Author Topic: MARCH 2009: It's the 4th Anniversary DonationCoder.com Fundraiser (Read 160140 times)

mouser · « **on:** March 02, 2009, 01:27 AM »

It's been over two years since we last had a fundraiser for the site, and so we're long overdue.. It's time for the..

MARCH 2009
4th Anniversary
DonationCoder.com Fundraiser

Screenshot - 3_2_2009 , 12_53_02 AM_thumb.png

click [here] to visit the donation page

First of all let me say to everyone who has participated on the site over the last 4 years, that it's been my real pleasure and honor to meet and talk to all of you. This website has been the highlight of my life during that time. I don't expect everyone to feel that way, but I hope you at least feel like the site has brightened your day a little, once or twice.

It's never easy asking for money (that's why I've avoided running a fundraiser for 2 years), but that time has come where we need to raise some extra cash to help pay for our hosting costs and other expenses, and to help fund future projects.

Donations to the site from ordinary people have made all the difference in the world. They have made it possible for this site to remain advertisement free and pay for a now pretty heavy duty pair of web servers that run us almost $6000 a year in hosting costs.

Thinking back to the early days of the site when we were running off a $20/month shared hosting plan brings a real smile to my face. We are currently serving about 30gb of traffic and a million hits each and every day. I think that's pretty remarkable.

It was money from donations that made it possible for us to send dozens of mugs and shirts out as rewards for people who participated in the last freeware programming challenge we had. It's true we can't afford to send out giant monetary prizes like the big companies do, but we are proud of what we do, and proud of where our money comes from. For me personally, the donations make it possible for me to spend more time working on the website and software for the site, and interacting with users; and I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing.

Most of all, donations have made it possible for this site to stay true to itself, and have made being part of the site something I think everyone involved in can be proud of and feel good about.

If you've already donated to the site and are not in a position to donate again -- don't think twice about it, we're grateful for your support.

But if you've not yet donated, or can spare a little more, permit me, on behalf of site, to ask you to take the trouble to make a donation now. I can promise you that we will put it to good use as we work hard to make this site even better in the coming year.

-mouser (jesse)

ps.
Cody (our bird/duck mascot) has insisted I tell people that if they cannot make monetary donations, he would be happy to receive chocolate coins in gold foil wrappers, or else hand drawn pictures of himself to hang on his wall.

justice · « **Reply #1 on:** March 02, 2009, 06:12 AM »

good luck!

brotherS · « **Reply #2 on:** March 02, 2009, 06:21 AM »

Maybe the site live long!

Thanks for all your work.

TucknDar · « **Reply #3 on:** March 02, 2009, 06:38 AM »

Good luck, and maybe you'll need it...:

firefox.exe Screenshot - 02.03.2009 , 13_34_08.png

mouser · « **Reply #4 on:** March 02, 2009, 06:45 AM »

I did that on purpose, to see who was paying attention.

TucknDar · « **Reply #5 on:** March 02, 2009, 06:49 AM »

hehe, do I get a 'Paying attention-badge' now?

mouser · « **Reply #6 on:** March 02, 2009, 06:52 AM »

No but i might give you a smart alec award.

TucknDar · « **Reply #7 on:** March 02, 2009, 07:10 AM »

That'll do for me

mouser · « **Reply #8 on:** March 02, 2009, 07:27 AM »

Does anyone want to try to make an attractive looking mini button on banner that people could put on their websites or blogs that would show their support of DC and maybe encourage others to visit and donate?

Some starting points:

gexecuter · « **Reply #9 on:** March 02, 2009, 07:39 AM »

I donated my last dollar to the site (yeah i am poor) but am a little confused, do i also have to give my Donation coder credits to the general site account to complete the donation? btw it's pretty cool that the banner changes when more money is donated, the pot growed by over 200 bucks in less than two minutes which is pretty fast.

cranioscopical · « **Reply #10 on:** March 02, 2009, 07:42 AM »

Aniversary

Good luck, and maybe you'll need it...:
(see attachment in previous post)

-TucknDar (March 02, 2009, 06:38 AM)

mouser's probably hoping you'll contribute once per anum.

mouser · « **Reply #11 on:** March 02, 2009, 07:43 AM »

Just making the donation is sufficient.
If you want you can give out your donation credits to specific people on the site or to the general site account - that's still supporting the site and so it counts towards fundraiser money. Many people never bother with the donationcredits system, and that money eventually just filters into the site account over time, so that's fine too.

gexecuter · « **Reply #12 on:** March 02, 2009, 08:01 AM »

Just making the donation is sufficient.
If you want you can give out your donation credits to specific people on the site or to the general site account - that's still supporting the site and so it counts towards fundraiser money. Many people never bother with the donationcredits system, and that money eventually just filters into the site account over time, so that's fine too.
-mouser (March 02, 2009, 07:43 AM)

Oh i see now, thanks for the answer.

justice · « **Reply #13 on:** March 02, 2009, 08:04 AM »

~~Hey has the donation amount gone down? I thoguht it was at $800 mark~~ sorry my mind is going

mouser · « **Reply #14 on:** March 02, 2009, 08:11 AM »

Hey has the donation amount gone down? I thoguht it was at $800 mark

no and no.

cranioscopical · « **Reply #15 on:** March 02, 2009, 08:14 AM »

Something to think about.
How would any of us feel if DonationCoder 404'd because mouser had decided enough was enough.
Suppose he and the unsung heroes who keep things on track just decamped?

Wouldn't like that at all?

If that is so, then drop whatever you can spare into the donation kitty... do it now!

justice · « **Reply #16 on:** March 02, 2009, 08:36 AM »

Well that's it.. remember what happened to FastTracker II (survived on donations)?

FT2 has been put on hold indefinitely. [...] If this was an ideal world, where there was infinite time and no need to make a living, there would definitely be a multiplatform Fasttracker3. Unfortunately this world is nothing like that,"
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FastTracker_2

app103 · « **Reply #17 on:** March 02, 2009, 10:39 AM »

Aniversary
Good luck, and maybe you'll need it...:
(see attachment in previous post)

-TucknDar (March 02, 2009, 06:38 AM)
mouser's probably hoping you'll contribute once per anum.
-cranioscopical (March 02, 2009, 07:42 AM)

mouser is just being frugal.

Times are tough. Extra N's are expensive.

housetier · « **Reply #18 on:** March 02, 2009, 11:32 AM »

So when I want to contribute to the fundraiser I only have to send my Donation Credits to the site fund?

mouser · « **Reply #19 on:** March 02, 2009, 11:53 AM »

That would be appreciated too of course, but it won't add to the fundraiser thermometer, only "new" money coming into the site does that.

cranioscopical · « **Reply #20 on:** March 02, 2009, 12:36 PM »

Times are tough. Extra N's are expensive.
-app103 (March 02, 2009, 10:39 AM)

In hard times, then, do you propose that N'y thing goes?

mahesh2k · « **Reply #21 on:** March 02, 2009, 01:23 PM »

f0dder · « **Reply #22 on:** March 02, 2009, 01:34 PM »

How automagic is the donation bar update? Do you have to manually process the PayPal stuff?

Darwin · « **Reply #23 on:** March 02, 2009, 03:41 PM »

That would be appreciated too of course, but it won't add to the fundraiser thermometer, only "new" money coming into the site does that.
-mouser (March 02, 2009, 11:53 AM)

Ah... I was going to ask about that! I want to see that thermometer increase, so will inject some fresh cash into the site

Cloq · « **Reply #24 on:** March 02, 2009, 03:45 PM »

*keeps clicking the refresh button* *stares at the Cody fever meter* *click click click*

If it gets high enough..