$6M in revenues

considering they likely have very few actual employees, i'd believe it. aren't they just an arm, er, shell, of another media conglomerate?

Torstar

130 employees according to https://pitchbook.com/profiles/compa...23-62#overview

Glassdoor has some interesting comments
https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Ve...ws-E485412.htm

Torstar aquired a 56% stake in 2005 for 200 Million

45 employees, I think. For the number of forums they zombied, that number seems low.

130 sounds high, i wonder if that is counting contractors ? Guess i have no idea how tech shit works, but what in the fuck could they possibly need 100 employees for. the 14 "board members" plus maybe another 2 dozen...maybe, sounds like way more than enough warm bodies as full time staff. And hell, that is with 35 people simply there to suck up investor money and provide nothing

that's closer to what i would imagine. including giving the former babysitter an office job to make coffee runs in a mini skirt types. it isn't like it is very resource intense to buy a forum and run it in to the ground.

It's not about the ad revenue. It's about controlling information dissemination. That's what Alphabet does. That's what the big social networks do. How do you think the venture capital guys who funded that feel about spending hundreds of millions to buy up all the forums just to generate 6 million in revenue before expenses?

How much of Pirate now uses Facebook since VS bought out PBB? Now ask yourself how many would still be on PBB instead of locked out for their email change?

"whoops, sorry all your data got hacked. We're just a foreign company, you litigious hosers."

-VS :caugh: Torstar :caugh:

Seriously, this isn't even conspiracy. It's just multi-national corporatism. Look at how companies like Monsanto behave. All of the media conglomerates were in charge of all the information we all recieve about the present. That's a huge amount of power and influence. You don't think those media conglomerates are making sure they still have a roll to play?

Think about the demographic that frequents automotive forums. That's probably one of the most valuable subcategory in the population. It would be a shame if they lost their freedom space in the internet where nobody could control what they said, how they shared knowledge, and what products they used their money on.

I honestly don't think it is that complex. I really do think it is sheer incompetence. it's like Richard Rawlings making millions doing his shit TV show. i mean, hell, good for him for making millions i guess.

I really think this is just a fun way that VS is using venture capital money to get hookers and blow. just that simple

Some interesting reading (and purchase prices) in here...

https://www.theadminzone.com/threads...alscope.39544/

WTF????

Dude, everything comes down to money. The Toronto Star is not some huge multinational conglomerate. They are a fucking decal on the size of someone like Monsanto.

It's about the money and if that $6M is accurate, that's not a lot of money for the headache. Granted, print media companies have been look for new revenue for 15 years, but I just assumed their share would be more with 600+ sites owned.

for real, honestly, this is the basis of my question.

We're saying the same thing.

I'm not saying TorStar is the big multinational. I'm saying alphabet and the other social networks are.

I'm not saying I know the details. I'm just saying on a big picture. This isn't about money, it's about information.

What we know as facts:

-Hundreds of millions from unknown sources funded the acquisitions.

-A track record of destroying communities is seen, without any change to business policies. VS is well aware of the repercussions of their actions form large analytical data. They have been at this process over a decade.

-They do not turn a profit. They hardly make enough revenue to cover expenses. They will never recoup the initial investment.

So what's the motivation of this enterprise if it's not to make money?

it's got to be a way for the right hand to wash the left when their media companies advertise on their media formats

It's a venture capital parking space. There is so much goddamned money out there, has been since the first dot.com bust 2000-2002. That's why corporate bailouts right now are an obscenity. There's more than enough capital out there to bailout cruise lines, airlines, and casinos.

VS doesn't have to do anything but keep a legal accounting system.

In short, it's a tax shelter and capital movement vehicle. Money laundering for non-gangsters. There's a million companies like this, I worked for one. Usually they are in the Information economy because the it has a traditionally very high level of value to revenue ratio. Federal regulators tend to believe it's possible for a company like Facebook to be worth several dozen billion dollars but show no profit.

So VS hiding a few hundred million is nothing.

PBB was the hair on the mole on the ass of the tick in the armpit of Capital.