UrbanMSP Patreon live - please consider supporting

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sdho
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UrbanMSP Patreon live - please consider supporting

Post by sdho »

Hey all:
To simplify payment of ongoing hosting, I've set up a Patreon, and I'd encourage you to join if you're able to: https://www.patreon.com/urbanMSP

We'd need to raise about $500/yr to cover hosting costs, minor incidentals, and the transaction and tax cost I will pay by receiving via Patreon. That's about 8 members at Wirth level, 4 at Lowry, or 2 at Empire Builder.

If there's more support than that, I'm happy to do additional hourly work to improve the tech infrastructure. (Web dev is my day job.) Currently I do this as-needed (when things break only) on a volunteer basis.
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sdho
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Re: UrbanMSP Patreon live - please consider supporting

Post by sdho »

Had some questions about our hosting costs: there are cheaper options out there for sure, it's just a significant lift to get it moved reliably, and best done while I'm doing other phpBB upgrades. My goal is to get this to "taking care of itself" as much as possible, so if we get a few sustaining members through this but not enough to cover our current full cost, I'm open to volunteering the hours to get this updated and moved to cheaper hosting.
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Re: UrbanMSP Patreon live - please consider supporting

Post by COLSLAW5 »

you should set up yearly contribution options too. I think you would get less credit card/processing fees doing that.
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Re: UrbanMSP Patreon live - please consider supporting

Post by sdho »

COLSLAW5 wrote: January 15th, 2025, 11:53 am you should set up yearly contribution options too. I think you would get less credit card/processing fees doing that.
Unfortunately we'd need become a bigger account than I ever expect to be if we do that: https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/ar ... r-overview. The transaction fee difference isn't huge actually, but yeah I would prefer to offer that if it were an option
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Re: UrbanMSP Patreon live - please consider supporting

Post by billhelm »

Thanks for setting up. Easy way to contribute. I lurk here mostly but still find it a great resource to scratch my urban planning and design itch!
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Re: UrbanMSP Patreon live - please consider supporting

Post by sdho »

billhelm wrote: January 16th, 2025, 11:46 am Thanks for setting up. Easy way to contribute. I lurk here mostly but still find it a great resource to scratch my urban planning and design itch!
Thanks Bill, and to the other two paying members so far, Matt and Eric. Collectively contributing $180/yr (before fees). Would be great to get a few more so we don't need to do the call for donations twice a year, but if we don't, I will proportionately reduce my one-off hosting contribution asks.
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Re: UrbanMSP Patreon live - please consider supporting

Post by Anondson »

I have financial flexibility to up mine. It would nice to get some others though! :)
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Re: UrbanMSP Patreon live - please consider supporting

Post by sdho »

Anondson wrote: January 16th, 2025, 3:33 pm I have financial flexibility to up mine. It would nice to get some others though! :)
We're up 2 more, so 6 total / $360/yr gross. If we can get two more yet I think we're set, so I'd hold off for now
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Re: UrbanMSP Patreon live - please consider supporting

Post by Silophant »

Thanks for setting this up!
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sdho
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Re: UrbanMSP Patreon live - please consider supporting

Post by sdho »

UPDATE: Currently, we have enough members to meet our goal and be cost-neutral. People are still welcome to join and give us some redundancy — I'm sure some folks will need to cancel over time — but to be clear, this initial goal is met.

Thanks everyone for pitching in, particularly Joey for pitching in as a Thomas Lowry-level member

Since we also had some one-time donations, I will pitch in a bit of extra time this month to help get our phpBB install up-to-date, and possibly move hosts. Both these may require some brief downtime, but know it is for the health of the forum!
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Re: UrbanMSP Patreon live - please consider supporting

Post by Tom H. »

Thanks sdho!
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Re: UrbanMSP Patreon live - please consider supporting

Post by COLSLAW5 »

Thank you for your work!
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Re: UrbanMSP Patreon live - please consider supporting

Post by billhelm »

Thanks sdho! And everyone that contributed/will contribute!
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