Primal Fear

Meshuggah

Jorn

Firebrands

Eluveitie

A.O.T.W.

more interviews?

There are two things that my father’s bloodline has plagued me with in my life. One of them is a major potential for dying of a heart attack in my 40’s. So far my doctor says I am 100% clear on that, but I am still pretty damn paranoid about it the closer I get. All my uncles on that side of the family are already dead from this. The second is that we lack the ability to comprehend the word ‘defea’t. Because of this I have held on to the dream that one day I could do this site as my job. I have spent more time then any sane person would crunching numbers and figuring out how to pull off this dream. I have brought this site to the point where one piece of information could tell me if this dream could truly be done. Well, I received this piece of information yesterday. Let’s just say it is about half of what it needed to be.

Now remember that I have a really hard time accepting defeat, so I am not pulling the plug just yet. There are plans being made for one final big push to see if I can prove my own stats wrong. Also keep in mind that I am one anal retentive bastard and have crunched numbers to an insane level, so this info I received creates a major challenge. Over the several years I have done this site, I have never had such a solid piece of information to show how truly unprofitable a website like this could ever be. So there are going to be some changes around here very soon.

The first change I need to make is to take a major reduction in content written from me. The plan is to do whatever I can on the weekends. Once I go to bed on a Sunday night, my focus will be to study computer programming the rest of the week. Most content will be from other writers from now on. Forums will remain as is. My main focus will be learning PHP for the next several months so I can create more online pay services. If writers drop off I won’t even take the time to really hunt down new writers. If we have to move to doing updates once a week we will. I will also continue the weight loss until I get to the 190 goal my doctor made me. I should reach that in March. At that time I will go back to doing full time at my paying gig, so we can save enough money to give one last push to see if we can reach the goals we must make to keep going.

Some good news? Well, this might make some of you feel pretty good. We currently make as much from the platinum memberships as we make from anything else. So don’t think for a second that I blame you readers. You are all awesome! This is something that is beyond the control of you or I. This rant is not about me bitching for you all to give me money. That would not solve the problem. This is not PBS and we are not the type of business that can survive on strictly listener support. This is about creating a consistent flow of revenue from ads, services, and other methods of monetization.

We have about 1 to three years to show this place can stop losing money. Something like this can only survive as a hobby for so long before it has to turn into a job. We are at the point where this needs to turn into a profitable business or I have to sadly pull the plug. I am willing to work 12-16 hour days seven days a week just to bring in the same amount I make scrubbing toilets. If there is any way I can pull this off I will do it. I just need this site to evolve and grow. There is no clear deadline yet, but I am getting very close to being forced to setting one. No one is more sad about this than I am.

Lastly, on the diet front, I lost another pound and am currently at 230.

PS-Vote for your favorite band not in the top 25! Click here for the hell of it!