How exactly does a website forum like DVDtalk and other forums with a huge number of members afford the server costs, the administrative costs, the software, the bandwidth, the upgrade costs, and everything else that goes along with maintaining a forum? Is it just advertising? I thought you used to sell premium accounts, but I can't find a link. What about donations? Merchandising perhaps?

I've posted this other places and I can definetly see DVDtalk making a profit only on advertising, but I'm just trying to figure out how to run a forum and break even.

thanks,
Krackato

The premium membership thing hasn't happened yet. Here's the latest thread on it:

http://dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread....hreadid=353371

the mods and I think the admins are all volunteer, so that helps with the people cost
not sure how much ads bring in, but it must be enough
Another forum I go to has a paid membership that activates additional features based on the level of payment. one feature they activate is the search feature in the general discussion forums, the more specialized forums still have search available to the non-paying members but not lurkers. what sucks about that forum is that there are a couple specialized forums under the general forum and therefore don't have search available

<small></small>See here: <A HREF="http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=333930" target="_blank">**** Easy Ways to Help Support DVD Talk***</a>