2014 AWBW Fundraiser

Context

Hi Aaron

I'm 'strike1' from https://isndev.forumotion.co.uk/t638p15-current-state-of-awbw-and-aw-june-2014

I know you created the site and have been covering the server costs for a long time out of your own pocket and for that we are all very grateful. It is the best advance wars site out there, it has a loyal following and we would like to keep it going.

I'm thinking the community could organise an annual fund-raiser if you let us know how much it is costing and how much you think we should chip in.

If there are any other issues re/ site management and what the community can do to help, please also let us know. I'm not a programmer myself, but I am sure there are willing volunteers who can help. An issue flagged was the possibility of deleting inactive users and b/c grade maps that are rarely used.


Hi there,
Thanks for getting in touch with me. I definitely don't mind keeping AWBW up and running and rebooting stuff from time to time. As you noted, the biggest impediment to that is the hosting costs. For a while it was fine, but my financial situation has changed a bit and it's a little tougher to handle. Some kind of fundraiser just for the hosting costs would be fantastic. I'm not looking to make any money there so I'd want to be careful we just get what we need. Even if it doesn't reach the entire cost of hosting for a year I don't mind footing some of the cost.

Last October I paid $450 for the year, so it'll be coming up again in a few months. I'm going to contact the host because it seems as though perhaps their costs may have decreased somewhat? I want to see what my costs will be in October and then I guess we can see where we're at and go from there? I also don't really know the best way to do a fundraiser of this kind so I'll have to research that a bit. I want to be as transparent as possible as to how much money I would need, how much we've collected so far and where it's going.

Thanks,
Aaron


I’m just doing a show of hands to see who is willing to chip in to help fund AWBW given Aaron has let us know he is willing to keep maintaining the website and the issue is more on the ongoing running costs of the site.

Either we have a small group chip in a material sum, or a large group chipping in a small sum. It is voluntary of course. I am inexperienced in fund-raising – I’m not even sure if I’m the person to be doing this but we should get the ball rolling. Please let me know your thoughts on the issue and guide me.

We do not have the numbers for the hosting costs of 2014 or the method in which we would pay. My friend oceankeeper suggested setting up a paypal donation link on the website, similar to how Wikipedia does it in their fund-raisers?

I’m willing to donate $50 USD this year, but that is just me. I play advance wars every day and I have a steady job so for me personally I feel that is a fair amount - it'll differ for everybody depending on use, value, savings etc. Every contribution would count towards the total.


EDIT: I notice there's a link here: http://awbw.amarriner.com/donate.php where we can donate via paypal

I'd be willing to donate. Unfortunately I'm about to start a new job in a new town, so I need a little while to work out how much I can afford. Sorry not to be more helpful! The paypal donation link sounds like a good method for people who know AWBW to donate and would allow other people who stumbled across the site to make donations if they wished.

Forgive me if the following ideas have already been discussed, I don't get to read the forums often.

Is Kickstarter an option? Basic objective could be to raise server costs, and further objectives could be to get some updates and improvements to the site if feasible.

Away from community fundraising, we could suggest introducing site-membership or an ad-banner to amarriner. The restrictions for being a non-member wouldn't have to be that bad e.g. some cap on the number of active games, or smaller cap on the number of user maps, or tournament play for members only. On www.playdiplomacy.com they use this trialpay thing which magically allows people to pay for membership by buying other things.

Ok understood. Personally i think paypal link, kickstarter both seem like viable ideas

Cap on games etc seems to take away from the community what they have access to currently - which is a downgrade for the majority of players. Ideally we can keep the site going without subtracting from it.

btw I just noticed some weird links in my first post - ignore them - I don't know how they came about

It's important to remember aaron has been paying the hosting costs by himself, contributes to maintaining it and reboots it from time to time if it crashes. To my knowledge he doesn't even play the game. It is all voluntary as well

We are getting something in return, if the site can be kept going. AWBW is still the best out there at the moment.

I'd be willing to pitch in a bit. Its hard to say how much and when because my wife and I are currently developing and implementing out financial plan (we just recently got married) and also saving like crazy to buy a house asap.

Like I said, I'd love to help, but I just don't have a good estimate of how much to throw out there at the moment.

Definitely willing to help in any way. A full overhaul, while maybe not that probable, I would definitely get behind, assuming the various bugs are fixed; I don't feel keeping the game up in its current semi-broken state is exactly worth it. Not sure what or if I can donate but consider me a potential follower.

Like i said elsewhere, with a reasonable assurance of site upkeep and fixing count me in.

( have been preoccupied recently with car accident... now i m on hols till mid sept )

I just noticed the link: http://awbw.amarriner.com/donate.php

Not sure if it was there before.

I donated 50