The people who took the PPS should be paid out of A1 pocket, I thought, in order to find a block.
Yeah, I assume the fast miners there now took that option. But paying 120% to find a block also doesnt make a lot of sense for the pool. Thats why I suggested he cut his losses, and pays out this block even if its not found, and switches to a payout system that can attract new miners without having to pay them 120%. If the bad luck continues that 120% PPS and possibly 20 BTC bounty might end up more expensive than paying a one time 50BTC learning fee while delaying his pool from taking off.
Why would he cut his losses, "build it and they will come?" He is running a prop pool and a long round is expected. Once he finds a block the miners will return and some may stay on to finish the block, charity hopping is a feature to hop with. See, more hoppers have access to his pool now, but have been hesitant to hop due to TNTmining,his all to good to be true quest to get his first block, and most people got in later in the block, like you. I really think he wants to run a pool and has been looking to shoulder the cost of doing so. He is a hopper too and wants to run a prop pool, so I can see why he would do this (he is CrAzY.)
P4, you know it was a prop pool, you gave hashes. If you want less stress, why not go back to you favorite PPLNS pool and focus on miner efficiency and optimization? You are free to mine anywhere, unless you come from a PPLNS pool and want to maximize your return. I am on your side until you try and change the pool to suit your mining preference. I choose EMC/Oz/BP for backups cause they have to type of pool I need, plus has MM (and love, love you guys.) Hope you understand, cause I hop, just suck at it.
Advice, best way to save miners is to create a fair pool of your own and you will attract miners that favor your arguments. Then I will post on your thread that your miners should ask you for a prop pool cause they can do better! Not really...just venting. It still is a free country, starting revolutions will make us all less free.