Have you ever wondered what it costs us to keep the HC Network on the internet?

The link below has a goal set, and it reflects the total amount of money that will/has been spent for this year.

Meter Reader

You will also notice there is an I.R.C.F location. That is fully functioning as well. ;)

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.:: Rich ::.

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*Yikes*
Time to have a fund raiser!

Remember folks, if you subscribe for $5/month it really helps us out!

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“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

~Lacey~

My Photos

I need to renew mine...

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

How far do the advertising links funds cut into that iceberg?

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

The advertising links and the normal sponsors will cover almost half of it. (Around 48%.)

I just added that meter yesterday, and we are current on everything. As those funds come in, they get applied to the meter. It's one of the reasons I like using meters. It allows people the ability to actually see the progress as it moves.

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.:: Rich ::.

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Does the meter reflect subscriptions, Rich? I know at least half of my current subscription is for 2008, but it doesn't appear to be reflected... Or does the entire annual subscription payment get reflected in the calendar year in which it is paid?

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Amy

I take the funds that are in the account when I look and apply them to whichever bill is due at the time. Since you had actually paid for your subscription last year, (October I believe) it most certainly got applied to something from last years bills. There was a period where we werent even coming close to meeting the cost of the site, so as money came in, it went out just as fast.

We also pay quarterly for those who don't know. Every 3 months I get a server bill for $270.00. So we might have $250.00 in the account when the bill comes in, and I cover what is needed, and then the account is empty again. Inbetween paying the server, we get bills for license renewals. The licenses are attached to every piece of software used to power this site. (vBulletin, The Blog, The Gallery, etc.) Those get paid annually as well. Then there are the new scripts that members suggest. A good example is the Chat. I bought that script, modified it, and added it to HC. It too has an annual fee attached to it. Of course we also pay for our domain name too. lol (Which is now paid up to 2016. Paid this year.)

Then there are the scripts attached to our server that most don't know exist. They aren't normal programs that you use as a user. They help keep the site safeguarded from attacks and do other various functions.

I sat down and wrote out every bill for the year to see if I could chop at it faster to get it out of the way. Thats how I came up with the sites goal.

It wasn't this high last year, but the server upgrade almost doubled our monthly bill. (We were paying $50.00 a month last year. We now pay $90.00) It adds up fast!

There is a lot involved with this site and the upkeep associated with it.

As stated before, donations are not mandatory. The HC Network will remain free. It's just a means for those that do wish to donate to do so. When people see what it actually costs to keep a site like this up and running, it helps them to understand that the sites they use are not actually free for all of us.

For those that would rather donate to a site with a bigger purpose, they can do that as well. I have added an I.R.C.F Donation spot on our page as well. You can donate directly to the I.R.C.F using that module. HC doesn't get any of those funds. They all go directly into the I.R.C.F's account. (Your paypal account will reflect this.)

When Sandy and I chatted, I informed her I was going to be adding this. What they do costs a lot more than what we do, and they can certainly use the help.

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.:: Rich ::.

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I subscribed this year, and it is not showing up either. Certainly not saying that my subscription makes a huge dent in that meter, but just commenting haha. Thanks for running the site that keeps me occupied from work on a daily basis...and keeps me off my myspace! LOL

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~Tamara~

The creatures I love to spoil!
1.1.0 Leopard Gecko (Matilda & Bob Marley)
2.1.0 Desert Tortoises (Thor, Scar, & Sundance)
0.1.0 Appendix Quarter Horse (Baylee)
0.1.0 Pitbull (Miss Riley Skyy)

We are at the end of march, the first 3 months of the site were not free for us. In fact, the first month of this year cost almost $500.00. Some of those funds came from member donations, most came from my taxes. Any funds that predate this meter, which was tossed up yesterday, will not be reflected because they have been used already. The funds depicted in the meter are those that have come in since I have added it, and will go toward the next years costs. I hope this helps everyone understand. The "year" began yesterday. It didn't began on the calendar year. HC was launched on the 22nd of March and that is technically when our year begins.

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.:: Rich ::.

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How do I suscribe? This is an awesome site! (better than sliced bread! Ooops...showing my age...lol)