Time To Donate To CCF (If You Can)

Web hosting

Specifically it was this article: https://arstechnica.com/information...-web-server/, which described how a small, almost vanity, hyper local site got hit by the eye wall of the storm in terms of web traffic:







That got me thinking (I know, dangerous, last time I hurt myself and somebody called the paramedics, but that's another story). The gist of the SCW story is that he (the author) is hosting it for a friend on an existing server, so the "opportunity cost" is close to zero.

That got me thinking about CCF... and how it pays the freight. CCF is a lot more complex than SCW which is basically a small number of static web pages. This place is anything BUT static.

Believe it or not, web hosting at industrial scale is not free...

Many of us are in the biz some way or other and know that there's a big difference between "free" hosting and real, professional grade hosting with real connectivity. For that, at the low end, $8-$10/month buys - on a shared server - some web space, reasonable traffic and a domain or two. It's enough to support my vanity domain and some email (and I don't have to worry about keeping the server up and running). I also don't worry (maybe I should) about who/what else is hosted on my shared server. So if somebody gets POed at one of the other 12 domains on my shared server, I'm toast too.

Anyway, that kind of package is nowhere near enough to support CCF! Dedicated servers cost $80/month and up (emphasis on the UP). Just buying the server will set you back the better part of $2k and then you pay monthly for hosting... or you "buy" the server month-by-month.

How does (Google, Facebook, etc.) pull it off? Because they get paid billions of dollars for the tiny % of ads that people actually click on and it adds up to pay the bills.

Ask yourself: if you are going to visit one of the CCF sponsors, do you click on the little banner ad at the top? Or type APMEX in the address/search bar and let Google direct you? (Yeah, me too) but that's a click that CCF doesn't earn.

If you've been on the web for any amount of time, you've seen the paywalls going up everywhere. Everybody is feeling the pinch.

The worst squeeze is coming to the middle tier. The big dogs have the advertising model working at their scale. The small sites (SCW) run off $10/month hosting and the sponsor eats the cost.

But in the middle? It's not big enough to be ad supported and not small enough for 1 or 2 people to pay for out of their pocket.

Yes, somebody or something has to pay for CCF. If it's not advertising, what? The best way to keep our 'home' here going strong is for those of us who can, to donate a little bit towards the costs. Just like public radio, except without the pledge drives.

"Public Radio" isn't free - but what, 1 in 10 donate to cover 60% or more of the total costs? $75 keeps the lights on for NPR in Dallas. $60 in NYC (better percentage contribute or a larger market?). $40 in SF. $60 in Seattle. $60 in Maine.

How about CCF?

The user list shows about 775 people have POSTED this month alone. If we can get 1 in 10 to contribute even $3.75 a month (Bobby's $45 a year plan here: https://www.coincommunity.com/forum...upporter.asp , we can say we're better than San Francisco...

... end of pledge drive

I will second all of what BStrauss3 said.

Maybe it's time for a Big Supporter Giveaway?

I just started a weird contest but, could probably come up with something to give for those who become a Big Supporter.

When I first became a Supporter, I did a one time donation of $25 that got me the special tag for 5 months! After it lapsed, I wanted to re-up for a little more because I enjoy this platform tremendously and it is a massive help to me.

Considering the options available, it didn't take long to realize what else I spend $10 a month on (the minimum for Big Supporter) and what real enjoyment those things bring me compared to CCF.

Actually, I can't think of something I spend only $10/month on. It's more likely to be $10/day.

___________________

I recently lost quite a few photos after my phone and its SD card crapped out. I eventually realized that every pic I posted on CCF was retrievable if I chose to do so. I currently have uploaded 1,099 images (a few duplicates) and many of them were lost on my end. Who's paying for the space to keep all those?

It's not me.

Anyway, just think about how you use this forum and whether or not it's in your budget and worth it to you to give a minimum of $3.75 a month.

I've been a supporter since Spence's "membership" contest a while back had me realize just how much I had learned in a short period of time and how much I appreciated that simple fact. Too often we do forget that services aren't totally without cost, this site being a prime example. I'm on a fixed budget myself, but I pay more in CCW insurance to maintain a personal piece of mind, why not "insure" something I find immense enjoyment from? Thinkabbouddit!

I have been a CCF supporter off and on over the years.
Recently I managed to generate two 6 month subscriptions for others in a CCF sale and I plan to do that again. I don't need the banner.
I try to support in ways that I can.

I'd have been a supporter long ago, but...
- the exchange rate is really not in my favor (and with the recent decision of the US congress it's probably only going to be more not in my favor);
- I still hadn't figured out how to actually do it (I don't have a credit card, for example);
- and finally, I'm too afraid that an automatic transfer at the wrong moment will leave me a few dollars short for something important (such as food or an airplane ticket).

If I was regularly earning a wage of at least $10/day, I could probably consider trying to actually look for a way to send $10/month to CCF.
It doesn't seem very likely so far, however (though for a few months I did semi-regularly earn $5/day, which was already very nice).

[If you're wondering how I'm spending more than that on coins - that's allowance that comes from my parents. And now that they're slightly short on cash too I don't get too much of that either.]

This is the best coin forum and community on the Internet -- bar none. It is worth a subscription and becoming a supporter, if you are able to afford it without undue financial hardship.

The work that the mods and the community put into this site is extensive, relentless, and exceptionally useful for anyone with even the slightest interest in the numismatic hobby.

There are other sites out there, but they tend to be infested with trolls and show-offs who care little about history, numismatics, or anything other than slamming other users, starting flame wars, or repeatedly trying to showcase how much deeper their pockets are than the other users. CCF is blessedly free of such vices, and that alone is worth my money.

Very nice call to arms @bstrauss!