Author Topic: Site funding and maintenance  (Read 29770 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline DJ Omnimaga

  • Clacualters are teh gr33t
  • CoT Emeritus
  • LV15 Omnimagician (Next: --)
  • *
  • Posts: 55943
  • Rating: +3154/-232
  • CodeWalrus founder & retired Omnimaga founder
    • View Profile
    • Dream of Omnimaga Music
Re: Site funding and maintenance
« Reply #15 on: March 16, 2011, 03:19:12 am »
I'm not gonna be in charge of the donation process. Another admin will have to do it, or another mod/staff.

I guess in the worst case scenario there's 1and1, where's located the domain name, but then that means some errors.

Also one issue now is that since the domain name is included in another $59 hosting package, you would need to move the domain to the other host. It would cost an extra $11 I think (since private registration isn't free) but you wouldn,t have to pay for 2 hosting accounts.

Offline Madskillz

  • LV6 Super Member (Next: 500)
  • ******
  • Posts: 488
  • Rating: +32/-2
    • View Profile
Re: Site funding and maintenance
« Reply #16 on: March 16, 2011, 03:30:15 am »
Why do you pay that much for hosting DJ? I think you guys could find a better deal out there for half that cost.

Offline DJ Omnimaga

  • Clacualters are teh gr33t
  • CoT Emeritus
  • LV15 Omnimagician (Next: --)
  • *
  • Posts: 55943
  • Rating: +3154/-232
  • CodeWalrus founder & retired Omnimaga founder
    • View Profile
    • Dream of Omnimaga Music
Re: Site funding and maintenance
« Reply #17 on: March 16, 2011, 03:37:20 am »
Because we get what we pay for. To be honest, when I lurk on Cemetech, which uses Surpasshosting, I do notice the 7 seconds loading times. Usually, the site loads fast, but the slow times happens often enough to be noticeable and even annoying in some cases. Omnimaga had the same problem on 1and1. Cheap host == overcrowded servers == lower performance. We prefered to stick away from oversellers after the horror stories we heard from people who had million-hit sites running on a cheap host.

Also, cheaper hosts have more limited PHP. Our spambot mod didn't work on 1and1 and Kerm told me Surpasshosting used Safe mode PHP and the functions required by the anti spam (www.stopforumspam.com I think) were not supported by them.

However, if people can't afford better but more expensive hosting, I guess you'll have to go with Surpasshosting or return with 1and1. The latter is more likely as the domain name is also there and it's all set up, but when we get 5 million hits in a month it's not gonna be fun. :/

TL;DR: http://www.webhostingtalk.com/wiki/Overselling

Also ads won't do any good, because I heard that in 3 years, ticalc.org got like the price of 2 beers with their ads.
« Last Edit: March 16, 2011, 03:38:04 am by DJ_O »

Offline AngelFish

  • Is this my custom title?
  • Administrator
  • LV12 Extreme Poster (Next: 5000)
  • ************
  • Posts: 3242
  • Rating: +270/-27
  • I'm a Fishbot
    • View Profile
Re: Site funding and maintenance
« Reply #18 on: March 16, 2011, 03:38:21 am »
The hosting pays for the bandwidth, uptime, and space. Hosting itself is just generally expensive.

Also, looking at paypal, Omnimaga doesn't technically qualify (under American law) as a non-profit, so we'd have to pay standard rates on donations. That's 2.2%, which means that we'd actually have to raise $342.42 instead of $334.89 if funding was to come solely from that.

EDIT: DJ, but they were good beers!  :P
« Last Edit: March 16, 2011, 03:40:10 am by Qwerty.55 »
∂²Ψ    -(2m(V(x)-E)Ψ
---  = -------------
∂x²        ℏ²Ψ

Offline Madskillz

  • LV6 Super Member (Next: 500)
  • ******
  • Posts: 488
  • Rating: +32/-2
    • View Profile
Re: Site funding and maintenance
« Reply #19 on: March 16, 2011, 03:46:33 am »
I understand the reasoning behind spending more for hosting, UTI currently has some pretty shoddy hosting.

$300 just seems like a lot of cash, I think you could get away with something for half that and still have it relatively fast. I'm just throwing that out as an option. I can't remember what RS uses but when we made the front page of slashdot and all those other sites and had 600 people visiting the forums at once for a good majority of the day...we never had any issues.

Keeping these sites going is important and I'm sure something can be figured out.

Offline DJ Omnimaga

  • Clacualters are teh gr33t
  • CoT Emeritus
  • LV15 Omnimagician (Next: --)
  • *
  • Posts: 55943
  • Rating: +3154/-232
  • CodeWalrus founder & retired Omnimaga founder
    • View Profile
    • Dream of Omnimaga Music
Re: Site funding and maintenance
« Reply #20 on: March 16, 2011, 03:54:54 am »
I notice a lot of downtimes on Revsoft too. Sorry to say. But yeah I guess we won't have any choice if no one can pay enough.

Personally I was just disgusted at the recent events, which is what lead to this and the removal of my ticalc.org profile.

Offline Stefan Bauwens

  • Creator of Myst 89 - סטיבן
  • LV10 31337 u53r (Next: 2000)
  • **********
  • Posts: 1799
  • Rating: +162/-24
  • 68k programmer
    • View Profile
    • Portfolio
Re: Site funding and maintenance
« Reply #21 on: March 16, 2011, 04:20:18 am »
This makes me really sad, I'll miss you deeply DJ_O!
I also don't have a lot of money(I'm 15 too), so I voted for advertisements, but then I read DJ_O's post about that its really little.
I'm also very sad that you're off ticalc.org
But seeing everything, it looks like people might donate.
But DJ_o, is there a chance you might ever return?
:( :( :(


Very proud Ticalc.org POTY winner (2011 68k) with Myst 89!
Very proud TI-Planet.org DBZ winner(2013)

Interview with me

Offline DJ Omnimaga

  • Clacualters are teh gr33t
  • CoT Emeritus
  • LV15 Omnimagician (Next: --)
  • *
  • Posts: 55943
  • Rating: +3154/-232
  • CodeWalrus founder & retired Omnimaga founder
    • View Profile
    • Dream of Omnimaga Music
Re: Site funding and maintenance
« Reply #22 on: March 16, 2011, 04:30:24 am »
I might return, or stay, kinda, but I have lost all interest I had to contribute anything signifiant. Some people in particular really disgusted me in the past 3 weeks, and tonight was the final straw. Also don't worry, I really mean people that don't care how other feel or do no effort to be nice, not nice people like you or a few others that do unintentional mistakes. People who are worried that they are concerned can PM me, so I can confirm it's not them.

I am confident Omni will continue to live and that the IRC channel will eventually return to normal, but I am too disgusted by what certain heartless people did to devote any time to the TI community anymore.

Offline Jim Bauwens

  • Lua! Nspire! Linux!
  • Editor
  • LV10 31337 u53r (Next: 2000)
  • **********
  • Posts: 1881
  • Rating: +206/-7
  • Linux!
    • View Profile
    • nothing...
Re: Site funding and maintenance
« Reply #23 on: March 16, 2011, 06:41:41 am »
I hope that you will be able to take a good rest, DJ_O.
What you have done for this forum is incredible! Replying to basically every thread in this forum, and keeping us updated with all the news in the TI world.

I'm sorry to see you go, but I fully understand your reasons.

Offline aeTIos

  • Nonbinary computing specialist
  • LV12 Extreme Poster (Next: 5000)
  • ************
  • Posts: 3915
  • Rating: +184/-32
    • View Profile
    • wank.party
Re: Site funding and maintenance
« Reply #24 on: March 16, 2011, 08:06:00 am »
I won't care for longer loading times or so, wasnt the last server 1and1, I have never thought "ugh what is it slow" or so. I wont be upset until >15 seconds loading time
I'm not a nerd but I pretend:

Offline yunhua98

  • You won't this read sentence right.
  • LV11 Super Veteran (Next: 3000)
  • ***********
  • Posts: 2718
  • Rating: +214/-12
  • Go take a dive in the River Lethe.
    • View Profile
Re: Site funding and maintenance
« Reply #25 on: March 16, 2011, 10:19:35 am »
I hope you won't leave permanently DJ.  D:  I can't really help pay for the site, but I think Donations via cash and Paypal will work.  Some years we may have extra, and we could save it for the next year, and so on.  ;)  I guess the only way to keep this site running is to work hard together and raise enough money to pay.  ;)

Spoiler For =====My Projects=====:
Minor setback due to code messing up.  On hold for Contest.
<hr>
On hold for Contest.


Spoiler For ===Staff Memberships===:






Have you seen any good news-worthy programs/events?  If so, PM me with an article to be included in the next issue of CGPN!
The Game is only a demo, the code that allows one to win hasn't been done.
To paraphrase Oedipus, Hamlet, Lear, and all those guys, "I wish I had known this some time ago."
Signature Last Updated: 12/26/11
<hr>

Offline Xeda112358

  • they/them
  • Moderator
  • LV12 Extreme Poster (Next: 5000)
  • ************
  • Posts: 4704
  • Rating: +719/-6
  • Calc-u-lator, do doo doo do do do.
    • View Profile
Re: Site funding and maintenance
« Reply #26 on: March 16, 2011, 02:14:00 pm »
I would love to help out if I can, but I, too, am a little strapped for cash. I voted for the merchandise thing because I think that could work. Maybe we could get in contact with TI and have custom designed face plates and whatnot, or carrying cases. Heck, maybe we could start making skins for the calcs? I also like the idea of donations. If you make a donations section, you could include something like this to put it into perspective how much a donation can help:

$16.75~5%
$33.50~10%

The best part is, if donations do exceed the cost for this by enough, the extra can go toward competition prizes.

Offline Juju

  • Incredibly sexy mare
  • Coder Of Tomorrow
  • LV13 Extreme Addict (Next: 9001)
  • *************
  • Posts: 5730
  • Rating: +500/-19
  • Weird programmer
    • View Profile
    • juju2143's shed
Re: Site funding and maintenance
« Reply #27 on: March 16, 2011, 02:19:37 pm »
That's a really good idea Xeda :D

Remember the day the walrus started to fly...

I finally cleared my sig after 4 years you're happy now?
THEGAME
This signature is ridiculously large you've been warned.

The cute mare that used to be in my avatar is Yuki Kagayaki, you can follow her on Facebook and Tumblr.

Offline Stefan Bauwens

  • Creator of Myst 89 - סטיבן
  • LV10 31337 u53r (Next: 2000)
  • **********
  • Posts: 1799
  • Rating: +162/-24
  • 68k programmer
    • View Profile
    • Portfolio
Re: Site funding and maintenance
« Reply #28 on: March 16, 2011, 02:21:45 pm »
We even could put this at the beginning of each new calc program we create(or would that sound too desperate?)


Very proud Ticalc.org POTY winner (2011 68k) with Myst 89!
Very proud TI-Planet.org DBZ winner(2013)

Interview with me

SirCmpwn

  • Guest
Re: Site funding and maintenance
« Reply #29 on: March 16, 2011, 02:23:57 pm »
I'm willing to pay the entire bill, come October.