Another thing that would make a great amenity; a "like" button, especially for ideas such as this. I'd gladly contribute to writing some articles...

The other thing about people who ask about things like the 1361 is that maybe people don't know the full story. They maybe new and do not know about that restoration and have only just want to find out about it. One thing we can do is not jump the gun at people who ask about them and explain out what is going on.

Well, if you permit unlimited advertising for unlimited dollars, the ad content will be dominated by pharmaceuticals. However if the ad units are affordable (say, $30) and you are only allowed to buy one ... then no advertiser can gain ad-position dominance nor bias the site in any significant way.

Myself I would have no objection to appropriate adverts or a recognised way of making a contribution to fund RyPN.

As to the posting I agree the focus has drifted away from the technical subjects. Much of what Dave says I agree with. This I find disappointing. When having written some long threads for general benefit and eduction I find it poor that some posters then just want to discredit what has been said or simply put down those who wish to try something different ( CRI is one example) . This is why we generally don't put up posts much now. There is much happening but why should we put it in the public domain simply to be criticised or to have our efforts wasted?

RyPN has a lot of good points and only a few which are not. I hope that this forum lasts a long time and that the correct focus can be kept on the more technical aspects of our industry.

I would suggest that the supposed "corrupting" influence of advertising at websites like this, and indeed every last news reporting news outlet, is grotesquely exaggerated. I write for quite a few publications supported mostly by advertising and not subscriptions, and for pay. When one of the ad guys starts telling me over a beer about a new place/company/product/etc. and then starts to try and tell me that they're taking out a nice series of ads, and "maybe you might wanna swing by and take a look and...." I promptly stick my fingers in my ears and run away yelling "NANANANANANA Can'thearyouDon'twannahearit......" (Yes, literally--it's become a running joke at meetings.) They get write-ups on their merits, not because someone bought ads--at least as far as I'M concerned. (And the guys high up in the fields have repeatedly commended me for the resulting candor and insights. Respect matters.)

Yes, there exist publications that shamelessly trade ad dollars for column inches. I think it would be hard to find a "city magazine" (New York, Washingtonian, Chicago, etc.) that isn't routinely derided among locals as nakedly favoring advertisers, and for which the annual "Best of [City]" publication isn't mocked by locals as "Best of Our Advertisers." But that's decidedly NOT RyPN.

The old publishing standard/adage for "dead trees" media was (and often still is) that the subscription/newsstand purchase price paid only for the printing and distribution of a newspaper or magazine; advertising paid for the staff, overhead, and content. (Your typical Sunday big-city newspaper represents about $3 worth of paper, ink, and driving per copy these days.) With the modern era of Internet "publication," that has now been flipped on its head--distribution costs nothing, but advertising makes the difference between a publication having decent content or not. We're not talking turning this place into Times Square; we're talking limited use of targeted advertising to pay for its existence.

I am in no way adverse to advertising of a limited, targeted nature on this website to pay for the overhead and maintenance costs and upgrading. And nothing this good should be at the mercy of individual ownership, of one or two individuals going broke/dying in an accident/getting in a drunken snit. Heck, yes, I want to see ads for special excursion programs, for new excursion lines, for equipment brokers or merchandise suppliers, railfan magazines, etc. Indeed, why the blazes isn't the NRHS or R&LHS underwriting this site and/or running ads here, even in a token fashion? Let the EL Dining Car guys hawk their coffee and biscuit mixes--I'm kicking myself for seeing, and then forgetting to go back and buy, them at the railroad museum gift shop two days ago!

Heck, why don't we put in a feature where some of you/us that grouse about the commentary of certain members here can offer to pay to block their commentary for a certain amount of time, and those that favor their views can offer to counter or override those bids? That might have rendered a certain spelling/grammar-impaired individual irrelevant very quickly, and between me and a certain locomotive owner, the bids and counterbids could easily pay for a platinum upgrade by a certain programmer that lurks here!

On some internet boards, ads are inserted into the middle of discussions as posts (graphical illustration below). A less intrusive approach is to put the ad in the header of the page. Excessive ads tend to cheapen the look of a website, in my opinion.

First of all, may I express curiousity about the apparent desire to have advertising on RyPN? I wasn't aware that there were funding issues, though there might be, I guess. We rarely hear from David Collison who owns the domain name and provides the hosting. I know that in his "real" life he is busy to the point of overload, and doesn't expect to, nor is he able to spend a lot of time on RyPN.

It runs, its up pretty reliably, and for good or ill it is moderated by a small group of people who actually care about its future.

This discussion pops up annually, if not more often, and it all devolves to "what can WE do to make RyPN better?" or secondarily, "It was better before, lets go back to the way it was"

Here's some reality: even if you were to provide the moderators with wonderful articles to post, we have no way to post them. That mechanism is out of our control and available only to David Collison. David has done a wonderful job of preserving RyPN. Make no mistake, were it not for him, it wouldn't be here.

I have much more to say, none of which is unpleasant, just baffled. But at the moment my little granddaughter wants to have a cup of cocoa with grandpa, and that my friends, trumps the web every time.

I have had the same experience as Bob Davis regarding donations. I would be happy to make an annual donation if thats what it takes to maintain and improve this site.
P.S also a member of Orange Empire.

Dear robertmacdowell

I think it needs to be pointed out that the idea of advertising came from outside of those associated with the operation of RYPN. Several years ago there was a push by someone before the engineering standards committee of regulations for adoption of locomotive crew training requirements that go beyond anything in law currently. Many believe the push for such additional regulation was to create work for his consulting business. Now if such a situation came up by someone who was advertising on RYPN would criticism of the idea be allowed?

In the discussion of fillet welded bolts we are already having trouble with individuals who can not keep their personal dislike for one another from entering a technical discussion. In the fillet welded staybolt discussion everyone looses because the personal attacks continually cause the threads to be locked without a real discussion of each position on the issue. With this already going on, why would you want to add the possibility that someone would place pressure in the form that I help pay for this site so I should be able to say this or that. The moderators have a hard enough job now. Why potentially complicate it further with the potential issues that advertising may bring. Instead we should all continue to work o keeping discussions as civil as possible. If those involved with the day to day operation of RYPN need something I am sure they will let us know.

Respectfully

Robby Peartree

I like the idea of Orange Empire paying for RyPN.......but I'm not sure that two members is a large enough representative section of their membership to push it through.

Just kidding. I'm sure they have things of their own to fund.

But, seriously, if there's a need for revenues to be generated (and nobody in control of any part of the board has proposed that idea) count me in for a donation, for which I expect no greater influence than any other reader, whether they have donated (wonderful people) or not (cheap bastards.)

On another front....I was emailed today by an expert who literally wrote the book on steam locomotive front ends and would like to share a presentation he created for a group. I suggested perhaps somebody could figure out how to post it on the articles page......it would be nice to get that started again.

dave

Answering Jeff's question: Yes, there are people on RYPN that manage and edit other websites. The bigger question is whether any of them would ever want to get involved in managing or editing this one.

PC

The answer, of course, is to only sell as much advertising as necessary to keep the site running--and to run a site so good that you are not dependent upon specific advertisers to keep the place in existence.

When advertisers cancel their ads with Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity because of the latest boycott movement based on something they said, do you honestly think there aren't a half-dozen other advertisers waiting to move in to replace them? And we're not talking enriching whoever "owns" this website, ONLY paying expenses and maintaining perpetuation and continuity.