blonde, going forward.

[ariston]

hate to say this but I am sure a lot of the readers on here will agree. Without live updates you will go the way of poker trillion. They are the number one reason people come here. Ok they may not generate revenue directly but without them you will never get any new players onto your card room and unique user hits to your site will drop massively which will effect the banner advertising revenue (be it pay per click/affiliate or direct sponsorship).

letting snoops and no flops go imo will prove to be the biggest mistake blonde have ever made as you have rightly said they both ARE blonde. God help you if awop or any other firm snap them up as they are both updating gods and huge assets.

I am not trying to inflame things here as I am sure this really hurts you to do but by letting these two go I feel its only a matter of time before the last one to leave should please turn the lights out. Its a shame to see but if AWOP/pokernews/cardplayer etc all run better business models then you then you should be looking at the people who run the business/generate revenue for the site before getting rid of the real assets- snoops and floppy always did their jobs very well and its obviously other peoples fault that blonde is in the state it is currently.

without live updates you are just another poker forum (of which there are many). Your updates were unique because of the ones who are now being punished due to other peoples failed business acumen.

[Rookie (Rodney)]

But they already work for other updating sites anyway!

[henrik777]

Does the amazon link create much revenue ?

If so perhaps you could get some revenue via dell ? Lots of people mention them when screens, laptops etc are sought/looked at.

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/emea/topics/affiliates/home?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=anavml&~section=001

Don't forget bookies/exchanges too as i said before.

Sandy

Amazon, no

Negotiating a link with a computer supplier currently

Bookies, that was one of the aims of William Hill deal a year ago, but they never showed any interest. Currently approaching other online bookies

Advertising wasn't my intention more just sign up revenue. Betting board is used more so now that Boldie and Camel are running threads and many bookies get mentioned. Could you not link the names like the names with Blondepedia ? It's not like you would be competing with what you offer v another site like rakeback. If anyone started a thread like that i sent you via pm then i'm sure it'd bring in a few sign ups although maybe not betfair as they are common. It is like bonus whoring and a few blondes do that i think.

Sandy

[Dingdell]

hate to say this but I am sure a lot of the readers on here will agree. Without live updates you will go the way of poker trillion. They are the number one reason people come here. Ok they may not generate revenue directly but without them you will never get any new players onto your card room and unique user hits to your site will drop massively which will effect the banner advertising revenue (be it pay per click/affiliate or direct sponsorship).

letting snoops and no flops go imo will prove to be the biggest mistake blonde have ever made as you have rightly said they both ARE blonde. God help you if awop or any other firm snap them up as they are both updating gods and huge assets.

I am not trying to inflame things here as I am sure this really hurts you to do but by letting these two go I feel its only a matter of time before the last one to leave should please turn the lights out. Its a shame to see but if AWOP/pokernews/cardplayer etc all run better business models then you then you should be looking at the people who run the business/generate revenue for the site before getting rid of the real assets- snoops and floppy always did their jobs very well and its obviously other peoples fault that blonde is in the state it is currently.

without live updates you are just another poker forum (of which there are many). Your updates were unique because of the ones who are now being punished due to other peoples failed business acumen.

I get the impression Ariston that there isn't a brass farthing in the bank, not one, and Tikay doesn't want to run a business like trillion, owing people along the way. As he's said Blonde owes Tighty months of wages and Tighty doesn't get paid anywhere else as far as I'm aware and without Tighty the whole thing will unravel even quicker and there definitely won't be an option to re-employ the updaters in the future because there won't be a blonde future. (Someone correct me if I'm reading this wrong please)

Reading between the lines if it was any different we might all be having this convo by msn as Blonde wouldn't exist.

It's an economic choice for longevity and Tighty is the glue, the updates are the glitter. Hopefully by keeping the glue in place the glitter can be sprinkled in the future and in the meantime we all stay put and support blonde, so the glitter can be paid for soon as.

[NoflopsHomer]

Its a shame to see but if AWOP/pokernews/cardplayer etc all run better business models then you

I have to point out that Cardplyer recently cut out a couple of members of staff and a few pages (I should know I lost the monthly column I'd just started there!). They have one updater for EPT's called Rebecca, who just gets swamped with all the work on her own. Also Pokernews seem to be scaling back their live updates. They didn't cover Deauville or the PCA (4th biggest tourney of the year imo).

AWOP's affiliate scheme is good and has served them well.

My point is just that there are bigger companies, monetary-wise, that are struggling as bad/worse than blonde.

[amcgrath1uk]

hate to say this but I am sure a lot of the readers on here will agree. Without live updates you will go the way of poker trillion. They are the number one reason people come here. Ok they may not generate revenue directly but without them you will never get any new players onto your card room and unique user hits to your site will drop massively which will effect the banner advertising revenue (be it pay per click/affiliate or direct sponsorship).

letting snoops and no flops go imo will prove to be the biggest mistake blonde have ever made as you have rightly said they both ARE blonde. God help you if awop or any other firm snap them up as they are both updating gods and huge assets.

I am not trying to inflame things here as I am sure this really hurts you to do but by letting these two go I feel its only a matter of time before the last one to leave should please turn the lights out. Its a shame to see but if AWOP/pokernews/cardplayer etc all run better business models then you then you should be looking at the people who run the business/generate revenue for the site before getting rid of the real assets- snoops and floppy always did their jobs very well and its obviously other peoples fault that blonde is in the state it is currently.

without live updates you are just another poker forum (of which there are many). Your updates were unique because of the ones who are now being punished due to other peoples failed business acumen.

I get the impression Ariston that there isn't a brass farthing in the bank, not one, and Tikay doesn't want to run a business like trillion, owing people along the way. As he's said Blonde owes Tighty months of wages and Tighty doesn't get paid anywhere else as far as I'm aware and without Tighty the whole thing will unravel even quicker and there definitely won't be an option to re-employ the updaters in the future because there won't be a blonde future. (Someone correct me if I'm reading this wrong please)

Reading between the lines if it was any different we might all be having this convo by msn as Blonde wouldn't exist.

It's an economic choice for longevity and Tighty is the glue, the updates are the glitter. Hopefully by keeping the glue in place the glitter can be sprinkled in the future and in the meantime we all stay put and support blonde, so the glitter can be paid for soon as.

In my half asleep state, I've been trying to think of the words for my comment...

the glitter/glue has hit the nail on the head.

Anything at all that I can help in any way ( hitting the cardroom hard as always), please don't hesitate to ask

[ariston]

i was not and am not trying to stick the boot in and i wish blonde all the best. I know this decision hasn't been taken lightly but I do feel in the months to come tony will regret it.

to use your analagy we have to lose the glitter and stick with the glue- whats to stop someone else nicking the glitter and everyone going to wherever the glitter goes? this will mean the glue no longer has anything to hold together.

when you have to cut costs in business it doesnt make sense imo to let your best assets go first. they are the thing that attracts most people to your business in the first place and if you let them go there isn't much left so its a false economy to cut costs like this.  

[tikay]

hate to say this but I am sure a lot of the readers on here will agree. Without live updates you will go the way of poker trillion. They are the number one reason people come here. Ok they may not generate revenue directly but without them you will never get any new players onto your card room and unique user hits to your site will drop massively which will effect the banner advertising revenue (be it pay per click/affiliate or direct sponsorship).

letting snoops and no flops go imo will prove to be the biggest mistake blonde have ever made as you have rightly said they both ARE blonde. God help you if awop or any other firm snap them up as they are both updating gods and huge assets.

I am not trying to inflame things here as I am sure this really hurts you to do but by letting these two go I feel its only a matter of time before the last one to leave should please turn the lights out. Its a shame to see but if AWOP/pokernews/cardplayer etc all run better business models then you then you should be looking at the people who run the business/generate revenue for the site before getting rid of the real assets- snoops and floppy always did their jobs very well and its obviously other peoples fault that blonde is in the state it is currently.

without live updates you are just another poker forum (of which there are many). Your updates were unique because of the ones who are now being punished due to other peoples failed business acumen.

I'm busy until Midnight, so I'll respond to this later, after I've finished work.

I've just spoken to Tighty & asked him not to respond. It's best - he's hardly thrilled by this Post.

For the avoidance of doubt, I'm fully aware of how vital the Updates are to blonde, & I've worried myself silly trying to find the right solution by everyone.

The people who "run the business" are Tighty, & myself. Tighty has been awesome, & I don't take a salary, fees, or exs.

It's tough out there right now & other Updating sites, such as CardPlayer, are feeling the pinch, too. As are Poker Magazines - have you seen PokerNews lately (rhetorical - it's not been published for a while). The gravy-boat is not as full as some think.

Trust me, watch & see......

[The Camel]

i was not and am not trying to stick the boot in and i wish blonde all the best. I know this decision hasn't been taken lightly but I do feel in the months to come tony will regret it.
 

By the sounds of it, if they kept the updates, there wouldn't be a blondepoker in few months.

Tough decision, one I wouldn't want to make, but one they had to make to keep the business going i think.

[cambo]

more glitter and glue talk than blue peter imo

[tikay]

i was not and am not trying to stick the boot in and i wish blonde all the best. I know this decision hasn't been taken lightly but I do feel in the months to come tony will regret it.

to use your analagy we have to lose the glitter and stick with the glue- whats to stop someone else nicking the glitter and everyone going to wherever the glitter goes? this will mean the glue no longer has anything to hold together.

when you have to cut costs in business it doesnt make sense imo to let your best assets go first. they are the thing that attracts most people to your business in the first place and if you let them go there isn't much left so its a false economy to cut costs like this.  

Wrong. That assumes I don't already. I do, but I had no option.

[ripple11]

i was not and am not trying to stick the boot in and i wish blonde all the best. I know this decision hasn't been taken lightly but I do feel in the months to come tony will regret it.

to use your analagy we have to lose the glitter and stick with the glue- whats to stop someone else nicking the glitter and everyone going to wherever the glitter goes? this will mean the glue no longer has anything to hold together.

when you have to cut costs in business it doesnt make sense imo to let your best assets go first. they are the thing that attracts most people to your business in the first place and if you let them go there isn't much left so its a false economy to cut costs like this.  

If you haven't got the income, you cant pay the costs.....the large majority of which is wages.

 What other assets are there to cut???!!

[taximan007]

This is all very sad to read as far as i am concerned.

During my time in the Philippines, Blonde was my lifeline with the poker world back home, I like many others started with following the updates, and that led to becoming a reasonably regular poster on the forum (to the annoyance of 1 or 3), I was unable to contribute to the cardroom due to my financial commitments and therefore I am one of those who have benefited from Blonde completely for free, not through choice but circumstances, therefore i owe a huge debt of thanks to EVERYONE involved with Blonde, but especially ALL the updaters who have bought me so much pleasure over the last 3 years.

In a couple of weeks time my situation will allow me to play online poker again, not to the same volume as before, but in return for the pleasure and knowledge I have gained from Blonde i will say that my main cardroom will be the Blonde one, if it helps just a little then I am more than happy to give something back.

The community has always what Blonde has been about to many people, and I have said a couple of different times in the past that the spirit changes, and again in recent weeks I have noticed a lot of "regular" posters have disappeared for whatever reasons and I always feel its a shame when this happens because one or to posters feel its ok to take IMO cheap, personal shots at others, but I guess thats life in general.

I wish Blonde ALL the best in what are obviously difficult times and I for one hope we are still all around for a long time to come.

[tikay]

i was not and am not trying to stick the boot in and i wish blonde all the best. I know this decision hasn't been taken lightly but I do feel in the months to come tony will regret it.
 

By the sounds of it, if they kept the updates, there wouldn't be a blondepoker in few months.

Tough decision, one I wouldn't want to make, but one they had to make to keep the business going i think.

Correct. Sometimes pruning is the only option.

We still plan to bring them back, we just need a few months to restore our cash balances.

Hopefully, if Ariston plays on blonde now & then, that'll help.

[MC]

It sucks that you have to take these measures, but if it's what has to be done, then so be it...

Feel bad for Snoopy and Floppy but I'm sure they understand.

I don't see why Blonde can't survive without the updates, although they are cool they certainly aren't a main reason I spend time on here...