jar546
Forum Coordinator
Folks,
Well, I held off 2 months longer than I had planned and, well, it is that time again to remind everyone that this forum is free and packed with a lot of information, actually a real lot of information. About the free part. It is free to you if you want it to be but it costs me money to operate and the revenue generated by the banners you see has been dwindling to less than half of what it was now that Google figured out ways to pay less. I have been unsuccessful getting any companies to sponsor ads but I still keep trying, even soliciting ad agencies.
We have lost approximately 60 Sawhorses and Supporters that were once financial contributors to the forum. That is a big chunk and really hurts.
If you are already an active Sawhorse or Supporter then there is nothing for you to do, I appreciate your contribution and know that it is because of you that we exist. There really is no other forum or message board quite like this one which was born from the shutting down of the ICC board back in October of 2009.
What are some of our expenses? Well, let me once again remind everyone. These are the top 3 and certainly not all inclusive.
1) Server lease. We have grown and had to update the server. Recently the server company had a power-issue that should not have happened then one of the disks went bad so now we need to add backup service, an added expense we are forced to make beginning this month.
2) IT Support. The software gets updates at least 6-8 times a year. They have to be implemented by a specialist who really knows what they are doing. This is not a fixed expense but almost becoming one based on the last 5+ years.
3) Software licensing, for the mobile apps, iPhone app, this forum software licensing, etc.
Basically this has become its own machine that needs to be fueled and maintained. I had no idea that this would be so big and that is w great thing.
I want to talk about my time. First, I would like to thank the volunteer moderators and administrators who have taken the time to ensure that this forum is kept professional. Without your help I would be even more overwhelmed than I already am. That brings me to my whining time
You see, I do all of this on a volunteer basis too and have to spend a few hours each day looking at email, working with new members, answering "how to" questions about the forum via private message, doing the more simple maintenance of the site that I don't have to pay an IT expert for such as the counters, databases, logs, etc. that no one knows about. I have said it before and I will say it again, I don't mind taking the time but I am doing it all for free so a couple of extra bucks to help out would be nice. I am not on a salary for this, there is no paycheck.
I have tried a classified section but no one uses it. I tried a store but it was rarely used, I tried having the members decide on designs for shirts, hats, logo, etc to help drive up members and generate revenue but honestly, if I don't do it myself, it won't get done.
SO, here is what I am asking for:
1) If you are not a Sawhorse or Supporter, I ask that you become a Sawhorse or Supporter by clicking on the link(s) below.
2) If you are a Sawhorse or Supporter, I ask that you please renew when the time comes.
3) If you were a Sawhorse or Supporter but fell off the horse, I ask the you kindly get back on the horse and become a Sawhorse or Supporter again.
There are many benefits to being a Sawhorse or Supporter, see this link to find out more: http://www.thebuildingcodeforum.com/forum/website-discussion/9677-difference-between-sawhorse-registered-member.html
More importantly, click on this link to start your subscription as a Sawhorse or Supporter: http://www.thebuildingcodeforum.com/forum/payments.php
Finally, again, I would like to thank everyone for participating in this forum in your posts, your questions, interaction or just reading. We still need your help to keep this forum alive and running.
Jeff
Well, I held off 2 months longer than I had planned and, well, it is that time again to remind everyone that this forum is free and packed with a lot of information, actually a real lot of information. About the free part. It is free to you if you want it to be but it costs me money to operate and the revenue generated by the banners you see has been dwindling to less than half of what it was now that Google figured out ways to pay less. I have been unsuccessful getting any companies to sponsor ads but I still keep trying, even soliciting ad agencies.
We have lost approximately 60 Sawhorses and Supporters that were once financial contributors to the forum. That is a big chunk and really hurts.
If you are already an active Sawhorse or Supporter then there is nothing for you to do, I appreciate your contribution and know that it is because of you that we exist. There really is no other forum or message board quite like this one which was born from the shutting down of the ICC board back in October of 2009.
What are some of our expenses? Well, let me once again remind everyone. These are the top 3 and certainly not all inclusive.
1) Server lease. We have grown and had to update the server. Recently the server company had a power-issue that should not have happened then one of the disks went bad so now we need to add backup service, an added expense we are forced to make beginning this month.
2) IT Support. The software gets updates at least 6-8 times a year. They have to be implemented by a specialist who really knows what they are doing. This is not a fixed expense but almost becoming one based on the last 5+ years.
3) Software licensing, for the mobile apps, iPhone app, this forum software licensing, etc.
Basically this has become its own machine that needs to be fueled and maintained. I had no idea that this would be so big and that is w great thing.
I want to talk about my time. First, I would like to thank the volunteer moderators and administrators who have taken the time to ensure that this forum is kept professional. Without your help I would be even more overwhelmed than I already am. That brings me to my whining time
You see, I do all of this on a volunteer basis too and have to spend a few hours each day looking at email, working with new members, answering "how to" questions about the forum via private message, doing the more simple maintenance of the site that I don't have to pay an IT expert for such as the counters, databases, logs, etc. that no one knows about. I have said it before and I will say it again, I don't mind taking the time but I am doing it all for free so a couple of extra bucks to help out would be nice. I am not on a salary for this, there is no paycheck.I have tried a classified section but no one uses it. I tried a store but it was rarely used, I tried having the members decide on designs for shirts, hats, logo, etc to help drive up members and generate revenue but honestly, if I don't do it myself, it won't get done.
SO, here is what I am asking for:
1) If you are not a Sawhorse or Supporter, I ask that you become a Sawhorse or Supporter by clicking on the link(s) below.
2) If you are a Sawhorse or Supporter, I ask that you please renew when the time comes.
3) If you were a Sawhorse or Supporter but fell off the horse, I ask the you kindly get back on the horse and become a Sawhorse or Supporter again.
There are many benefits to being a Sawhorse or Supporter, see this link to find out more: http://www.thebuildingcodeforum.com/forum/website-discussion/9677-difference-between-sawhorse-registered-member.html
More importantly, click on this link to start your subscription as a Sawhorse or Supporter: http://www.thebuildingcodeforum.com/forum/payments.php
Finally, again, I would like to thank everyone for participating in this forum in your posts, your questions, interaction or just reading. We still need your help to keep this forum alive and running.
Jeff
