Keep your forum's revenue a secret to avoid jealous trolls?

[froggyboy604]

I think by not telling strangers how much you make online if you make a lot like thousands or tens of thousands of dollars a month, you can avoid most trolls who might be jealous of your successful income, and want to harm you or your site. I know of a few popular YouTube partners who make a lot of money on YouTube, and they tend to get more trolls, hacker problems, and scandals then the typical non-partnered YouTuber who does not get payed for displaying ads on videos.

Plus, it might avoid people from trying to hack your Paypal to steal money from your Paypal account.

 

[TheNova]

Re: Keep your forum's revenue a secret to avoid jealous trol

I would never give out details of how much I earn online. As you say, people who become jealous of you may or may not try and harm your website/forum, PayPal account or which ever gateway you use.

Although, forums who use premium memberships and show who the donators/subscribers are, can be guessed at how much they earn. If the payment was $5.00 to upgrade and there were 100 premium members, it doesn't take a genius to work out how much that forum makes per month/6 months etc.

 

[Samalan]

Re: Keep your forum's revenue a secret to avoid jealous trol

I would never give out details of how much I earn online. As you say, people who become jealous of you may or may not try and harm your website/forum, PayPal account or which ever gateway you use.

Although, forums who use premium memberships and show who the donators/subscribers are, can be guessed at how much they earn. If the payment was $5.00 to upgrade and there were 100 premium members, it doesn't take a genius to work out how much that forum makes per month/6 months etc.

Exactly why I wouldn't sell premium membership.

It is a really easy to get a troll for just earning $1 a month online because they are greedy things who don't care as long as they get money. This is why you shouldn't put a counter from donations on your forum because as soon as they spot a single $, I am sure they would go for you.

 

[The Elite]

Re: Keep your forum's revenue a secret to avoid jealous trol

I'm earning hundreds from my forums online, and in a 2 month period I earned around $3k and people were aware of it. We were fine and we still are fine. People who think that just because releasing their figure means they'll get hacked, your server + site should be secure either way since people hack forums not based on revenue, but activity.<br /><br />-- 14 Sep 2011, 06:51 --<br /><br />

Exactly why I wouldn't sell premium membership.

It is a really easy to get a troll for just earning $1 a month online because they are greedy things who don't care as long as they get money. This is why you shouldn't put a counter from donations on your forum because as soon as they spot a single $, I am sure they would go for you.

That's a load of made up shizzle. If you're telling me that posting that you've earned $1 from your forum attracts trolls and hackers, then that's hilarious. Where are you getting your facts from.

 

[TheNova]

Re: Keep your forum's revenue a secret to avoid jealous trol

Fair point The Elite. If you make enough money through your forum, you could probably afford a decent web host and security for your forum.

 

[Samalan]

Re: Keep your forum's revenue a secret to avoid jealous trol

That's a load of made up shizzle. If you're telling me that posting that you've earned $1 from your forum attracts trolls and hackers, then that's hilarious. Where are you getting your facts from.

Not saying they will do it to everyone for posting that you have earned $1, I am basically saying that they would be easy targets for trolls. Not a lot of shizzle if you think about it considering they are like/are hackers who would hack in to anything they can.

 

[froggyboy604]

Re: Keep your forum's revenue a secret to avoid jealous trol

I think it is generally a good idea to not post how much you make online since some members might think you only care more about money, and not so much about the community, and doing what you love which is running a forum.

I kind of dislike when people brag a lot about making a lot of money with their jobs, but also complain that they dislike their job.

I think a money counter might be helpful if you are desperate for donations to pay for web hosting, or the employees who run your forum, so members know how much money which needs to be donated to pay for web hosting, so the forum stays online.

 

[The Elite]

Re: Keep your forum's revenue a secret to avoid jealous trol

If your forum is earning you some money, it's time to start getting Staff (for free) to control the spam. We have a forum of 8.5k members and the spam is to a minimum.

 

[juststeven]

Re: Keep your forum's revenue a secret to avoid jealous trol

I'm earning hundreds from my forums online, and in a 2 month period I earned around $3k and people were aware of it. We were fine and we still are fine. People who think that just because releasing their figure means they'll get hacked, your server + site should be secure either way since people hack forums not based on revenue, but activity.

-- 14 Sep 2011, 06:51 --

Exactly why I wouldn't sell premium membership.

It is a really easy to get a troll for just earning $1 a month online because they are greedy things who don't care as long as they get money. This is why you shouldn't put a counter from donations on your forum because as soon as they spot a single $, I am sure they would go for you.

That's a load of made up shizzle. If you're telling me that posting that you've earned $1 from your forum attracts trolls and hackers, then that's hilarious. Where are you getting your facts from.

I agree with you on this one, you could tell if I started earning loads as I'd donate and buy premium on a lot of sites and buy loads of stuff, seriously there is no point hiding how much you earn, you just secure your site and keep your personal details hidden and your fine.

 

[Jessica]

Re: Keep your forum's revenue a secret to avoid jealous trol

As a general rule the sites which earn the most are also the sites with the most traffic, thus they trolls find them easier. Also, these hackers and stuff are trying to make money so going after sites with a lot more money is worth their time rather than trying to get a few dollars off of joe nobody.

I wouldn't brag about how much I made, because yeah you become a target. Remember that site milliondollar website. Some guy send the owner of that site a email demanding like 100,000 dollars or he'd DOS attack them, and eventually did. Luckily, if you live in the US that kind of stuff is actually taken somewhat seriously by the FBI.

 

[froggyboy604]

Re: Keep your forum's revenue a secret to avoid jealous trol

I read on a webmaster forum that casino and gambling sites are more likely to get DDS attacks from hackers who want to force the owner to pay, or he will threaten to DOS his site with a bunch of bot traffic from infected computers, and servers called botnet which all go to a website at once to try to bring it offline by crashing the server.

 

[The Elite]

Re: Keep your forum's revenue a secret to avoid jealous trol

I read on a webmaster forum that casino and gambling sites are more likely to get DDS attacks from hackers who want to force the owner to pay, or he will threaten to DOS his site with a bunch of bot traffic from infected computers, and servers called botnet which all go to a website at once to try to bring it offline by crashing the server.

I've had that happen to me, I simply didn't cooperate with them and they went away. DDOS*ers are all lazy IMO, either that or they charge for downtime.

 

[dballerp]

Re: Keep your forum's revenue a secret to avoid jealous trol

I don't even understand why you would mention how much money you make. What's it to them?

 

[froggyboy604]

Re: Keep your forum's revenue a secret to avoid jealous trol

Mentioning how money you make online will be a good way of promoting your make money online informational products if you plan on selling an "eBook on making millions with Ads, Affiliate marketing, and selling your own products like eBooks, videos, and audio books online.", but I'm kind of skeptical that after reading an eBook about making millions online and doing stuff the eBook says that I make millions after following exactly what the eBook says.

But, I agree with you dballerp that most people or members won't care unless your forum is full of people who are into "making money online" like Digital points,Website Babble and Warrior forum" which main audience are Internet marketers, and web developers.