8 March 2007

RiotACT goes viral - UPDATED

| johnboy
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[First filed: March 05, 2007 @ 10:00]

As some of you have noted, Kerces is in Kiama. Which raises the question of why am I here in Canberra?

So unless we get a sharp uptick in paid advertisers on RiotACT in the next week or so (to ease the pain of separation) chances are I won’t be running this show, but rather will be in Kiama pumping petrol (or somesuch) and doing a lot of surfing, snorkelling, sailling and fishing.

“Good Riddance!” a number of you cry.

But for those who think this would be a bad thing, here’s how you can help.

This is a link to our advertising rate card. You can print yourself out a stack of them and every business you go into for the next week give them a copy and point out that advertising here reaches people like you, and you think it would be a worthwhile way to spend their advertising budget. Simple really.

Also for the very keen you could take out an ad for the charity of your choice.

And hey, if it doesn’t work we’ll have some sort of party before I go.

UPDATED: By request here’s the cover blurb to go with the rate card.

ANOTHER UPDATE: We’ve been encouraged by the response and have our first paid ads running now but we really need you guys to dig deep and spread the word.

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At least the Pirate chipeped in some $$$. If all the local pollies did think of the revenue :-

About $800 in 2007 (2 x ALP and Libs for the 2 HoR and 2 Senate seats) plus minows.

About $5,000 in the ACT Disassembly election with the ALP, Libs and minows.

Maybe johnboy won’t be off to the coast !!!

After 3 years of us commenting about Kerces JB, you are allowed to cry.

No letting it all out until at least 2009 buddy.

Can we get an interview with the Pirate?

By way of gossip, where was HE on the nite of the fires. Dinner with a priest and the judge?

Does paying for advertising mean they support everything in the Canberra Times? Everything on Channel 9?

FFS!

No one has to worry any more with Troy William, liberal running for fraser, nothing can go wrong.

Does sponsoring this site mean that the Liberal party supports everything said on the site?

Yeah I bet that “sue us, we’re broke” tagline doesn’t seem so funny anymore!

Well it’s pretty much past tense on the money now.

Still, you never know if you never try.

VYBerlinaV8 now_with_added grunt3:25 pm 07 Mar 07

Can’t be too broke if you’re living off savings. Perhaps you’re one of the rich parasites of the working man’s wealth that some of the sooks who post here whinge about.

I’m not that old! (sadly nor am I as rich)

I can see how well that turned out for Anna Nicole Smith’s late husband, hehe.

VYBerlinaV8 now_with_added grunt2:03 pm 07 Mar 07

Classy JB. Very, very classy.

Does she have a younger sister?

What was it Groucho Marx said about old men?

I’ve had to say ‘I wasn’t even born then!’ Sometimes the sleazy old men forget just how old they are sometimes.

bonfire, it could be worse

‘I wasnt even born then’

theres nothing worse than telling a new lady friend about some exciting escapade in your life, and she does quick mental maths and says:

“bonfire, i was 3 when that happened”.

I was going to wait until it slipped off the front page tomorrow.

JB, shouldn’t you move this topic back to the top?

Otherwise the push for advertising will slip from many people’s minds.

Although I do hope Kerces’ parents don’t read this site…

C’mon schmerica, that’s never stopped this lot before!

I had wondered that myself.

VYBerlinaV8 now_with_added grunt10:54 am 07 Mar 07

Cradle-snatcher, huh?

Or is that snatch-cradler?

Onya JB, good to hear an old man getting it on with the young’uns.

Quick question… What does any of this really have to do with anyone besides the parties involved?

Mid early thirties not that it’s any of your business.

Most people would put that in the category of ‘lucky bastard’.

Post an advertising card for your sins.

Well JB is in his mid-late thirties and Kerces only just graduated, in her very early twenties (I should know, I was in her graduating class)

Do the math.

As with my stance on Homo antics, nor am I interested in the Hetero bedroom (or elsewhere) antics of K and JB.

While I’m sure there’s many a troll amoung us salivating at … *ahem* whatever, keep both hands on the keyboard… please.

Probably started at about the time JB posted a pic of a recumbent bike in his lounge room.

Those things really get the hormones flowing.

VYBerlinaV8 now_with_added grunt10:19 am 07 Mar 07

Despite having never met either of you (that I’m aware of), I always thought you were probably chopping her.

Hot is all in the eye of the beholder, (unless you have just put your hand in a fire) so i am sure for JB she’s the most beautiful woman he has ever seen.

Kerces is not young enough to be JB’s daughter. its just he is old and cranky. 🙂

Lateralis, you HAVE met JB haven’t you?? I’m impressed he landed Kerces at all! 😀

well that’s two lies there.

here here! :p

well that’s two lies there.

She is ok from what I have seen but I have seen far better, the disturbing thing is that she is young enough to be john’s daughter.

VYBerlinaV8 now_with_added grunt8:25 pm 06 Mar 07

Is Kerces hot?

I wonder if Kerces will be game to ride her recumbent bike around Kiama.

Talking about press releases: flicking through them recently, how come Barr’s are the only ones not to specify a media contact?

fairnuff – but do they care about the issue in point or the (generally) unsavoury comments that get made about those decisions ?

Oh from the emails I get I can assure you they care.

they may read it but as I said I hardly think they care… as is evident from the current batch of press releases to detail their latest activity.

Oh they all read it snahon, have no fear of that.

I’d hardly think they really care about any thrashing this site does that much…

Hmm Troy Williams – hasn’t been on the RA hitlist before has he ?

Anybody got some good gossip or is he clean and not indulgent in protecting graffiti artists or prosecuting people who smoke in their vehicles ?

We’re happy to place ads for any and all other political parties, the Liberals Troy Williams was just the first to take up the opportunity.

As I said, I’m impressed he’s pushing his visibility.

I’m not sure too many of the incumbents will take up the offer though, given the thrashings they regularly get on here. Imagine Nero bristling at you next to a story on his latest incompetence/cover-up!

Just like a real one, only smaller 😉

VYBerlinaV8 now_with_added grunt1:59 pm 06 Mar 07

“So that’s your nickname for it, eh? “

Let’s just say it has plenty of horsepower…

I note our friendly neighbourhood Liberal candidate pirate has answered the call for ads.

Yes,

We’re happy to place ads for any and all other political parties, the Liberals Troy Williams was just the first to take up the opportunity.

So that’s your nickname for it, eh?

VYBerlinaV8 now_with_added grunt1:53 pm 06 Mar 07

Hey LG – I’ve got a pony you can ride…

I note our friendly neighbourhood Liberal candidate pirate has answered the call for ads.

I must say I’m pretty impressed that this guy has put himself out there so far in advance of an election.

I’d be happy to pay an annual subscription fee to contribute to riot act. Oh, and a pony. I want a pony.

VYBerlinaV8 now_with_added grunt1:32 pm 06 Mar 07

(…other than that lump of monkey jizz defending the Charny Carny).

VYBerlinaV8 now_with_added grunt1:31 pm 06 Mar 07

How’s the writership?

Well the problem is it’s not just my site.

But this time last year the readership hadn’t tripled to its current levels.

meh – its your site and your life 🙂

corporatising riotact wasn’t possible until now.

the timing of any number of factors is not ideal but we work with what we’ve got.

“Additional tools”… Laughed out load and everyone looked weird at me…!

JB you are staying remarkably well “on message” there – considered supplementing your income with politics??

“I’ve been on my savings for the last year running The Concatenate and RiotACT…”

Leaving it a bit late to try and generate revenue now aren’t we ?

Hehehe … I mean priority posting rights or somesuch (i.e. don’t have to wait to be moderated) … the ability to edit your own comments?

If subscribers pay by credit card (and can thus be tracked down if necessary) there shouldn’t be too much of a risk of people indulging in defamation etc.

Additional tools?
Some would say there are enough of us already…

My suggestion is simply to leave the current situation in place, but allow people to subscribe and get additional tools.

That way RiotACT can have two income streams … advertising AND subsciptions.

Maybe new posters could have 20 free posts before they get blocked?

Wouldn’t it be easy to get around that though? Just create a new account after 20 posts… maybe I’m missing something…

Sure, here’s the text of the covering note we sent out with the rate card.

At the risk of looking like I have nothing to do today *cough*:

JB while the rate card is very pretty, could we maybe also have an equally pretty flyer to go with it, advertising your advertising, so to speak?

It would help mightily when explaining why people should advertise here if we had a glitzy one-pager with not just the rates, but a good plug at the same time. You know, “we get x-bazillion hits every day so your business should totally advertise here because…”. That way we can stick it on noticeboards, posterboards, online bulletin boards etc, and more people can walk past and see it than if we just handed them the rate card and gave a verbal recommendation.

Plus that’s easier and less time-consuming for us, so you’re likely to get more of us spreading the Word.

Thats my 2 cents, anyway.

Yeah good point JB – I don’t know that I would trust my entire income to the financial commitment of the RA faithful alone…

Dammit let’s just have a party either way.

funeral?
I just wanted to get pissed!

Getting 20 subscribers for $50 while pissing off 10,000 casual readers and losing the occasional contributors doesn’t strike us as a brilliant plan guys.

Thanks for planning my funeral jey and thumper but I’m not dead yet and might still pull through if people do what we asked, and get the rate card out in the face of potential advertisers.

Hey that’s a good one Thumper. If we lost the CCs of this world, RA wouldn’t be the same.

Although what’s to stop someone signing up ten times with new email addresses?

And I’ll add my name to the subscription list.

i would subscribe to such a site, but not if it costs as much as crikey.

already read the yellowpages A-Z (and the Chronicle CT and CtiryNews) and sent the card and a covering note to every business with an email listed therein.

all 2,500 of them.

loyal readers marching in brandishing the card is a different question.

Are you able to send the file off to random buisness’s in Canberra? You might get a few people interested that way maybe?

That’s going to be a BIG farewell party…

Can we schedule the party sometime btw April 5 and 8?

Spot on Danman, Id pay too.

Speaking of which JB, now that I am finally getting somewhat of an income, will the Concatenate stay up and running?

I’ll print it off and try my luck. (Dendy Perhaps?)

I would be happy to pay an annual subscription fee ( or even monthly) for people to put up with my random shité natterings.

-You can bill me for 2c for that, by the way.

I’m glad johnboy explained that. I thought it was a stage direction in a porn film script.

The ‘rate card’ – keeping Johnboy in his heroin bag since 2007

I looked through your rate card – what exactly IS standard rotation?

That would be the four rotating ads on the top right of the page with no tweaks to force the speed of expiry or to up the number of unique viewers.

Growling Ferret3:32 pm 05 Mar 07

2c per post? Thumper would be up for millions…

I looked through your rate card – what exactly IS standard rotation?

Thanks for the suggestions guys, but right now if you could help out by passing on the rate card to potential advertisers that would be best.

Cheers.

but was that last comment worth 2 cents ?

actually 2 cents per post would be cool.

i actually like the idea of having my 2 cents worth.

JTK Just bill 75 clients an extra dollar to pay for the RA (or 1 client an extra 75 dollars) and bill another 500 clients an extra dollar to pay for typing lessons!

Put Che in charge. I will respekt his Authoritah.

VYBerlinaV8 now_with_added grunt1:29 pm 05 Mar 07

Hey JTK – you can easily tax deduct such a subscription on the grounds that it is a journal covering issues that affect your main client base.

I’d definitely tax deduct the yearly $5 RiotACT fee.

I just meant Edit for typos, not change the comments. I guess you cna’t have the one without the other tho.

James-T-Kirk1:29 pm 05 Mar 07

My typing is crap!!

James-T-Kirk1:28 pm 05 Mar 07

“Perhaps a fee for every post we make – say 2 or 5 cents. Surely the technology exists to keep a running total, then you could bill us monthly. Those who don’t pay up – block them from posting.”

I demand being able to pay per post – On hte spot – what with rouding and all – 2c gets rounded down to 0c.

Any other price simply wouldn’t be 2c worth!

James-T-Kirk1:26 pm 05 Mar 07

Holy Shit Batman – 12 Hours, means that the story will be gone before we get to read it!!!

Damn – I’ll have to have a chat to the MD to see if I can get a RiotACT subscription included as part of my salary agreement – Now, where did I put those tax books?

Possibly, I might be able to convince one of my govmit client to pay for it for me???

Perhaps a fee for every post we make – say 2 or 5 cents. Surely the technology exists to keep a running total, then you could bill us monthly. Those who don’t pay up – block them from posting.

-This might also cut down on some of the off-the-wall spontaneous remarks…mine included…and give a new meaning to the expression “here’s my 2 cents’ worth”.

dunno if thats a good idea. some of the best bits of this site have been duels with blowins.

maybe DELAY new items for say 6-12 hours to non-subscribers, then allow comment posting to all.

anyway, this is a good forum to generate suggestions.

I’d be happy to pay as well, anything up to $75 a year provided the non paying version is delayed something like 12 hours. It has to be a concrete benefit as Ari says and 12 hours will effectively mean a full day’s delay for many of the non paying viewers. make it a week’s free trial and you’ll get people hooked JB in a way that the Concat never will.

RiotACT won’t stop just because I’m not around.

But I imagine it will be different. Who knows, maybe that’ll be a good thing.

Anyway if the Stanhope Government wants to pay me to leave I’d be happy to weigh up their bid.

I’d be happy to pay money to support RiotACT, but I’d like to feel I was paying for some concrete benefit that bludging non-payers weren’t getting.

JB’s probably BEING paid to move to Kiama as shutting down RA would mean a big boost to public service productivity here in the ACT…

You’re a paying customer, that’s the exactly sort of person most businesses are after.

DarkLadyWolfMother12:30 pm 05 Mar 07

I’m not sure telling anyone that it reaches “people like me” will inspire confidence…

lol Seepi, On your comments or someone elses?

Just so happens that i have myself an edit button already. I dont often use it though.

VYBerlinaV8 now_with_added grunt12:07 pm 05 Mar 07

And you’ll still have time to do the RiotACT.

Thanks Ari. We’re always open to new ideas on how to make the site better.

VYBerlinaV8 now_with_added grunt12:06 pm 05 Mar 07

JB – just get yourself a job in the public service! Easy work, good $$, low pressure.

some days I’d pay for an edit button….

I wonder if there could be some sort of “premium” access model developed for RA subscribers.

I reckon open access to the content itself is important to generate eyeballs and an inclusionary sense of community, but perhaps subscribers could gain access to additional tools or posting rights.

Just a thought.

no probs bonfire. I’ll whip you up an invoice.

well jb, i’d happily subscribe to ra in the same way i do to the concatenate.

Kiama is nice.

Ralph’s Canberra exit strategy has me heading down that way in a couple of years, either to go back to lazy academia or as a daily commuter to Sydney.

That’s going to be a BIG farewell party…

But who’s to say you can’t at least contribute from Kiama anyway?

Or maybe RA can have a sister site, based on the coast? I’ll admit, Riot-Kiamaandsurroundingareas doesn’t really have the same ring to it, but…

I’ve been on my savings for the last year running The Concatenate and RiotACT, but it’s time to get a job now if we can’t get the advertisers to the party.

Where I get the job depends on what’s available but Kiama doth beckon.

VYBerlinaV8 now_with_added grunt11:01 am 05 Mar 07

What are you saying JB? That running the RiotACT is your full time job?

Doing a lot of surfing, snorkelling, sailling and fishing
Why fight it?

Kiama’s already got a blow hole!

Just kidding 😉

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