Mumbles Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 Well, here goes. As you know, we don't ask for anything from the members, besides to be helpful and enhance the hobby. It used to be the case that the mods/admins just split up the bill. This amounted to $15-20 a year and wasn't a problem. Incase people have not noticed I am the only active admin around. I have heard from a few members that were willing to donate some money toward the forum. It is approaching that time where the hosting must be renewed (around the 1st of the year). We don't want any downtime like last year. I will definatly go to the right hosting company this time. I footed te entire bill last year. I am unsure if I will be able to do the same this year. I definatly don't want to sound desperate or pleading for cash. If I have to eat ramen noodles and drink Natural Light beer for the rest of the year, I'd do it. However, if I don't have to that would be nice. Both the hosting and domain will have to be renewed this year. I have control over the hosting, but not the domain. I will try to work on that in the near future. I was originally going to move to a new hosting company, but in the mean time, the current host has ceased to be screwing me over, so I may stay with them for at least 1 more year. I would likely go with people who I know and trust first and foremost, as it would likely involve giving my real name/address for transfer of funds. I have three main questions: 1. Are you willing to donate a bit of money toward the forum. A year of hosting runs approximatly $80, and domain around $10 a year. 2. Should the situation ensue that I recieve a decent excess, what would you like done with it? Pay myself off from last year? Improve the forum via paid software? Donate it somewhere? Use it to fund research/projects? Save it for next year? Beer money? 3. Are there any stipulations with your donation? I've heard people offer to pay the whole year of hosting if we drop the HE section, or continue with no ad banners, or move the host, or something like that.
WarezWally Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 Ill throw $5 your way if i get something for it
Guest Mark_the_pyro Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 I don't mean to spoil anything, but the forum upgrade is required to get other Invision add ons, like the photo/video gallery. We are at Version 1.x for IPB, and I think it needs to go to at least v2.2. So this is just necessary for future expansion. And yes, I would certainly pitch in at least 5-10/month.
Sylar Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 I would too, taking bluesquibs notes into mind and not spend money on anything we don't need (I hate waste). Banners for example can be blocked with firefox adblock addon very easily. In fact, I didn't even knew there were ads on this forum ... New forum software with increased functionality might be fun, but we have the filehost for pictures and vids, so do we really need galleries and such?
oskarchem Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 maybe when I will get some mony on my PayPal account... But anyway I have an Idea: You guys ever see on an internet site "google Ads"? well google pays you to make a thing like that and they pay you per click... my parents have a thing like that on their site and are getting about 300USD a year.... But then of corse you have the publicity problem...
WarezWally Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 Google wont let you put ads on any site that deals with explosives (fireworks included)
hashashan Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 Im willing to throw some cash in for the effort. Talk to me private
hst45 Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 Count me in. Say the word and a sawbuck goes into an envelop. I vote pay yourself for previous expenses, keep a buffer of a few bucks in case anything comes up, and donate everything else to anything fireworks related that you see fit. What about a sort of voluntary donation based on number of posts? Someone who has over 100 posts obviously uses the forum more than casual posters, so why not start there, for say $5 or $10 each?
fizeau Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 I will use bluesquibs paypal account and throw in ten $ too...
Tweetybird88 Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 I'd donate some. If you're looking for an admin, I'd love to do it.
BigBang Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 Hitting us up for cash, wth is this! Sure why not.
Mumbles Posted October 10, 2007 Author Posted October 10, 2007 Yes bigbang, this is all part of my evil plan to take over the world. First was to gather a legion of followers, now I shall suck them for all they are worth. There are no forced donations, and if at all possible no banner ads and what not. We had/have them on the filehost page, but I have no idea where that money goes to. Not me obviously. We have the hits neccesary for some of the better ad places(10,000+), but like previously stated its hard to find any who want to advertise on an explosive site. If we removed the HE section, we could maybe swing it as an artistic site. Perhaps I will look into getting some on the filehost page. The filehost after all takes up more than 90% of the storage, and probably something similar in bandwith. It also wouldn't "taint" the forum itself or any part of the site yet to be added. I definatly enjoy running this site, and I hope you enjoy my efforts. By improving the site I mean an improved file host first and foremost. We have the space and bandwith to lift size limits, and allow browsing. I was thinking about getting some sort of gallery type of thing so you could look at other people's videos, or just for rocket videos, etc. It's not set in stone, just something I was throwing around. Now that I think I am staying with the same host, I wouldn't mind getting that sister site I've been talking about for sometime up and running. Turn some of the member tutorials into their own webpages, get some new stuff up, etc. To tell you the truth, I feel a little dirty about asking for money. I just don't want to lose the joy I get out of this site by bringing money into it. In January, it will be by 7th year with APC or some predecesor of it, and around 3 or 4 as mod/admin. The costs have of course risen since. I'm ready to throw in whatever it takes to keep it running, but it's starting to take a hit in the pocketbook. I appreciate anything people are able to put up, and am more than happy to finish off the balance. I would like to see if I can figure out a way to get paypal or whatnot without revealing my full name and address to everyone and their mom. I'll look into it in the next day or two. You have my word that every penny that gets donated will go into the forum or the pyro community if it is agreed upon. I was just kidding about the beer, unless you INSIST that any excess goes toward a 6 pack of Paulaner Chances are I will just save anything left over for next year. I'm not going to worry about paying myself off from last year, that would make me feel even dirtier. Again, I appreciate everyones seemingly good reception to this. The forum will stay running whether or not you give me $5, so please don't feel obligated in anyway.
hst45 Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 To tell you the truth, I feel a little dirty about asking for money."Confessions of a Pyro Whore." Mumbles, take the cash! For a donation of $10 a year that works out to about , what.....uh..(not a math major)..about ....uh...$27 dollars a month?!?!? No, wait......damned decimal points......less than three cents a day for the Forum. For anyone who's too cheap to help keep us up and running, you can find three cents a day under the counter at your local 7-11! And by the way, any extra should go for leinenkugel red.
qwezxc12 Posted October 11, 2007 Posted October 11, 2007 Mumbles, $5 or $10 a year is well within reason to help support the forum. Let me know when you get the donation methodology set-up...electronic or paper, either will work. I would also offer the suggestion that leinenkugel honey-wheat be an acceptable second choice. Also, I stipulate that if/when you meet any donating members at some pyro event, you must buy them a beverage
Mumbles Posted October 11, 2007 Author Posted October 11, 2007 See, this is why I like you guys. You insist on giving me money, and demand I buy delicious beer with the remainder. You do bring up a good point in a way though. Perhaps, if an appropriate excess is available, we could have an APC picnic at some point at a PGI or something. I think the lesson is clear. Vote Oshkosh for PGI 2008 I'm not going to Wyoming. The hosting isn't due until the end of the year, like I said, but I'll try to get a collection setup soon here.
WarezWally Posted October 11, 2007 Posted October 11, 2007 We should be the ones sending him the beer, American brewed stuff is horrible compared to the stuff across the pond
tentacles Posted October 11, 2007 Posted October 11, 2007 I'd be willing to toss in a few bones. Same paypal as the other thing, or is there a different account for APC? Also, does sending as a "service" cost less in fees?
mormanman Posted October 11, 2007 Posted October 11, 2007 I'm willing to chuck a couple bucks where do I need to send it. Just pm about personal addresses and such.
Mumbles Posted October 11, 2007 Author Posted October 11, 2007 I set up a paypal account for the forum. Feel free to send whatever you feel is fair to donations@apcforum.net If anyone would like to send it by mail, contact me privately, and I'll see what I can do. I don't really want to give out my address to people I don't fully trust.
asilentbob Posted October 12, 2007 Posted October 12, 2007 I'm tight on cash now, but i should be donating around $5 via paypal soon.
hst45 Posted October 12, 2007 Posted October 12, 2007 If anyone would like to send it by mail, contact me privately, and I'll see what I can do. I don't really want to give out my address to people I don't fully trust.Really? Wow, I can't imagine that! You mean you don't want a "60-Minutes" team showing up at your door and shoving a microphone in your face and asking "So we understand that you're "Mumbles', real name Poindexter Parminter, and you're the mastermind behind an international network of chemistry geeks and fireworks freaks. People from all corners of the globe send you tens of thousands of dollars in cash donations for secret formulas for everything from rockets to shells to, well, god knows what. It's alleged that these hundreds of thousand of dollars, kroner, Euros, yen, and Pounds Sterling are spent on beer, Crown Royal, drunken debauchery, and keeping your legions of minions in line. You've collect millions over the last several months; what have you done with these hundreds of billions of dollars, and when exactly does your world domination begin?" O.K., so what's that paypal address again.....
mormanman Posted October 12, 2007 Posted October 12, 2007 If anyone would like to send it by mail, contact me privately, and I'll see what I can do. I don't really want to give out my address to people I don't fully trust.Really? Wow, I can't imagine that! You mean you don't want a "60-Minutes" team showing up at your door and shoving shoving a microphone in your face and asking "So we understand that you're "Mumbles', real name Poindexter Parminter, and you're the mastermind behind an international network of chemistry geeks and fireworks freaks. People from all corners of the globe send you tens of thousands of dollars in cash donations for secret formulas for everything from rockets to shells to, well, god knows what. It's alleged that these hundreds of thousand of dollars, kroner, Euros, yen, and Pounds Sterling are spent on beer, Crown Royal, drunken debauchery, and keeping your legions of minions in line. You've collect millions over the last several months; what have you done with these hundreds of billions of dollars, and when exactly does your world domination begin?" O.K., so what's that paypal address again..... Oh my goodness. That was funny.
fizeau Posted October 12, 2007 Posted October 12, 2007 Haha, "People from all corners of the globe" Thats nice
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