1. #1
    “Wiley’s WWII GunCam World†website is about to be shut down.

    Many of the folks in our flight-sim community are familiar with the site, on which many of the very best IL2/FB/PF movies are hosted for viewing/downloading.

    About 20 months ago, as the content of the Original Site expanded, and downloads/bandwidth usage grew dramatically, it became impossible to continue as cost became prohibitive; the site was therefore about to be totally shut down at that point.

    Fortunately a benefactor appeared, an enthusiastic member of our IL2/FB/PF community. As a result, the Site was uploaded to his server, free of charge. There has been virtually No Bandwidth Limitation, whatsoever, either in terms of Storage or daily/monthly/etc usage. This has enabled the Uploading/hosting of more than 4Gb of multimedia material for viewing/downloading...Most of that consists of IL2/FB/PF "movies", some 60+ of them at last count, along with a growing number of Documentary film clips, currently 15 or so. NO count of downloads was kept, nor of Bandwidth usage, as it is has truly been Unlimited. A tally of visitors/hits is kept, which has averaged about 100-125 daily, with peaks up to 350-400 during the initial few days when New movies are first uploaded, and announced on the various Forums. Perhaps half those Hits would result in the downloading/viewing of perhaps 200Mb of Movie files(AVI and WMV formats) or more...First time visitors Very Likely would download Many, many more Mb's...This is guesswork but it gives one some idea of the probable bandwidth usage.

    The Site is, of course, most Popular with those in the community who enjoy the quite marvelous movie creations made from IL2/FB/PF. No other Site hosts anywhere near the number of quality movies. The Site helps 'advertise' our flight-sim and movie-making hobby and Oleg's products to newcomers who arrive at the Site via Googling for WWII movies and/or guncam films.


    As mentioned at the top of this post, the Site will have to shut down (definitely as a Movie-hosting operation) effective as early as next week, due to developments out of the control of the benefactor. There is absolutely no way for the Site to be transferred to a fee-based Server due to the large bandwidth required for the movie-hosting function.

    A new benefactor is therefore being sought who might be able to host the Site, pro bono, for the benefit of the IL2/FB/PF community... If anyone can offer such support or can provide a lead to such a person, please Email wasaf2000@cox.net

    Thanks…
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  2. #2
    **** shame, really is. That's a great site you've got.

    I would certainly offer to help if I was able, but I don't have those kind of resources.
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  3. #3
    NTESLA's Avatar Senior Member
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    Hello Wiley,

    All good things always have an ending but I do not think this is it. There is a person at Simhq.com that is offering to host the guys of ILskins.com but ILskins.com have not taken them upon this favor. I could point you to them and see if it works with them! Please let me know.

    In other note, Thank you for posting my latest movie: "Pacific Fighters" at your site.

    Best regards,

    NTESLA/THX-1138
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  4. #4
    Sorry to here that, Wiley. I have downloaded many movies from your site.

    Maybe it is time to sticky up a 'Hall of Fame' thread as Argyllspear suggested (and probably a locked thread to keep it clutter free)? Mainly to let new movie makers easily find and see the movie making possiblities and be inspired.

    Don't quite know how this would be moderated or decided. But there are some clear 'leaders' in this field

    Or, hey, if it was a coordinated 'Hall of Fame' then I wouldn't mind paypal'ing a little towards it. And hey, I would love to, at some point, produce a decent enough movie for it.

    But anyway, thanks again, Wiley, and also to your 'benefactor'
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  5. #5
    Hello Wiley,

    I am very disappointed to read your post ; your movie hosting site is unique and has a major impact on the popularity of these movies in the general community. Also, like many movie makers who have limited web space or download restrictions, your site was invaluable to us for hosting our productions.

    I would like to thank you for all your efforts in hosting and running such an excellent facility, and truly hope that another beneficiary is found in the near future so as the Movie Makers work in this forum can be seen around the world.

    Best regards
    Monty-Dan
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  6. #6
    Wiley,

    I've been away awhile now, and i just decided to pop back in and I see this thread!!


    I have a solution for you if you didn't already find one. I may be late and all is well, I dont know, but anyway....

    You need to change HOSTS. Can you afford $20 a month? That is what my hosts charges me for unlimited bandwidth and 2GB of space.

    I know you may need more, but I would think edit some of the links you have, and get rid of the "expendable" flicks to save space.

    www.brinkster.com

    There may be a way to increase your storage too.

    I would think, living in Vegas, that you could easily double or triple that $20 a month on some slots out there!

    Anyway, I think it would be good for VWC and your site to add a paypal link ASAP!

    Also, just ask for a $1 or $2 donations thru paypal and I'm sure hosting costs would be paid for the year. SERIOUSLY. It's the law of averages.

    Let me know.
    -JAVDOG
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  7. #7
    you can count me in for a paypal donation.
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  8. #8
    Be very very careful with those "unlimited" services. For instance, the company mentioned, Brinkster. I just got off the phone with them (the reason I did this is because I would be interested as well for my own sites, it's a great deal) and here are the real facts...

    Firstly, the 'Unlimited' package has the stipulation of 'no streaming media allowed'. So that basically stops it right there, but let's say they were all zipped files and Wiley stopped the streaming... because of the load that his site would have on their server he would be asked to pay for a dedicated server account (this is what was told me and is fair just like everyone else). My one movie, 'I Promise', over the last 4.5 months has used over 5TB (yes, thats Tera!) since I released it... can you imagine the bandwidth used for 20 or 30 like that? A dedicated server with Brinkster is US$160/mth and then $.60/GB after 60GB/mth. using an average of 1000GB (1TB) per month and that would cost $564/mth just in extra bandwidth costs and that's only if ZIP files were transfered, not streamed media files. Streamed media files on a dedicated server are way more. $160/mth for the dedicated server, $50/mth for being allowed the stream and $3/GB after the first free 60GB. That would make 1000GB/mth cost a whopping total of $3030.00/mth and remember that streaming uses WAY more bandwidth then file transfers.

    I pay around Canadian$120/mth for 1000GB/mth, streamed or transfers, doesn't matter, but that's because I get it from a friend. A truly unlimited host is a rare thing to find. I TRULY REALLY hope Wiley will be able to continue someway somehow as I think his site is necessary but it will be extremely difficult to follow up what has been offered in the past.

    Not trying to be negative, just realistic.

    MrVH
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  9. #9
    310th Falcon's Avatar Senior Member
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    I hope Wiley finds a way to keep it going!
    Let's keep our fingers cross.


    Best Regards
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  10. #10
    <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by MrVH:
    Be very very careful with those "unlimited" services. .... Streamed media files on a dedicated server are way more. $160/mth for the dedicated server, $50/mth for being allowed the stream and $3/GB after the first free 60GB. That would make 1000GB/mth cost a whopping total of $3030.00/mth and remember that streaming uses WAY more bandwidth then file transfers.....
    <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

    Yes...a couple of years ago, I had looked into paying my own way for a server/site, but quickly ran the estimated cost numbers and when it passed $1000 per month, I dropped the idea.

    Since then the Site has grown tremendously in content, and I would make a wild guess(I/We don't monitor or keep track of bandwidth usage)that perhaps 1-2, maybe 3 Terabytes of bandwidth could be used Monthly.... That amount didn't really phase the Server on which the Site is currently located(which has, essentially for all practical purposes, been a Dedicated Server for the Site), but that set-up is being terminated. The fact is that even on a fairly Huge Main/Master Server, when there are new movies hosted, the Server can be brought to a crawl by literally hundreds of folks attempting to download a particular file/movie.


    So I am looking for some solution with fingers crossed...maybe Oleg could write off Site-Hosting as part of his marketing Budget???

    I would be happy to restructure the Site to give even More Hype/Promotion to Oleg's flight sim products! (With only ONE exception, all the "simulation movies" on the Site Do currently announce at the top of the presentation page that the movies are made from Oleg's IL2/FB Flight Sim Product.

    In my very humble opinion, if there has been a weakness in the Maddox1C/UBI operation it has been in the marketing of the products....and that's a shame.
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