Site upgrade coming

Da Nag · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 2:06 pm Post subject: Site upgrade coming

Well folks...the popularity of this place is booming. We're at the point where we need to upgrade - we've simply outgrown our current digs.

The good news is, we'll be moving to a semi-dedicated hosting plan. In a nutshell, this means we get more storage, and more data transfer every month.

Additionally, we'll be sharing a server with far fewer web sites. This should translate to better performance and reliability; many of you have noticed things slowing down from time to time, and there have been a couple unplanned outages lately. Under our current plan, there's no set number of web sites we share a server with, but it's probably in excess of 100. With the semi-dedicated plan, we'll be in much more exclusive company - probably around 5 other web sites will share the server.

A move of this magnitude almost always causes a few hiccups...hopefully the outage will be brief, but it could be half a day or more. I'm attempting to make the move in the next 24 hours. During the outage, you should see a generic page asking you to come back later.

This upgrade comes at a price. The plan we are moving to is no longer dirt cheap - currently, Mike and I split the bill every year, and it's peanuts. The new plan is not terribly expensive, but if things keep up at their current pace, we'll need to move yet again in another year or so, to an even more expensive plan.

So...Mike and I have agreed on a way to let folks help support the C-Brat community, by offering something very cool in return for a very modest donation. However, before I go into the details, let me assure everyone:

This site will always be 100% free, with no restrictions, to everyone. It is also our intent that we never clutter the place with ads - we don't want any commercial support.

The idea - C-Brat vanity email accounts. Yes...you can have a fully functioning email account in the form of xxx@c-brats.com. We'll make these available for the outrageous amount of $10 a year. All proceeds will go towards the site. Anything left over will go into my Tomcat fund (that's a joke, folks... Laughing

)

We should be able to start making these available in the next week or so - watch here for details.

Sneaks · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 2:16 pm Post subject:

Cool. Put me down for sneaks@, Bill. Hopefully it will have auto-forwarding capability 'cause all my mail goes through spamcop.net.

TyBoo · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 2:48 pm Post subject:

B~C · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 2:51 pm Post subject:

Hey there, I'll help pack and move, I can get a big truck or two and we'll geter done.....I aint to anxious to change my e-mail but can I just slip Mike a 10 the next time I see him..or better yet, put it on Brock's charge card?

Catman · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 3:53 pm Post subject:

No problem, Ken.

El and Bill · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 4:25 pm Post subject:

Whoa, Catman! Since you obviously hit the lottery and aren't tell us, how about you sponsoring a raffle (lottery) with profits going to the site, after your cut to cover Ken? Idea

Byrdman · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 5:01 pm Post subject:

Great idea Bill.... Some of us were off in a corner enjoying some of the fruits of Snoqualmie Falls talking about how to compensate ...or more acurately,,, cover the cost of this... If this is good for ya'll I am 100% for it. Send me an address for the check.
Put me in/down for
FreeByrd

Thanks! Truly appreciate all the knowledge from this site.

rogerbum · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 6:13 pm Post subject:

No problem. You DaMan at DaSite. I really don't need yet another email address but I'd be happy to contribute. I also though that perhaps the site could be funded by the sale of cool C-Brat stuff at a modest profit - take the sticker logo and put it on hats, shirts etc. - like the C-Dog site only better (sorry C-Dogs but the C-Brat site IS better)... If any excess revenue was ever generated, it could be used for parties at gatherings (we can't get beer for free forever can we?).

Roger on the SeaDNA

Da Nag · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 6:52 pm Post subject:

Glad to see some interest already, but please folks - do yourselves a favor and don't post your requested email address here. The email harvesters will pick it up, and you'll be flooded with spam once we set them up.

Freebyrd - I modified your post to remove the @c-brats.com.

If you want to post a request here, do it like Sneaks did a few posts up, or just PM it to me - much safer.

katkt · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 7:36 pm Post subject:

I see nothing wrong with helping
out. If you keep it on a voluntary
basis like Rogerbum said, with a little
perk to those who donate. Very Happy

you'll
generate more than enough I would
think, and while I am at it, a big thankyou
to those who are behind the scenes making
this site run smoothly

Gordon

Alyssa Jean · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 8:41 pm Post subject:

Not sure I need or would use a different email address. But I would love to subscribe in some way. I get way more than $20 of pleasure from "you all" via the exchanges and ideas, pics, etc. So just let me know where to send the check. Or do you work for beer?

R-Matey · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:02 pm Post subject:

Bill, Not sure I'd use or need a different e-mail address either but more than happy to contribute to this wonderful site. Please send me your mailing address again. Thanks much.

Ruth & Joe
R-Matey

Luna C · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:16 pm Post subject:

No need for an e-mail here either, but we'd love to contribute. You guys put so much TIME and EFFORT into this site, you shouldn't be stuck with the bill too!

Robbi · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:33 pm Post subject:

I work for BEER! Beer

I also support any nerdy type(Mike included!) because without them my life would be the phone, postage stamps, and AM radio. Rolling Eyes

Tell me where to send the check. I do snail mail very well. Robbi

Pat Anderson · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:56 pm Post subject:

Yeah, put us down for $20 on Brock's credit card too...

Daydream@C-brats.com