Buying and selling of irc networks?

Nerdanel · none Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 24

It wasn't possible to reply in the topic i just read, so i'll make one here.

What do you think about network owners selling their ownership for money? If i was an owner, i would rather transfer the ownership to a trusted user than selling to a stranger. If the owner of my favourite network would try to do this, i would most probably leave it or even offer to pay myself to not see my 'home' taken over by strangers. I have seen forums sold for real money twice, and it has killed both forums.

A network owner owns only the hosting...in my eyes, all the regular users own the network.

katsklaw · Posted: Mar 07, 2009 9:59am Post subject:

some people simply pass on their ownership as you would and as I did.

Others see it as having a monetary worth, which in some cases it really does. The web/dns/email hosting is just one aspect of ownership, any legal status that may have been created, costs involved with buying a domain name, payment of countless hours put into growing the user base, custom coding of ircds/services etc ..

Just like IRC, any monkey can set-up their own ISP in todays world, especially in the US. Canned plans start at $100/mo or $5/mo per user which ever is cheaper. It's the users and things other ISP's don't do or have that make the ISP worth something and people sell ISP's all the time, sometimes for millions. No, I don't think there are any $1m IRC networks out there, but 200 *real* users in todays IRC community is quite uncommon.

Lyhne1 · Posted: Mar 07, 2009 3:01pm Post subject:

so true so true...

[DiMENSiON] · Eleet Joined: 06 Sep 2003 Posts: 670

It is the norm on IRC for people to pass over ownership of networks without a buy out, just transfer ownership/running costs to another person (usually a long time staff member).

Selling IRC networks i dont really think would work since there's really very little to gain profit wise on IRC so spending money to obtain an established network would purely be for someones ego i would think.

PingBad · Posted: Mar 09, 2009 10:47pm Post subject:

Some networks can generate a revenue from well placed (and not annoying) ads - networks with a high flow of traffic (ergo: the top 30) may well accumulate profits (after spending the income on bills) from their hard work. I generally don't look down on such a practice as any means to lessen the burden on the admin is a good means indeed.

That being said, if one were to buy out a "profitable" network such as one lying in the top 30, then it may make sense to compensate the former owner financially

VoODoO1985 · none Joined: 13 Nov 2009 Posts: 3

I've actually transferred the ownership of my IRC network to the owner of my hosting company as he is a trusted and well respected person on the network and he is also a good friend.

I still work on the network as the Technical Admin but I found I didn't have the heart any more to run the network or the time, whereas with being a Tech Admin, I can sort of come and go as I please.

I personally wouldn't sell a network to someone else, as it makes it impersonal and noone actually knows who the new person is, give it to a staff member and all the users know the new "owner".

SuperPC · none Joined: 04 Jul 2010 Posts: 4

The WyldRyde guys did sell their network to Besttechie back in November and then half the users left and formed GeekShed, which is now in the top 100 on SearchIRC.