How did the Find Madeleine website cost £36.000?

[Redblossom]

Anyone know?

In  their first year, as stated in their accounts?

Thats 36 000 pounds  for anyone who missed it, for *website costs*

What were these costs?

DEFINITELY NOT setting up a website

Their family friend Callum Mccrae did an interview, he did it all for them  voluntarily

So was the 36 k a salary for someone? What for? 36 k a year for updating bits and bobs in a two bit web site? I dont think so, do you?


98

[Jazzy]

How would you explain it, Redblossom, assuming I am not still on ignore? What do you think? Where did that money go? Where did the accounts say it went?

[Redblossom]

How would you explain it, Redblossom, assuming I am not still on ignore? What do you think? Where did that money go? Where did the accounts say it went?

its a lie, plain and simple that any website as TINY and static as that  would incur SUCH costs simple as THAT


AND NO JAZZY i dont have answer, I AM ASKING the question!!!

Do YOU have an idea? Do share,beback tomorrow to check  bye now

[drummer]

I feel that the Mccanns were badly advised on several issues, I don't know if this was one of them or not. Put yourself in their shoes, daughter missing, people offering their services and promising this that and the other. They were normal parents going about a normal family life then find themselves in a situation like this.
They will be acutely more aware now of costs to their campaign but at the beginning I would imagine that they would have accepted any help offered regardless of the costs involved.

[sadie]

I feel that the Mccanns were badly advised on several issues, I don't know if this was one of them or not. Put yourself in their shoes, daughter missing, people offering their services and promising this that and the other. They were normal parents going about a normal family life then find themselves in a situation like this.
They will be acutely more aware now of costs to their campaign but at the beginning I would imagine that they would have accepted any help offered regardless of the costs involved.

I suspect you have got it in one, Drummer

Good  first post

Welcome

sadie x

[Redblossom]

I feel that the Mccanns were badly advised on several issues, I don't know if this was one of them or not. Put yourself in their shoes, daughter missing, people offering their services and promising this that and the other. They were normal parents going about a normal family life then find themselves in a situation like this.
They will be acutely more aware now of costs to their campaign but at the beginning I would imagine that they would have accepted any help offered regardless of the costs involved.

In this case, it was nothing to do with *advice*, it was a case of Gerrys sister asking one of her school pupils who was a whizz with computers and websites to help. He and a few of his fellow classmates helped out. I can only assume now, that this helping out was paid for and this is what was meant by *website costs* Case closed I suppose.

[Jean-Pierre]

It is certainly possible.  Dot forget this was in 2007 (there is no point in judging costs, capacity, bandwidth etc by todays standards). 

The webiste was incredibly popular, and the amount of traffic would have swamped any of the free or low cost sites available at the time - they quite simply would not have worked at all.

In the first few days (from launch to 18th May 2007) the site received 55 million hits.  And of course interest continued.   

[Redblossom]

It is certainly possible.  Dot forget this was in 2007 (there is no point in judging costs, capacity, bandwidth etc by todays standards). 

The webiste was incredibly popular, and the amount of traffic would have swamped any of the free or low cost sites available at the time - they quite simply would not have worked at all.

In the first few days (from launch to 18th May 2007) the site received 55 million hits.  And of course interest continued.

no, sorry, the cost of having a website with millions of hits still does not make it cost 37000 pounds for a year, for bandwidth or any such techissues, not in 2007 or today, the *costs* were not technically for the website

[John]

I have to say that Redblossom is right in her assertion.  A website like that used by the 'Find Madeleine Campaign' can be put together for very little and only costs a few quid each year to run.

Claiming that the site incurred costs of £36,000 is quite astounding!

[mercury]

Well, what do you expect for only  36 000 £ to set up and run a website, miracles?

[G-Unit]

Well, what do you expect for only  36 000 £ to set up and run a website, miracles?

Funny that, it looks very much like an off the shelf template to me. Bespoke sites created by professional web creation companies have their name at the bottom with an 'all rights reserved' notice.

[Carana]

Funny that, it looks very much like an off the shelf template to me. Bespoke sites created by professional web creation companies have their name at the bottom with an 'all rights reserved' notice.

That seemed expensive to me, even at the time. However, setting up a a merchant account and an associated "shop" was in its infancy back in 2007.

Would Paypal donation/ fees have come under bank costs at the time? No idea, as it's not a bank. If not, would they have been come under the website costs?

[G-Unit]

That seemed expensive to me, even at the time. However, setting up a a merchant account and an associated "shop" was in its infancy back in 2007.

Would Paypal donation/ fees have come under bank costs at the time? No idea, as it's not a bank. If not, would they have been come under the website costs?

I set up a website at about the same time and it was a template. I paid for the domain name (a few pounds) and then a monthly fee (ten pounds) for hosting. I used the template to create/update the website. I could have added a shop had I wished. I used Paypal selling on Ebay and I think fees were deducted 'at source' (but not sure). I don't know how costs are treated in the accounts because very broad headings are used. 'Merchandising and campaign costs' in the first financial year, for example were £ 673,336. I have no idea what that includes, apart from the cost of wristbands and whatever else they sold.

[Angelo222]

I set up a website at about the same time and it was a template. I paid for the domain name (a few pounds) and then a monthly fee (ten pounds) for hosting. I used the template to create/update the website. I could have added a shop had I wished. I used Paypal selling on Ebay and I think fees were deducted 'at source' (but not sure). I don't know how costs are treated in the accounts because very broad headings are used. 'Merchandising and campaign costs' in the first financial year, for example were £ 673,336. I have no idea what that includes, apart from the cost of wristbands and whatever else they sold.

Not exactly the transparency promised.

[mercury]

Funny that, it looks very much like an off the shelf template to me. Bespoke sites created by professional web creation companies have their name at the bottom with an 'all rights reserved' notice.

either they were ripped off or it was a cock and bull entry!