Funding MLP Forums, Part 3 - Hosting Services

[Twilight Sparkle ✨ 8,527]

With last week's move to a dedicated server, MLP Forums is running faster and smoother than ever before. Unfortunately, our operational costs are also higher than ever before, and relying only on members to make a donation whenever they feel like it is proving to be less and less sustainable.

 

So, we've been looking into a variety of new ways to monetize the site more consistently, to ensure we can afford to stay on this beautiful new server for a long time to come. We'll be writing about our ideas here in Canterlot Castle, and it will be greatly appreciated to have your input on how effective you think each may be, and whether you would personally make use of them. After all, this forum is for all of you at the end of the day, and we think it's only fair that you get to have a say in how we cover its expenses.

 

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Proposal #3: Hosting Services

 

The new dedicated server is awesomely powerful. As a matter of fact, it's a little overpowered for our needs alone (but that's much better than being underpowered!). So, there is plenty of unused bandwidth, disk space, and CPU power on the thing.

 

One way to help fund it is to resell space on it for people to host their own websites and game servers. As a matter of fact, I've been providing hosting services for a while, but it has been more of a personal thing I've offered to people who needed a working server for their site to call home, and I haven't done much to make the world aware of its existence.

 

So, I suppose this proposal is more of an advertisement for an existing service I provide than a proposal for something new. But I already host several websites and game servers for a few members here and even another major pony forum.

 

I wrote up a little informational page on what clients can expect from my hosting services, which you can find here: http://feld0.com/hosting/

 

Pricing for hosting with me is completely negotiable, and I work with every client to decide on a fair price for the resources they need. You get a cPanel account with all the standard goodies like PHP and MySQL, but specialized setups like dedicated IP addresses, Ruby on Rails, and Minecraft hosting are possible, too (the hardware is particularly well-suited towards Minecraft servers, as a matter of fact, and I currently host three of them).

 

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What I'm getting at is - if you have a website or game server you need to host somewhere, I can work with you to create a custom hosting package precisely for your needs. I don't have many clients, but the ones I do have are all extremely satisfied, and the money goes a long way towards keeping MLP Forums online.

 

If you want to sign up, just send me a private message. You're also welcome to ask any questions about hosting with me on this thread.

[Evilshy 5,090]

If I ever find myself in need of a good server, you'll be the first to know

[Colon Leftbracket 971]

Well of course Feld0, if I were in need of a server for a website you'd be the first I'd go to!

[Dave247 568]

I remember you briefly mentioning this somewhere before. I'll be sure that if I or if I know anyone who needs something hosted to let you know.

[I_wesley125 393]

I am a client of his and I can tell anyone considering getting a website or moving one to go with him.

Excellent customer service and a very reliable and fast server.

[Tom 891]

I may need a website in the future, and now I know where to look. Thanks Feld. Edited May 25, 2012 by Tom

[Prince Lightning Da Cute 619]

I will pm you when the sites done, all I needed was a server.