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As owners of boards, what do they want?

  • 15-08-2008 6:14pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,555 ✭✭✭✭


    If in business you are not movinf forward, you are moving backward - an old business saying.

    Inlight of the new development announced today, the question entered my limited capicity of thought - What is the main objective of boards going forward as a business?

    It is a business at the end of the day ultimatelty, because it attracts investors, but what is the long term goal? More members?

    I know revenue comes from adverts, is it simply a case of the more popular the forum the more revenue the owners can make from advertisments due to boards.ie's audience figures?

    What are the possibilities other than that? Sorry if im being a little monorail in my thought process here its friday and beer and goodtimes are close, but am i missing something as to the possibilities of where boards could end up in 10 more years?
    Post edited by Shield on


«1

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,387 ✭✭✭EKRIUQ


    I'd say they want to be mods of the Property and Accommodation forum, seems bit drastic to buy some of boards but I'm sure its worth it!


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,291 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    Information and media outlet portal for Ireland. Online newspaper/TV station with bulletin board threaded throughout. Throw in a buy and sell/ebay type dealio to boot, cars, houses, stuff. Could also be used as a portal for shops that pay for online frontage too. That would be the obvious direction I suppose.

    There exists a large penetration of the market as far as the numbers of registered users goes, which should attract ad revenue and investment, especially if the actual user figures go up.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 88,968 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    Are you talking about our new masters?

    They want click-throughs.

    Mike.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,609 ✭✭✭Flamed Diving


    I think working more on the social networking element of boards.ie would pay dividends.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,919 ✭✭✭Bob the Builder


    I think working more on the social networking element of boards.ie would pay dividends.
    Am i the only one that thinks that that idea would be ghay?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,609 ✭✭✭Flamed Diving


    nevf wrote: »
    Am i the only one that thinks that that idea would be ghay?

    Yes, but that is only because gheyness is ever present in you mind.

    ;)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,919 ✭✭✭Bob the Builder


    Yes, but that is only because gheyness is ever present in you mind.

    ;)
    like omg, no need to be such a biatch about it... :pac:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 15,914 ✭✭✭✭tbh


    snyper wrote: »
    ?

    What are the possibilities other than that? Sorry if im being a little monorail

    the way I see it, it's either one of two things. Either the admins want to raise money to keep the site going and expanding, or they want to expand the site to raise money. Which do you reckon it is? And, really, when it all comes down to it, does it make a difference?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6 One.Time


    tbh wrote: »
    the way I see it, it's either one of two things. Either the admins want to raise money to keep the site going and expanding, or they want to expand the site to raise money. Which do you reckon it is? And, really, when it all comes down to it, does it make a difference?

    I'd go for option B bosco. As you get older you somehow debate with yourself and previously held ideologies lose their worth as you debate with yourself.

    Who wouldn't go for the money? When you are about 20-30 the world is your oyster! When you are 30-40 it is a different story :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,729 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    or they want to utilize the boards team to help redevelop dabs itself?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 991 ✭✭✭Big_Mac


    Or, it could be the beginning of a plot for world domination.....


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,584 ✭✭✭✭Steve


    Overheal wrote: »
    or they want to utilize the boards team to help redevelop dabs itself?
    The team being CuLT?
    I know he's good but don't give him a big head...:D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,204 ✭✭✭bug


    It's been registered as a limited company since early 2000.
    I assume no one starts a Limited share company unless they have business interests going forward.

    In that respect and with no information available to me other than whats been posted it's taken a few years for this particular development I for one welcome our new Ant overloads. ;)
    Whatever, the changes, if any, will be very apparent to the community as it stands, but I'll take Devore's word for it that nothing community detrimental will change. Detrimental, I suppose is open to interpretation. The hardcore for example get upset at main page feature changes. :) I still am none the wiser to the difference between smods cmods and whatever mods but it makes no odds to me.

    Anyways, it's not business savvy to excommunicate your base, rather, to expand upon it. These lads know their stuff at this stage. I assume they've investigated all avenues.


  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 35,162 Mod ✭✭✭✭AlmightyCushion


    bug wrote: »
    I still am none the wiser to the difference between smods cmods and whatever mods but it makes no odds to me.

    Mods moderate a forum or more. See that list of forums under my username, that's the forums I mod. I can ban people from those forums and do other shít there too. On forums I don't moderate I can't do any moderatery stuff. I can't people etc. Cmods are like mods but moderate categories e.g. rec, sports etc. Smods are like mods but they moderate the whole site. They can ban your ass from the whole site as well as other stuff (They're the guys you shouldn't piss off :)). Normal mods and cmods can't siteban users.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,204 ✭✭✭bug


    Mods moderate a forum or more. See that list of forums under my username, that's the forums I mod. I can ban people from those forums and do other shít there too. On forums I don't moderate I can't do any moderatery stuff.I can't people etc. Cmods are like mods but moderate categories e.g. rec, sports etc. Smods are like mods but they moderate the whole site. They can ban your ass from the whole site as well as other stuff (They're the guys you shouldn't piss off :)). Normal mods and cmods can't siteban users.

    Well fair play because, I read about three posts into moaning feedback threads at the time, when it all changed, and the care factor was zero.
    It was alot of reading for a pass the time sort of hobby.
    I work in a hierarchical environment and boards.ie is there to leave that all behind.

    It's whole lot of layered cake, that I don't care to eat, just incase there's peanuts in it and I may be alergic to peanuts, and I don't eat cake anyways. But appreciate you taking the time. :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,318 ✭✭✭witnessmenow


    @overheal

    Buying a share into boards to use their team to re develop the dabs site isn't exactly a smart business move for daft!

    Also, i'm sure there is cheaper ways to get a good web dev team than buying a % in a company.

    Also correct me if i'm wrong but no one has mentioned the admins selling it out right, i presume they would if the right offer came along


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,997 ✭✭✭latenia


    bug wrote: »
    It's been registered as a limited company since early 2000.
    I assume no one starts a Limited share company unless they have business interests going forward.

    I thought they did it so they could the .ie domain name?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 16,705 ✭✭✭✭Tigger


    latenia wrote: »
    I thought they did it so they could the .ie domain name?

    nope cloud changed the business name of his interest to boards for one day to get the .ie

    clever really


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,048 ✭✭✭SimpleSam06


    Wibbs wrote: »
    Online newspaper
    Thats being done already by a lot of sites. If they could find a way to work blogs into the news media, maybe with a crediting system, that might be new. If you really want to make an impact in that area, look into getting in with Amazon or one of those and supply people with ebook readers, boards discount or something like that.
    Wibbs wrote: »
    TV station
    Youtube, gonna need lots of hardware and software to pull that off, plus beaucoup bandwidth.
    Wibbs wrote: »
    Throw in a buy and sell/ebay type dealio to boot, cars, houses, stuff. Could also be used as a portal for shops that pay for online frontage too.
    Thats dealing with entrenched industry groups there, for example cars, most dealers have a program installed by carzone that uploads their stock automatically every week. They don't want to have to do it twice. Auctions are a blinding nightmare to deal with as well, without some sort of secure delivery/escrow service, and even then you'll get stung by something that works when you try it but doesn't work tomorrow.

    The biggest challenge in all this, I would say, is integrating it in a way that doesn't piss off the majority of boards members who just want to come for a chat.


  • Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭DeVore


    Daft have a bigger tech team then us by far! We only have Cult :)
    We may use part of the cash for another clone of Cult but we arent sure yet. The only thing we are agreed upon is that we all like Boards more or less as it is and that our core values of high user involvement in the site and that Boards will remain free to use. There was no arguement about those sorts of things, the Daft guys were very keen on those from the start.

    From there, we havent yet planned where we go from here but it will be more then click throughs.

    DeV.


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  • Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭DeVore


    Tigger wrote: »
    nope cloud changed the business name of his interest to boards for one day to get the .ie

    clever really
    *ahem* .... that was me. :):p


    DeV.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,609 ✭✭✭Flamed Diving


    What about Flancrest Enterprises?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 16,705 ✭✭✭✭Tigger


    DeVore wrote: »
    *ahem* .... that was me. :):p


    DeV.

    ok you're clever then

    TiggeR


  • Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭DeVore


    The title of this thread is misleading. Daft were offered a minority shareholding in the company. It really doesnt give them much of a say over how things work around here.

    DeV.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,123 ✭✭✭stepbar


    But as with anything in Business, the Daft guys are going to want a return on their investment. It would be retarded to think otherwise.

    As far as I can see Daft have made a smart investment here. Being in the online marketspace themselves, they recognise the value of being able to tap into a user base of over 100k+ users. My guess is that we will see an expanded property section within boards and perhaps a few new forums with content from Daft. I would say the ultimate goal of Boards.ie (correct me here) is ultimatly a trade sale to an organisation like Google or the like. Like wise could be said of Daft.ie.


  • Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭DeVore


    I wont speak for the other admins but I am not looking for a trade sale to Google. I would prefer to build this site into the central site for Irish people online. I'm pretty sure you wont see things like expanded property forums here, I mean, Daft already own 90% of the property market in Ireland, I dont think they need our help. We have given no assurances on return on investment and certainly no timeframe.

    DeV.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    The thing is when your aligned to actual decent real world business people, and The Sunday World finally tie Snyper to the horrors commited by his offline persona.
    Is that going to see the end of the free for all attitude to having a laugh?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,584 ✭✭✭✭Steve


    So why invest then?

    Greater exposure? unlikely if they already have 90% of the market.
    Advertising revenue? I hope not, I wouldn't like boards to turn into a a big flash site with the content being obscured by the neon lights.

    As a subscriber, I consider myself to have invested in boards and my return is the enjoyment of using it - as stepbar said, I don't see how daft is going to gain though..:confused:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 16,705 ✭✭✭✭Tigger


    SteveC wrote: »
    So why invest then?

    Greater exposure? unlikely if they already have 90% of the market.
    Advertising revenue? I hope not, I wouldn't like boards to turn into a a big flash site with the content being obscured by the neon lights.

    As a subscriber, I consider myself to have invested in boards and my return is the enjoyment of using it - as stepbar said, I don't see how daft is going to gain though..:confused:

    i don't think boards is gonna change much
    i think boards is big and full of ideas and that daft have decided to diversify their internet holdings
    both sites make money (if any) from advertising and the hope that this kind of targeted made for measure advertising will be more valuable in the future


    doubt that daft will change the future of boards et al


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,048 ✭✭✭SimpleSam06


    stepbar wrote:
    I would say the ultimate goal of Boards.ie (correct me here) is ultimatly a trade sale to an organisation like Google or the like.
    Yarrrg fire and forget business models, pumping companies up in the hopes they will be more attractive to buyers, should have died with the eighties.
    SteveC wrote: »
    Greater exposure? unlikely if they already have 90% of the market.
    They don't. They have a lot of traffic, which no doubt has taken a severe beating with the property collapse. What they are doing is wisely investing their gains in a diversified portfolio so they don't get dragged down with it, and I would call boards a fairly solid investment.

    If boards can afford to employ a developer for 35k a year plus enough to keep the lights on, they are doing a hell of a lot better than almost every other website out there.

    If you are really interested you can request the boards public accounts from the CRO for a fiver.
    DeVore wrote: »
    I would prefer to build this site into the central site for Irish people online.
    A bold ambition, but if you manage to pull it off, you'll be the first anywhere. :D Stick to what you're best at, otherwise proceed with caution - you don't have media here, you aren't delivering a message, you have people, which ain't the same thing.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,568 ✭✭✭DublinWriter


    SteveC wrote: »
    So why invest then?
    Well, what do the founders of bebo.com, facebook.com and friendsreunited.com have in common?

    They are all multi-squillionaires right now. Many have sold outright and are sunning themselves on Carribean Beaches as I type. For example, ITV shelled out £150 million to the partners behind friendsreunited.com (bad mistake IMHO, but that's another story).

    Social Networking, or P2P sites, are big business, but only with the right weight behind the brand, and branding is everything.

    I can see where they want to go here with the boards brand internationally, but it will be interesting to watch if it could be exported outside of the niche village we all know and love as Ireland.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 82 ✭✭M.T


    DeVore wrote: »
    The title of this thread is misleading. Daft were offered a minority shareholding in the company. It really doesnt give them much of a say over how things work around here.

    DeV.

    You were offering a stake or was there knock on the door? Your post is not clear on that?

    I think it is great you guys are now getting some (read More) money from boards. Can't quite understand why you chose Daft over someone like an internet provider but I am sure there were reasons.
    There are many complications ahead but I reckon they will be overcome.


    ________________
    Future Sig...................

    Marijuana robs you of ambition but gives you the dreams regardless.

    :eek:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,174 ✭✭✭D


    Yes but the big questions are:
    1. When is the merchandising coming out, the "boards.ie" tea cup/tee-shirt/calculator/mp3player/nappy/tampon/shampoo?
    2. Where can we buy shares and for how much?
    :)

    (seriously my life won't be complete without my "boards.ie" shampoo. I even have a slogan "Mmm. Smells of troll."


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,912 Mod ✭✭✭✭Ponster


    D wrote: »
    Yes but the big questions are:
    1. When is the merchandising coming out, the "boards.ie" tea cup/tee-shirt/calculator/mp3player/nappy/tampon/shampoo?

    T-shirts already covered....

    http://www.cafepress.com/boards_ie/


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,807 ✭✭✭✭Orion


    DeVore wrote: »
    *ahem* .... that was me. :):p


    DeV.

    But it was because Cloud dared you to :D


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,123 ✭✭✭stepbar


    DeVore wrote: »
    I wont speak for the other admins but I am not looking for a trade sale to Google. I would prefer to build this site into the central site for Irish people online. I'm pretty sure you wont see things like expanded property forums here, I mean, Daft already own 90% of the property market in Ireland, I dont think they need our help. We have given no assurances on return on investment and certainly no timeframe.

    DeV.

    DeV,

    You say that now. But you can be guarenteed that Daft won't sit idling by and be just content with watching their investment mature. They will want input and will want to grow the business into something more tangible / salable. As said before, the Daft guys are going to want a return on their investment. Now I'm pretty sure they're in for the long haul but ultimatly they are looking at the big pay day in 5/10 years time. Be guarenteed of that. Boards might not have given any assurances but be guarenteed that Daft will have their own targets to meet and how quickly they sell out will depend on same.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,568 ✭✭✭DublinWriter


    stepbar wrote: »
    They will want input and will want to grow the business into something more tangible / salable.
    They are not majority shareholders and a hostile takeover wouldn't be on the cards as Boards is a Limited company.

    ...btw I'm still waiting for the first person to use the word 'synergy' on this thread for the epic fail!...and even better would be 'synergistic'.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,123 ✭✭✭stepbar


    They are not majority shareholders and a hostile takeover wouldn't be on the cards as Boards is a Limited company.

    ...btw I'm still waiting for the first person to use the word 'synergy' on this thread for the epic fail!...and even better would be 'synergistic'.

    I never said that Daft would be interested in taking over Boards. All I've said is that in the long term Boards will probably be taken over because of any amount of variables - probably because of the future sale of Daft itself. At the end of the day the right offer always focuses the best of minds. AFAIK, no one person / entity has a majority stake in Boards and therefore anything can happen.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,204 ✭✭✭bug


    ...btw I'm still waiting for the first person to use the word 'synergy' on this thread for the epic fail!...and even better would be 'synergistic'.
    It's right up there with sustainability.:mad:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 674 ✭✭✭gollyitsolly


    Sorry folks, but I havent read all the stuff about this merger. My only worry is, and I love Boards, is...............at the end of the day if my page is filled with ads and pop ups and offersof this that and the other I wont be sticking around here. I mean its like watching a film on bbc1 or sky. BBC no ads, Sky every 9 minutes. Thats my simplistic view:)


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,308 ✭✭✭✭Bard


    bug wrote: »
    ...btw I'm still waiting for the first person to use the word 'synergy' on this thread for the epic fail!...and even better would be 'synergistic'.
    It's right up there with sustainability.:mad:

    How about "dynamic convergence"? :)


  • Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭DeVore


    Sorry folks, but I havent read all the stuff about this merger. My only worry is, and I love Boards, is...............at the end of the day if my page is filled with ads and pop ups and offersof this that and the other I wont be sticking around here. I mean its like watching a film on bbc1 or sky. BBC no ads, Sky every 9 minutes. Thats my simplistic view:)
    I'll be right behind you too!! :)

    I think the Daft guys got the idea that popups and interstitials are simply not on the cards here. If they didnt get that idea before now, they CERTAINLY have the message loud and clear now hahah...
    Honestly, I've met all the DAFT buggers (I'm going to call them that from now on :D) and they are very much aware of what they are getting themselves into. We are all tied together as far as shares go, we have all signed contracts to say that anyone selling has to have a form of permission from the others and also offer the shares back to us first. There is no corporate raiding going on here, nor an attempt to "get in on the ground floor". They are good guys, they just want to lasso our rocket and come for a ride with us!

    I've no problem with Boards making money, I'd like nothing MORE then to be sitting somewhere warm with a cocktail making a living from watching Boards grow, and thats not completely unlikely; the real point is that we arent willing to sacrafice the community to speed that along a few years. I'm still sitting in Arbour Hill with the rain p*ssing down... :(

    We've been doing this for a decade, we've turned down about 18 offers before this to maintain that approach so do you reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllly think we would just roll over now?
    We're not the "rolling over" types :)

    DeV.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 15,914 ✭✭✭✭tbh


    DeVore wrote: »
    I'll be right behind you too!! :)

    I think the Daft guys got the idea that popups and interstitials are simply not on the cards here. If they didnt get that idea before now, they CERTAINLY have the message loud and clear now hahah...
    Honestly, I've met all the DAFT buggers (I'm going to call them that from now on :D) and they are very much aware of what they are getting themselves into. We are all tied together as far as shares go, we have all signed contracts to say that anyone selling has to have a form of permission from the others and also offer the shares back to us first. There is no corporate raiding going on here, nor an attempt to "get in on the ground floor".

    I've no problem with Boards making money, I'd like nothing MORE then to be sitting somewhere warm with a cocktail making a living from watching Boards grow, and thats not completely unlikely; the real point is that we arent willing to sacrafice the community to speed that along a few years.
    We've been doing that for a decade, we've turned down about 18 offers before this to maintain that approach so do you reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllly think we would just roll over now?
    We're not the "rolling over" types :)

    DeV.

    dude, lets not kid outselves, if you were sitting somewhere warm with a cocktail you'd either be thinking about boards or actually on boards, telling us you're sitting somewhere warm with a cocktail. You can't run anymore DeV ;)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,408 ✭✭✭Homer


    I for one welcome our new Daft overlords :pac:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 41,926 ✭✭✭✭_blank_


    Homer wrote: »
    I for one welcome our new Daft overlords :pac:

    That didn't take long at all.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,094 ✭✭✭✭javaboy


    Des wrote: »
    That didn't take long at all.

    If I had a Boards share for every time somebody said it before him, I'd be rich.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 36,502 ✭✭✭✭LuckyLloyd


    DeVore wrote: »
    I'm still sitting in Arbour Hill with the rain p*ssing down... :(

    We've been doing this for a decade, we've turned down about 18 offers before this to maintain that approach so do you reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllly think we would just roll over now?
    We're not the "rolling over" types :)

    DeV.

    Inspirational Tom. Inspirational. I for one am ready to man the barricades!! :P


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,314 ✭✭✭Talliesin


    Am I the only person who mentally filters out all subsequent statements by anyone who someone who says "going forward"?

    Really, why would anyone feel the need to clarify that they are talking about plans for what people will do in the future rather than plans for what people will do in the past?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,555 ✭✭✭✭AckwelFoley


    Its used in business terms as a positive use of language..

    no need to be pedantic..


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,314 ✭✭✭Talliesin


    I've yet to be convinced by the popular belief that brutalising the English language improves ones business acumen.


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