Author Topic: [Important Tip!] Make a Contribution (Details of how to contribute in 1st post)  (Read 55466 times)

Offline tamarack

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Re: [Important Tip!] Make a Contribution
« Reply #30 on: August 27, 2007, 06:39:20 am »
I doubled my regular contribution and will continue at that level. (My "regular" contribution may not look regular"because sometimes I do more than a month at a time, but I don't think I've been missing any.)  It shouldn't be up to Phillip to give us this out of the goodness of his heart.

Maybe there should be some kind of awareness campaign so that everyone knows what kinds of expenses are connected with hosting a website. I have no idea myself. Now I'm curious about FindingBrokeback. Guess I had better ask some questions there, too.

Is this posted anywhere else on the Forum?

Offline TOoP/Bruce

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Re: [Important Tip!] Make a Contribution
« Reply #31 on: August 27, 2007, 04:17:31 pm »
I am back after a long (and unanticipated) absence.

I made my donation today!  Best wishes all!

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Former IMDb Name: True Oracle of Phoenix / TOoP (I pronounce it "too - op") / " in fire forged,  from ash reborn" / Currently: GeorgeObliqueStrokeXR40

Offline nerdyjock

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Re: [Important Tip!] Make a Contribution
« Reply #32 on: August 27, 2007, 04:27:23 pm »
I hope this helps (through Pay Pal/American Express). Thanks Philip for your labor of love and thanks Clarissa for the remnder. 
(Sorry if this is posted twice; system went down while I was posting the first time)

Offline Penthesilea

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Re: [Important Tip!] Make a Contribution
« Reply #33 on: August 27, 2007, 04:35:11 pm »
Done.

Offline Phillip Dampier

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Re: [Important Tip!] Make a Contribution
« Reply #34 on: August 27, 2007, 06:52:04 pm »
Maybe there should be some kind of awareness campaign so that everyone knows what kinds of expenses are connected with hosting a website. I have no idea myself. Now I'm curious about FindingBrokeback. Guess I had better ask some questions there, too.

Is this posted anywhere else on the Forum?

1) I have offered to donate hosting services to the FindingBrokeback site (we are on a Linux-based server probably similar to the Yahoo! server they are on now) with only 30% of our disk space utilized, so we could easily accomodate their entire site and call it a public service (or returning the favor for the indispensible guide that it is), as long as they continue to administer it themselves.  It's something we can discuss down the road if they ever want to dispense with the Yahoo! hosting they apparently are using now.

2) Our costs usually consist of our hosting account, which is around $50 a month, our copyright royalty arrangement which licenses music for Radio 1/2/Premium which is now about $70 a month including the Live365 account, the chat room system which I think is around $25 a month, plus ancillary hosting for our backup site/status page + overflow storage space which runs $10 a month, plus registration fees for SMF as a "charter member" and various software programs which have amounted thus far to under $250 total.  When the site began, our costs were around $15 a month, but we were asked to depart from our old host because we were on a server shared with dozens of their other clients, and our community completely overwhelmed their machine!  Very small websites can be run for next to nothing, but when something catches on, as we have, you have to move into professional web hosting contracts and dedicated machines, and that's what we've been doing.

The ads defray some of those expenses, but not very much anymore.  I may shake things up and move those around some.  The overwhelming majority of costs are paid with the generous contributions of residents and out of pocket.  I anticipate with our ongoing growth, we will probably need to step up the hosting account (not so much for disk space but to accomodate the impact of the number of users online) by the end of the year, which will put us in the $75-120 a month range.  I think the other shoe has yet to drop with copyright royalty rate increases which are still being worked out.  I think we'll definitely see some increased costs there as well, but I think it's well worth paying them so we are 100% legal and we have the ability to build multimedia into our community.  I have also kicked in around $50 to experiment with purchasing ads to promote our site on Google and MSN search engines, but haven't been doing much of that lately because it has gotten a bit unwieldly to keep track of that.  I will use some of the free ad coupons I've gotten to promote BBM Radio in the near future in hopes of attracting people back here using another angle.

Part of the issue here is that I am loathe to run endless "pledge drives" and do begathons because they are unseemly to me, so people usually forget to contribute unless prompted, and I usually won't do the prompting unless things get a bit out of hand.  I do believe we should have the flexibility to keep the community growing and to open up new services and features, and we look for the most cost-effective way to do those things.  We can be amazingly frugal.  I am confident that with the help of our residents (and even SMALL amounts can make a big difference - even a few dollars), we'll do fine.

And as I think I've mentioned before, I am not comfortable handling big dollar projects that involve thousands and thousands of dollars of people's money.  If we ever tackled something big like DC did with their book, I'd want us to have a professional accountant handling things.  I am more comfortable keeping us away from large projects that involve raising a ton of money just because I don't want to be in charge of it.  :)

One thing that is important is that anyone making a contribution should see their name in green here.  Not only do you deserve the recognition (and the fact so many residents believe in our community that they help partner with us to keep it going is actually a good way to encourage others to toss some change our way -- whether it's 50 cents or $50.00, both are equally welcomed), but there are added features for contributors that you gain access to.  So if I have somehow missed anyone, please PM me right away and let me know.
You're a part of our family - BetterMost, Wyoming

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Re: [Important Tip!] Make a Contribution
« Reply #35 on: August 27, 2007, 07:01:46 pm »
Our hosting bill has doubled with the growing traffic on the site.  If you enjoy the service here and have not yet made a contribution, please consider helping us out.  The overwhelming majority of our costs are covered by generous contributions from people just like you.  The advertising income represents only about 5% of the total contributions/income this site receives.

You can contribute by credit card or direct debit via the PayPal Donate link on the far right corner of the screen, just below the Brokeback Mountain Radio logo.  Or you can mail your contribution to:

Phillip M. Dampier
3003 Elmwood Avenue
Rochester, NY 14618-2021

Contributions of any amount are welcomed.  Thanks for helping us out.

just bringing this forward to let people know that they CAN contribute by snail mail...I am a little obsessed about not putting myself too far out here as far as electronic banking and stuff so I will send my contribution via the old fashioned way!! (I believe Phillip can even accept money orders??)

Offline adrian

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Re: [Important Tip!] Make a Contribution
« Reply #36 on: August 27, 2007, 08:00:21 pm »

Done!
« Last Edit: August 30, 2007, 09:59:59 pm by adrian »
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Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: [Important Tip!] Make a Contribution
« Reply #37 on: August 27, 2007, 10:02:19 pm »


      I will send some money snail mail too...I had asked for an address several mos. ago, and never got any response....I dont use paypal...just on principal...



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Offline Ellemeno

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Re: [Important Tip!] Make a Contribution
« Reply #38 on: August 28, 2007, 04:28:19 pm »

      I will send some money snail mail too...I had asked for an address several mos. ago, and never got any response....I dont use paypal...just on principal...

Wow, Janice, I don't remember you asking - sorry about that!  Here's Phillip's address again:

Phillip M. Dampier
3003 Elmwood Avenue
Rochester, NY 14618-2021

Offline Ellemeno

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Re: [Important Tip!] Make a Contribution
« Reply #39 on: August 28, 2007, 04:28:56 pm »
Thanks to everyone who is giving what you are able.