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Thank you for clicking my donation link. I've added this link for several reasons ...some of which affect you (my user base) directly, and others which will help me with my goals and work as we move forward. Please take a moment to review my items below and see if you find them worthy of your support! Smile

Why you might consider donating to OUPower:

  1. This site is completely free of any charge to all users. I have invested hundreds of hours (that's no exaggeration ) in its development and design. The main site runs on 100% "home grown" software that I wrote specifically for ease of use and streamlined access to vital project information. Information and updates are immediately displayed to visitors and project pages are sorted by "updated status" for fast identification of new material.
  2. This site allows direct uploading of your project pictures and details through a proprietary web interface. Again, "home grown" software that I made specifically for you (my users) so that you can quickly and easily post all of your projects and updates. It allows for unlimited project space and directory creation within your project area. Users have full control over all of their project information. -Yes entirely FREE!
  3. I would like to move my website home to my local LINUX web server rather then paying to have it hosted by a 3rd party company. This would require paying my broadband company (Comcast) about $150 per month for the business service, but would have many benefits! I'll list just some of them here for you now:
    1. It would allow me to easily backup all project information on a nightly basis and save that information directly to DVD for off-site safe storage. Right now my only means of backing data up is through my internet connection; a painful process for a site as "content heavy" as we are. Needless to say backups do not happen as often as I would like. Sad I would hate to loose valuable project or forum data! Shocked -Yes the web host does offer backup services but they are very expensive.
    2. It would allow us unlimited bandwidth throughout the month. Cool
    3. It would allow us to have unlimited server space since I'd own both the server and the hard drives storing the data! -Woohoo! Wink
    4. It would allow us unlimited database connections. Right now we're on a shared web server so you may sometimes see the SQL error from the server where all connections are busy! Evil or Very Mad -This would eliminate that problem. Razz
    5. It would allow me to finally enable Video uploads directly into project directories!! -OMG Really!!?? Since we would finally have unlimited space, bandwidth and backup abilities this would no longer be a problem. These are the reasons I do NOT allow it on our 3rd party web host now.


  4. I would like to one day sustain my family's income from my efforts in this line of work. Whether it's through my website or through a particular project / product the end result would be the same. I'd be doing what I love to do and supporting my family at the same time. Right now I am making ONLY enough money from the website ads to support its monthly hosting fees and that's about it. Sad
  5. I finally have room for a shop now that we moved. Unfortunately I have little to no money for it. Quotes are all coming in around $26,000 and I have considered emptying my 401k savings or taking a bank loan for the project but neither of these options seems very appealing to me. $26k gets me a 30x40 shop with a really nice upstairs room. The lower room will have 10 foot walls and a concrete slab. I plan on doing my foundry, metal shop and caustic materials (electrolysis) down below. Wood working and storage will be upstairs. Unfortunately the quotes do NOT include electric, insulation and plumbing. These will all be additional costs. Of course then there's equipment to consider! Shocked



So if you're still with me after that long winded write-up, I hope that you'll consider helping me out. Right now my shop is my #1 goal. I'd like to have it built before winter if possible. You can help turn my dream into a reality. Smile I am posting the Donation meter while my "shop project" is active so that people can monitor the progress toward that goal. If things don't go as I hope I'll just keep plugging away slowly and steadily as always.

Enter Donation Amount in US Dollars:
$.00

Click Here to return to the Main Page NOW!