- Joined
- Oct 8, 2002
- Messages
- 29,790
- Reaction score
- 10,521
- Points
- 113
Greetings all,
One year ago, we made the decision to move the hosting for Patriots Planet to a dedicated server from the shared hosting environment we were on previously. And for the first time since we became independent from the fine folks at Chiefsplanet, we decided as a membership, that donations could help fund this very robust hosting, and carry the board in an ultra stable and top performing environment for the foreseeable future. The hosting I chose specializes in Xenforo hosting and is perhaps a bit more than we needed, but I wanted to ensure that our almost 3 million posts going back to 2002 were as protected as they could be.
The small membership (compared to the old days) that remains here answered the call, and I couldn't be more proud of how much help you provided. The hosting HAD to move, so I was facing a really significant expense and the donations helped to defray that immensely, and also allows us to minimize advertising on the site.
Since it is your money and your membership that keeps the board going, I thought I should be completely transparent with the financials. So often when you donate to a site like this, you have no idea about the expenses involved or if the host is making a profit and just pocketing the difference.
As you can see, many people donated in the first month of May 2024 as a yearly donation, and then cancelled their membership rather than paying month to month. That is why May 2024 is so much higher than the other months. Other members changed their donation amounts as time went on.
As far as expenses, that hosting expense is a few hundred dollars higher than it will be this year as there was overlap with the previous hosting to make sure we didn't lose any data. Further, the expenses include the costs for BSU. I would like to reduce those by moving that site to Xenforo and hosting it on the same host as Patriots Planet. If I do those two things, I will come much closer to breaking even assuming the donations are more or less the same. There were a few other expenses too that I didn't add here because I couldn't find them quickly, but things like paid addons on the board, which I know I did a few last year, like the new reaction system.
So there you have it. I am sure there could be some criticism of this, especially the hosting expense, but we made the decisions that we made and everything is explained in this thread. I wanted you all to know exactly how much your voluntary donations help and to be transparent with it, especially as we face so much loss from other mega platforms like Reddit and Facebook.
So to repeat what I said last year, if you would like to help keep the board alive, you can donate here:
Patriots Planet Patreon
They handle the billing. You just sign up, create whatever name you want, donate however much you want, change it however you want, and cancel whenever you want (non-refundable).
What do you get for being a Patron?
Nothing.
Except the satisfaction of helping to keep the board alive and another recurring monthly charge on your credit card next to Netflix.
I don't plan on putting any other content there and it is just a voluntary thing with no obligations either way. Donations do not confer any extra privileges here. Maybe after things settle I can make a little "supporter" banner to display on your profile here if you want, but that would be about it.
I took this on, so I will be paying for it either way, but thank you for sticking around and making Patriots Planet wonderful. I appreciate any help you are willing to give.
By default, Patreon is a monthly charge, but that doesn't mean if you decide to donate that you have to commit to paying something every month. I tried to fill out a bunch of different dollar values to be flexible with it. You can choose one you like, signup and pay, and then easily cancel the recurring charge if you just wanted to do a one time or yearly donation or the like. You can change how much you donate at will. There is no judgement for canceling and no worries if you need to. Patriots Planet has been our internet home for 22.5 years as of this writing, and has always been such a pleasure to come to and interact with all of you present or past. I appreciate any help you want to give, but never blame anyone who doesn't want to. It is strictly voluntary with no pressure from me as I kind of hate even making this post. The board is paid for and secure for many years to come and that was always my main goal. You guys are the best.
One year ago, we made the decision to move the hosting for Patriots Planet to a dedicated server from the shared hosting environment we were on previously. And for the first time since we became independent from the fine folks at Chiefsplanet, we decided as a membership, that donations could help fund this very robust hosting, and carry the board in an ultra stable and top performing environment for the foreseeable future. The hosting I chose specializes in Xenforo hosting and is perhaps a bit more than we needed, but I wanted to ensure that our almost 3 million posts going back to 2002 were as protected as they could be.
The small membership (compared to the old days) that remains here answered the call, and I couldn't be more proud of how much help you provided. The hosting HAD to move, so I was facing a really significant expense and the donations helped to defray that immensely, and also allows us to minimize advertising on the site.
Since it is your money and your membership that keeps the board going, I thought I should be completely transparent with the financials. So often when you donate to a site like this, you have no idea about the expenses involved or if the host is making a profit and just pocketing the difference.
[/td]
As you can see, many people donated in the first month of May 2024 as a yearly donation, and then cancelled their membership rather than paying month to month. That is why May 2024 is so much higher than the other months. Other members changed their donation amounts as time went on.
As far as expenses, that hosting expense is a few hundred dollars higher than it will be this year as there was overlap with the previous hosting to make sure we didn't lose any data. Further, the expenses include the costs for BSU. I would like to reduce those by moving that site to Xenforo and hosting it on the same host as Patriots Planet. If I do those two things, I will come much closer to breaking even assuming the donations are more or less the same. There were a few other expenses too that I didn't add here because I couldn't find them quickly, but things like paid addons on the board, which I know I did a few last year, like the new reaction system.
So there you have it. I am sure there could be some criticism of this, especially the hosting expense, but we made the decisions that we made and everything is explained in this thread. I wanted you all to know exactly how much your voluntary donations help and to be transparent with it, especially as we face so much loss from other mega platforms like Reddit and Facebook.
So to repeat what I said last year, if you would like to help keep the board alive, you can donate here:
Patriots Planet Patreon
They handle the billing. You just sign up, create whatever name you want, donate however much you want, change it however you want, and cancel whenever you want (non-refundable).
What do you get for being a Patron?
Nothing.
Except the satisfaction of helping to keep the board alive and another recurring monthly charge on your credit card next to Netflix.
I don't plan on putting any other content there and it is just a voluntary thing with no obligations either way. Donations do not confer any extra privileges here. Maybe after things settle I can make a little "supporter" banner to display on your profile here if you want, but that would be about it.
I took this on, so I will be paying for it either way, but thank you for sticking around and making Patriots Planet wonderful. I appreciate any help you are willing to give.
By default, Patreon is a monthly charge, but that doesn't mean if you decide to donate that you have to commit to paying something every month. I tried to fill out a bunch of different dollar values to be flexible with it. You can choose one you like, signup and pay, and then easily cancel the recurring charge if you just wanted to do a one time or yearly donation or the like. You can change how much you donate at will. There is no judgement for canceling and no worries if you need to. Patriots Planet has been our internet home for 22.5 years as of this writing, and has always been such a pleasure to come to and interact with all of you present or past. I appreciate any help you want to give, but never blame anyone who doesn't want to. It is strictly voluntary with no pressure from me as I kind of hate even making this post. The board is paid for and secure for many years to come and that was always my main goal. You guys are the best.
) is a challenge. I assume we go by word-of-mouth or someone stumbles across the place (me in 2005)
Revenue Ideas
Value-Add Ideas
Differentiation Tips
Monthly Merch Sweepstakes Ideas
Tip: Reach out to memorabilia wholesalers or use eBay to secure items at a decent price.
How to Sell It