[UK-CONTEST] UK Contesting Mailing List Users

[G3SJJ]

Anyone got a feel for what would be a reasonable contribution?
The NA Reflector is also affected so I would want to help with
that one also.  73 Chris



----- Original Message -----
From: Bill Fisher, W4AN <bill at eHam.net>
To: <uk-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, August 12, 2002 7:31 PM
Subject: [UK-CONTEST] UK Contesting Mailing List Users


>
> Contesting.com & eHam.net Users
>
> I have been hosting the Contesting.com and eHam.net web sites and mailing
> lists on my network since 1996.  In the beginning, my company (Akorn
> Access) provided the hosting for free.  Since we started the eHam.net web
> site two years ago and began to accept advertising, eHam has been able to
> pay a small amount each month toward the hosting costs.
>
> Today, eHam.net and Contesting.com steadily consume more than a T-1 of
> bandwidth.  Combined, the two sites deliver well over 4 million pages and
> push more than 200 gigabytes of data each month.  The success of both
> sites and all of the mailing lists are demanding more and redundant
> bandwidth.   However, we face the question of how to pay for it.
>
> The cost to host this level of bandwidth most anywhere else would exceed
> $2000 per month.  eHam is currently able to contribute  only $250.00 per
> month, leaving Akorn Access out of pocket for at least $23,700 per year.
>
> In the past, I have been able to cover these costs because Akorn was doing
> well enough in other areas and the utilization was not as high.  With the
> recent slow down in the economy and our changing Internet access business,
> Akorn is unable to continue this level of support.  Additionally, many
> potential advertisers are engrained in their print advertising, and refuse
> to acknowledge the Internet as a viable method of promoting their
> products.  Although we continue to sign up new advertisers, they are not
> coming (and funding the site) at the same rate as the bandwidth
> utilization.
>
> So, with regret, I'm reluctantly forced to turn to the users of both sites
> for ongoing assistance.
>
> We have an annual subscription program at eHam.net for users to help pay
> for the site operations.  We don't define the amount of the subscription,
> but rather suggest that each user define for themselves the site's value,
> and consider their own financial ability to subscribe.    We suggest
> comparing how much time you spend reading QST or CQ magazines with how
> much time you spend reading eHam.net, Contesting.com, or the various
> mailing lists when making your decision.
>
> You can help by subscribing at http://www.eham.net/cart/product/111.  If
> you are unable to contribute by credit card, you can send a check to
> eHam.net, 5095 Hamptons Club Drive, Alpharetta, GA  30004.
>
>
> Many thanks & 73
>
> Bill Fisher, W4AN
>
>
> PS - I should also point out that we have many volunteers working on both
> Contesting.com and eHam.net who receive no compensation at all.  These
> folks volunteer their time to provide the rest of us these services.  A
> list of volunteers can be found on both sites, and it would go a long way
> if you would write just one of them expressing your appreciation for their
> time.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> UK-Contest mailing list
> UK-Contest at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/uk-contest