Your Donations are needed!!!! Why? iPad, Safari and Advertising Hyperlinks?

[blueskydriver]

MYC Staff,

Is this something new and planned or is it unknown? When using my IPad on Safari, there are words that are blue, but not underlined, yet they're hyperlinks to items referring to the words listed. For example, landing gear, goes to EBay and shows listings for landing gear for RC planes and real aircraft. Another example is shower curtain, it took me to a website that sells shower curtains...?

There might be one or two words per post that have this. Therefore, this would be quite a few on a thread with a lot of post. Hopefully, this is something related to Safari and the IPad, and that MYC is not selling advertising in a new, but IMHO low way. I am thinking it is the latter because MYC has always been about flight simulation and software/hardware related to that. So, ads or links for shower curtains, unrelated EBay items or useless wares is not fundamental to what makes MYC one of the best flight simulation websites.

Finally, I mean no disrespect if this is something planned, but I am guessing this is not a planned venture. Therefore, staff can you look into this please?

Thank you,

BSD

Edit: after typing and posting this, it is something automatically happening, as the word IPad now takes me too Amazon.

Second Edit: Using Windows XP now and seeing the same thing, so this is not Ipad and Safari related...

Third Edit: It says "shopping link added by Skimwords" when holding the mouse pointer over the hyperlinked word. Could this be on my end only, but on multiple computers?

Uh...fourth edit: Looks like it is a planned venture for MYC, just read what SkimWords is. Fine, but the problem is how do we tell which is a user link or SkimWords link, they can look the same.

[Matt Olieman]

MYC Staff,

Is this something new and planned or is it unknown?

that MYC is not selling advertising in a new, but IMHO low way.

Finally, I mean no disrespect

Right!!!!!

Because of the economy as it is, advertisers are dropping out. One didn't even have the courtesy of responding to my emails. I've got enough funds to run the site for one more month before digging for cash in my pocket.

In the past 8 months, only two people have made donations, one person makes a contribution each month.... faithfully.

I don't want to shut down this site and I'll do what it takes to keep this site running.

If you have a better idea.... please let me know

Matt Olieman

[AK Mongo]

Matt,

I don't mind advertising at all. Please let us know if you need operating funds though! Money has been tight for us too, but I can throw a few bucks at my favorite site!

Reid

[blueskydriver]

How about a Raffle with prizes, we ask for users to donate flight simulator items, new and used, and then you sell raffle tickets? MYC gets the funds the Winner(s) get the prizes...

Also, how about a 50/50 Worldwide Lottery? Members all pay like $5 or $10 US for a ticket/number and the Winner gets 1/2 of the total funds and MYC gets the other half...

In both cases, members will get something tangible and yet, will be keeping MYC going, so it is a win-win situation.

Last option is shutdown MYC or just have a simple page that states MYC is in financial distress, and then mass email all members that something must be done. Either everyone pays a donation or subscription rate. Before everyone faults the last one, all members...you all know how much information you get from here!

If you had to pay for it like Computer Pilot or PC Pilot it would cost twice as much and still you'd only get a monthly or bi-monthly issues. All the data on this website is like having both of those magazines' complete library from day 1, and even then their data would not match the MYC website data. Plus, it is like having a worldwide tech support 24/7 for free...

Hope this helps Matt and let me know what is decided.

BSD

[Matt Olieman]

Since the start of this thread and in response to my post MyCockpit.org has received 3 donations of $10 each.

Thank you in behalf of MyCockpit.org users and members.

===============================================

MyCockpit.org receives over 4,000 unique visitors a day. Approximately 2,500 of the 4,000 are regular visitors. Traffic is strong and continues to grow.

Since January 1, 2011 MyCockpit.org has received 31 donations, total of $470.

MyCockpit.org's expenses run approximately $300. a month. In the grand scheme of bandwidth, disc space, annual software and registration fees, that's low.

When looking at the number of regular users come to our site (whether they come once a month or once a day), let's give it a low number of 5,000, and looking annual expenses of $3,600. That comes to $ .72. OK, we know not everybody would donate funds, but let's say a 5th of regular visitors. Now we are looking $ 3.60 per visitor.

The figures are based on no receipts of advertising fees. Advertising in the past has paid a major portion of operational costs and as members we are grateful those vendors who continue to support MyCockpit.org. BTW, there are a couple of vendors that prefer not to be recognized, that make donations. Unfortunately, the funds are not enough. So we are depended to dig in our pockets, just a few dollars to make up the difference.

I honestly thought, this year advertisers will pay 100% of our cost. But when advertisers are crunching their own numbers to stay alive, they choose not to renew their advertising at MyCockpit.org.

Your help and donations are needed and will be appreciated by all to keep MyCockpit.org alive and well.

Matt Olieman


PS: Please help keep this thread alive by posting your thoughts regarding this topic

[blueskydriver]

Would you like to start a post that is titled "Help Save MyCockpit.org or ELSE!" and even post it on the main page as a major story? This way everyone will read it or so we hope. Thus, pushing the chance more funding would come...

How about this idea: "MyCockpit Dollar Day" All you have too do members is send a PayPal or donate $1 to help MYC on that day.

You could do this on the same day each year Matt and make it a special event to look forward to.

BSD

[Matt Olieman]

Good suggestions

Let's wait what the next few days will bring us. Regarding posting on the "Home" page; not everybody goes directly there, a large percentage directly go to the forum.

Thanks,
Matt Olieman

[Matt Olieman]

Received two donations today.... Total of $30.00

THANK YOU!!!!!

Matt Olieman

[blueskydriver]

How about a sticky at the top of the forum page and on the main page as well, that way everyone will likely see it. Plus, it needs a lot of exposure right now, MYC needs funds or it'll go the way of the dodo for websites...

Hey Members, you know the first of the year is right around the corner, so making a $10 or whatever you feel like giving (which is how much in Euros?) for a donation right now will insure that MYC is here for the whole year of 2012!

Okay, wanted to share this. How about everyone list all the different places and ways you read the MYC forums/website? So, something like this:

-In the cockpit while in Cruise flight on a laptop or Ipad.
-On the toilet with an Ipad when you're leaving a...blah blah blah
-On my desktop, in the morning.

There has to be many different ways, places (cities, states, countries), times, funny stories, and etc about looking at this website. Therefore, list them and then think about that donation again...

Oh, I just put the money where my mouth is or fingers are to type and made a $10 donation! Now, I dare everyone else to do the same and you can even brag about it! Go ahead say who you are and what you donated...simple!

HELP KEEP MYC ALIVE!

BSD

ps. why am I so animate? I don't like those silly Skimwords links, so either MYC comes up with funds or those links will be everywhere!!! YUCK!!!

[pdpo]

Hi Matt,

I was really shocked to hear this site costs 300 dollar each month!!!!! I did not realise that.. I thought 300 $ for a year would pay for this. I didnt have an idea it is that costly to run a site. I almost cant believe it.
Anyway, I have been a faithfull user for several years on a almost daily basis, trying to contribute in sharing my knowledge of SIOC and opencockpits. Now I have also contributed in the form of a small contribution...hope it helps a little.

Greetings Peter
Belgium