Glad to help (I already feel enough like a mooch for pretty much just lurking for like ten years…)
Tom,
QT3 is probably 1 of only 10 sites I visit every day so I am happy to help out anyway I can.
Alex
Looks like the questions I had to ask were already answered. I don’t think the internet is usable anymore without an adblocker. There’s just way too many terrible ad implementations out there. But it’s generally been my policy to do site-specific whitelisting on sites that I use regularly, appreciate, and are conscientious about the types of advertising present on them. So for years Qt3 was one of those whitelisted sites. Unfortunately, a few months back I started having technical issues with them - I don’t remember details at this point except that the video ads on the front page were causing progressively worse lag issues the longer I was on any given page and sometimes crashing the plugin, but I think there was something actively preventing me from using the site at times too - so I felt like I had to turn my adblocker on here again. I immediately set up a recurring $5 donation instead so I was still supporting Qt3. Unless there start being Patreon specific benefits it sounds like I might as well just leave that in place rather than move to the Patreon, but I’d happily do whichever’s better for you, Tom.
Actually, now that I do the math, a Patreon donation would work better than a PayPal donation in terms of getting me a greater percentage. Because that gets lumped into the overall Patreon sum which then has a smaller percentage taken out! Duh. Furthermore, if I set up this threshold thing, a Patreon donation would more visibly apply to that.
Ultimately, it’s whichever is less of a hassle to you. And by the way, I don’t mean to imply no one uses the PayPal button! There have been some very generous donations via PayPal. Some of you guys really go above and beyond. But in terms of any sort of recurring payments, in terms of Qt3 being a regular source of income, Patreon is far more practical than PayPal for its visibility and interaction.
-Tom
Thanks for the reminder that I shouldn’t take this site for granted! I almost didn’t click on this thread (ambiguous title) though I can understand why you didn’t just have a subject like ‘Hey, come help the site & me out, you bums!’
Makes sense. I’ve switched over to Patreon then. I hope this ends up being a viable source of support!
Tom, you shouldn’t apologize for asking for money for the creative work you do. Quartertothree is the heart of the Internet for me. I’ve patreoned you! (It’s a verb, right?)
Okee doke, switched over.
I hope you put a link to your patreon on the front page. I don’t browse the forums too often anymore, so I could easily have missed this post.
Also, I don’t think you should feel awkward about receiving direct funding from your readers. I really enjoy being able to support the creators who freely provide the things I value.
Good advice, for someone who seems embarrassed and half apologizing in this very thread title… Be confident and positive and it generates enthusiasm :) Good luck.
(Thread title edit makes my jibe obsolete. Best wishes still apply.)
Doing the same. I didn’t realize that Paypal was eating so much of my (admittedly very minor) contribution! I feel kinda goofy knowing that now.
In any case, Qt3 literally is my favorite thing on the net, full-stop, and the time I spend here is some of my most valued and enjoyed. Still trying to be budget-conscious until my gf’s back in the working world, but someday, I very much hope to contribute at a level I think accurately reflects exactly how appreciative I am to Tom for setting this place up for us and running it so well :)
I’m in! The site means a lot to me, and I spend far and away more time with it than anything else online that isn’t directly work-related. I should really be helping out more, but at least it’s a start.
I’m just glad that there’s something like Patreon out there where I can setup a nice fire and forget recurring donation to the site.
I don’t know when it happened but at some point you asked people to turn off ad blockers and I did! I very much appreciate your work and these forums even more so.
I too turned off and blockers for qt3 a while back. But right now I’m viewing the forum from a phone, using the mobile skin, which doesn’t have ads. Could this be a reason for the large mismatch in page views to ad views?
Obligatory mention that I offered to cover all hosting costs for the forum, plus whatever amount ads are making (how much can it BE?) indefinitely.
If the forum is willing to move to Discourse. https://www.discourse.org
(Free data and user migration included, of course!)
But I know folks here are happy with their simple ways, their homespun wool, their oxen, and especially with the weekly stoning of heretics.
I can’t afford recurring as I’m on a fixed income, but I PayPal-ed you some money for a new mic! :)
Pledged, without hesitation or reservation.
As mentioned above, the internet these days is a cesspool, turning adblockers into a basic necessity for protecting oneself - pure ad avoidance isn’t even the primary driver for me these days.
That said, I white listed QT3 ages ago, but have still never seen an ad re-appear for some reason. I have thrown some Paypal donations over the fence with reasonable regularity lately, but happy to formalise something regular.
And don’t feel weird about turning to Patreon, if doing what you do is your primary source of income, well that’s exactlty was Patreon is designed to support - a simple paypal donation link in the FP is a less clear indication that what you do here is how you pay the bills.
Make absolutely sure as well that you advertise your Patreon on your videos and in your FP content, even if it is just a non-in-your-face signature or link in the video/blog notes. Don’t be humble - you have every right to work out how best to advertise and monetise your content and grow your revenue stream, even if is off the back of click-bait 1-star reviews! ;)
done and done (adblock off, patreon)… I visit this site almost every day for information on good games, books, tv shows and movies. Thanks, you guys are great!
It’s 2016, hosting costs are trivial. I pay more for a nice steak.
As for advertising, if you read the thread, Tom is trying to make the site his primary source of income. So you’d be in for what, five or six grand a month. More with benefits, and he most definitely needs medical. That all seems pretty far-fetched.