Support the Forum
- creator
- (of the Forum)
- Posts: 8530
- Location: The Matrix
- Contact:
Support the Forum
This forum costs me a considerable amount of money.
I am faced with various options:
1. Cover all the expenses on my own.
2. Receive contributions from forum members.
3. Place Google Ads on the site to generate ad revenue.
4. Charge for forum membership.
5. Shut down the forum.
I'd rather not do option 1, 4, or 5.
I'd appreciate it if you all would contribute to the costs of keeping it running, ad free.
You can contribute any amount via this page: http://www.ldsfreedomforum.com/support/
Or I can place Google Ads throughout the forum, in hopes of generating revenue through those ads. If I don't start receiving a sufficient amount of contributions soon, and on a regular basis (to cover the associated server/hosting/domain costs to keep the forum running) I'll take that as a sign that I need to start putting Google Ads on the site... or figure something else out.
Thanks.
Feel free to comment below with your thoughts...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who contributed to support the forum in 2010... it covered those expenses for the 2nd half of 2010.
For now, I've decided (as you've probably seen) to try out advertisements as another method of supporting the site... If users can tolerate the ads, and if the ads do their job, it will probably turn out to be a good option (and won't cost you anything - though you can still contribute via the link at the bottom).
I am faced with various options:
1. Cover all the expenses on my own.
2. Receive contributions from forum members.
3. Place Google Ads on the site to generate ad revenue.
4. Charge for forum membership.
5. Shut down the forum.
I'd rather not do option 1, 4, or 5.
I'd appreciate it if you all would contribute to the costs of keeping it running, ad free.
You can contribute any amount via this page: http://www.ldsfreedomforum.com/support/
Or I can place Google Ads throughout the forum, in hopes of generating revenue through those ads. If I don't start receiving a sufficient amount of contributions soon, and on a regular basis (to cover the associated server/hosting/domain costs to keep the forum running) I'll take that as a sign that I need to start putting Google Ads on the site... or figure something else out.
Thanks.
Feel free to comment below with your thoughts...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who contributed to support the forum in 2010... it covered those expenses for the 2nd half of 2010.
For now, I've decided (as you've probably seen) to try out advertisements as another method of supporting the site... If users can tolerate the ads, and if the ads do their job, it will probably turn out to be a good option (and won't cost you anything - though you can still contribute via the link at the bottom).
- shadow
- Level 34 Illuminated
- Posts: 10371
- Location: St. George
Re: Support the Forum
What's a good amount to donate? I have no idea what it costs to run a site like this.
- creator
- (of the Forum)
- Posts: 8530
- Location: The Matrix
- Contact:
Re: Support the Forum
Actual hosting costs are almost $50/month...shadow wrote:What's a good amount to donate? I have no idea what it costs to run a site like this.
- Henmasher
- captain of 1,000
- Posts: 1233
- Location: West Jordan, Utah
Re: Support the Forum
I would rather see a fee than have ads all over the place.
Maybe throw some options together. It may sift the problem causers. But if so I will front the fees for Col. and Mark
I definitely receive enough inspiration from this place to pay!
Maybe you could convince the brethren to sponsor 8)
Maybe throw some options together. It may sift the problem causers. But if so I will front the fees for Col. and Mark
I definitely receive enough inspiration from this place to pay!
Maybe you could convince the brethren to sponsor 8)
- mattctr
- captain of 100
- Posts: 872
Re: Support the Forum
You might also consider a few well-targeted web ads from relevant vendors, as opposed to Google ads. When I find a new income source (unemployed as of last week), I'll try to pitch in again. In the meantime, do whatever you feel inspired to do.
One idea, make this thread a sticky thread on the "View active topics" list, if you can.
One idea, make this thread a sticky thread on the "View active topics" list, if you can.
-
- captain of 100
- Posts: 562
Re: Support the Forum
Sounds like we need a bailout to me. I am sure the government would be happy to help out
I would suggest a tax for every post that way people would think twice before posting first. Although a tax may force Wiik off this forum
I would suggest a tax for every post that way people would think twice before posting first. Although a tax may force Wiik off this forum
- creator
- (of the Forum)
- Posts: 8530
- Location: The Matrix
- Contact:
Re: Support the Forum
LOLe-eye wrote:I would suggest a tax for every post that way people would think twice before posting first. Although a tax may force Wiik off this forum
Based on the current amount of posts on the forum (131,369), if I had been charging 2 cents per post that would about cover the expenses.
- Jason
- Master of Puppets
- Posts: 18109
Re: Support the Forum
the annual membership fee wouldn't be much and it would cover all of the costs. 120 posters @ $5 a year would cover it. Spend twice that just buying lunch on one afternoon.
- jnjnelson
- captain of 100
- Posts: 662
- Location: Kearns, UT
Re: Support the Forum
How about if all those who would be willing to pay a fee simply donate? I think if 40% of the people who actively participate and/or enjoy reading the posts on this forum donate $5 every now and then, it would more than pay for itself. I think since this is a "freedom forum", those who participate, and are financially able, should be honored to freely donate to support the forum.LDSConservative wrote:Feel free to comment below with your thoughts...
I work for a non-profit organization, and, though only about 40% of the people who are asked to donate actually donate, we raise billions of dollars for children's hospitals, most of which is raised $1 at a time.
- NoGreaterLove
- captain of 1,000
- Posts: 3847
- Location: Grantsville, Utah
- Contact:
Re: Support the Forum
Brian
Do you have the ability to monitor IP addresses? If so, I would suggest allowing X amount of free posts per IP address. Then once that limit is reached, require a yearly fee. This would still attract new folks to the forum and allow us who are dedicated members the opportunity to help you with the fee and continue this great forum. You are only talking about 700 per year. I think you would be able to recoup about 30% of that right of the bat if you charged $10 per year. It is worth it to me. The forum is getting great google search hits and it is one of the most popular forums of it kind. You have a steady stream of faithful followers.
Do you have the ability to monitor IP addresses? If so, I would suggest allowing X amount of free posts per IP address. Then once that limit is reached, require a yearly fee. This would still attract new folks to the forum and allow us who are dedicated members the opportunity to help you with the fee and continue this great forum. You are only talking about 700 per year. I think you would be able to recoup about 30% of that right of the bat if you charged $10 per year. It is worth it to me. The forum is getting great google search hits and it is one of the most popular forums of it kind. You have a steady stream of faithful followers.
- creator
- (of the Forum)
- Posts: 8530
- Location: The Matrix
- Contact:
Re: Support the Forum
Yes, that is the ideal solution. I really want to avoid membership fees because that automatically limits who's going to join and participate on the forum.jnjnelson wrote:I think if 40% of the people who actively participate and/or enjoy reading the posts on this forum donate $5 every now and then
The forum does keep track of users IP addresses... but not in a way that make it easy to do what you are suggesting. It's also more of a passive system, not something to be actively monitored. It mainly serves of being able to block the IP address of any user that gets themselves banned... and to be able to see if multiple users are logging in from the same IP address.NoGreaterLove wrote:Do you have the ability to monitor IP addresses? If so, I would suggest allowing X amount of free posts per IP address. Then once that limit is reached, require a yearly fee
Thank you... to those who have already contributed. Already raised enough to cover 2 months.
- creator
- (of the Forum)
- Posts: 8530
- Location: The Matrix
- Contact:
Re: ?
Thank you very much to all who have contributed to support the forum. I've put that money towards advanced payments on the hosting costs.
Yes, I've considered it... (and have done so) but the typical $5 to $10 shared hosting, while it was sufficient during the first few years of the forum, is not sufficient for the demands of the forum today at it's current activity level... In fact, last year I was paying $100/month for a dedicated server with another hosting company. That was more than necessary so I did some research and decided to make the switch to MediaTemple's Grid-Service hosting (which I am pleased with) which at first was $20/month and was sufficient... after a while the demands of the of forum required some extra MySQL processing power (MySQL is the type of database all of the forum data is stored on), which bumped the cost up to $40/month... And then there are other expenses like domain name renewals.LDSNZ wrote:Kiaora Brian,
Have you considered transferring to a less expensive web host?
- Original_Intent
- Level 34 Illuminated
- Posts: 13513
Re: Support the Forum
NICE! It would really give meaning to "That's my two cents worth".[creator] wrote:LOLe-eye wrote:I would suggest a tax for every post that way people would think twice before posting first. Although a tax may force Wiik off this forum
Based on the current amount of posts on the forum (131,369), if I had been charging 2 cents per post that would about cover the expenses.
- LDSNZ
- captain of 100
- Posts: 270
- Location: Te Ika a Māui
Support the Forum
OK.[creator] wrote: Yes, I've considered it... (and have done so) but the typical $5 to $10 shared hosting, while it was sufficient during the first few years of the forum, is not sufficient for the demands of the forum today at it's current activity level... In fact, last year I was paying $100/month for a dedicated server with another hosting company. That was more than necessary so I did some research and decided to make the switch to MediaTemple's Grid-Service hosting (which I am pleased with) which at first was $20/month and was sufficient... after a while the demands of the of forum required some extra MySQL processing power (MySQL is the type of database all of the forum data is stored on), which bumped the cost up to $40/month... And then there are other expenses like domain name renewals.
Sounz good to me!Jason wrote:the annual membership fee wouldn't be much and it would cover all of the costs. 120 posters @ $5 a year would cover it. Spend twice that just buying lunch on one afternoon.
- creator
- (of the Forum)
- Posts: 8530
- Location: The Matrix
- Contact:
Re: Support the Forum
Thank you to everyone who contributed to support the forum in 2010... it covered those expenses for the 2nd half of 2010.
For now, I've decided (as you've probably seen) to try out advertisements as another method of supporting the site... If users can tolerate the ads, and if the ads do their job, it will probably turn out to be a good option (and won't cost you anything - though you can still contribute via the link at the bottom).
For now, I've decided (as you've probably seen) to try out advertisements as another method of supporting the site... If users can tolerate the ads, and if the ads do their job, it will probably turn out to be a good option (and won't cost you anything - though you can still contribute via the link at the bottom).
- creator
- (of the Forum)
- Posts: 8530
- Location: The Matrix
- Contact:
Re: Support the Forum
Haven't had hardly any forum donations this year (thank you to those who have contributed)... The google ads to help but your contributions are still appreciated and helpful: http://www.ldsfreedomforum.com/support/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Thanks.
Thanks.
- iamse7en
- captain of 1,000
- Posts: 1403
Re: Support the Forum
Thanks for the reminder Brian. Things are a bit tight this month, but I have a few dollars to spare, with a few more to spare in the coming months.
- marc
- Disciple of Jesus Christ
- Posts: 10473
- Contact:
- creator
- (of the Forum)
- Posts: 8530
- Location: The Matrix
- Contact:
- Ben McClintock
- captain of 100
- Posts: 938
- Contact:
Re: Support the Forum
Other forum's (that shall remain nameless) charge a lot every year just to comment. So this site, that allows us our "agency" to choose to help or not, is a huge benefit not only for it's content, but for the proving it gives us to put our resources where our mouth is
Will we live by the principles we espouse of voluntarily giving, or are the statists right and if any "good" is to be done, it will have to be through the force of government?
Will we live by the principles we espouse of voluntarily giving, or are the statists right and if any "good" is to be done, it will have to be through the force of government?
- creator
- (of the Forum)
- Posts: 8530
- Location: The Matrix
- Contact:
Re: Support the Forum
I appreciate all those that have contributed last year and those who will contribute to assisting with the costs of maintaining the LDS Freedom Forum this year as well... Every little bit helps.
- petercnx
- captain of 10
- Posts: 27
- Location: Somewhere
Re: Support the Forum
I just did a 5$ monthly donation setup on paypal. Not much, but I don't have much. However, I do want to help support this forum. I have learned a lot of very good info here.
Thanks!!!
Thanks!!!
- XEmilyX
- captain of 1,000
- Posts: 1269