Chris might be pissed that I'm doing this, but the time has come where I find it necessary to spam RO. Chris posted a thread that everyone needs to read thoroughly and carefully...
(Dead Link Removed)
For those of you who didn't follow the link, please read the response that I just posted ... as follows...
"I just read this entire thread, and having been around since the beginning of RO, I have a few things to say ...
First of all, for those of you who never figured-out that this is a full time+ job for Chris ... ummm, (delete long string of vulgarities) let's just say "WAKE UP". I think it totally sucks that this has had to go this far before he has spoken-up. This guy has provided us a service at the expense of having his family do without! And some of you say you don't want to pay a couple of measley bucks a month? IMHO, you people need a frigging reality check.
Early-on in RO, I tried selling ad space for Chris, but the response was damn-near nil. So for those of you that think that advertising is going to pay the way for this site, you're sadly mistaken.
Secondly. I've been a moderator here forever. I never asked for a dime, never wanted a dime, and wouldn't take a dime. I do this for the same reason that I teach guitar, and I've said this before ... to give back to the artform that has given me a lifetime of enjoyment. As for those who were here and left because they didn't make money at it ... in my opinion they either didn't understand the value of this site, or their mommies never taught them to share (if you catch my drift).
Thirdly ... I used to play an online game called Last Kingdom. It was a mediocre game at best, but it was the people that made it fun. The people who ran the site had bought the game from a company in Korea, and that company wouldn't give them proper tech support to keep the game in decent running order. After a few episodes of long downtimes, the American company finally had to call it quits with that game. Hundreds of people were on that game on a daily basis for years, paying $10 a month. I'll guarantee you that each and every one of them would gladly now pay $20 a month if it could come back, but it simply can't. My point:
If something is worth-while, it's worth a small investment to keep it going. Most online games charge a monthly fee of about $10, so why is it too much for some to accept that RO, a site of REAL VALUE, should charge a little something? Chris has suggested less than the price of a pack of cigarettes for an entire month! Personally, I'll gladly keep doing my moderators job and PAY TO DO SO!
Chris, in my opinion, charge $5 a month. If 500 people stay and pay, you'll make $2500 a month. If 2000 people stay, you'll make $10,000 a month. If people are willing to pay at all, they'll gladly pay $5. Those who won't pay probably don't really belong here anyway.
To get you a shot in the arm immediately, please give us an address we can start sending our $5 a month to, until you can get some sort of other payment method set-up. Those of us who appreciate what you have done here will start helping you and your family out immediately. And don't think this is charity ... THIS IS WHAT WE OWE YOU!
COME ON GUYS, LET'S SHOW CHRIS SOME APPRECIATION HERE! Start sending in $5 a month, or feel free to send him more the first time around if you are so-inclined!"