must be tough times

It kind of saddens me to see donations to Rabbit Talk have been so little--
People must be going through some very tough times ..
I hope everyone gets to doing better in the future..

when I see how many people visit this site at least once a week-
..I think--
if only half would give $1/ month-- they could easily double the $ amount set as the monthly goal..

Just what's on my mind....
blessings,
Michael

I try and do a little every now and then b/c I know how much this site has helped me! I doubt I would even still have rabbits due to illness and frustration... not to mention I have suffered the loss of a beloved forum due to cost restraints (and that sounds slightly dramatic, but it's really not. It was tough for all of us. We were a very tight knit group, like pen pals that share life together without ever meeting).

And just in case anyone was wondering - every little bit does count. $5 makes a decent dent

Thank you, michaels4gardens and heritage, both for your donations and for reminding our members how much we need them. I know a lot of people are going through hard times, and donations have really fallen off in recent months. But heritage is right that every donation is important to us -- and much appreciated.

I know my kick in this time isn't much, but it is what I could do. I really appreciate all the help and advice I have gotten from this site. It has been a huge help. Thanks!

Also, thanks for the reminder. Lately I haven't been on the homepage much so that visual reminder isn't always there for me... (the link that is in my drop down menu is for Active Topics so I usually just click on that to check in).

I decided to donate around the time when I first joined. The first time I was just so grateful for all the help RT gave us when we were just starting up. Then getting a star was a reminder. And I see my join date is coming up next week.
I still think it can be confusing for newcomers (was for me) that sometimes the monthly goal is exceeded by quite a bit for a month or two and then there are months when we don't even come close to meeting it. So when I first joined it didn't look like any help was needed, but I now realize there might have been 'deficits' for several months prior to that. I'd still like to see something that shows how we're doing over the longer term, but I've just decided to donate annually when I get my new star and trust the rest of it works out somehow.

This place is great, unique, and so helpful but if I have money to donate there are just so many other places I could send it. There's one forum I use that is the only one of it's kind and hosting companies refuse to have it on their servers due to the topic so the person has to pay for the entire setup to run out of their house. They also deal with death threats frequently so it wears on them trying to keep the place going and we are on our 3rd admin/server host. Then there's the offline stuff, I'm not touching HSUS, but the only parrot rescue in Iowa and much of the midwest that has many permanent residents who could use new toys, perches, and better food. Direct help to animals in serious need who are squeaking by month after month. Plus the cats that show up unaltered here. I've neutered, rabies vaccinated, and rehomed several that apparently their humans didn't care enough to keep track of and look for. Despite a discounted neuter and vaccine place for just such cats we often have to wait a few months to have the extra money or a specialty event like we got the last one neutered and vaccinated for $20 because of an event for just our area of the city. So I'd love to donate and I've done it on other forums but I go so many places online and off that I have to decide who needs it the most and what group is most likely to fail to function anymore if I don't help. Sometimes I think about if I won the lottery and all the little places I'd send a small portion of money to that isn't needed for my own dreams because it wouldn't take much to make a huge difference immediately.

I like this place, and visit it quite often when time allows, -I have seen "nothing else even close" - amazing people, common sense [what ever that is] , courtesy, patience, and compassion for each others issues and ignorance-- I especially like the way "most people here" won't get "baited" into negative comment cycles by obvious discontents...
I intend to continue my support - even if I can only spare a buck or two...

the way of my people is -- we don't take without giving back...

blessings,
Michael <br /><br /> __________ Sat Oct 08, 2016 4:15 pm __________ <br /><br /> thank you to everyone who helped-- God Bless you,

I actually briefly joined one hobby forum and they were super strict about talking only about that one particular item (hammocks) to the point that if the thread took a turn a different direction they would move it to a "donating members only" section of the forum - the only place off topic subjects could be discussed. Even one or two comments would get you a warning. So if you were the thread starter and it continued on, you would get the notices but couldn't actually access the information. They claimed it wasn't bribery to get you to financially support the site, but a perk for those member that decided to help fund it... yeah... right :roll:

heritage":2f08xfr3 said:

I actually briefly joined one hobby forum and they were super strict about talking only about that one particular item (hammocks) to the point that if the thread took a turn a different direction they would move it to a "donating members only" section of the forum - the only place off topic subjects could be discussed. Even one or two comments would get you a warning. So if you were the thread starter and it continued on, you would get the notices but couldn't actually access the information. They claimed it wasn't bribery to get you to financially support the site, but a perk for those member that decided to help fund it... yeah... right :roll:

Click to expand...

From an "outside" perspective-- it looks like very little "policing" [comparatively] is required here-- and wandering threads are normal- because people have wandering minds- one's comment brings up a random thought in another.- sometimes very interesting things are brought up-- sometimes ...not.. but in a public/social application .. [as opposed to business, or military ] I agree with the Moderators here-- it should be allowed, or politely redirected, without undue harshness... JMHO ---

Sorry alway tough times here. I have a wife that is disable and I can only work part time due to I have to take care of her. And I have a kid still in school. :?

bigfoot_158":2hsc4ve4 said:

Sorry alway tough times here. I have a wife that is disable and I can only work part time due to I have to take care of her. And I have a kid still in school. :?

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I don't think M4G meant for this to make people feel like they had to give, just as a reminder that the site is supported by members. We all come from different places in life and are at different stages (in a variety of ways)...

We are a single income family - I am a stay-at-home/home-educating mom. I know right now we can't do as much for others as we would like, but someday (thanks to Dave Ramsey and YNAB) I know we will be able to "Live Like No One Else!"

heritage":2rknw4gf said:

bigfoot_158":2rknw4gf said:

Sorry alway tough times here. I have a wife that is disable and I can only work part time due to I have to take care of her. And I have a kid still in school. :?

Click to expand...

I don't think M4G meant for this to make people feel like they had to give, just as a reminder that the site is supported by members. We all come from different places in life and are at different stages (in a variety of ways)...

We are a single income family - I am a stay-at-home/home-educating mom. I know right now we can't do as much for others as we would like, but someday (thanks to Dave Ramsey and YNAB) I know we will be able to "Live Like No One Else!"

Click to expand...

Yea I know just wish I could give.