RoguePaddler

[MarkAlldridge]

Hi Wes, it may have been asked before, but do you think you will ever make it possible to post images on your site?

I can see it being very handy for visualising things etc.
Is it something you are thinking of doing in the future - or do you think it's a bad idea?

I suppose there could be technical reasons for not doing it as well right?

-Mark.

[editor]

Hi Mark,

I haven't allowed image posting because the site doesn't have any revenue from advertising. It's entirely funded by myself and the very few donations that trickle in from time to time. The issue is bandwith. To allow images, I would need to upgrade the amount of server space and the amount of bandwith that the visitors to this site can access. As it is, we occasionally go over the allotted limits because this site gets an average of 15,000 - 18,000 visitors per month, but the hosting company has been very gracious about not forcing us to upgrade since most months we are still just under the limit. But the next upgrade in server space represents a sizable increase in costs.

I often consider whether or not to bring advertising to the site, but most folks who contact me tell me that the lack of advertising is one of the primary things they appreciate about this site--and it is certainly one of the things that sets it apart from other sites. Advertising doesn't just affect the usability of the site, but also its susceptibility to viruses/spam, the objectivity and quality of the opinions expressed on the site, the amount and quality of the traffic that comes through, etc. At present, it sounds as though most users here prefer knowing that there are no malicious codes, no spam bots, no link phishers, etc. because absolutely everything on the site is programmed in hand, by me, and designed to be relatively computer-friendly (i.e., no graphics too large to slow down slower computers, etc.).

If there's enough demand, I'd consider it. The cost is the most prohibitive issue right now, since I really don't think I want to use advertising to supplement those costs.
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