Poll: If PCGS could not afford to subsidize these boards because of their dividend issuance and dec

Longacre

I see that CU has decided to pay shareholders a dividend of 8 cents per share. I am not sure how many shares are outstanding, but it seems like a nice payday for the heavily invested owners. Of course, given today's environment, the shareholders are going to demand more and more cash in their pockets (see Microsoft's current troubles with shareholders because it is holding tens of billions of cash on the balance sheet, rather than paying it out to investors). Hypothetically, if PCGS said that they could either pay the dividend or use the cash to subsidize these free message boards, but they could not do both, how would you feel if they decided to pander to the shareholders and end these boards? Please provide any comments, as well as vote.

flaminio

RCC remains free and uncensored for all...

SanctionII

Being a technological dinosaur, who remembers memeographs ("smell the ink dude and take a far out trip") and carbon paper in manual typewriters as cutting edge copying technology, what exactly is involved cost wise in creating and maintaining a web site and message boards?

I assum these costs include software purchases, hardware purchases, electricity costs, hardware and software replacement and upgrade costs and the cost of paying humans to oversee the operation of things and to apply good old fashioned human ingenuity to fix things when hardware and/or software breakdowns occur. Anything else? If not, any estimate or hard data on what the yearly cost is for the website and the message boards?

Grabowski

CLCT has 8.45 million shares outstanding (per yahoo finance), with an annual dividend at 32 cents a share, the dividend payout will be approx. 2.7 million dollars a year. Last quarter their balance sheet said they had a little over 53 million in cash. So I wouldn't worry about any changes due to the dividend policy.

1921obsession

<< <i>Being a technological dinosaur, who remembers memeographs ("smell the ink dude and take a far out trip") and carbon paper in manual typewriters as cutting edge copying technology, what exactly is involved cost wise in creating and maintaining a web site and message boards?

I assum these costs include software purchases, hardware purchases, electricity costs, hardware and software replacement and upgrade costs and the cost of paying humans to oversee the operation of things and to apply good old fashioned human ingenuity to fix things when hardware and/or software breakdowns occur. Anything else? If not, any estimate or hard data on what the yearly cost is for the website and the message boards? >>



Bandwidth is the overwhelming cost of maintaining a web presence. This board would run on practically any computer available at Best Buy.

Barry

<< <i>RCC remains free and uncensored for all... >>


Uncensored is the problem. So much crap on there these days...

BECOKA

I think it is in the best interest of PCGS to keep this place open. The cost is well worth the free advertising. There are enough forum members that if they were cut off I am sure there would be a lot of negative press for PCGS.

I am sure that the cost of the forum is a drop in the bucket and was probably considered in the operating costs when deciding how much of a dividend to pay.

UncleWiggly

I've never even been on RCC. What is it? It's always sounded like some sort of free for all. If the PCGS boards shut down then there will be no more coin collecting for anybody! lol



Jerry

flaminio

<< <i>Uncensored is the problem. So much crap on there these days... >>

True. I don't get around there too much these days, partially because of the crap, but probably mostly because our new network guys blocked nntp traffic at work.

Steve27

Where is the choice "These boards generate revenue for PCGS and they would be stupid to shut them down?"

Jcarney

<< <i>RCC remains free and uncensored for all... >>



Bob, you didn't hear about the dues? Don't worry buddy, I gotcha covered. Just send me a check when you get around to it and I'll take care of it for you.

TwoSides2aCoin

The balance sheet says they CAN afford it.


I remember the time when the only place you heard : " Paper or Plastic " was at the grocery store.



Submissions, memberships and renewals produce revenue, not the boards or it's many opinions.

SanctionII

1921obsession, please explain "bandwith" and the cost of same. What is the cost, who pays it, to whom is it paid and what is the basis for charging and collecting such cost?

I understand that the spectrum (electromagnetic spectrum?) includes within it microwaves, gamma waves, radio waves, visible lightwaves, etc. I also understand that as to radiowaves, the bandwith that includes same is considered to be owned by the "public" and that our dear old government, as guardian of the public interest, grants licenses to private individuals and companies to use a particular bandwith (i.e. 98 KISS FM, or KGO 810) as the vehicle through which their radio broadcasts are transmitted. Is there something similar with the Internet?

Thanks for the education. SanctionII.

Aegis3

<< <i>

<< <i>RCC remains free and uncensored for all... >>


Uncensored is the problem. So much crap on there these days... >>



Nah, I still find r.c.c much better than here. A lot of talk here (I've been reading these boards for at least two years, even if I've recently joined) is just about the bland financial aspects to coins which sometimes make me want to take a cold shower afterwards. Talk about collecting or actual numismatics is not the major topic here. I'm sure I read more posts on r.c.c than I do here, and any crap there is easily taken care of with a killfile.

ABC123

You could move to Numisvision's Coin Forum !

Conder101

We would just invade the NGC forums just like we did the last time this forum went down for an extended period.

johnsim03

Interesting question.

Someone else would just step up to the plate and start another forum, more than likely. Bandwidth
usage is only a problem if you have a monthly limit - the solution, therefore, is to obtain hosting which
has no bandwidth limit... It is out there, and usually cheap, cheap, cheap - all hosting is cheap nowdays. It is a buyer's
market.

The technology is easy (easy to implement). A big factor is that whoever was hosting it would want to
ensure that the server is physically located in the USA, and particularly not in the EU - so that you are
not legally liable for the content of other's postings on your domain. Case law has repeatedly supported forum
providers in this regard, in the USA. Individual posters are legally responsible for what they post, but not
the facilitator, or host.

It isn't rocket science anymore. The biggest problem, which is not a huge problem, is finding a host that
offers unlimited bandwidth. Anyone who has any web site experience at all can set up one in a couple of days,
or less.

John

michael

go over to ngc boards till pcgs boards was up and running again if ever again

Bear

Such an event would stop the earth in its rotation,

the sun would implode, we would have no one to

castigate, fumigate and otherwise denigrate.

stiffy

I think we would have to go complain on the ebay coins message board.

It would only be fair.

numobri

Coin shops,coin shows,coin clubs,fellow coin collecters,I'm IN.

But,I do like this board.


Brian

Coindexter

Dagnabbit Longacre! Don't go filling their heads with ideas about fees!

lava

<< <i>CLCT has 8.45 million shares outstanding (per yahoo finance), with an annual dividend at 32 cents a share, the dividend payout will be approx. 2.7 million dollars a year. Last quarter their balance sheet said they had a little over 53 million in cash. So I wouldn't worry about any changes due to the dividend policy. >>



I agree. No offense, but I also think you don't understand the idea of dividends and when they are paid and when they are expected.

BAJJERFAN

<< <i>RCC remains free and uncensored for all... >>



Its mostly a waste of time and a pain in the ass. If they were to suddenly get the number of posts that are made here every day it would go out of control.

LanLord

Well,
I'm not sure about contributing across the street, but if that's what they want to do, so be it.

Whitby

The only cost in manintainihg a board on the internet is really time. At least in the bare bones sense of having a board. As far as other features, archives, contacts etc etc, yes, that can cost, but uh, if you are so hard up that there is an actual reklationship between a dividend and keeping a board open on the internet, I say, thats well...........LAME AND LIMP. The cost of bandwidth, yeah, thats another nugget. Look fiolks, anybody, with a relatively lower ammount of bucks can get pretty much anything they need as far as creating a web presence. 15 years ago, MAYBE, in 2006, I can load a web page with my cell phone, odds are, any bean counter telling me about "Baord Costs" is well,.......IMO, a loser who cant do their job. If I were asked for a fee to come here...LATER, the web is a big big place..

Connecticoin

I suspect the revenue from advertising and from increased submissions resulting from the operation of this message board more than offsets the cost.

Gemineye

I would say I have a right to voice my opinion because I purchase PCGS coins specifically.I buy them from different sources.....Whether it be from an auction or from dealers ..I look for the PCGS brand.That gives me a similar voice compared to a stock holder.......!!!!!!!....JMO...

Boom

It would be disastrous.

Frankcoins

<< <i>

Bandwidth is the overwhelming cost of maintaining a web presence.

<< <i>

Bandwidth costs almost nothing on a text and still photo system such as this.