Octopus Overlords

I figured I should get organized and get this back on deck, it's 2022 and our server comes up for renewal again in August. If we renew our current platform and I don't move to another one, the cost is approximately $2200 for the year which as usual pisses me off a bit (it's now at least a 3-4 year old box, and they charge a premium because moving is work and they know most won't).

Anyhow as we get close to June/July I will look at whatever amount we have in the donation kitty and make a call on how to get the most bang for the buck:

1. Renew on a new platform with our current provider
2. Renew on a new platform with a subsidiary providers (Less bandwidth, older platform, 30% off from OVH rates but same infrastructure).
3. Renew elsewhere and migrate (I'm less likely to move to just any provider due to the issues we've had in the past when our provider ran away with our hard drives).

I'm going to global sticky this for awhile because I think most people won't notice the announcement link being updated. I realize the pandemic has kicked a lot of people in the junk, don't put yourself in the hole or any hardship to donate here - we will extend the hosting for as long as we can with what we have.

If you're Canadian and want to donate in Canadian funds (I pay the server costs in CDN Funds), please don't use paypal (we both lose on the currency conversion) - message me and you can etransfer.

Do you have Venmo or Zelle? I don’t use PayPal but I’d like to contribute. If not, I’ll just have RMC donate for me again. He’s my money launderer.

I’m able and willing to help now before tax season gets crazy. Tell me where to help.

Zarathud wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 12:04 pm I’m able and willing to help now before tax season gets crazy. Tell me where to help.

see the link at the top of the forum. It's red for me "2022 Fundraising Starts.... Paypal Donation Link....

Any pressing technical reasons to switch providers or is our current provider meeting our needs well enough to stay even though they’re charging us a premium?

Coupled with wondering how we are situated financially in regards to that premium (with the understanding that it may be too early to say.)

I sent my annual rent in in November (I save $5/month and send it in whenever it hits $60), but I'd be willing to up the numbers if it's necessary. I'm all in favor of chipping in a few extra bucks to reduce the hassle for Sir FishPants.

$iljanus wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 1:02 pm Any pressing technical reasons to switch providers or is our current provider meeting our needs well enough to stay even though they’re charging us a premium?

No actually OVH has been so solid, the only change I would consider is using their own lower tier environment (it still has DDOS protection and all the other stuff, but lower outbound bandwidth from 1gb to 250mb/s.. I don't anticipate that being a problem). I will have to evaluate what the sales/prices are as we get closer - but I'm not really interested in moving out of the OVH eco system; there's so many fly by night hosting providers that are cheaper but if they don't last (like the one before OVH) what's the point.

hepcat wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 9:50 am Do you have Venmo or Zelle? I don’t use PayPal but I’d like to contribute. If not, I’ll just have RMC donate for me again. He’s my money launderer.

No, those don't work in Canada.. Silly international money laundering laws or something. Paypal you should be able to donate without having a paypal account of your own, but WMMV.

FishPants wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 3:30 pm

$iljanus wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 1:02 pm Any pressing technical reasons to switch providers or is our current provider meeting our needs well enough to stay even though they’re charging us a premium?

No actually OVH has been so solid, the only change I would consider is using their own lower tier environment (it still has DDOS protection and all the other stuff, but lower outbound bandwidth from 1gb to 250mb/s.. I don't anticipate that being a problem). I will have to evaluate what the sales/prices are as we get closer - but I'm not really interested in moving out of the OVH eco system; there's so many fly by night hosting providers that are cheaper but if they don't last (like the one before OVH) what's the point.

Cool! Keep us appraised and I’d be curious about the price difference between the current and lower bandwidth tier and whether or not going to the lower tier would have any noticeable effect on our forum experience.

Thanks as always for all the legwork you do to keep our little community chugging along!

Donated $22.00 so I am now a 1% contributor.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 2:05 pm Coupled with wondering how we are situated financially in regards to that premium (with the understanding that it may be too early to say.)

Ah, I see the running total now. Does the total donation flip in January, or August?

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 5:19 pm

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 2:05 pm Coupled with wondering how we are situated financially in regards to that premium (with the understanding that it may be too early to say.)

Ah, I see the running total now. Does the total donation flip in January, or August?

We've already paid up to August 2022; I'm getting in front of it now as I have no idea how everyone is doing financially with Covid - this crap is expensive, so I'll do my best to make the money go as far as possible without putting us on an underpowered server (remember the old days of Submit -> wait 5 seconds -> click again -> Wait 5 seconds -> double post).

That's fine - I was just thrown off by the $0 total, as I know at least a few people have donated since last time.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 6:35 pm That's fine - I was just thrown off by the $0 total, as I know at least a few people have donated since last time.

Yeah I haven't gone back through my Paypal history to weed this out - there's a few problems when people don't listen to instructions (i.e. Don't send money until the fund raiser, I thought I had removed the paypal buttons last time but forgot to). That Paypal doesn't get used a lot, but it does get used - so when people throw $20, while appreciated it turns into a bit of a mess for me to track. Don't worry I'm not out to take anyone's money and run away with it; and I'm perfectly happy to hand this fundraising off to someone else if someone wants to take it on and handle it.

FishPants wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 3:31 pm

hepcat wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 9:50 am Do you have Venmo or Zelle? I don’t use PayPal but I’d like to contribute. If not, I’ll just have RMC donate for me again. He’s my money launderer.

No, those don't work in Canada.. Silly international money laundering laws or something. Paypal you should be able to donate without having a paypal account of your own, but WMMV.

oh cool, i didn't realize you could do that. donated!

FishPants wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 6:43 pm Don't worry I'm not out to take anyone's money and run away with it;

There is zero concern here. I'm just trying to clarify things for myself.

FishPants wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 6:43 pm Yeah I haven't gone back through my Paypal history to weed this out - there's a few problems when people don't listen to instructions (i.e. Don't send money until the fund raiser,

At one point we were doing monthly contributions, and you said that was inconvenient, so I switched to an annual contribution. I'm guessing you're referring to this post, which is why I started doing my annual donation around October. From now on I'll hold it until you ask for it, although that wasn't exactly 'instructions' at the time. Sorry.

FishPants wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 6:43 pm That Paypal doesn't get used a lot, but it does get used - so when people throw $20, while appreciated it turns into a bit of a mess for me to track.

Maybe some people were just gifting you for the wonderful job you do.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 9:52 pm

FishPants wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 6:43 pm Don't worry I'm not out to take anyone's money and run away with it;

There is zero concern here. I'm just trying to clarify things for myself.

The actual hosting cost is $10/mo. The rest goes to hookers and blow. And I'm fine with that.

But now I'm confuzzled about whether you want my munny now or later.

I’m looking to kick in, too. Should we do that now?

Donate 'em all, let FishPants sort 'em out.

Donated! Let me know if you end up needing more and I'll donate again.

Yes sorry donate now. Sorry BH I look back and that looked snarky and that wasn't my intention, it's just a PITA to go back over the past 18+ months and look at who threw $10 in my paypal (also it uses email addresses and names I won't recognize). It's hard to differentiate what's for OO hosting, and what's for my eBay toenail collection.

Anyhow donate away, I'll do what I did last year and track it in a spreadsheet - come June'ish I will look at what's in our kitty and position a few options - basically stick with OVH at the current burn rate, or step down to a So You Start or KimSufi server (same data center, same company, less bandwidth, less SLA for repair). Current sale prices show we might be able to get 2x the contract term for the same price.

Hey FishPants - Sorry to be a pain in the ass, but I can't donate via PayPal. Any chance I can hit you with Venmo instead?

Done. Looking forward to my new jacket!

Donated.

Keep us updated on the progress please. My means are strained at the moment, but my wife wants to do something surely over our budget and there may be room for negotiation there...

Kurth wrote: ↑Mon Feb 07, 2022 6:00 pm Hey FishPants - Sorry to be a pain in the ass, but I can't donate via PayPal. Any chance I can hit you with Venmo instead?

Doesn't work in Canada unfortunately.

Just donated.

For those that don't do Paypal, I guess if you trust one of us with Venmo and Paypal you could always Venmo the money to us and we could pay via paypal for you.

There was a place to add special instructions to the payment so I added Lassr to my payment. SO that could be done and Fishpants could verify he received your payment.

Ok. I'll try the PayPal route again, maybe trying to pay directly through PayPal rather than with a card. If that doesn't work, I'll venmo someone else and ask them to PayPal it your way, FP.

I'll be happy to act as someone's money launderer/mule, and I only charge a 25% fee! No danger of broken knees or violence against your family if things go bad! (unless you seriously cross me, and then, well...)

I accept the following forms of payment:
Cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Putincoin, TRUMPcoin, Unobtanium, Coinye, et al) And yes, all of those are or were real, actual cryptocurrencies.
Cash - sent by regular mail in an envelope with one of those see through windows, marked CASH - DO NOT OPEN in red marker on front and back.
Cheques - no, NOT checks, you barbarian, CHECQUES only. You send me a dirty, lowbrow, bougey CHECK and I will light it on fire, piss on it, and send its ashes back to you, COD. NO F^&#@$ING CHECKS.
Promise of an unborn child (or barring that, a signed contract agreeing to NAME your next unborn child after me, Carpet P. Isser (Jr)). Why are you snickering?! Wait...I'm just now realizing something - have you guys thought my name meant CARPET PISSER this whole time?!? For the past 18 YEARS?!?! BWAAAAA HAAA AAAA!!!!

Over halfway there!

Donated!

I donated $20 which is nothing, I know, BUT when I am more financially able to do so (within the next year) I will kick more in. Full disclosure: I didn’t donate last year or the year before that, so I have a bit to make up!

Donated. I would like to chose the 'Best of Lawrence Welk'' VHS Collection as my reward, if it is still available.

Donated.

I got it to work going through PayPal rather than directly with my card (I just moved. Same town, but, annoyingly, a zip code that's different by one digit. Causing me all kinds of grief with online payments.)

Thanks for all you do, FishPants. Much appreciated.

Donated. Thanks again, FishPants!

Got off my ass and donated. I really owe some more as I've been a slacker in previous years.

Pesos donated.

Good note on the special instructions, put my OO name in there.

Don't think I've ever contributed before, so now you can all safely assume you need to donate approximately 2.178 cents fewer on average.

And yes, I would not have noticed this update if you had not made it so prominent.

And yes, thank you Fishpants!

Any thoughts about using AWS? I'd think it could get much cheaper and stable than them.

noxiousdog wrote: ↑Mon Feb 14, 2022 10:31 am Any thoughts about using AWS? I'd think it could get much cheaper and stable than them.

AWS is a lot of neat things, but cheap isn't one of them. I'd be on the hook for the variable costs too, which isn't something I want to do.