OK, we have a problem [please read!]

[Morrus]

I've been trying not to mention this, but I'm getting pretty desperate.

EN World/Circvs Maximvs' finances aren't working out. Nobody's buying advertising space, nobody's buying ENP's PDFs, nobody's buying Community Suporter Accounts at ENW; they haven't been for months, and I've been racking up debt covering it. Various people and companies who owe me money aren't paying it (apologies to those who have heard this before). The server bill is $450 per month.

I don't see a way to make the server bill this month, let alone next month and the next. I'm going to Italy with Sharon on June 1st for a week (fortunately, it was paid for by credit card ages ago, although the CC bill hasn't been paid yet!), which also creates a timing issue, since the server bill is due on the last day of the preceding month. Somehow, I'm also supposed to be getting to GenCon, which involves a plane fare.

So I'm doing what I always resist doing - asking for money.

If you can afford to donate, please do so. Anything will help. I know a lot of us are poor, and I don't expect anything from anyone, but I don't want this server to be switched off.

If you can donate anything, even just a couple of dollars, I'd be very, very grateful. I can't offer you anything in exchange - I don't have anything! But if you can donate something, my paypal address is: russmorrissey@gmail.com.

Please don't feel obligated or pressured. I wouldn't ask unless I had to.

- Russ

EDIT: If you've just bought a Community Supporter account, it should kick in immediately. If it doesn't, please post here and we'll enable it ASAP. This is one of the bugs that we're looking forward to fixing. Thanks!

 

[theredrobedwizard]

Money away! Go, fly to Morrus that he may keep the site up and going.

-TRRW

 

[Shemeska]

Accepting money from a 'loth might generally be considered unwise.

However in this case there aren't any strings attached. Just sent some, hope it helps.

 

[Land Outcast]

I'm not in a position to send money but...

Those debtors, how big is their reticence to pay?
If some of the debts are big enough, you could get someone interested in buying the right to them (at least in Uruguay that is always a possibility, don't know how it is out there).

Just trying to help.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

I am not much for donating.... but I had a wish list building on the Enworld store and figured now is as good a time as any...

 

[haiiro]

Yikes. This is never good to hear, and I'm sorry you're in such a tight spot, Russ. You've put a huge amount of time, effort and money into this community over the past few years. I haven't been active on the boards for a couple of years (still a regular news reader, though), but from the outside it looked like everything was going well.

Can you give us a bit more in the way of details? I mean, the amount you need immediately is pretty clear ($450), as well as the amount needed to cover future months (ditto), but where to from there? That's not meant as a dig, it just seems like a good starting point for some community brainstorming -- the more we know, the easier it is to brainstorm.

With 50,000+ forum users, why isn't anyone buying CS accounts? Should they be cheaper, or offer different features?

What about charging a one-time flat fee for forum access, like Something Awful?

Is there room to lower advertising rates in the hopes of attracting more advertisers? Or offer a different kind of advertising?

What about ways to reduce bandwidth, like cutting down on images and other big stuff that gets loaded often, and thereby drop your hosting bill?

 

[MojoGM]

One Community Supporter account purchased!

I should have bought one sooner, and I apologize for not having done so. I read this site every day, but up until now have not been paying my fair share.

I'll check my finances and see if I can help even more...

 

[Land Outcast]

Can you give us a bit more in the way of details? ...
but where to from there? That's not meant as a dig, it just seems like a good starting point for some community brainstorming -- the more we know, the easier it is to brainstorm.

Yes, more details please

With 50,000+ forum users, why isn't anyone buying CS accounts?

Note that sadly a humongous number are spambots.

Is there room to lower advertising rates in the hopes of attracting more advertisers? Or offer a different kind of advertising?

And/Or make "agressive marketing" at GenCon, directly offering advertising space (it can be a frustrating process, but might yeld its rewards).

 

[NCSUCodeMonkey]

Just sent in a CA account. Been meaning to renew since...er....yeah a long time ago.

Thanks for all the work Russ

 

[TroyXavier]

Wish I could help (and if my wife and I have luck as I had an interview the other day for a better job and she's got an interview for a job..so maybe we will be able to) but for now..there is simply no money to give. So best wishes and those who can help should.