EDIT:  Fund raiser is over!

Howdy, folks!

TheRPGsite.com currently resides on a server controlled by the previous management.  They have beneficiently allowed us to squat in their territory.  But this site costs money to keep open.  Our plan is to continue with our current gracious host, who incurs $360 a year in expenses.  The lion's share of the server's usage comes from our site.  I'm here to ask you, the members of the forum, to step up to the bar and pony up some cash.  I'm putting ten bucks in the kitty myself and I ask you all to consider donating whatever you can.  User TonyLB has already kicked in ten himself.  Are you going to let a big jerk like him show you up?  (Just kidding, Tony.  You're aces in my book.)

To make a donation, just go to PayPal.com and send money to jrients@gmail.com.

That goes to my paypal account.  Please note that I'm not set up to accept credit cards.  This fundraiser will end Monday, May 21st, two weeks from today.


Some Questions You Might Be Asking Yourselves

Q: Why are we sending the money to you, Jeff?
A: You can't beam the money to "theRPGsite.com" because the site has no legal corporate existence.  RPG Pundit is our first among equals, but he doesn't have a PayPal account.  And the fact that I use my real name ought to be assuring to some folks who'd rather not send money to someone known only by an internet handle.  It's not like I can stroll off with the cash.  My name is in the phonebook.  There are registered users who live a short drive from my house.  I don't want joewolz or obryn to kick my ass.

Q: What benefits do I get for my donation?
A: You get to help theRPGsite stay in operation.  Some sites like to give donors access to what I call "Cool Kids Club" perks.  We don't roll like that around here.  The Cool Kids Club consists of the registered members.  Throwing some cash in the hat makes you totally awesome, but in the crazy populist spirit of this site no one is going to let that go to your head.  Hell, in the future if you see someone using the fact that they donated as some sort of rhetorical weapon, please report the post and I will hop on the thread and call them a poopyhead.  Seriously.  I'm not afraid to use harsh language like that.

Q: What happens if we don't make the goal of $360?
A: Well, damn.  That's a downer future to consider.  First off, all donations will be returned.  Secondly, I personally will consider not reaching our modest goal as a vote of no-confidence by the site membership.  I think the only right thing to do would be to shut the site down and call this experiment a failure.  But that wouldn't be my call to make.  My own resignation as an admin would be assured.  That's not meant as some sort of crazy passive-aggressive Oral Roberts threat.  I just want the stakes of the game to be clear to all the players.

Q: Why aren't the admins not paying this themselves?
A: Jeez, you're full of impertinent questions, aren't you?  Our motive ties back into that "vote of no-confidence" thing I mentioned above.  The admins don't want the site to be about us.  Pundit and I already have our blogs if we need our Stuart Smalley-style daily affirmations.  We want theRPGsite to be about you.  This fundraiser is a way of proving that the kind of thing all of us do around here has value to the members, that theRPGsite is on the right course.  Also, we are cheapasses.

So anyway, please consider making a donation.  If times are tough and you have to choose between the medicine and the website, feel free to blow us off.  But if you can spare a few bucks, why not donate?  If you do, you totally have my blessing to give yourself a big pat on the back and smugly assure yourself that you're better than everyone else.

Quote from: jrientsHowdy, folks!

TheRPGsite.com currently resides on a server controlled by the previous management.  They have beneficiently allowed us to squat in their territory.  But this site costs money to keep open.  Our plan is to continue with our current gracious host, who incurs $360 a year in expenses. The lion's share of the server's usage comes from our site. I'm here to ask you, the members of the forum, to step up to the bar and pony up some cash.

:aaa:

You guys are getting screwed if your tab is in any way related to that number, but as soon as I know how much I've got left in the PayPal account after grabbing Art of the Duel (waiting on an invoice), I'll pony up.

I really didn't want to post, so as to keep this from turning into a "look at us being cool and helping" thing - maybe even a lock to prevent it? - but it's 2007, folks. Hosting is a buyer's market.

It's really not that bad of cost considering the site has a near dedicated server and the admins are not respnosible for maintaining it.

I tossed in a few bucks.

I had some spare change, now you do.

-clash

Christmas Ape, this is totally the right thread to bring up any concerns about the fund drive or anything related to it.  We looked into some other hosting options.  In the end we decided to go with our present arrangement rather than a cheaper but probably less responsive alternative.  To my non-tech-savvy eyes I find it pretty cool to have a direct pipeline to the dude who can put his hands on the server.

Thanks to everyone who has chipped in so far!  We're well on our way to our goal!  As soon as my own funds clear (sending money to your own account is NOT instantaneous), we'll have over $140 bucks in the pot.

Awesome! I'd rather pay you guys to not be a member than pay rpgnow to be a member. Of course, I'd never join any club that would have me as a member anyway...

-clash

Hi all, I'm the guy who owns the server, in case you weren't already aware of that.

Quote from: McrowIt's really not that bad of cost considering the site has a near dedicated server and the admins are not respnosible for maintaining it.

That's kind of the key to it right there. I originally tried running VBulletin on a server owned an operated by the ISP I used to work for, and this software is so bandwidth and resource intensive that not only were we exceeding bandwidth usage, but it was also running like crap, and interfering with the other sites. Sure it was free hosting at the time, but we couldn't stay there. That would have been the equivalent of $15/month hosting, and it was a site with about the same amount of traffic as this one gets.

The $360 a year is actually a pretty sweet deal for the server co-location. The going rate for plugging your own server directly into an ISP is usually around $300 per month. Again, I'm getting a good deal on this because I used to work for them.

Also, since I run a couple slower sites on this server, any amount of money I raise is also being added to the pot. So far this amounts to $45. So it looks like the running tally so far is approximately $185. We're over half way to the goal already!

Jeff,
 
I really want to throw in a few bucks, but have some issues with Paypal.  Can you PM me or otherwise work out a way where I can send some fundage your way?  Thanks!

Well, if you or anyone else wanted to send a check, just mail it to me at Jeff Rients, 1107 Brighton Dr, Urbana, IL 61801.  Just give me a clue what the money is for, like writing "RPGsite donation" in the memo field of the check or a sticky note to that effect.

Edit for clarification: make checks payable to Jeff Rients as well.

Quote from: jrientsWell, if you or anyone else wanted to send a check, just mail it to me at Jeff Rients, 1107 Brighton Dr, Urbana, IL 61801. Just give me a clue what the money is for, like writing "RPGsite donation" in the memo field of the check or a sticky note to that effect.

Consider it done!  I'll get it in the mail hopefully tomorrow!

I sent in 10.01, because I had to humiliate TonyLB.

FEEL THE BURN, TONY!

I'll chip in later on this week.

Seems only fair.

-O

I sent a little. Hope it helps.

I'll do for theRPGsite what I've never done for rpgnet, send money.

I'm in.  Hey, wait a minute.  This isn't a Palladium site, is it?



Pete