PayPal Donation Button

it costs bucks to keep good forums like this going.......nice when it isnt just one guy footing the bill

This was sent to me via PM and I asked if I could post my responses here:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cokehead wrote:Hi Richard, If I were to donate who gets the money?

It goes to me, or more specifically an account for this forum.

What does this site cost to operate per user?

I couldn't begin to guess but overall it's really not that much because I don't have to pay anyone to do any of the backend things as others would have to do which is where the most expense is at on any site.

Do many people donate?

So far about 5 but I wasn't expecting a whole lot neither.

Do the company reps carry the site finacially?

The companies represented here are neither making or losing any money directly from this forum (an exclusion there might be if someone is being paid to monitor forum), they have only invested time.

What would be a suggested yearly contribution?

I already covered this and my only suggestion was that it be over $2, again I'd be appreciative of any contribution but there is transaction fee like there is with any credit card transaction which is 30 cents plus 3% of the total... yep the credit card companies get you coming and going.

I really hate it when organization hound me for money and you don't do that.

Never have and never will, I actually debated over adding this donate button at all but I get a few requests every now and then. All donations will go towards server costs, at the current rate of donation it certainly isn't going to cover the costs but the ads will. Having surfed the web myself quite a bit I've come to know what is good and bad idea. a couple of simple ads like I have now is about as obtrusive as it will get.

The only benefit you will get from donating is a ad free viewing experience, this will also be possible through x amount of posts so even if you don't donate they will eventually automagically go away after a while but I haven't set up neither yet so don't expect them to go away if you make a donation at the moment.

I am so glad to have found this forum I have learned so much and a big THANK YOU to Richard and all that helped make this sight so helpful to so many !!
A donation is my pleasure, thanks again looking forward to my first full season.

Nathan,

As far as I'm concerned this site is invaluable. I learned a lot from the experienced guys here and am in line for a refurbed efm 520 from one of the members.

I used to be a moderator on a now defunct paratrooper website. I also did some animated graphics for the admin of that site. I know first hand the amount of time and money put in by the admin and moderators. It was a little different though. Being a mod for a bunch of knarly old paratroopers was kind of like being a referee for a WWF wrestling match. Paratroopers by nature are a bunch of hard headed, opinionated SOB's.

Anyway, my thanks to all who work to make this site happen.

If you make a contribution to the forum. How is the money spent?
Keith

For server expenses and anything left goes in my pocket.