Well, I tried damn hard last Month to not have to ask for donations, and I made it, so I didn't have to ask, but this Month, we need your help again, my fellow Hammerites! :D

This month is unique, as each April we gotta pay a yearly bill for tgeweb to be hosted, (I can only host ironworksforum, due to bandwidth limits), and it's a one time yearly fee of $100. So this Months goal will be $100 more than normal, but to help everyone see the goal, and how we're making it, I have been working on a NEW 'Donation meter' ;) , and it'll show you in realtime what our progress is, and how close we are, and when it will be due. I've been searching the net for some type of ad banners, and I have a few in the works to speak with--I had tried to get some others a Month ago, but they don't do Forums. Hmmm.. Anyway, If in the coming months I can get some normal (non-pop up banners on the site, it would help out a little atleast.) But right now, I need your help. The Bills are due the 15th of April, And the total needed is $500 this Month.

I wanted to thank all that donated in the past Months! It helped guys! You know I hate asking, but soon I think we'll figure out something, I got some great ideas from people already and will be looking into those ideas.

Thanks!!


Oh, BTW, is any one interested in one of the following forums to be added:

Sacred
Everquest
Dungeon Lords
Lineage (I or II or both in one forum?)
Insert ideas here of a game (no consoles) ;)

Thanks! (again!)

Sent some a day or 10 ago i think. ;)

I think Sacred is gonna be big, so you might wanna take that into consideration.

I'll have a check in the mail Wed.

How about a Planscape: Torment forum?

you mean everquest 2 not everquest Z ;) or both in one forum.. eq2 is coming out in q2.. so i cant wait

Actually, it would cover both really.. Since tons still play 1. [img]smile.gif[/img]

You might want to consider using Google AdSense for the site and/or forums. ;)

I have now added the Donation Meter and a paypal logo to get everyone from all the forums to see we need donations. I hope this will help!

The donation meter will be really helpful, Z!

I am seeing the white box and red X right now though.

Same here.

Thanks for letting me know, The URL changed from a weblink to a local harddrive link. (like C:\\WINDOWS) I hate when that happens. ;)

Thanks, It's fixed now! Check it out!! :D

Umm just thought I'd point out a typo, Z.

The donation thing says "We except checks...."

It really ought to be "We accept..." [img]smile.gif[/img]

At any rate I really hope you can reach the goal this month.

Thats RIGHT! damn, I always forget that... arrgghhh (smash) (click) (pop) Okay, fixed! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Not yet it's not. It still says, "Except." :)

Question: haven't had a chance to peruse through this full place yet... is there other "services" that Ironworks provides other than this forum?

Oh, nevermind... it does say "Accept" now. :)

Looks good now, Z! :D

<span style="color: lightblue">Also, shouldn't it be 'cheques' ? [img]smile.gif[/img]

Heck yeah! Check out www.ironworksgaming.com! It all started there! I've just finished a new web design a few months back, and I'm in the process of converting the 'webareas' like Icewind Dale, which I just finished updating Friday, and next will be IWD2's conversion. So you may see some dead links, but no to worry, those will be corrected in the coming weeks as I get to them--Only one guy to do it, and 100's of webpages to convert/update ;) .

BTW, in May, it'll be 10 years since tgeweb and ironworks (at the time, it was called Gaming Paradise, lol--VERY shortly lived name) but 10 years! Maybe we'll have a party or something! :D Or I'll have a give-away of some games! May 1994... man, it doesn't feel like 10 years in some ways... and in others, it feels like a lifetime away.

You gotta accept it man... It's changed! All Except the hidden choc head. :D

Sure! I'm in the Lineage 2 beta and I'm addicted to it! I'd like to see a forum for it. I might even be able to bring a few friends here too!

*nose wrinkle at blatant begging*

I'll send what I can spare as soon as my bank tells me how much is in there, Z, but the Ironworkers have to figure out a better way to do this than the monthly "uh-oh, the Choc needs some cash or this site's going in the trash!"

I know donation perks like special avatars and whatnot are out. I understand why we don't have them, and I share that sentiment now. But I wouldn't mind an advertisement setup like GameBanshee, stuff that's relatively out-of-the-way and computer gaming-related.

Have you also considered an online store? I know it's extra time and money to set up, but we can start simple. Another forum I frequent had similar fundraising questions, and I suggested bumper stickers. I've done it for campus groups, and it wouldn't be hard to do for a website. They're cheap to do (about $5 plus S&H), don't require complicated shopping cart setups, and who can resist a "submit to the Choc" bumper sticker, especially when it helps our favorite webhost and his Siamese webmaster? ;) PM me if you're interested.

Blatant begging? No man!! just need help ;) Good things don't come cheap, which sucks.. I don't see why we can't figure out a way to get the funds each month from members in some way.. I mean, we have, what, 14,000 members, and 50% are active, so we should be able to find some way to do it... I mean, if you like Ironworks, isn't it worth paying a bit to keep it alive? [img]smile.gif[/img]

About an online store, it's a cool idea,and besides bumper stickers, I was also gonna do T-Shirts. J.D. Harris still does it I believe! That would be cool, but I would have to see. Bumper Stickers would be awesome--I actually bought some of those 'printer maker' ones, but they get messed up when wet.. are yours the good kind? Mine sucked from the printer. LOL!!! How much would the cost in bulk, say 100? PM me with the goodies!! I'd love to do it!

Would be good to have a Sacred forum.. I tried the demo, and I'll *DEFINITELY* get the real thing! It's like Diablo II + many new minor conveniences + horses + 3d graphics. Never have I seen a game use the elements of Diablo II so well!

Since it is a great game and a true classic in CRPGs, and it has been requested many times, I think it'd be good to have a Planescape: Torment forum. But I don't really know how difficult it is to create and preserve a forum, I don't know. I think it would have about as many visitors as the Baldur's Gate and Tales of the Sword Coast forum right now.

I dunno. I just find it weird that the last time we had one of these threads, several prominent Ironworkers and mods came forth with a resounding cry against pop-up ads, and now the browser bar at the top of every page carries a PayPal donation tag.

I love Ironworks, don't get me wrong. I've known dozens of forums, but this is the only one where the webmaster personally posted to find me on one of the boards I frequented (the BG2 board) after my account got eaten. Any other place (well, the Lurker Lounge might) would have forgotten I existed. Not this place. [img]smile.gif[/img] It's worth the extra bucks to keep it alive, and I don't mind giving them when I have them, but we really need some sort of coordinated Ironworker fundraising effort to make sure you and your beautiful Siamese aren't giving us the hungry tuna eyes during bill-paying time.

Quote:

About an online store, it's a cool idea,and besides bumper stickers, I was also gonna do T-Shirts. J.D. Harris still does it I believe! That would be cool, but I would have to see. Bumper Stickers would be awesome--I actually bought some of those 'printer maker' ones, but they get messed up when wet.. are yours the good kind? Mine sucked from the printer. LOL!!! How much would the cost in bulk, say 100? PM me with the goodies!! I'd love to do it!

I tried bumper stickers from my laser printer, and they bled. :( But get them professionally done, and they're beautiful. Sent you a PM about it. 250 stickers with unlimited color for about $300 isn't a bad price.

I'm wrinkling my nose at t-shirts. The expense doesn't bother me as much as the high customization; most places only let people order one size cheaply in bulk. You'd have to pre-order shirts to make a first order or have enough money to buy at least 100 shirts in four different sizes to get the best price with the most size variety (which means $600-$800 depending on how elaborate you want to get), and I don't know if the average Ironworker would want to pay $20-$30 for a shirt.

Other alternatives include coffee mugs, mouse pads, baseball caps, pens, even posters--things where one size truly fits all. But at the moment, bumper stickers would be the easiest and cheapest to get off the ground. Less than $1 in postage, including cost of the envelope. No special packaging needed. And at $5 a sticker, it's affordable and profitable.

(Become a club treasurer or campus club coordinator, and you too can make sales pitches just like Pirengle! [img]tongue.gif[/img] )

I think Mousemats are a good idea, it would be kinda cool to have an Ironworks mousemat.

Not if they're the same price as on SP, i think that's the site Pirengle is talking about. 15$ or more for a coffeemug or a mousemat is a bit much, wouldn't you agree ?

And this has been discussed over and over again, and if everyone keeps his promise, the site won't come in danger. And whatever you do, don't do the same thing as SP, next thing you know they're throwing all kinds of accusations and insults at you again.

There seems to be a lot of talented resources here amongst the members... how about throwing together a business case to Inc this place and it's members to provide additional "middle-man type" revenue by "outsourcing ~ or insourcing" work?

SP? Not familiar with that. $15 for a mug or mousepad is a bit too much, but the $10 range can be reached if there was interest enough to do something. Granted, it'd mean more money on postage and packaging, which would up the cost, but if there was enough interest for an initial order, mousepads would also work. From what I've seen, mousepad design uses a simple image transfer process, and they're cheaper to produce and package than coffee mugs.

There's also the thought of pens. Limited customization, but also cheap to make and ship.

I can`t pay becuase I am too young. But we got 50$. Only 450 to go.

I dunno. I just find it weird that the last time we had one of these threads, several prominent Ironworkers and mods came forth with a resounding cry against pop-up ads, and now the browser bar at the top of every page carries a PayPal donation tag.

I love Ironworks, don't get me wrong. I've known dozens of forums, but this is the only one where the webmaster personally posted to find me on one of the boards I frequented (the BG2 board) after my account got eaten. Any other place (well, the Lurker Lounge might) would have forgotten I existed. Not this place. [img]smile.gif[/img] It's worth the extra bucks to keep it alive, and I don't mind giving them when I have them, but we really need some sort of coordinated Ironworker fundraising effort to make sure you and your beautiful Siamese aren't giving us the hungry tuna eyes during bill-paying time.

Quote:

About an online store, it's a cool idea,and besides bumper stickers, I was also gonna do T-Shirts. J.D. Harris still does it I believe! That would be cool, but I would have to see. Bumper Stickers would be awesome--I actually bought some of those 'printer maker' ones, but they get messed up when wet.. are yours the good kind? Mine sucked from the printer. LOL!!! How much would the cost in bulk, say 100? PM me with the goodies!! I'd love to do it!

I tried bumper stickers from my laser printer, and they bled. :( But get them professionally done, and they're beautiful. Sent you a PM about it. 250 stickers with unlimited color for about $300 isn't a bad price.</font>[/QUOTE]Weird, because like 10 of the websites and forums as well do this exact thing. They have the paypal logo up, and says "help support xxxxx" I mean, everyone says they love IW a lot, so isn't it worth it? [img]smile.gif[/img] But since I put the thingy up, we've only gotten $10..... so, maybe it won't work.. dunno yet.

<font color=skyblue>I just now got this error when trying to log into Paypal.</font>

Due to heavy traffic on our site, we were unable to complete your request. We are working to increase capacity in a number of ways so that you won't see this message again. In the meantime, please try clicking the 'Refresh' button on your browser to reload the page. If you are still unable to access the site, please try again in a few minutes.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience.

Error 3004


<font color=skyblue>Would it not be cool to be true that the reason was that 11,000 IW members were logging into Paypal at once trying to send money and that is why they are flooded? :D

What a cool dream.</font>

LOL, It would set up for YEARS man! [img]smile.gif[/img] YEARS!!! I had the same error, it's back to normal now.

For quit a while those hammers spun and game play has been better for it. Had it not been for The Ironworks, I wood never have played Baldurs Gate. My world of The forgotten Realms was reborn and there were hundreds of people that were totaly into A game World I had played on PnP Mods with 7 friends for 3 years and had thought I was now to old to play.
I would very much Like to see Dungeon Lords on a forum. I like the fact that it will be a game we can play on line but only with groups of 4 players at a time may be something we could have alot of fun with.
I'm finally getting a pay pal account next week so you may be my first pay pal. [img]smile.gif[/img]

<font color=skyblue>What causes the bar to go up on the meter? How often will it be updated?

Most important: are we still under the $50 mark?</font>

I think the meter is busted. Sent in some $$'s about an hour ago and it has not moved. :(

Since these forums are primarily gaming forums why not seek the sponsorship of any of the popular game-companies out there? I personally would prefer to see an Atari or Bioware banner here than an ad about the latest detergent or digital camera. It seems appropriate. Let's take Bioware for example. If we all visited their site through here then there you have it. I mean, we're doing it anyway!

Another thing is I would have problems paying such a large amount to a host that is obviously giving the forums so many problems with this time-out bug. It can only be them since you have checked everything and this only happend like 1 week after you changed hosts (I remember it because the forums were down a few days before you decided to change). I'd ask them to either fix it today or charge you half until it is fixed. No free forums have that problem so you're kinda getting ripped off, Ziroc : /.

PS. FYI: Three re-connects to post this message due to time-out bug. Thing is everytime I reconnect and refresh I'm sent back to the forum summary so need to switch pages thus increasing my time-out chance,*Sigh* this is the last time I'm gonna try post so if it don;t work then F***k it as I'm annoyed.

<font color=skyblue>I just now proved the effectiveness of the meter. It works <u>instantly</u> upon sending money through paypal. </font>

Woohoo, almost halfway there.

Actually, SpiritWarrior, The Timeout issue isn't their service, it's the Bandwidth. When we run out of Bandwidth, people cannot connect until bandwidth is freed up. And as you know, it costs even more money to increase that pipe, and at this time, I don't think we can afford asking for even MORE donations.. Unless you or a few others would donate that extra amount each Month?

I update it 5 times a day, everyday. [img]smile.gif[/img] As you saw, I updated it instantly when you sent in your donation :D It's MAGIC! :D Thanks Larry!!!