MacDailyNews was originally written using MGI and hosted with Mac Dock – a great Mac-based web host that we highly recommend to this day. As the site grew, the site was rewritten with PHP and ran on pMachine. As the site continued to grow, traffic demands highlighted flaws and inefficiencies in MacDailyNews’ code. The decision was made to move the site as it existed, without rewrite, to another web host onto a FreeBSD server of its own. This was the only server available to MDN at the time. Mac Dock later made available to MacDailyNews shared space on an Apple Xserve, so the site was moved back with all of its inefficient code. We at MDN were very happy to be on the Xserve, but as the site continued to grow and grow, MDN, with our code inefficiencies, began impacting other Mac Dock clients on that Xserve. We had to move again.
At a crossroads, and without the necessary funds to purchase our own Xserve, MacDailyNews had enough funds available to pay for a total code rewrite by the fine folks at pMachine Services. Part of the deal was for the MacDailyNews site to be hosted on multiple servers, with a separate server for the MDN database of articles and comments by pMachine Hosting. The site was (and, as you read this, still is being) rewritten to run on pMachine’s ExpressionEngine, a step up from pMachine. pMachine Hosting offers servers which run Redhat Enterprise Linux 3.0, Apache 2.x Web Server, and PHP 4.3.2.
At the time of the changeover from the Xserve, on Friday, November 19, 2004, MacDailyNews published a call for donations. This call has resulted in a total of $52 (US). We thank those who donated and we really appreciate it.
MacDailyNews does not run lucrative Windows-related ads from our network ad service, Fastclick. We turn off the Dell, Microsoft, Napster, RealNetworks and all other such ads for obvious reasons – we will not promote products we don’t believe in. MacDailyNews also generates revenue as an Apple iTunes, Apple Store, and .Mac affiliate – when you buy from these ads on MacDailyNews, we get a percentage of the sales generated. We are also supported by Other World Computing (see large banners at the top of all pages), without whom MacDailyNews most certainly would not exist today. Thank you for patronizing OWC!
We also generate revenue by selling Apple-related T-shirts, mugs, etc. via CafePress. Thanks to all who’ve purchased items from our “store” link!
This is where we stand today. MacDailyNews’ goals are to finish tweaking the code, pay for the rewrite, continue paying for monthly hosting, and build up funding to purchase our own Xserve(s) or somehow get back to server(s) running Apple Mac OS X as soon as possible. We are currently actively seeking new advertisers who would like to reach our concentrated audience of Mac enthusiasts. More information about advertising on MacDailyNews can be found here.
MacDailyNews thanks MacDock, pMachine Services, pMachine Hosting, and everyone else who has helped make MacDailyNews what it is today. We especially thank you, the MacDailyNews visitors – you’re the best! It may take a while, but we’ll reach our goals eventually!
Well a single Xserve dual G5 w/stock ram and drive included + 3 year on site warranty, and 3 years of OS X Server maintenance, tax, etc. will set MDN back about $6500, then they need to house it somewhere monthly, etc. Keep donating (or just be glad its a *nix based hosting
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Did you get the $25,000 I just sent you via paypal?
Just added my 10 bucks – keep up the great work MDN!
Starting a web site has to be one of the cheapest buisnesses you can do.
1: MDN gets all it’s information from submissions and monitoring of other websites.
2: The SPIN is the editor or owners drivel.
3: Website programming isn’t that hard.
4: Server costs are darn near dirt cheap, you got more ads that anyone else I’ve seen. Sure nobody clicks ads, ads are a way to offset the costs, not to make a profit.
Since I’ve done this myself, I say any retiree with a set pension and too much time on their hands can start a website.
Most websites don’t make any money anyway. And a lot of folks have websites WITH NO ADVERTISING!! for years!
So if you don’t have a steady alternate income to support the costs involved in running this web site you should sell it.
What I suspect is your TROLLING drivel has caused the PC side to drown out your bandwidth and now you’ve choked.
YOU ARE GOING TO HACKED MORE, now that your on Linux.
Quit whining and change your buisness model.
MDN is deleting posts on this thread in scores.
If it don’t sound sympathetic it’s gone.
This site is a source of constant vile, it attracts attention sure. But just confirms PC users expectations of a foaming at the mouth Mac head.
Stiring up young folks isn’t so great either, just look how the the other side uses that to show how irresponsible this site and Mac users in general are.
MDN attacks the person too much for their decisions and reasonings.
PC people are good people, just misinformed and Apple can’t advertise it’s products like Dell because quite frankly Apple doesn’t have the supply to meet that sort of demand, it relies upon a lot of other companies for it’s computers.
The PC is used as a standard and everyone copies it all over the world.
MDN does good by promoting the Mac platform, and provides a lot of links to stories we Mac users like to know.
Just please cut down on the foaming at the mouth, personal attacks and trolling on our feelings to generate hit traffic.
Can we get a kinder and gentler MDN please?
We Mac users are a very concerned and caring lot, lets show that side of us for a change.
😀
Another $25 on its way.
With the current $/� exchange rate UK readers have no excuse for not kicking in a few bucks!
Just back, and yes, ashamed not to have contributed too – so with pleasure $25 on the way!
As I have remarked before.. I would be surprised if MDN don’t also have “proper” jobs to go to as well. With that in mind I will offer to write an article about MDN and its Editors/Proprietors to share with MDN users. I’d also like to know what they look like – though I might regret knowing (!). Let MDN know if you want this…
Someone above remarked that MDN “MDN is deleting posts on this thread in scores”. I can certainly see all my posts if I go Google MDN site for my nom de plume.
Why not team up with MacMinute, MacSurfer, MacNN and other Mac related sites that aren’t running on xServe, talk to pMhosting (they’re a dream to work with) about putting it online there and save yourselves some money.
Cheers MDN! Always a laugh. Here’s another $10.
1. I still agree with Fred.
2. A vast majority of these claims of “donations” seem very suspicious. I have never seen so many different people with identical writing styles. In particular, the use of the phrase “…another $…”, along with punctuation and vocabulary similarities. I had spent a decade working on computer AI at a local university and used public chatrooms as a proving ground with the computer being a completely autonomous, fully interactive, chatter. I am very aware of writing styles, their range of variations, and how they relate to personalities. There is no doubt that many of these posts are from the same author, most likely the MDN host. Obviously, it’s a very sad and pathetic attempt at raising funds; almost adolescent in style, but not surprisingly, they are very similar in maturity to many of the MDN editorial postings and rants.
3. I fail to see the complexity of this website that it would require extensive rewriting by the hosts of the server. Granted, this site may generate traffic greater than a “My Dog, Fluffy” site and, thus, require a better service to handle it, but it pales in comparison to much more complex and graphics intensive amateur sites.
Combining #2 and #3 above, as well as many of the editorials, there is much at MDN that smacks of deception and immaturity. The more he/she/they try to explain and cover, the more it becomes apparent. Extraordinarily pathetic, but very entertaining nonetheless.
Try honesty. It really does work!
ary…,
Just because a phrase is used multiple times does not imply singular authorship. I refer to Kleenex even though I use facial tissue of a different brand. Sometimes a word or phrase catches on and is used by others, not exactly a crime. Yes, I agree that people’s writing styles vary greatly from person to person, but that does not necessarily mean that similar styles must be from the same person, especially in a group environment where people read and respond to everyone else’s style. In such a social setting, styles tend more to evolve instead of remaining static. I don’t need to have spent ten years on computer AI to understand that in a group setting, people tend more to conform than to differentiate.
However, even if your conspiracy theory is correct, I choose not to live in a cynical world where I assume people intentions are criminal. Until you have some credible evidence, you are just another conspiracy theorist.
My dear MDN, you obviously need some serious help in financing this thing but are totally clueless to WHICH advertisers to have on your site. The wrong ones will just increase your sites file size (impacting your server’s quota and your expenses) and not generate any money. You wonder why? Just sit and look at each ad…
Most of them are for hardware, Apple and such. First, it’d be a good guess that 99% of your readers already have them bookmarked. But more importantly, people are rarely in the market for hardware, and they sure as hell are not going to use your ads as a resource if and when they decide to buy something like that. These ads are ignored by your readers.
What’s the key?
TOILET PAPER!!
Sell items that are DISPOSABLE, things people use up and have to replace. When they see the ad they’ll think, “Ya, I gotta get more of that.” Things like ink, paper, CD-Rs, etc.
This is why porn sells. No one can get enough of it. Nobody masturbates just once and then says, “Ya, that was good. It should hold me over for a couple more years before I have to do it again.” [ To clarify for the immature ones here, I am NOT saying to sell porn here, it’s just an excellent example of disposable items. ]
Next in line would be low cost products that are constantly new and being improved, such as software.
Last category choice would be accessories; memory, mice, printers, cameras, etc; things that are usually upgraded.
And forget the ads with big hardware. With this crowd, you are more likely to get hits on a Porsche ad (something they dream about) than an iMac ad (something they already have in front of them).
Now, go find the sellers of these items that offer a good deal and excellent customer service, on a professional and helpful website. You don’t want the reputation of selling out to dealers of crapware.
Running a profitable website is like running a radio station or newspaper. While it is true that some of the advertisers want to run an ad because they have something to sell, the newspapers and radio stations MUST go out and actively SELL their ad space in order to make a profit. YOU CONTACT THEM!! Show them your hit numbers and how it compares to other computer and Mac focussed sites.
MDN has a reputation for being the breeding grounds for Mac-zealot college kids with too much time, attitude and rage, and not enough IQ. Believe it or not, there are people that would love to know about such a market, and would love to advertise on your site.
Get your numbers and focus together, then go hit the digital pavement.
Your original concept of making a popular website and you’ll make money, while avoiding work, has a serious flaw… it REALLY DOES TAKE WORK.. and lots of it to make money.
Aryugaetu – get a grip on reality!
Your point 2 is insulting to everyone who has just donated.
Sanctimonious wanker.
I donated US$10 last night. Thanks MDN
Sounds like “It’s a Wonderful Life” in MDN land! Here’s another $10. Thanks MDN and keep up the good work.
king_alvarez,
I am very well aware of the skewing of vocabularies. Not only does it apply to an author’s field of interest, but also groups of certain ages, background, social experiences, geographical regions, and a myriad of other factors. With this taken into account, the word “another” especially when combined with a dollar amount following it has NO connection or known correlation to this particular group (computer users: people who average more than 2 hours per day on a computer).
While there have been many attempts at creating Authorship programs for computers, I have found none to be completely reliable. [for more info, search Teoma.com for “authorship programs”] If I had, I would have used them here. But my associates, in our attempt to make such a universal analyzer, have compiled an extensive neural-net relational database of 475,000 English words/phrases and 10,000 social factors (each factor can have up to 10,000 nonexclusive variables, such as the factor “geography” can a variable called “Chicago-NewTownDistrict”, with nonexclusivity allowing for an author being educated in three separate locations.)
I ran the following sample…
“another” + ” ” + [monetary unit]
note: a [monetary unit] can be anything like $4.89, 45�, �3.89, 12 bucks, 48 quid.
…and the BEST results were that given a room full of lower income men with a 5th grade reading level, over 30 years of age, with a preferred taste for beer more than 3 times per month and primarily educated in the US and/or Australia, ONLY 1 in 20 would use this pattern on a regular basis. This does not exclude anyone else from this pattern, nor does it specifically analyze the author, but merely points out the highest likelihood of occurrence. Such a short phrase cannot be used to find a particular author, but it can be used to determine likely occurrence.
Based on just the subject and paragraph lengths, I suspect the author to be much younger than this profile portrays. As such, he may have picked up this particular usage from his less educated parents which may fit the profile.
In short, it is rather unlikely for anyone in a group of computer users to use such language, and for 6 or more computer users in one place (the same forum comment area) to use such very specific phrases induces a very high suspicion.
OH COME ON!!!
Look at the posts!!!
Has everyone gotten SO sympathetic in just one morning as to instantly and simultaneously donate money?!!
Let’s face facts, it looks like it’s just me and MDN’s 20 aliases chatting on here!!! MDN’s editor is extraordinarily much dumber than I thought!
Aryugaetu sounds a lot like the Grinch. Maybe when people realized that MDN is primarily supported by one advertising account and donations have been nonexistent, the wallets opened. Hell, it’s better to make a small donation than have MDN go away.
Keep digging that hole, Ary. With every post you are making yourself look more foolish.
Ary…
I am not saying that the particular phrase being used is common to this specific group, rather, it seems that people tend to share thoughts, ideas, and perhaps terminology from their peers. You have probably noticed yourself at times using words or phrases common to your peers, not because you are purposely trying to imitate them, but because there is a subconscious influence from those around us, whether in a physical or virtual community. An example of this is in witness testimonials where witnesses will “remember” specific details that corroborate with the accounts of other witnesses even if the details are not true. The tendency to conform is slightly stronger than the tendency to differentiate oneself from others.
Since many of the people are referring to a similar event or action, it is easier to understand and convey that thought or event by borrowing the words of another.
Thus, I do not believe that the use of a common phrase is something to be alarmed about.
Ary…,
While I commend your knowledge and research and the thought involved in forming your own opinions, as opposed to stealing the opinions of others (JFK once said that “too many people enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought”), it seems like you are trying to describe humanity through one field of study. For the majority of situations, you are probably 100% correct. But I think that human nature is too complex to reduce to a single generalization. At least in this instance, there are many more factors that you are accounting for in your theory.
…rather…”many more factors that you are NOT accounting for in your theory”
Well I can only answer for myself, but I paypalled em my 20 bux, and they sent me a thank you email last night. If I was the only “real” donator, then so be it, I don’t miss my money. I don’t think I was tho, I think Ary is just being paranoid, but what do I know.
Ary,
Have you ever talked to an 18 to 24 year old. They all use the same phrases over and over again. Country of origin is the only differentiator.