Can't search

Neo said:
I think this is a very stupid move IMHO, whith all respect to Spark
The search mode is the backbone of a large forum like this.
When the big majority aren't able to search the whole forum will downgrade.
How many times do you think the same questions will be asked?
How many times newbies will ask about basic info a quick search could easily resolve.

This is what's going to happen. :(

In future a lot of posts may be skipped to find something interesting.
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Neo,
I respect your opinion, but disagree with it wholeheartedly!.

Please read the post right above this one that Cougar wrote in post #99 since he is far more familiar with the hardware situation here than the vast majority of the rest of us.

Its a done deal. Its going to be resolved by only one thing.. $$$$! Get over it and pay up, or stay where your at and stop complaining.

Best,
Anthony
 
Spark said:
Well, there's always some sort of optimization that could be done. Let's face it, we've got 9 years (!) of postings on here, I could always trim that down by quite a bit. It's not like we need more than 2 years of For Sale postings, or 5 years worth of W&C / PC / Community Center / etc. So that's an option. But that only goes so far since a bunch of the other forums are pretty huge in size.
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This makes sense too as long as the optimization process is worth the result, but I suspect that because of the immense rate of growth here, it would be like putting a patch on the thing for the short term only.
 
Spark said:
Well, there's always some sort of optimization that could be done. Let's face it, we've got 9 years (!) of postings on here, I could always trim that down by quite a bit. It's not like we need more than 2 years of For Sale postings, or 5 years worth of W&C / PC / Community Center / etc. So that's an option. But that only goes so far since a bunch of the other forums are pretty huge in size.
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Another trim that could be done is to delete the spam posts archived and current. That is likely only a drop in the bucket though. I have upgraded my membership already. Just waiting for the "goldzilla" to take effect.

Codger
 
I hate to use a permanent solution for a temporary problem. Once it's deleted it can't be restored, and there always turns out to have been something there that people miss.

I can't see trimming the archives having anywhere near as much effect that restricting search has had, too, and that hasn't been enough. We're still getting server too busy errors. :(
 
sunnyd said:
Its a done deal. Its going to be resolved by only one thing.. $$$$! Get over it and pay up, or stay where your at and stop complaining.
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Anthony,

I'm not complaining, just formulating a concern what could happen to the forum if the search mode would be permanent restricted.

If this is temporary untill another sollution is found this isn't a problem at all.

I'm well aware of the $$ needed, other fora run adds for ex.
Which is irritating but won't result in repeating threats

Again, I'm not complaining, so I'll shut up about this subject ;)

best
 
Neo said:
.. Again, I'm not complaining, so I'll shut up about this subject ;)

best
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Neo,
I did not ask you to shut up. If it was interpreted that way, I apologize. I think your are right about selling advertising on forums. I do not know what Spark's feeling on this subject is, but perhaps in the long run he may not have any other choice but to do just that to resolve the ongoing hardware problems that incurred by operating the most popular blade forum on the net.
 
i do not understand why folks who use this site regularly don't all buy full memberships. i found this site about 10 months ago and since then have made nearly 600 posts. i have learned a great deal about knives that i would not have been able to find out even with extensive web searching and also have made some on-line friends. that is a huge return for my $30.
what about 5 free posts and 5 free searches and after that you have to buy a membership ? roland
 
There has to be a balancing act, you can't completely shut the site down to non-paying viewers. I don't think the dealers that spend $800/year would like to have their BF demographic limited that much. Even the knifemakers and people who sell in the exchange on gold and platinum would lose viewership. I don't know how the manufacturers forums work, but the same idea applies, I think.

I don't envy Spark in having to make these pricing and access decisions.
 
rprocter said:
i do not understand why folks who use this site regularly don't all buy full memberships...that is a huge return for my $30.
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A basic membership is only $10.

As I've said before, if you post less than 10 times a year, fine.

But if you post more than 10 times a year--or you lurk excessively--you oughta do the right thing and pay up.

We're talking ten bucks.

It's interesting that the people complaining the loudest about the inability to search are those saying they use the search feature extensively.

That tells me you're getting significant benefit from this forum... for NOTHING.

Or to put it another way, you're letting Spark pay for your ride.
 
From what I read,it says temporary. What I hear now is it is permenent until you pay for membership. Which one is it? I was going to wait till after Christmas to buy a basic or gold so I could sell and trade.After reading this, I am beginning to think it is to force people to pay because it is a pain without the search function.If that is the case,I think it should be explained that way.
As far as the name calling is concerned, it seems it is done by certain people that can whip out any amount of money to buy custom knives at their whim, so what's a membership fee to them? Nothing. Some people just can't afford it or just don't want to shell out money on the web. I think this is going to hurt this site as far as new members are concerned. They will join, see that there is no search function, and not use the site. I thought that what I had to contribute with good conversation and some knowledge about knives was a value to this site. I guess I was wrong. I'll check in on the slippie forum and Levines once in a while, but there are a number of forums that are'nt even used here it seems, and some are useless IMO like the political arena.Who really needs that crap.This is a Knife forum. Seems to me you could trim the useless stuff of the site, give priveleges to paying members like you have already set up.
You can ban me if you want or just take more away to deter me from posting, but thats not going to make me put up money. Making the site more attractive to new people joining is what make a good site great.
Merry Christmas to all the friends I've made here. We've had some great conversation on knives.
 
navihawk, only one person makes that decision on search availability, and the sticky still says temporary. Your reaction is understandable, but I would say so far unwarranted. Anyone with an actual financial interest in a venture is not going to try and force things down people's throats.

this is what I meant in another thread about the wrong people saying the wrong things.
 
I would not say unwarranted. I think in general people are trying...politely by some,rude by others, to Sparks that they think he is making a mistake.The post does say temporary, but temporary does not have time limits.Temporary could mean two years. I just don't want to see a good forum with decent people go down the tubes, although it probably won't, by making wrong decisions. Knifemakers paying their dues to access many potential customers will be hurt by this.Making navigation to a new person diffuicult is going to detere their experience and turn them off. Again, I will most likely end up a paying member, but cutting off my search isn't going to speed that process up. So the search is a little slow, so what, at least it is there.
Example, I want to research Mooremaker.I can't now.Someone buys a knife from them...How did you heare about us?...Bladeforums...Here comes another endorsement....Potential revenue can be had.
 
No, we're not trying to force anyone to pay. The load on the servers was getting so bad at times the website was practically unusable -- we were getting server too busy errors over and over, and having to click refresh for 5 or 10 minutes straight just to load a thread. Search takes up a lot of resources. Restricting search has saved enough resources to keep the website working for now but it couldn't possibly be a permanent solution.

This happens every few years -- Bladeforums keeps getting bigger and bigger, with more and more users, and every couple of years it gets too big for the servers. Most of us have to upgrade our own computers every few years, too.... The trouble is Bladeforums is a lot more resource-demanding than anything most of us do on our personal computers. That kind of hardware costs serious money.
 
Watchful said:
A basic membership is only $10.

As I've said before, if you post less than 10 times a year, fine.

But if you post more than 10 times a year--or you lurk excessively--you oughta do the right thing and pay up.

We're talking ten bucks.

It's interesting that the people complaining the loudest about the inability to search are those saying they use the search feature extensively.

That tells me you're getting significant benefit from this forum... for NOTHING.

Or to put it another way, you're letting Spark pay for your ride.
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Amen.

This is about the best post for a paying membership that I believe I have seen as of yet..

The cost per day for a Basic Membership on bf.com is under 0.3 cents!.

When was the last time you paid 3 PENNIES for something in a day for anything, much less something of value??
 
I'm not complaining,I'm a capitalist.
I don't see why Spark isn't making big money selling advertising on his site.

I do miss searching for new threads.
 
people hated the ads.

I run firefox, wouldn't care. In fact, I don't generate revenue for any of the boards I post at, I don't see the ads. Even when I did, I refused to click on them.
 
Why not start a thread or link this one and explain what is going on better. Ask for donations and maybe it would pick it up a notch?
Basic member paid.Next year I'll go for the gold.Not sure what $10.00 will do,but I hope it helps toward a better server.
 
navihawk said:
Why not start a thread or link this one and explain what is going on better. Ask for donations and maybe it would pick it up a notch?
Basic member paid.Next year I'll go for the gold.Not sure what $10.00 will do,but I hope it helps toward a better server.
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Great!. God Bless You my man!. That's the Christmas spirit and Merry Christmas to you & yours!!

Welcome to the support group here at www.bladeforums.com

It will help. Every little bit does.:)
 
I don't see why Spark isn't making big money selling advertising on his site.
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Because whoring your site out has a price. I can think of another knife forum which I won't name that is so totally infested with ads you can't see the content, which actuaally doesn't matter as there is none. Oh, buts it FREE and YOU CAN search!
 
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