Some brief changes

[Mike]

We've already received several donations, but the module on the index page seems to be knackered. Hang loose for a bit and let me get things working again, so donations are being reflected as they should be.

To those who have already donated, those donations have been recorded by the system properly, they just are not appearing on the font page.

I'll let you know when I've got things sorted out.

 

[Mike]

That was easy enough. Almost too easy, to be honest.

OK, there you go, everything is working as it should.

 

[bigfrank330]

Thanks for giving it a try Mike
I will always try to donate monthly
some months more than others
THANKS for the site
This is the only one I log into
Frank

 

[Youngster]

First of all let me say I can't begin to thank Mike for his efforts to develope this site into what it's become today. It's been a very valuable tool to many builders old and new alike. I don't have the first inclination of what it takes to run a site like this. From what I gather it is a very time consumming project as well as a stressful one. Maybe it's time for Mike to pass the torch here and take some time to smell the roses. Sorry Mike but I can't undestand why you wouldn't want to sell the site if for no other reason but to see it go on.

On the subject of donations, I must admit I have not been a big contrubutor money wise. True I have a shop here that I work out of. Because of this I understand what Mike means when he talks about minimum wage. Is it really 7 something an hour? It's not uncommon for me to spend 2days on a piece for a $75 tab. I just chalk it up to experience and being helpful to someone. It dose not surprise me to see Ron step up the way he has. If that makes a difference then we all are deeply indebted to him. Thanks Ron.

No matter what the future holds for the site, I want to take this oportunity to thank Mike, the sponcers, those who have donated both money and knowledge for their part of making this site so successful. JMHO

Ron

 

[WMG]

Glad to hear that the site is going forward. Have not been a big poster but there have been so many topics discussed and I have learned so much about how to maintain and build a "T". Of all the sites I have looked at this I agree is the best. Count me in and I will do what I can to assist keeping it going.

 

[RocknT]

I have enjoyed this forum since the day I joined and will do what I can when I can.

 

[Mike]

Just off the phone with RPM, who was calling to see how to send his matching dollars.

This kind of response is always overwhelming, but I hope everyone remembers if we keep meeting the quota each month, we will always have a month in reserve.

 

[Steve R]

Sorry that it took me so long to donate. I use this forum a lot. Will give more later. Thanks you Mike for keeping it going.

 

[RPM]

Mike I sent the $300.00 via Paypal, just like a regular monthly payment.

I want to thank all of the members here for the support of this site and also those who are customers at RPM. You are the ones who make all this possible. And a GREAT big thank you to Mike the web master for all that he does.

 

[bigfrank330]

Hi
What an awesome response
This is GREAT
Mike
Is there any way you can set up a donation streamer on the top of the forum page
this way when I go onto the site it will remind me to think about it
With the donation box so far down the page I ausually don't notice it
Just a thought
Frank

 

[Bill Pedersen]

Mike, have you given any thought to moving the donation area to the top of the Forum page. I’m on the site every day, but rarely see the donation area because it is at the bottom of the page. I don’t know if anyone else is like me, but I log in and just click on the “View New Content” button. I normally don't scroll down the page. Is there room underneath the name box on the top right of the page to put a donation pull down tab? This way it wouldn’t be “out of sight, out of mind”.
Thank you for everything you do.
Bill

 

[fordsbyjay]

Mike, are you annual costs relatively similar every year? I was just wondering about an annual fund raiser of sorts. Thats what we do at our local Ford club to help raise funds. Anyways these mini rallies seem to come up every now and then and I am sure you see them as a bandaid for short term relief. At least that is what I sense from your posts. Just a thought.

 

[VegasBruce]

Never used this in my life before

BUMP

Please read this thread
Gerry

Gerry, maybe if you were to do something to attract more attention, like a pic of the yeller feller or something like this.....

 

[VegasBruce]

Thanks Mike for the best T Bucket site on the web. And, thanks to everyone here for showing up to keep it going. Without members it would be nothing.

 

[hulkamania]

Mike.....Please check your private messages. Spirit can help with your server problems. We have an in house webguy (Sir William). He manages all of his own servers and has many clients. This should be able to save Tbucketeers money.

 

[Corley]

Mike,

I'm delighted to hear you will keep'er going! One suggestion here: I have a bookmark set to take me directly to "View New Content", and I rarely ever even go to the home page, so I miss the donation reminder and link all together. If there could be something up in the site sponsers area, or banner to remind about donations, I'd be much more likely to remember to donate when I should. Can't do a lot, but that's not the point, the point is that a little bit helps, and lot's of little bits will make your day! Sure would help me remember to do my little bit!

On this same subject, and always trying to exercise my feable old mind, I wonder if someone, (maybe the moderators?), couldn't keep an eye on donations and alert us when things are not going as well as needed. That would take the monkey off your back. I'd volunteer, but as you may have noticed, I am out of touch for a week or two at a time often, and probably wouldn't be keeping a very vigilant eye on it. Anyone volunteer for the job (with Mike's blessing, of course)?

One more thing, since I'm good at beating a dead horse, have you checked out phpbb3, which is a free GNU license product? It actually looks pretty decent to the non forum savy eye, and I wonder if licenses are a big cost if that could be reduced with free software (in the Linux spirit). http://demo.bb3host.com/ Just a thought, and most likely you are about 50 miles ahead of my thinking there...

Again, thanks for the best forum around, bar none,
Corley

 

[Lee_in_KC]

I have a bookmark set to take me directly to "View New Content", and I rarely ever even go to the home page, so I miss the donation reminder and link all together.

Same here. I like the idea of having a reminder or something in the Forums header.

 

[jcunning]

Thanks Mike. This is a good place to call home.

 

[gfigms]

Thanks for allowing me to donate ...

 

[Mike]

A lot to respond to, so let me try -

Josh, we considered that as an option a few months back and decided to keep things as they are. Thanks for the offer!

Corley, yes, I am familiar with phpBB3. As a matter of fact, my very first forum ran phpBB2. For about 6 or 7 months, when I could see all its shortcomings and converted to vBulletin. Which we left behind about 18 months ago, when we converted to Invision. I actually have a phpBB3 forum running on my sandbox server. Which is why I do not run it in a live environment. It is a vast improvement over its predecessor, but still not secure enough for me to use it. There are other open source forum packages I would use before resorting to phpBB3. I run all of 'em, I test all of 'em and I stick with commercial packages for the improved security schemes. Free is my favorite price, but sometimes the free stuff is free for a reason. I used to have a sign hanging behind the counter at the speed shop that read, "We have no quarrel with those who choose to sell their product for less, since they know exactly what it is worth." :nod:

The only free and open source software I will use for any of my sites is WordPress. (Yes, BuddyPress was one of the options I considered when I was leaving vBulletin.) And with WordPress, I still spend a couple hours modifying some files to harden the installation. If WP wasn't so easily optimized for the search engines, I likely wouldn't bother with it, either. Just because an out of the tin installation is completely insecure. And if that is not bad enough, most WP sites suggest changing things around that only make the install even more insecure. I always figured the W in WordPress really stood for Welcome, because cracking a WP install is child's play.

As for the donation module, there's no tidy way to move it up into the header. I'm really not excited about adding anything that might detract from our sponsors' logos anyway. You can always click on the Donations link in the NavBar, to see how things are progressing. And that NavBar appears on every page on the entire site, so it's always right there when you need it.