[okfn-discuss] How to save a podcasting platform / community with open source spirit?

[John Baxter]

Tricky situation.  Props for trying to route around the damage!


Step one - negotiate for another month to work out a solution!  A few weeks
is probably not enough.

Step two - work out what the core value is that you're trying to save.  I
assume it's the community that's important to you (and others)?  Or maybe
it is the podcast library?  Or something else?

Step three - can you separate out the core value and find a low cost way to
deliver that - even if it means letting the rest go?

Step four - can you do any of the same jobs the site is currently doing
with less money?  e.g. host files with a free/low cost third party?  Do you
really need your own servers?  Amazon might be one option.  People hosting
their own files for free on Dropbox or similar could be another.

Step five - how can you best monetise?

Step six - let us know how you go.

Bon chance et bon courage

*John Baxter*


On Thu, Jul 4, 2013 at 2:48 PM, Mr. Puneet Kishor <punk.kish at gmail.com>wrote:

>
> On Jul 3, 2013, at 9:58 PM, Miguel Paz <miguel at poderopedia.com> wrote:
>
> > Hi everyone
> > We need your tech savvy help.
> > In Chile we have a large podcasting community called Podcaster.cl.
> > This is a website/community of podcast makers, that includes around
> > 160 live podcast and around 400 podcast that have existed and died in
> > the process. The guys that run the platform, who don`t charge for
> > using it and get some little money from advertising just announced
> > that they will end it in a couple fo weeks due to lack of financial
> > support to keep it going.
> > Some of us are wondering how to save it by turning it into a community
> > run platform.
> > Podcaster runs on a very old Wordpress version (1.5), on 3 servers
> > (one for site and front end, and 2 for mp3 storage/serving). Currently
> > the servers cost around US$ 4.000 a month, due to bandwith usage and
> > hosting.
>
>
> USD 4K sounds like a lot, but what do I know. You could check if you would
> save any money by moving the mp3s to Amazon S3.
>
> Of course, you could charge something nominal for the podcasts, but that
> may not with well with the listeners, but it doesn't that would make up
> enough money to pay the bills.
>
> --
> Puneet Kishor
>
>
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