EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS TOPIC!!!

[Ashley]

Hey guys!

I just wanted to give everyone a heads up, and also get everyone's opinion on some big changes that will be coming to CR:U soon.

First off, let me give some background info. This site is very expensive to run. I'll break down the costs:

Hosting: $960/year
Domain: $10/year
Picnic: $300/year
Unsold Merchandise (tshirts): $200

So that brings us to a grand total of $1470 we've spent within the past year or so, and usually spend that much about every year. We HAVE had quite a bit of donations.. but nowhere even remotely close to $1470. Zac and I love running this website and doing fun stuff for you guys.. but realistically, we can't afford to keep doing it at this pace. We have a mortgage, motorcycle payment, school loans, and eventually a wedding we're paying for, on top of normal stuff that everyone has to pay for.

CR:U has two options at this point. The first option is to revert back to a standard forum on shared hosting for $10/month. Which means no special features on the website. It is strictly a website, and will realistically be a slower website. Plus, advertising would pretty much take care of the $10/month hosting bill.

The second option is to keep everything the way it is. However, we need massive donations to the tune of $80/month. We would keep a thread every month of who has donated towards that month's hosting, and how much is still needed in donations to make up the $80 cost. If we don't get $80 in donations, the site goes back to a standard forum for $10/month.

In addition, I know everyone is excited to get IAF t-shirts for when the site switches to IAF from CRU. However, to do this, we will need to pre-order tshirts. This means you tell us what size and color you want, and pay in advance. We will then only order enough tshirts for the people who paid in advance. The BBQ will probably also have to change as well. I know most people were really great about throwing in some money to help cover the BBQ costs, however there were a few people or guests who basically just got a free meal for nothing. That's not a huge deal, but to keep us from continuing to sink lots of money into the site and events, we would be charging for the BBQ next year. Probably something like $5 for anyone who eats to cover food costs and the cost for the pavillion.

So, it's all up to you guys. I'm putting a poll on this thread. Vote whichever you would rather happen, because it will be the votes that count.

[ZacFields]

We really didn't want to have to do this guys. I was working on converting this site to something unique, etc, that we could maybe roll back to $60/month.

But Ashley and I have incurred a lot of expenses when we moved into this condo, so much in fact that we're paying $400/month for the next 3 years to pay off the debt that we've created stocking this house with all the cool shit that we have.

We realized today (during a very long conversation with our parents about it) that we need to stick to a budget and become a lot more efficient with our money, and at this stage in our lives we cannot afford to front the $80/month hosting bill.

I would be happy to convert us back to a standard PHPBB. For reference of what i'm talking about, http://www.dragsource.net is a good example. It's small, simple, and most importantly it's cost-effective.

We thought we'de put this post out to see if by chance we have somebody who actually has the kind of money to blow us away with an offer to keep the site going like it is, but realistically I understand that everybody is tight on money these days and the easiest thing to do might be to just cut our losses and go back to a stock phpbb.

Zac

[DustinsDuster]

i understand the spot you two are in trying to run things. i also know that youd understand that most of us here are in similar boats, and it would be hard spare money as well, but maybe we could work something out. we should make a thread in the moderator forum. about this, maybe i will.

[TbTalon94]

I can definatly relate to having a mortgage and all kinds of other costs. Money is tight when your just beginning to start life. I'd say do whatever you guys feel is necessary to the site. If I were you I would just do the cheapest way to keep it a forum, and keep it simple.

[ZacFields]

That's the road I think we're probably going to have to take Trevor. Turning it back to a regular phpbb forum won't really take anything away from the site itself. Yes it'll take some of the bells and whistles off, but I'm counting on not having to spend anything on this site in order for it to stay running. That's the long and short of it, really.

I would love it if we could set something up where people donate and get me the $80+ per month that I need but my concern with that is how long it would actually last before I'm back to fronting the bill again.

I know there's a handful of you guys, and you know who you are, who have been awesome donating. Most of the mods have been great helping out and such, but unfortunately when the bills are $80/month, it's just hard to keep up with just a handful of people.

Zac

[tylers88]

Probably a retarded question but what would be the stuff we would lose if you took it back to just a forum, like the R.O.T.M. and the garage thing or what?

[Ashley]

the garage would stay, it would probably just take some time to get it re-installed on the new site.

also, we could still to ROTM and things like that.

everything would pretty much stay the same.. except it would be just a message board with no extras. pretty plain and boring.

does no one else have an opinion? 4 people have voted, and 1 was me. so apparently only 3 other people really care what happens to the site. maybe we should just shut it down if no one but the admins care. =/

[Drifte]

go the cheap route. i donate if i have any spare, but thats not gonna nearly cover what you should get.

[biohazard]

I care. I voted yes.

[ZacFields]

Honestly I'd prefer to go the cheap route. The site will be much more reliable (not so erradic with speed) and then I just don't have to worry about that $80/month.

I understand a lot of you (including ashley) want to keep it on this $80/month plan and just get some donations...but I just have a hard time believing we're going to be able to consistantly get $80/month forever in donations.

Zac

[ProRauder]

There is a third option...

I run CVMusclecars.com and would be happy to add a CR:U Sub Forum and let you run wild on my server. I'm running the latest vBulletin and from what I understand, someone is converting the phpbbs Garage software to run under vBulletin.

I currently host Black Hawk County Street Machines as a sub forum so let me know.

The price is right, but I understand wanting to run your own thing.

Just trying to help.

Cheers!

john

[ZEE]

You'll never get that much a month in donations. Even if you turned this into a pay site to cover costs, 95% of the users would just migrate to a free site that someone would inevitably create to replace this one.

[z28z34man]

I voted make it just a forum

what are we loosing if we get to keep the forum rotm and the garage.

if it remains like it is i can donate 20$ a year or so and i will buy a t-shirt heck i plan on buying a t-shirt or two either way

[ZacFields]

Yeah it looks to me like the majority of people would prefer to make it just a forum.

And honestly, we're not losing anything. Initially, when I make the switch, the garage may not be there and the ROTM may not be there, but I will surely work that in at some point after the switch.

The site would be a little more user-friendly....meaning not so much going on like there is now. And finally I can save my money by not having to front $80/month. For those of you bad at math, that's $960/year, plus you've gotta remember when I purchase merchandise it doesn't get sold 100% right away and sometimes doesn't get purchased ever. So there's another few hundred hiding in there for that, and another few hundred in there for the picnic, etc.

Translated into hours worked for me , thats $1,560 or something like 156 hours of work every year spent to pay for this site. Basically a month's worth of work at my current pay.

And I'm not bitching at all because I love having CR:U around. I'm just excited at the prospect of being able to be a little more financially free right now.

Zac

[DustinsDuster]

do whatever you want Zac, i'll still be here tomorrow.

[TbTalon94]

do whatever you want Zac, i'll still be here tomorrow.

Ditto

[slobalt]

Hell, I'm too new here to really say anything but this is just me.....

The site is really yours to do with what you want, you have no board of directors, or stock holders to answer to, well there is Ashley, but you know what I mean. I'm sure those closest too you will support your decision what ever it may be and thats what is important.

You have a nice site and do good work.You may not hear it from members who don't know you personnally but I'd like to say Thanks for allowing me to be a member, your doing a good job.

Well theres my .02