Author Topic: Big Paws Needs Support  (Read 22878 times)

Gypsy Jazmine

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Re: Big Paws Needs Support
« Reply #30 on: September 22, 2006, 04:37:36 pm »

bigdogs@5501

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Re: Big Paws Needs Support
« Reply #31 on: October 24, 2006, 11:26:22 am »
I just wanted to say that I am waiting for my paypal password reset so that I can send you some money. I am hoping to add you guys to my monthly list of items to pay. I love this site and I have made new friends and learned a lot and will do what ever I can to help keep it alive. Thank You Michael and Jaime, you guys are great.


Offline MSF

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Re: Big Paws Needs Support
« Reply #32 on: October 24, 2006, 12:33:37 pm »
Can you give us an idea of what it costs per month to run this site?
And are the donations rolling in since you made it know you need help? I sure hope so.Will be sending something your way on our next payday. Keep up the good work.

I had been wanting to help, however
no one ever answered this question above that I posted
over a month ago.
I know there is a new post from what I am guessing
is the admin of this site asking for more help,
I see many saying they will help.
In order for me to help I would like to have my questions answered?

How much does it take to run this site per month?
Are you achieving that with all those who said they would help or are you falling short each month?
Before I donate I always like to know what a groups
monthly needs are and how close they are to achieving that goal for the month they request help.
Thank you

Offline bigpawsadmin

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Re: Big Paws Needs Support
« Reply #33 on: October 24, 2006, 05:02:14 pm »
Thank you again for the help everyone. As I told most of you, it is uber helpful, and will go far.

It looks like this post was resurected from a few months ago and it looks like I missed some of the comments and questions and would like to respond.

First, if you can't help, please don't feel bad because you use the site. That's absolutely absurd - the best feeling for us in the world is having so many compliments on this project and everyone having a good time.

As for the financial side of Big Paws, this place is always in the hole - and that's ok. We have ideas that would only see the light of day with the support of Big Paws, and someday, some of them might just come to life!

While I won't go into numbers for fear of me complaining or inviting ways to monitize the site, or a variety of other reasons, I will say that we are in the big leagues now and the big dog server requires quite a bit of horsepower. We run a dedicated Unix server with over 3 GB of bandwidth. We also have an extra 24/7 Apache support hotline for those extra problems that we're not smart enough to figure out. One little problem, tipping to far one way can spiral beyond what we normally expect and prepare for. That's when it can get rough.
 
« Last Edit: October 24, 2006, 06:21:23 pm by bigpawsadmin »
Just trying to keep the bugs off the board!

Offline BabsT

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Re: Big Paws Needs Support
« Reply #34 on: October 26, 2006, 05:54:37 am »
Seems like you profit from this website... you make clothing, calendars and now need help running a website....

If and that is a big IF, you needed help running the site, you should give a dollar amount that needs to be raised but when is the cut off, how long do you take money for and you never state how much is needed?. 

Sounds like you (both of you) are taking advantage of good people and their money... I am on a ton of messageboards and i have never seen so much help needed to run a message board... I guess, I like my dogs are far more suspecious than most but, this says shady all over it

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Anchara 16mth old Caucasian Ovcharka

Offline BabsT

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Re: Big Paws Needs Support
« Reply #35 on: October 26, 2006, 06:30:52 am »
planet molosser hosts tons of images and doesnt require a cent, molosserdogs.c om... they have donation area with a set amount and who donated an how much... they host far more images than this site, have more people on it etc...

people have asked michael a few times the costs and he has yet to answer... it is very vague... 

Do you honestly think he sells merchandise to not profit from it... the almight dollar rules all

How much does it cost to run the site.. that is the question and why cant he answer it... it has been asked by other posters as well. 
« Last Edit: October 26, 2006, 06:33:09 am by BabsT »
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angelsmama

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Re: Big Paws Needs Support
« Reply #36 on: October 26, 2006, 06:45:04 am »
Babs, if you have a problem with Michael and Jamie, and you find it needed to accuse them of pretty much trying to con us into giving them money, then why do you continue to visit this site? Obviously you don't really have any respect or care for friendship in the people who run the site, or the people who enjoy visiting here.

Offline newflvr

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Re: Big Paws Needs Support
« Reply #37 on: October 26, 2006, 06:47:45 am »
I think he doesn't answer because it would probably embarrass us all that he and Jaime have been carrying it solo for so long.  I'm in the privleged situation to have meet Michael, Jaime (and BEAR!!) a couple of times, and there are few people that are so forth-right and honest -- face to face!  These are really, REALLY good people!!!

I agree that if you are not comfortable contributing, then don't.  I don't think anyone will think less of you.  But please don't question Michael's and Jaime's honesty.  I, for one, would be offended by that.

Offline YelenaLevitina

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Re: Big Paws Needs Support
« Reply #38 on: October 26, 2006, 06:54:50 am »
I am sorry, if you are asking for monetary support - you have an obligation to report how it is spent.
There is no need to be sensitive about it. It is just part of tax laws in this country. With advertisement and merchandise - this site is a BUSINESS, if the owners do not realise that they may get in trouble with the IRS - this should serve as a wake up call.

It donations are stricly to run the site and not for profit - there should be a meter running "looking for $200 this month, got $77", so people who can - contribute this month, and if the amount has been met - they can do it next month instead.

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't send the money to someone with a very nice site if there is no information about how much is needed and how close are they to the target. The only reason for not disclosing this information - is the hope to collect more than needed to run the site. And the opposite - if you are not meeting the monthly goal - disclosure will stimulate a few more people to donate.

This has nothing to do with this site in particular, just common sense, really.

Offline BabsT

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Re: Big Paws Needs Support
« Reply #39 on: October 26, 2006, 07:11:25 am »
You can call me what you will...but altest I know I am not a lollipop... 
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lins_saving_grace

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Re: Big Paws Needs Support
« Reply #40 on: October 26, 2006, 07:13:09 am »
I'm dropping something in the mail on the way home tonight. 
I have no reservatins about it.  i guess to the people who do have reservations.. .i see one of you is a new member.  you stick around a while and you'll think differently and see there are NO motives behind Michael and Jaime's asking for donations. 

angelsmama

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Re: Big Paws Needs Support
« Reply #41 on: October 26, 2006, 07:17:03 am »
You can call me what you will...but altest I know I am not a lollipop...


Ummm... Ok?

EllieAndBlu

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Re: Big Paws Needs Support
« Reply #42 on: October 26, 2006, 07:28:09 am »
Babs... why so hostile?
It is your choice to not contribute money to the site, just as it is MY choice to contribute. I have benefited greatly from the BPO community and want to help it continue to grow and succeed. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Michael and Jaime! They both work extremely hard for this site and I have absolutely no reason at all to think their intentions are anything but admirable! And quite frankly it appears you don't either. If you have such disdain for them, then perhaps you should consider moving on from BPO instead of waging attacks of slander.
« Last Edit: October 26, 2006, 07:42:44 am by EllieAndBlu »

lins_saving_grace

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Re: Big Paws Needs Support
« Reply #43 on: October 26, 2006, 07:33:22 am »
am i the only one who hopes maybe Bear gets a few toys out of this?    ::)

Offline bigpawsadmin

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Re: Big Paws Needs Support
« Reply #44 on: October 26, 2006, 07:36:58 am »
Hey everyone. Just to clarify, it’s not that we can’t, it’s that we don’t. A. we don’t really keep track as this is, at the moment just a hobby. If we did, we would invite suggestions from across the board that we’re not interested in entertaining. We like the site the way it is, we could obviously do better in certain areas, but we could also be a lot worse. As I explained to some of our friends, sometimes costs reflect mistakes that are of our own cause. Because we create a lot of our own software, to provide something different we’re simply in a different world. We just paid a $740 support bill, for programming errors that caused larger problems. We have contractors to program and debug. A lot, we do ourselves. We pay overage fees. In fact, it seems since the beginning of this site, we’ve been paying overage fees. The very first month we killed 180 other websites as we shared hosting space with them and the Big Paws traffic killed the server. Our provider forced us to a virtual shared space and allocated half the resources to our site only to do the same thing only days later. We now have an entire server for this site that brings even more issues – namely support costs, and we STILL go over. Is there an exact amount of money spent? Sure, but is there an exact amount of money needed? No! Jaime and I manage, as the costs are offset by revenue, and we have enough to pay the rest. Our requests come at times when unanticipated problems occur, and they’re enough to make us uncomfortable.

Next, your comparison of mossler dogs hosting more and providing more is factually untrue. As Amazon’s Alexa, an independent traffic reporting tool, ranks BPO, on a scale from number 1 to nothing, at pos: 217,219. Mossler is below the one million mark. See the graph below. What it comes down to is traffic and resources to serve that traffic.

Finally, this is request for support from our friends and those that *want* to contribute, who enjoy the site and  want help us out. There is no set amount, you don’t have to help. A health amount of skepticism is healthy for certain, but untrue accusations are not needed. If you know us, you would know of our convictions, and likewise, we know of our friends’.   
« Last Edit: October 26, 2006, 07:52:51 am by bigpawsadmin »
Just trying to keep the bugs off the board!