It's Time for our Second Quarter FReepathon

Donate to FR via Secure Server ^ | March 7, 2003 | Jim Robinson

[Jim Robinson]

Howdy everyone,

Are you ready for another FReepathon?

Good news:

John and Tami negotiated a new contract with our bandwidth supplier and got our bill lowered a couple thousand per month! Our monthly expenses are now totalling just under $20,000, so we're setting the target for this Freepathon at $60,000. We have approximately $18,000 (and growing) per quarter coming from our monthly donors so we will only need to raise a little over $40,000 this time. Hopefully, we can do this in a week to ten days.

We went over the goal last quarter and we used part of the extra money to purchase and install two new servers. We now have a total of five servers running Free Republic. John can post the details, but basically, we have two servers being used as web servers, two as database servers and one for the search engine. There may be some sharing and overlapping of duties, but that's the general configuration.

John also found a way to compress the files before serving them so we are able to effectively move 20mbs of data through our 10mbs line. In other words, we've doubled our capacity and halved our bandwidth cost!

Way to go John and Tami!!

(Just in time too! We hit the 10mps X 2 capacity a few times during the peak periods of the last couple of weeks).

And finally, we've added two new high capacity disk drives (I believe they're 72 gigabytes each) and just as soon as John gets the upload and file management programs ready to go, we'll be able to offer our donors directory space on their accounts to upload pictures, graphics, and music files, etc. I believe this is going to be a very popular feature!

Looking forward to another great fundraiser!

Thank you all very much for your continuing support and dedication to the cause!

Jim

[Mo1]

Thanks for the BUMP Facedown

[CyberCowboy777]

I am asking my fellow Washington State FReepers to please donate at least $10.00.

It is not that much individually but with just you folks we can go up $3500.00!

[Ciexyz]

Happy to donate.

[Mo1]

Thanks for the update Norm!

also ..

Thank You Freepers From
Colorado
California
Washington
Ohio

[Gracey]

You went and caused tears of happiness. It's beautiful, FRiend. :-)

[Jim Robinson]

Well, the $8,800 per month was our cost under the old UUNet contract. That was the going rate then. We got quotes from several tier one providers and thought they were probably the best we could find at the time. There were cheaper sources among the lower rated providers, but they may not have been as reliable.

Then the bottom fell out of the market. The big bandwidth providers had ramped up for the Internet boom, but the boom busted and the demand fell off. We shopped around the next year and found another tier one provider who offered us a much better contract rate. And now this year, we were able to negotiate an even better rate with the same company.

No, our traffic has not fallen off. It's probably doubled or more during the same period. And the management of this little site (that would be me with Amy's help) works double shifts seven days per week 365 days per year. Have no idea what I actually do (have never documented it) or why it takes so long to do it. Guess that's just what it takes to operate the largest, fastest, higest quality, best read, ie, "the premier" conservative website on the planet! Ask any true FReeper. They'll tell you.

[cherry_bomb88]

Done...just finished...new FReeper here...will try to make sure I'm a regular donor...you guys have a great site!

[Jim Robinson]

No, sorry, but the donations to FR are not tax deductible.

[CyberCowboy777]

Welcome aboard Cherry!

Nice pedigree you got there.

[PA Engineer]

Pledged and Bumped.

[cherry_bomb88]

Thanks...I'm very proud of it :o)

[Jim Robinson]

Thank you, cherry_bomb88!

Just in:

$100 from Pennsylvania
$20 from Minnesota
$50 from Arkansas
$10 from Illinois
$10 from Pennsylvania
$20 from Washington

Thank you FReepers!

[patriciaruth]

I think my state of CA should get credit for the $50 that The Great Satan sent last month when he lost his bet, and Miss Marple's state should get credit for the $100 she bet him.

;-)

[glock rocks]

i like the way you think.

[Aria]

OK, in fact, I think I'll throw in a little extra. I love FR.

[CyberCowboy777]

You should be.

The military service of our families brings honor.

All my Grandfathers (4 with the in-laws) served, my father served, uncles, cousins, great uncles.

[Jim Robinson]

Thank you, PA Engineer!

[cherry_bomb88]

I'll try and bring Illinois up the next time around! :o) You guys have a great site here!

[CyberCowboy777]

Awsome.

Washington has some great FReepers!

[NautiNurse]

You Are Welcome !