Status check on health of this site.

Hmmmm, were the slumps, by any chance, during one of my "vacations?"

Another thing to look at is Spam posts. How many of the those posts in the higher months were spam and real posts? I personally bounce around in different sites and go where ever the talk is and that depends on the topic. I spend a lot of time on CS. com also. Has the pay to play thing discouraged me? Not at all as I believe it keeps out a lot of the scammers. Just my .02.

Originally Posted by WebSlave

So what are they telling me?

One thing I suspected before ever looking at your charts, and the charts did confirm what I suspected......

The Winter months are going to have more posts/threads simply because those of us up North are inside a lot more and at our PCs a lot more when it gets cold out.

Rich, You know I always say what is on my mind.

Who would have thought I would have ever sent fauna money? But I told you in the past before you ever did it. Charging for the classifieds is a good thing and when I was ready to post ads I would pay to post them here.

I would like to go on record in saying that it was the best 25 bucks I have spent to place ads. I get a TON of people saying they seen my ads HERE! That makes me feel like I spent a good 25 bucks. and to tell you the truth I am and will renew if you keep charging. I like to think I offer high quality animals. And I have thought about it but every time I do I wonder why send KS money when Fauna and my sites do me just fine.

I get buyers from here bro. I really do. I think on KS i would be emailing people back pics just becuase they want pics. Not becuase they are interested in the animal.

I know we have butted heads many many times. I did not agree with charging for the BOI. But I do agree with charging for the ads. It is only fair IMO that I give you something for helping me sell.

If you do not charge I will continue to place ads here. I probably will still send you that 25 bucks. Only fair like I said. I see one thing though. the people that will place ad after ad after ad to fill the page will now have others to compete with lol.

But from a person selling here. I get a lot of people saying they seen me here. So it is getting the traffic. Just the fluff is gone. But like everyone says cut away the fat and give me the meat lmao.

Originally Posted by 99Vengeur

Speaking from my own position.....new to keeping and breeding snakes.

I feel the payment requirement for posting in the classifieds might put a hamper on the hobbyist breeders. Those people who have a single pair or two of reptiles that they have bred and are not looking to turn it into a business, might feel that their hobby has to become a business in order to cover the subscription fee. Now, I know it's not all that expensive, but if you only produce a few babies a year, some might not be up to rationalizing the fee to sell on Fauna.

I have tossed this idea around quite a bit myself. Do I pay to sell here, knowing the snakes will go to someone that has a true interest in reptiles...or try my hand with local pet stores, where the buyer is likely to be an impulse buyer or ignorant to the requirement for properly caring for a reptile. (I am aware that these stereotypes do not hold true for all people in either arena.)

Also, with the current setup, people have to pay in order to advertise for wanted animals. I feel this also impedes the growth of individuals and the overall herp culture and hobby. If I'm looking for one specific animal to complete or compliment my collection, why do I need to pay to inquire about any available animals?

I'm not sure how others feel, so I open the floor to further discussion.

While I understand your point - there are other issues that come into play. Sure, everybody likes to get something for nothing...but free classifieds come at a cost, too. More scam ads, for example. The cost of advertising here is a pittance...and the contributing membership offers other perquisites that come along with that $25/yr.
For the hobbiest producing a few clutches a year - particularly snakes - there is also the issue of preparedness to ship. If the $25/yr fee cannot be justified to advertise the snakes, how likely is it that the person (this is not directed at you, btw) will be shipping in a manner that meets "industry standards" and is in compliance with both Federal regulations and the carrier's TOS? Sure, one can advertise for local pickup only...but there are probably other venues better suited to attracting local buyers.

Rich, I understand the quandary...but, as usual, there is no perfect answer. I think that the impact of the paid classifieds has been largely positive, though I suspect that there are a number of people that just chose to take their advertising elsewhere (I wonder how many of them balked at $25/yr here, and then turned around and paid $20 for a month at KS). Anyway - assuming that the post/thread count numbers are reflective of the site as a whole, the relative decrease in discussion forum posts could explain a lot of it. Are the discussion forums suffering because people don't want to pay to advertise??? I don't think to any great extent...but that is based on nothing more than opinion.

And, as Gary said (and I mentioned in another thread elsewhere), while KS has a higher profile classifieds, I do better with my ads here. I get a lot more responses from KS ads - usually questions already answered in the ads, picture seekers, and scams, lol - but the success rate (in terms of sales generated) for me is better here. That could just as well be because I am known on Fauna, but if I wasn't already paying anyway, it would certainly make sense for me to do so.

I agree with both Gary and Harald on this. I haven't placed an ad on KS in over a year because I got tired of the Nigerian scammers. I do get one occasionally here but I have sold everything I advertised compared to an occasional sell on KS. I think this forum gives me more bang for my buck!

And Gary, I met you at the Wheaton show about a month ago and I did see your ads here before I met you! Chalk another one up!

Originally Posted by WebSlave

So what are they telling me? Obviously humps and valleys in traffic. But what were the triggers for the changes? I'm sure the info is here, for anyone willing to dig in and find out...... Quite likely the slumps are triggered by implementing a fee for something or another. But perhaps there are other factors involved as well.

No, if you really look at the graphs, they are very much seasonal. This probably coincides with the breeding seasons, and when hatchlings become available for sale.

In my first post, this was just one observation/opinion. I have no doubt, that when I produce my first clutch, that I will turn to Fauna for finding homes for my babies. On KS, I don't find the site and forums to be all that user friendly. I think they are easier to navigate on Fauna. I agree that the fee keeps some of the spammers out, however, an occasional BS thread pops up here and there. The fee for the classifieds is all part of the hobby. It is unreasonable for us to expect something for nothing. Even if there is less traffic on the site due to the imposed fee, the people still left should be the ones we feel we can trust with our animals...not only for selling, but also for all the helpful advise that is given.

Rich, are posts and threads in the photopost classifieds included in your stats?