Helping Support BBTiA

I kind of hesitate to write this post, since, you know, I've been incredibly fortunate and blessed in that I've made it up out of Tyler and into SMU, and since I realize a lot of people out there are facing tough financial situations right now ... but I haven't actually done a post like this since November 2010, and with the steadily mounting costs, it kind of feels like the right time to roll with it. I'll probably keep this pinned to the top of the Clubhouse through next Friday, and perhaps mention it on the front page a few times, but I promise not to get obnoxious about it. 

As some of you realize, BBTiA is strictly ad-supported -- there's no third-party entity that pays for the infrastructure/maintainence of the site, no blog network that supports the back end but also has a say in the nature of the content. It's a nice little arrangement, and it's been awesome having carte blanche to say basically whatever I want to say to an increasingly expansive audience. The reality there, though, is that BBTiA has been one of my primary means of supporting myself this year, and the admin costs on the back end do pile up.

To give you a rough idea, there is the issue of paying for the webhost, the domain renewal, the commenting software, the forum RSS generator, a couple of premium subscriptions, the purchase of another (cheap) computer and third-party software to help keep the chats going, and now, in all likelihood, another monthly expense once I switch to another chat solution for the game chats. (That has not yet been finalized.) I don't want to overblow the extent of the expenses, because, at the end of the day, BBTiA does still turn a monthly profit ... but I've also been killing myself at various points over the last year and a half to produce the best damn content I'm capable of providing, and as any committed everyday writer can attest to, it's a tremendous time/energy investment.

So, here's what I'm basically saying in not so many words: if you have the inclination and the means to support BBTiA monetarily, you can do so via direct Paypal link below, or at the Support BBTiA page here. The donations go directly to my PayPal account, and, as I did a year and a half ago, I will send you a warm e-mail note of acknowledgment, as I'm deeply appreciative of the gesture no matter the amount:

If you aren't interested in donating, or don't have the means to do so but would still like to contribute in some way, consider checking out/purchasing a product from one of the Google-chosen sponsors every now and again. It helps. It also helps if people disable AdBlock on BBTiA (or any other site that they frequent and enjoy), because I've been conscious about not getting as obtrusive with the ads as other blogs over the years, and if everyone runs AdBlock on BBTiA or another exclusively ad-sponsored site that they enjoy, well, the sites that you enjoy go away.

It's been primarily a two to three-man show for quite a little while now (myself, MJH, and Pras), but I hold out hope for more of those two and Josh, and I still have designs on adding another name or two for the stretch run. If it comes down to it, a small monetary inducement could help on that recruiting front. But we'll see how it plays out.

And regardless of whether you want to support the site or not, regardless of whether you enjoy the work we do or resent us for bitching too much about #leadership and #cookietalk, know that I appreciate each and every one of you for your readership. It sounds very strange to say, but I'm not where I am today without BBTiA. Much love, and stay hard out there.

Best,

Joey