Help support the Freeciv-web project by donating

Web version of freeciv. Please mention the site you're using, if speaking things other than general freeciv-web codebase.
AndreasR
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Help support the Freeciv-web project by donating

Post by AndreasR »

Freeciv-web is an open source community project run by volunteers. play.freeciv.org is run on a server which costs a fixed amount each month, and we depend on donations to pay for this server. If you use Freeciv-web, then please support the project by donating.


DONATE! Servers aren't paid for by love!

Thanks!
pungtryne
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Re: Help support the Freeciv-web project by donating

Post by pungtryne »

How about accepting donations in cryptocurrency?
AndreasR
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Re: Help support the Freeciv-web project by donating

Post by AndreasR »

pungtryne wrote:How about accepting donations in cryptocurrency?
Perhaps. How can we do this?

The current server provider, Hetzner, accepts payments in Euros. So the most practical form of donation is to use Paypal in the link above.
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Corbeau
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Re: Help support the Freeciv-web project by donating

Post by Corbeau »

I don't know why everybody is trying to avoid mentioning amounts as if people are embarrassed. There is no cause for embarrassment. There is this thing that exists and in order to keep existing it requires an exact amount of money (and anything on top of that makes it better). The amounts should be mentioned on every occasion and officially, because:

1. When people realise what the amount is and what it is being spent on, they will be more willing to donate; vagueness leads to distrust
2. As an open project that depends on other people's money, it is the right thing to do; maybe it's not an official obligation, but it is a moral one
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* Freeciv LongTurn, a community of one-turn-per-day players and developers
* LongTurn Blog - information nexus with stuff and stuff and stuff
* Longturn Discord server; real-time chatting, discussing, quarrelling, trolling, gaslighting...
pungtryne
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Re: Help support the Freeciv-web project by donating

Post by pungtryne »

I agree with Corbeau. Openness is key in getting people to want to donate. I've been consdiering donating a while now.

As for accepting payment with bitcoin, there is bitpay. 1% fee and money arrives on bank account in desired currency:

https://bitpay.com/tour
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Corbeau
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Re: Help support the Freeciv-web project by donating

Post by Corbeau »

Also, knowing the state of the current account helps people decide to donate, especially if it starts with a minus.
--
* Freeciv LongTurn, a community of one-turn-per-day players and developers
* LongTurn Blog - information nexus with stuff and stuff and stuff
* Longturn Discord server; real-time chatting, discussing, quarrelling, trolling, gaslighting...
AndreasR
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Re: Help support the Freeciv-web project by donating

Post by AndreasR »

The account balance was $2,561 in january. It is likely less now. The server is shared with the warzone project. Like I said before, with more donations we will be able to afford a better server for a longer period of time.
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Re: Help support the Freeciv-web project by donating

Post by cazfi »

Corbeau wrote:Also, knowing the state of the current account helps people decide to donate, especially if it starts with a minus.
It can't start with a minus. If we can't pay for the server at some point, then we lose the server, not overdraw the bank account. We should have reserve for some time to the future, so that we have time to prepare for downgrade of the servers (migrating all our systems to a new server is not trivial, especially if we need to rearrange them as would be the case in downgrade) if it seems that we can't pay for the current level.
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Corbeau
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Re: Help support the Freeciv-web project by donating

Post by Corbeau »

Yes, I understand that. But I was thinking of a way to construct a "effective minus", meaning, like I said in another thread, there are people who donate their time and skills to create and maintain FreeCiv, and if such people are forced to give emergency money "or else the project downgrades or shuts down", for me, that's a minus.

This is why I think more data is needed. Like:
- current account status
- projected cost per month (minimum and optimum variant)
- projected cost by the end of the year (minimum and optimum variant)

So, for example, server costs 1000 euro per year. If, say, the current account status is 500, this means that for the end of the year there is a projected minus of 500 euro. So the community needs to be bashed and screamed at to dig up 500 euro in the next 5 months and send it in this direction. And as money arrives, update status.

Also, if there are additional expenses, OR an option to upgrade and make things better, that should be made public. For example, "if we gather another 1000 euro by the end of the year, we can upgrade speed/disk space/whatever and we will be able to host ten more Longturn games at the same time and buy Andreas some beer so that he becomes more relaxed".

Additional idea:

Seriously, guys, place "Donate" buttons on more places. There is nice room in the Freeciv Web screen, just to the right of the "Manual" menu, where such button would be very well placed. Make it visible, with different colours.

Also, the FreeCiv client. I checked and there is absolutely no mention of the money aspect, while what there should be is a dead serious explanation how money is needed and running cots are not peanuts. Also, in the menu toolbar to the right of the "Help" menu, preferably bold red font, "Donate" or "Why donate" or "If you want to keep Freeciv running..."

Basically, if people are not donating, one of the reasons is that they are not reminded to do so. If you have internet banking - and most people do - it is trivial to send 10 or 50 euro every now and then... as long as they are gently nudged in that direction.
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* Freeciv LongTurn, a community of one-turn-per-day players and developers
* LongTurn Blog - information nexus with stuff and stuff and stuff
* Longturn Discord server; real-time chatting, discussing, quarrelling, trolling, gaslighting...
AndreasR
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Re: Help support the Freeciv-web project by donating

Post by AndreasR »

I think the current arrangement is working fine. People are donating and the current account balance is healthy and increasing over time. I also have funds to keep the current server running for a long time if required.

This thread is just to remind active users of Freeciv-web to please donate.
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