Important: sharing of forum expenses among forum members

[ptex]

Dear friends,
Thank you so much for your support!
I know that according to your possibilities all have helped one way or another.
This topic is almost over and as such, with only a few hours more, we have apparently 6 contributors: Me, Aisin, Shezmear, Ronald, Bomohwkl and Leo!
Until the topic is closed, there's still time for a last minute contribution
In the morning (GMT time) I will make the necessary calculations and contact each one of you individually with each's contribution and the way to transfer the funds.
See you in a moment more

[ptex]

Alright,
Time is up
We're going ahead with our scheduled plans.
This year the contributions are closed. We have 6 participants (unless I miscounted someone ).
Thanks!!

[VeskoP]

Dear all,

Just when you thought that we have purchased some unreliable hosting for $20 a year and bought drinks with the rest of the money...

Here are the billing details and precise instructions on how anyone can verify them to ensure that there is no cheating or unjustified purchases and use:

First, the billing statement. It has been paid on the 24th and this has renewed the hosting service till November 21, 2007.

Note that, as stated previously, in August next year (2007), the domain goldenplanetforum.com has to be renewed. It was also stated that the DNS service had to be renewed at that date, too. Despite efforts to continue using till then the existing DNS service paid this August, it turned out at the last moment that an account transfer (if you haven't, see "Forum transfer: interruption for 10 min. +/- 5 min. (DONE)") requires the purchase of a new DNS service. Fortunately, that is covered by the 171.25 figure mentioned previously, so there is no increase in announced expenses. It also reduces the sum to be paid in August next year from 37.50 to only 20 USD (20 at most, could be less) -- just for renewing the domain for another year. Ptex quoted a pre-paid sum of 35 USD, but I had supplied him with the wrong figure -- the correct is 37.50 -- 20 for the domain for the 2006-2007 period plus 17.50 for DNS. So, the latter DNS couldn't be used up completely (for the period between November 21, 2006 to sometime in August, 2007), but nevertheless, it has served the site since sometime last August till just before the account transfer.

You can verify the details through the following. First, go to http://luxsci.com/extranet/order_wizard/step1.php and finish the steps. This is the "Custom Package Wizard" of the hosting company, for ordering of special-tailored hosting packages:

1. Choose "Email Services plus Web Hosting" and leave "Yes, I want to use my own domain name(s)" selected.
Click "Next Step".
2. Leave "1" in "Domain(s)".
Click "Next Step".
3. Leave "1" in "User(s)".
Unselect "POP & Secure POP" and select "IMAP & Secure IMAP". IMAP is needed because more than one administrator may utilise the single account (corresponding to the admin email address) simultaneously. For the same reason, POP access is not needed at all.
Select "SMTP Relaying, Secure SMTP & Anonymous SMTP". For one, this allows administrators to send email via email programs, such as Outlook Express, which is good for efficiency and managing a lot of email.
Select "Basic Spam/Virus Filtering". While we have tried to keep any addresses on the site safe, more than 22 spam emails have been received at the administrator address, since transferring to the new account, and generally, throughout the world, spam is increasing substantially.
Click "Next Step".
4. Leave "1000" in "Megabytes, total". Note that even if a smaller number is selected, it is not allowed.
Click "Next Step".
5. Leave "10" in Gigabyte(s)/month. Note that even if a smaller number is selected, it is not allowed.
Select "Yes" under "Do you want to have a MySQL Database?".
Click "Next Step", then "Finish".
6. Select "Discounted Yearly".
Click "Update Package".
At this point, you'll get a price of 155 USD. In the optional special offer code, type "GOLDENPL", then click "Proceed to Check Out". The price will now become 141.25 USD.

Note that this special offer code may expire in a couple of months, so, if you can, please verify this till then, but it is not absolutely necessary. You can do so even after it has expired, but you'll have to subtract 13.75 USD from the sum you'll get without any special offer code to arrive at the sum that was paid. Alternatively, you can input another special offer code you know. This 13.75 constitutes a 10% discount for eligible services. Not all services were/are eligible for a discount. The 10% are the maximum such discount possible.

So, even after both discounts (for yearly payment and via the special offer code), why is the sum that was paid 171.25, rather than this 141.25 USD? Because of the 30 USD for a "dedicated IP" that can be seen in the billing statement. It is needed for added security we have chosen to employ. It is technically impossible to support secure (encrypted) browsing (via [url]https://[/url]) without a dedicated IP. You cannot choose this feature at this screen (it had to be requested from the web host separately), but you can verify its price by emailing an inquiry via the web form at http://luxsci.com/extranet/contact_email.html or to the support email listed at http://luxsci.com/extranet/contact.html. Perhaps needless to say, you can verify the truthfulness of the above situation with the DNS service as well.

Could we have gone cheaper with this web host? Surprisingly, no, even if we wanted, except if we decided against secure (encrypted) browsing, which would have reduced the bill by 30 USD. Let's verify how we can go to the absolute minimum:

Let's start from step 1 again, http://luxsci.com/extranet/order_wizard/step1.php:

1. Choose "Email Services plus Web Hosting" and leave "Yes, I want to use my own domain name(s)" selected.
Click "Next Step".
2. Leave "1" in "Domain(s)".
Click "Next Step".
3. Leave "1" in "User(s)".
Unselect "POP & Secure POP". Note that "SMTP Relaying, Secure SMTP & Anonymous SMTP" is not selected, nor is "IMAP & Secure IMAP". Note that "No anti-Spam or anti-Virus" is selected. Also note that "Secure WebMail" cannot be unselected.
Click "Next Step".
4. Leave "1000" in "Megabytes, total". Note that even if a smaller number is selected, it is not allowed.
Click "Next Step".
5. Leave "10" in Gigabyte(s)/month. Note that even if a smaller number is selected, it is not allowed.
Select "Yes" under "Do you want to have a MySQL Database?" (with no database, no forum data can be stored).
Click "Next Step", then "Finish".
6. Select "Discounted Yearly".
Select "Update Package".
At this point, you'll get a price of 155 USD. In the optional special offer code, type "GOLDENPL", then click "Proceed to Check Out". The price will now become 141.25 USD, the same as previously; with the 30 USD added, it's 171.25 USD again.

If you don't believe that, clear your browser cookies and the entire browser cache, and repeat the procedure, but one still gets the same result.

If you have any questions after reviewing the above, don't hesitate to ask.

The forum management, including myself, also states that none of us is affiliated with the web host in any way, and we do not receive any commissions for hosting with them.

Last but not the least, an especially special thank you to all who contributed. Your contribution was not small, however small it was.

[Lena]

oh I wish I had seen this topic earlier I would have contributed! count me in for next year's bill

[ptex]

Just when you thought that we have purchased some unreliable hosting for $20 a year and bought drinks with the rest of the money...

Drinksshh whot drinksshh?? hmmm???
Don't see one in yearzzz...

oh I wish I had seen this topic earlier I would have contributed! count me in for next year's bill

Thanks Lena!!

I'm thinking the next immediate step in this initiative is to open a Paypal account for the forum only and members who want and can contribute beforehand for the total amount quite according to their possibilities and most convenient time. What are your opinions on this?

This year, since it was the first time (it included an extra step of having a new account), we didn't really have much time to prepare everything. Thankfully the provider's impossibility to process the payment on time was in our favor without any extra downtime or anything. Great service all round!

[Lena]

I was a member of another forum where they just had a paypal donation box in the upper right corner of the forum so memebers could contribute whenever they wanted and also see how much more money the fourm needed. it seemed to work pretty well

[ptex]

That's a fine suggestion Lena! Thanx!!
We'll do precisely that in due time

[VeskoP]

After negotiation with the web host, on November 30th they refunded the months that remained for the DNS service (but couldn't be used up) in the previous (now closed) hosting account. That's 1.46 USD for 8 months (for December 2006 - July 2006, inclusive), or 11.68 USD total. Here is the new billing statement. Negotiation with them was made prior to the payment, which could have reduced the sum needed to be paid by the refunded amount, but due to a certain billing person being away at the time, the result was achieved on November 30th.

Why 1.46 USD/month? Because as stated in previous posts and seen from the (first) billing statement, the yearly DNS service costs 17.50 USD. That is exactly 1.46 x 12. Note that we aren't billed 2 cents extra for the yearly service we've paid for, but exactly 17.50, the lesser amount.

[ronald]

On the "Make a Donation" page it says that we need to select dollars, however I cannot select anything in paypal and the default currency now is euro.

[ptex]

On the "Make a Donation" page it says that we need to select dollars, however I cannot select anything in paypal and the default currency now is euro.

Hi Ronald,
Thank you for your alert and I apologize for the fact you kindly report.
I confirm your observation, I changed everything in the setup options by then and assumed it was enough. Well, I delved further into the subject and made all sorts of changes but to no avail. Therefore I have contacted the Paypal support and I'm still waiting for their reply.

If I may suggest something while this problem is being sorted out and as is mentioned in the donations page, please use paypal's currency converter to convert any currency into another at Paypal's rate (this will be very close to the amount charged). Let me know if anyone has any difficulty with this.

[Rezo]

Im unemployed at the moment as well I need each buck I have right now.