State of AFN (2020)

[Son of Hobbes]

Hey I just want to help clear up some misconceptions here, for years vendors have sent genetics, lights, nutrients, and other grow related products and services that we gave to the community rather then demanding money from them. In fact that's a major basis of our product testing program that we have been running since October 2015. It wasn't until recently we even went to a paid format for their advertised forums.

I've put together a plan for 2020 and going forward for how we will approach vendors for the for the forum, and I've bounced it off the @gladiator team for some feedback and I think most are on board with the idea.

I don't know if trying to have the AFN community sponsor our fees every year is going to be a long term solution (would be awesome if we could but puts a lot on the community.) We have vendors that have asked about purchasing banners and other things as well which is something mossy and I are talking about how we should handle.

The goal is to be transparent with this though, because this is a site for all of us. It's when we tried to make the site trendy and more business like is when we saw the biggest decline in the community. Kind of like Emilio Esteves in the movie Mighty Ducks 2 when he finally realizes being a corporate d******** is not who his team wants to play for lol.

 

[MrOldBoy]

Congrats to all on hitting AFN goal

BUT WE ARE NOT DONE

More funds are needed to grow and improve​

​

Think this is something we can all agree on

Possible revenue sources include Vendors but the conflict of staying true / unbiased comes into play ..... We need to find solutions those concerns ..... So let’s not focus on the “Concerns” - rather let’s focus on possible “Solutions” that will remedy the “Concerns” .....

Organic Traffic is the most prized traffic there is and something every webmaster strives for and it is very valuable traffic for Vendors and it’s the Members that help generate that traffic by posts .... AFN will usually have more quests than Members on the Site at any given time .....

AFN is very good at creating organic traffic .....

Question is how can AFN capitalize on their traffic and stay unbiased and create revenue - Believe the answer is thru the vendors ......

Vendors could step up, pay for some type of premium listing if desired, even if just a nominal fee, and be more active in their listings / posts PLUS they should have contests and prizes ...... What’s wrong with say having Grower Contests being sponsored by seed vendors or other vendors and the variety of contests being such that even novice growers can compete in - lots of ideas but we must be open to new ideas and sorry to say some sort of capitalism- even the Salvation Army has a Retail Capitalistic presence - and if you know anything at all about charitable organizations you know the Salvation Army returns a huge percentage of their money back to the needy BUT they need money to operate .....

AFN needs coin to operate too .....

Just my two cents worth!

Peace always,
MOB

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

I can't imagine anything much will be changed in 2020. We've just been through a couple of server changes after being let down on the first and things very much need to be optimised. I believe @Mañ'O'Green has sourced and paid someone out of his own pocket to do this. Things just weren't moving quick enough for him, and very thankful we should be So that frees up all your lovely donations to keep the site hosted and tweaked when needed. Once we're fully optimised and back to our wonderful best we will feel a lot happier asking vendors for more kit, seeds and whatever else we can get shared around and tested. Battles are a bit up in the air what with shipping concerns but more to follow on that. Stay safe all!

Just to be transparent I just paid for the new polling module, the site improvements still need to be paid from the GoFundMe campaign. So keep those donations coming!

 

[HighnDry]

Just to be transparent I just paid for the new polling module, the site improvements still need to be paid from the GoFundMe campaign. So keep those donations coming!

Yes sorry that's what I meant to say, damn afternoon tokes!

 

[Kinezokyprios]

Thank you all for the constructive dialogue. Many issues have been clarified for me. My approach doesn't change in its basic concept but I do appreciate both the vendors' contribution and the staff members' personal sacrifises (of which I didn't have doubt anyhow and we must all appreciate especially this).
Banners and adv stuff are not a bad idea though. Could generate a decent and transparent revenue source.

And because of the virus problem, please smoke at home, stay in and don't share the same spliff or bong with others this period.

 

[GeorgeCloney]

Thank you all for the constructive dialogue. Many issues have been clarified for me. My approach doesn't change in its basic concept but I do appreciate both the vendors' contribution and the staff members' personal sacrifises (of which I didn't have doubt anyhow and we must all appreciate especially this).
Banners and adv stuff are not a bad idea though. Could generate a decent and transparent revenue source.

And because of the virus problem, please smoke at home, stay in and don't share the same spliff or bong with others this period.

Thats why I grow my own.
Sharing is good except for 2 circumstances.
My pot, and my wife.

I'm sure at the end of this exercise, we will have taken a good rational decision.
In the end we're protecting the members interests and this is something the vendors will understand.

This is when we're gonna start weeding out the true from the phoneys...

Get it? weeding out....

Never mind,

 

[Dabber]

I will continue to support AFN as long as I'm around and able to. Just the amount of free seeds I have received from various vendors while being here on AFN still out weighs the amount I kicked in.

 

[Archaic]

I will continue to support AFN as long as I'm around and able to. Just the amount of free seeds I have received from various vendors while being here on AFN still out weighs the amount I kicked in.

This SO much. I grew so many seeds I got for free here at AFN I probably could buy a new server with the savings. Hell, I gave a bunch of the Festivus seeds to my dad and now he is growing autoflowers on his porch.

 

[GeorgeCloney]

This SO much. I grew so many seeds I got for free here at AFN I probably could buy a new server with the savings. Hell, I gave a bunch of the Festivus seeds to my dad and now he is growing autoflowers on his porch.

And your Dad is growing under his legal quota right Archaic

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Hey gang we are stuck at $2101.00 just $399 to go. Please even $5 adds up.