I was interested if anyone knows what hardware does PBS run on? Does it run on multiple servers? How many programmers programmed the software? (The PBS software is great!) What is the cost of PBS per month? Does PBS make a profit?

Thanks for a great service. I would just like to know what it takes to make something like PBS happen.

Don't know, and don't think that's something they've really ever talked about here.

Haven't run across an article that discussed it either.

My understanding that PBS does NOT make a profit.  I think I remember reading that there are several servers dedicated to different components of the entire system but I may be wrong there.

I agree that the PBS software is a thing of beauty.  I think it is astounding.  I LOVE this place!

I thought PBS was hosted on a server farm down in Georgia.  But that is based on how the weather one month affected the service.

From what I've overheard, with talk about ways to get money and avoid possible fees, that PBS does not make a profit. 

I know PBS has multiple servers and is run at a loss (meaning that it not only doesn't make a profit, but costs the founders money each year, which is why they're always trying to find ways to reduce their expenses by having members pay part of the costs through extra services or donations). I don't know what the loss is in terms of monthly expenses versus income from members using extra services or making donations, but it's probably safe to assume that the bigger the club gets the more money they're paying out of pocket to keep it going, not to mention the time involved.

It would be interesting to know what kind of server configuration could support over 19,192 + log-ins a day. (that figure was from today, a sunday)

The PBS siite is a very simple concept, swap and trade used books, and very well done.  

One thing I have noticed about this site, is it always works.

I think the founders knew what they were doing when they designed the site.  And they have hired other people who know what they are doing as well.  It would be interesting to know what the 5 year, 10 year, and 15 year plan is.  One sign of a good business is knowing where you want to be in a certain amount of time and plan accordingly. 

They say Amazon doesn't make money ( probably like Sears didn't make money on stores, but their other investments carry it).  But this isn't Amazon so there's a possibility that profit making is in the plan at some point - LOL!!  It's not unusual for a business not to be profitable before its 5th year, but there should be indications that it will.  Getting a small business up and running to be ultimately profitable is so hard.  As long as the owners want this site to be what it is right now - I'll be happy as a clam. 

I do hope it becomes profitable at some point.

Ruth

The site could be a tax write-off to offset profits of other more profitable business investments.

PBS is a good example of how a site should operate. The software could be used as a template.

All you would have to do is change sending and receiving of books, the core functionality, with some other database driven transaction system.

All you would have to do is change sending and receiving of books, the core functionality, with some other database driven transaction system.

Have you seen SwapaCD and SwapaDVD?

Interesting questions -- why don't you click on "contact us" (under "community at the bottom of the page) and ask the Admin Team?  Some of the info may be proprietary, but I bet they'll give you some interesting data.

Have you looked at "under the hood" (again, bottom of the page, but this time under My Account.)  Sometimes it's fun to watch all the stuff happening.