Cross-X.com is for sale!

[kerpen 533]

Interested?

 

eBay Auction Here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300509573469

[tim h 12]

Just a few questions:

1. LayeredTech - good hosting? or worth changing.

a. Whats your current DEFCON level?

b. Why not keep a profitable site and pay a little more for server security?

c. why an independent server as opposed to a virtual machine cloud?

2. Will vBulletin transfer over, and when does it need to be renewed?

3. Is Cross-x still under attack?

4. Why the high sticker value for something thats dieing, its obvious cross-x.com is declining in value/active membership.

5. Evazon, any existing royalty arrangements we should know about.

 

6. Are you selling this for the money or because you no-longer want to invest the time in it?

a. If its a time issue, why are you selling instead of having someone administrate the site for part of the revenue?

 

7. On the ebay page you say,"With an overhaul current advertisers would renew and others would come back."

a. can you be a little more specific, like are there any active advertising contracts?

Edited December 30, 2010 by tim h

[Dr. Fox On Socks 3928]

$5k is way too rich for my blood while I'm still living on student loans, but I hope something gets worked out.

 

If I did have the coding experience, I think it would be more attractive to take the site for a very low price with a stipulation to split the next year or two's net revenues with Kerpen 50-50. That way he likely gets the several thousand dollars he's not unreasonably asking for, but I wouldn't be left with significant debts if the declining revenues couldn't be reversed.

[Dub8dude 2142]

I dont have 5000 but I do have a couple hundred, I wonder if any other users want to get together and see if we cant incorporate and raise the money that way.

[tim h 12]

$5k is way too rich for my blood while I'm still living on student loans, but I hope something gets worked out.

 

If I did have the coding experience, I think it would be more attractive to take the site for a very low price with a stipulation to split the next year or two's net revenues with Kerpen 50-50. That way he likely gets the several thousand dollars he's not unreasonably asking for, but I wouldn't be left with significant debts if the declining revenues couldn't be reversed.

 

Feels like paying 5k for a sinking ship. A 50-50 split on the first years revenue would probably have a better chance of putting the site into good hands..

[X Spike 489]

I dont have 5000 but I do have a couple hundred, I wonder if any other users want to get together and see if we cant incorporate and raise the money that way.

 

There's a facebook group.

"Save Cross-x.com"

[The Incredible Hulk? 2106]

I dont have 5000 but I do have a couple hundred, I wonder if any other users want to get together and see if we cant incorporate and raise the money that way.

I think a better solution would be to have Kerpen give admin duties to a long time member - That member deals with all of the headaches and still gives Kerp a small percentage of the $$. We all know who is and isn't a viable option to hand the reins to - so I don't think it'd be a difficult transition.

[Sweet Ev 155]

]I think a better solution would be to have Kerpen give admin duties to a long time member [/b]- That member deals with all of the headaches and still gives Kerp a small percentage of the $$. We all know who is and isn't a viable option to hand the reins to - so I don't think it'd be a difficult transition.

 

Long time member meaning Hadoken

[tim h 12]

Maybe the elitism amongst the long time members is what is discouraging new members from joining?

Cross-x is not a nice place for new users...

[choopa 14]

Long time member meaning Hadoken

 

Exactly.

[Dr. Fox On Socks 3928]

Maybe the elitism amongst the long time members is what is discouraging new members from joining?

Cross-x is not a nice place for new users...

Perhaps, but that's not a recent development. It was rough to be a new member back when I joined too. Respect has always had be earned here. I think the biggest factor is the declining population of Policy debaters nationwide. There are obviously areas where the activity is still healthy, but PF (and, to a lesser extent, LD) has siphoned off huge numbers of competitors who were in Policy and left or who might have joined Policy if PF weren't an option. Fewer Policy debaters means less traffic for this site.

[King of All Cosmos 3387]

I have the funds (assuming the site goes for near the low end of the range on ebay) but lack the webmastering and database administration experience.

[TheHutt 1472]

Perhaps, but that's not a recent development. It was rough to be a new member back when I joined too. Respect has always had be earned here. I think the biggest factor is the declining population of Policy debaters nationwide. There are obviously areas where the activity is still healthy, but PF (and, to a lesser extent, LD) has siphoned off huge numbers of competitors who were in Policy and left or who might have joined Policy if PF weren't an option. Fewer Policy debaters means less traffic for this site.

Per the eBay listing Kerpen's net income from C-X.com was as high as $28k in 2007 and $20k in 2008, all the way to $10k in 2009/10. I don't think we can attribute that kind of dropoff to just declining numbers of policy debaters.

 

I can think of several things that may have affected revenues that can probably be remedied with good site management.

 

Take Evazon. It's almost January and I can count the number of files germane to the military topic on one hand. There hasn't been a Thursday File in ten months. It's kind of hard to sell things when you offer nothing to sell. Due to the proliferation of free, easily-accessible camp files, Evazon will never return to its glory days. But that doesn't mean it should be ignored, either.

[TheHutt 1472]

I should also add that I probably have a spare $1k or so I can pitch in if anyone is looking to create an ownership group.

[tim h 12]

Agreed, hopefully the site will become more stable and making the pages a little easier on the eyes wouldn't hurt too..

 

Then again, the next admin could make the site one big redirect to a Rick Astley song..

 

Hope for the worst..

[neural link 2451]

Looks like one person has bid.

[Dr. Fox On Socks 3928]

Per the eBay listing Kerpen's net income from C-X.com was as high as $28k in 2007 and $20k in 2008, all the way to $10k in 2009/10. I don't think we can attribute that kind of dropoff to just declining numbers of policy debaters.

 

Of course not, I never meant to imply that declining participation was the sole cause of declining traffic, but I do think it's the largest single cause. Obviously, the end of the Thursday File and increasing alternatives to Evazon are significant factors as well.

[Dr. Fox On Socks 3928]

There's a facebook group.

"Save Cross-x.com"

Is it hidden/private? The search function returns no results on that title for me.

[Gary Busey 1453]

if people are serious about establishing an llc or some such to buy it, that ball needs to roll immediately

[RealHousewife 10]

Wondering why there is already bidding, especially at such a high price. Website is only valued at $1,600 and daily ad revenue is at $2.25.

http://www.cubestat.com/www.cross-x.com

[robllawrence 972]

Take Evazon. It's almost January and I can count the number of files germane to the military topic on one hand. There hasn't been a Thursday File in ten months. It's kind of hard to sell things when you offer nothing to sell. Due to the proliferation of free, easily-accessible camp files, Evazon will never return to its glory days. But that doesn't mean it should be ignored, either.

 

This was my issue with buying. I might have an investor, but looking at the amount of free evidence available, and the lack of any other successful revenue streams except advertising, I just have a hard time justifying this purchase.

 

Evazon will never amount to significant revenue because no one is willing to pay much for evidence. Thursday files have become practically obsolete. The only other possible revenue would be merchandising (maybe a few hundred to a grand a year) or premium memberships, which I don't think many people would purchase.

 

That being said, I hope someone proves me wrong. Maybe they see something I don't or have a new idea or direction.

[madc0de8 42]

Any idea who the bidder is? Obviously the name was made so that no one knows who it is. Someone fess up

[robllawrence 972]

Possible Options.

 

1) Porn site

2) Weird int'l dropshipping company

3) Shadowy Phil Kerpen owned conglomerate doing offshore tax sheltering

4) RingTonz R Us

5) Private school debate kid who will make it ONLY for his team

[Mr. T 264]

Whoever buys it, can they make evazon work? kthnxbai

Edited December 30, 2010 by Mr. T

[Lantern360 285]

Whoever buys it can the make evazon work?

 

To read makes my speaking English good.