too high... why not look for free or cheaper alternatives since there are tons of free website providers out there, some of which have nearly unlimited free space, unlimited bandwidth, allow sql and other types of databases, etc.
Free hosting would never work for a site as demanding and resource-intensive as EntropiaTracker.com. Considering the traffic volume, the size of the database (tens of millions of rows), and the fact that rows of new data are constantly being added as new globals are recorded, page loads and site responsiveness for end-users on a free- or shared-hosting platform would be agonizingly slow. More likely is that starfinder would constantly be dealing with DB locking issues and corrupt tables, along with numerous complaints from users about inability to access the site (not to mention the complaints about all the invasive popups and advertisements that come with free hosting).
Also, starfinder has developed EntropiaTracker in .asp, and requires Microsoft SQL Server Workgroup, a license that costs upwards of $75 per month. No free or "bargain-basement" hosting service will give you access to MS SQL Server, since there is no way around the Microsoft licensing fee.
Since it's an "official" tool - maybe talk to 711 about webspace?
I have in fact been providing free hosting for EntropiaTracker since the very beginning.
During the very early stages of development, starfinder was hosting the site from home, on one of his old PCs. Since I already had a Windows dedicated server that was being used to host EntropiaRadio and Entropedia.info, and since I saw how useful starfinder's global tracking project would be to the EU community, I offered to host the site for him for free on the media server, and even offered the free use of a domain name very fitting for the project (EntropiaTracker.com). All that was needed by starfinder to host the project on my server was a license for MS SQL Server, which I agreed to add to my server for him.
Initially I provided completely free hosting for the project, and I paid the $75 Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Workgroup license fee out of my own pocket for the first year or so. Once starfinder began monetizing the site by offering premium services and upgrades, we agreed that it would be fair for him to help offset the MS license costs from a portion of any revenue generated by the site, and perhaps even a small portion of the dedicated server cost if possible (ET is by far the most demanding of the sites hosted on the EntropiaRadio server).
Nevertheless, and as starfinder has mentioned earlier in this thread, most months the gross revenue from ET is less than $75 per month, which basically means that I almost always end up subsidizing the shortfall. I have no problem with doing this, since I believe EntropiaTracker is a very valuable service to the community.
He's trying deperately to make the entropians work...
There is nothing "desparate" about my efforts related to Entropians.com. It is a fun little side project I launched a few days ago that I thought the EU community would find useful.
To get the word out about the new project, I have created a
free event and run an in-game advertisement, both of which are fairly standard methods of announcing something to the EU community.
I don't see how either of those would qualify as "desparate".
As a matter of fact, I just noticed that I haven't even yet added a link to Entropians.com in my signature. Is that something a "desparate" promoter of something would neglect?
maybe he can work with you to integrate it all in to that?
starfinder and I have already been discussing ways to offer the ability to have EntropiaTracker automatically post status updates to Entropians.com members' walls (for example when someone gets a HoF).
Maybe talk to Hanne and FPC|SEE|SDS|XYZ about hosting it on their servers since they made it an "official" tool...
Clarfication: EntropiaTracker is an
officially approved tool, not an official tool (that's not the same thing).
after all they bought entropiaforum's database not long ago... maybe they might buy other stuff too?
Think outside of the box.
There is one big difference in this case: SDS already has access to (and possibly ownership of) all of the global data in ET's database and probably terabytes more, whereas they did not have access to any of the data in the EntropiaForum database.
711 IS hosting the site. And his running costs are 100 USD / month.
Actually, the monthly costs for the media server are quite a bit more than that (more than 3x more, in fact).
You and I agreed on $100 per month: $75 to cover the MS SQL Server license (a cost which wouldn't exist for me if ET were hosted elsewhere), and $25 for hosting.
$25/month is an incredibly nice deal for hosting on a very powerful dedicated server with a 1000 Mbit backbone internet connection, especially considering that your only "neighbors" on the server are EntropiaRadio.com and Entropedia.info, both of which are fairly low-traffic and use only a tiny amount of system resources in comparison to ET.
***NOTES***
To avoid any confusion: I have not in any way been pressuring starfinder to generate more revenue from ET.
I think many people really do not appreciate how much time and effort starfinder has put in to the EntropiaTracker project. By any definition, his work on ET is a "labor of love" and not something he is doing to make a profit.
I have read in this thread about the ET premium feature changes recently made by starfinder, and the reactions of some disgruntled ET members. I would just like to remind people that creating and maintaining a site as complex and full-featured as EntropiaTracker is no small task; I think starfinder should be applauded for his hard work on ET over the years. EntropiaTracker is a very professional and well-coded community resource that offers a wealth of features, data and information that would not be available to
anyone without starfinder's hard work.
All things considered, I find the pricing of the premium features he is offering to be very fair indeed, and there is still a massive amount of data available to those who only use the free credits earned by running the tracker software, and even for those who don't contribute anything at all.
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