It's been said before, but there ARE free forum services out there. They may not look as snazzy but they're free and we won't need to bother with donations. ...Personally, I think 250 dollars a month isn't worth the window dressing.
There's a lot more than some nice themes (which we create) that are paid for. This gives us a dedicated platform. I'm sure you're aware that people are hostile towards furries, a free service could shut down the forums based on a complaint. It's free we'd have no guarantees of service nor could we migrate everything.
Whilst you may not feel the payments are worth it, be aware I operate other services from the server as well, not to mention IRC which a lot of users here make use of. I pay the money out of my own pocket and donations are just that - donations. I keep the service free and try to minimise adverts to bring everyone a good service. No-one needs to pay and that's how things will continue.
Moving to a free service removes the majority of control I have which is what makes the community so secure. You haven't seen the trolls, pedophiles and other unsavory characters that don't get in or are dealt with before being seen. If that threat was out of my control to manage then I would not be fulfilling my task as administrator.
Donations are voluntary, we will never charge for membership. Those who choose to donate help the service and we reward them for that but those who choose not to don't lose out, you can still post, upload attachments etc.
The forums survived for 5 years when I was only a student, my contract work now is spasmodic but better paying than most jobs and will hopefully continue in the US. Either way, donations help me to actually buy myself things over spending everything on here. It's just a nice gesture from people who make use of the forums, it never has and never will be expected.
Topic: IMPORTANT :: The Future of the Furry Forums (Read 20482 times)