Clickzvault

[dongatto63]

You should hop on the chat sometime.  I will join your site.  I saw it before but I didn't join because I heard something about someone who owned it/works on it that is apparently a scammer.  Not you, but that other guy.

Yeah...I know and respect that.  Why would anyone knowingly join a site that is run by a known, or alleged scammer.  I think that I actually have been on the chat a couple of times...but these have been very busy (but exciting) times for me.  I hope to change that as well
 
I will look forward to talking to you more about this, as well as other matters in the PTC industry.

John

[Toycat]

btwb$2/1,000 banner impressions is way over priced. $0.05-$0.10 CPM is what most people will pay

[dongatto63]

btwb$2/1,000 banner impressions is way over priced. $0.05-$0.10 CPM is what most people will pay

Thank you very much for your input.  It is a long road in learning how to do this business.  I am just glad that there are people out there who are willing to help me along the way.  I will take your information, and look closely at my pricing structure.

[Aurora]

dongatto63 has just posted a new topic entitled "Don't Beat A Dead Horse" in forum "News & Announcements".
 
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My Dear Friends:
 
I am not a doctor, nor have I ever played one on TV either.  However, I have taken CPR several times in my life...so perhaps that is why I thought I might be able to   I am not a doctor, nor have I ever played one on TV either.  However, I  have taken CPR several times in my life...so perhaps that is why I  thought I might be able to necessitate a dying web site.  Of course, I  speak of the site here at www.clickzvault.net.  The site was on it's  last leg when I purchased it almost a year ago...but that didn't stop  me (duhh).
 
  I really believed that I could make something out of this site.  I knew  that it had it's potential to become more than it ever could.  I sincerely believed in my heart, that by providing a professional  management background in the service of our members, I could win back  our members to this site.  But wishing these things have not made it  so.  Though I have done more for this site in the few months than our  predecessor had....It was too later for this site...AKA: SS Titanic.
 
  I did manage to get our members paid.  And continue to do so to this  day.  And although I have spent over $1,500 out of my pocket to pay  members and revamp the site appearance and script....still it was not  enough.  I have managed to win over some staunch enemies of the site  (eh hemm....Twysted)...but still was not enough to keep the site  working.
 
  I have taken the pulse of the site, and the reality of it is this.   With the greatly diminished membership (from over 1700 members to a  handful of active members)...and with no revenue at all coming in at  all: I have decided to euthanize this mostly already dead shell of a  site.
 
  So what does this mean to our membership?  Well, the first thing is  that I didn't want to just pull the plug without giving our members a  fair and ample amount of warning.  I just hate when you go to a site,  and all of the sudden, it is GONE.  So I will not be "pulling the plug"  until February 28, 2009.  After that, there will be no new members; no ads to click; and  no way to request a payout.
 
  If you wish to get a payout, and you have qualified for one...then you  must make your request prior to us shutting down.  We will honor all  requests for payouts as we always have.  They will still need to meet  our normal payment requirements (no cheaters, scammers, multiple  accounts & etc.).  I will make the payouts as quickly following the closure of the site, to complete our business here.
 
  Though the site will be shut down sometime on 2/28...the forum will  remain in effect for the foreseeable future.  I am not going to put a  time limit on it now...but I would think that it should run for at  least the duration remaining on our ownership of the domain name (but  don't quote me on this point).
 
  I am really sorry for this action.  I really feel that I have failed  our membership and advertisers.  But perhaps I just was not realistic  in my conviction of the potential of the site.  There is only one ray  of hope that I see now.  That is if we gain a major influx of both  members and legitimate advertisers.  But alas...I will not hold my  breath waiting on that.
 
 If you should have any questions concerning any of subject matter here:  please do not hesitate in contacting us at once, so we can attend to  your needs.
 
  Successfully Yours,
 
  John

[BlackThursday]

He finally realized it was a lost cause longggg ago.

[dongatto63]

Thanks Aurora for rebroadcasting my message for me here.  I have been wrestling with this for a long time, and have spoken to several individuals as to what I should do.  I am still sad that I had to make this decision...but it hopefully will be for the best.  I will be sure to take care of business as I outlined...as I am NOT a scammer, or someone who is looking to rip off anyone.  I just paid another individual yesterday, and I will continue to do so for all requests, until the site is closed.

Thank you also BlackThursday....you know how I feel about this.  But I appreciate all of the support that I have received from my friends here, and elsewhere.

God Bless you all....

John

[Toycat]

while i support your choice, it was a dead site, A way to over come that could of been to buy a new domain, and let clickzvault members know and then... well yeah.

[sabbie]

good for you john,  sometime the patient is just too far gone to respond to CPR.

i think we all know you bought it  with the best of intentions but clickzvault was a lost cause long before you purchased it.
theres no way you could have saved it no matter how hard you tried. 
congrats on you wise decision,  your members will appreciate you giving them notice.  maybe you could let them all convert to ads until it finally does close?

toycat in this case even a domain change would not have helped.  the clickzvault script has always been bugged and any fix has always created at least 2 new bugs.
it would have taken a new domain and a new script to maybe make it work and even then it would have been haunted by the past.
CV used to have over 10k members but they all gave up a long time ago.  with only very few members left  it makes a lot more sense to just it down

this and 5ivebux should be a really good lesson for anyone considering buying an existing site.  do your homework first. if a site is for sale there probably is a very good reason the selller wants to dump it. 

john i do hope http: myptcclicks.com does a lot better for you.  good luck with that one

[dongatto63]

Thank you for replying here Sabbie.  Just a couple of items that I wanted to further reply to here.

maybe you could let them all convert to ads until it finally does close?

That IS an interesting propisition. The only concerns that I have with this is

• This would be reminiscent of the status that the site was in before I took over...and I really don't want to go back there.
• I really do still want people to have the chance to earn money.  This is why I am giving this advanced notice.

toycat in this case even a domain change would not have helped.  the clickzvault script has always been bugged and any fix has always created at least 2 new bugs.
it would have taken a new domain and a new script to maybe make it work and even then it would have been haunted by the past.
CV used to have over 10k members but they all gave up a long time ago.  with only very few members left  it makes a lot more sense to just it down

As I have seen the inside workings of this script (admin, not the script itself): I know of many of the problems that have plagued it.  It originally was my intent to have the script created new from the ground up.  And looking back...I think it would have been much cheaper over all. 

The unfortunate thing for now, is that I am currently stuck with this domain name on my books until 2010.  Unless I can find a way to do something productive with the domain...it is just going to be sitting out here in cyberspace...collecting dust.

this and 5ivebux should be a really good lesson for anyone considering buying an existing site.  do your homework first. if a site is for sale there probably is a very good reason the selller wants to dump it. 

DEFINITELY!!  I couldn't agree more.  The only thing is that at least I got some good CSR experience with dealing with our unhappy members.  I did learn much about this industry...even though much of it was by fire.

john i do hope http: myptcclicks.com does a lot better for you.  good luck with that one

Thanks...I really do need more than just luck...I need advertisers.  We have around 160 members right now, and are working at going for 300 by the end of this month.  We are moving to a temporary new home at a different host: because our current host cannot resolve our cron issues (the ads are not resetting daily...making me do it manually).  We are planning on moving to either a dedicated system within the next few months...or at very least...a virtual dedicated server.  I have been talking with some of my partners as to what exactly are our needs.  Once we get this server, then we will have to move it one last time.  I hate this, as it is a problem for our advertisers and members.  But it IS for the best overall.  I believe that with the proper communication and warning of the site going down...we can avoid the confusion and problems that most sites have when they try this.

Again...thanks for your reply Sabbie.  If you or anyone else has a comment: I look forward to attending to it here, or in our forums.

God Bless,

John

[tixepower]

You can sell domain :O Old domains are usually better for seo than the new once