It's nice to see how many people you can count on here!

[Aramike]

My donation is incoming, very soon! I have a fun little tribute planned for just the right time.

[Kapitan]

Sent mine $25 hope it helps neal we need subsim!

[Neal Stevens]

Thanks, kap! I changed out the donation picture just for you!

[d@rk51d3]

All done.

You're now at the mercy of the Aussie banking system.

[Konovalov]

Sorry Neal for the late Christmas present. Enjoy the holidays everyone and have a great New Years day.

[Lzs von swe]

I dug a hole in my wallet and sent in what I found, not much but I´m a poor trucker.
Happy and Merry etc. Neal

[magic452]

Without SubSim I would have given up on SH4 very quickly but thanks to all the modders and those that give so much good advice I've been playing it for 2 1/2 years and have learned so much. SubSim has become a nightly thing for me. There is simply no other board of this quality out there. The friendliness and humor can't be matched anywere. GT is an informative and delightful place to visit.(most of the time) Neal and the moderatiors do a great job keeping it more or less civil. It is well worth our support both in posting and if possible with a little cash. I would hate to lose this place.

Magic

[Aramike]

One more day, you say? I say extend the fundraiser until the end of the year.

Well, at least maybe a couple of more days as I was planning to donate in concert with my 2000th post.

See, here's the thing about Subsim: it's truly a home for those of us interested in not only submarine history, but general nautical and military history as well. While I tend to post in the General Topics forum, I most frequently hover around the SH III and IV forums for the wealth of information they contain.

Going back a ways, my closest uncle had an enormous interest in nautical history. While the Great Lakes were certainly his focus (with the likes of such mysteries as the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald), I was also weened on such classics as Sink the Bismark! and The Enemy Below, with the required reading of pretty much anything from Edward L. Beach.

While I tried repeatedly to learn and play subsims, they just seemed beyond me as the amount of time I was willing to invest wasn't nearly enough to truly learn the games. Then I found subsim.com, and everything changed. Many others had done the hard work and were willing to explain things in simple language that even a casual player could understand. And, beyond that, there was a helluva community to back the technicalities up.

So not only did the games finally make sense, but I've met an entire group of interesting people who share the same pasttime as myself.

Indeed, this is my internet home. As such, I'd like to donate in relation to the amount of time I've spent here ... a mere penny per post. And in honor of my upcoming 2000th post, I'll give a meager $20 to Subsim.

Please, just think of $.01 a post, and help Neal keep this incredible, unique community alive!

[Skybird]

Extend the fundraiser until my birthday in February, and then we share the pot 50:50!

[Carotio]

Okay, this is one of the negative posts, but I'm sorry. I can't give you anything this time around. It's not like that I have never given anything before. Years ago, I gave a small donation and shortly after that GWX donation thingy, I gave 50$. But it ain't happening this time.
As some people know, I run SHMF: a forum and host about Silent Hunter alone, but with support for numerous languages. Recently, I received a large extra fee, and only two people donated, so I had to eat most of the expences myself, which sucks. And then Christmas time ain't exactly cheap, so no, not this time. Maybe sometimes next year...
But I hope Subsim receives enough donations, so it won't hurt the economy of Neal too much. So good luck.

[Neal Stevens]

The 2009 EOY Fundraiser has come to an end. I am very grateful for the support and thoughtful comments from all the members who pitched in and help me keep this vibrant community alive. Thank you. When I started this website in 1996, I had no idea it would grow and become such an incredible environment.

I don't like bugging people for money. But if this was a bus, I don't think most people would mind pitching in for gas. If this was, say, a bass fishing website or a performance car website, it's likely that sales and advertising could make enough money to cover the cost, compensate me for my time, and allow me to hire a staff. Bass fishermen, car enthusiasts, etc. are constantly buying new gear and accessories... and I can imagine what 800 people x $150 x 7% monthly would mean for the bottom line. Unfortunately, subsim players usually have one sub game every couple years to buy. So, without your support, this place would be a fishing lure wonderland...or maybe a Neo Pet training guide.

I hope you all have a great holiday and happy new year.

best
Neal
SUBSIM

[Snestorm]

Originally Posted by Carotio

Okay, this is one of the negative posts, but I'm sorry. I can't give you anything this time around. It's not like that I have never given anything before. Years ago, I gave a small donation and shortly after that GWX donation thingy, I gave 50$. But it ain't happening this time.
As some people know, I run SHMF: a forum and host about Silent Hunter alone, but with support for numerous languages. Recently, I received a large extra fee, and only two people donated, so I had to eat most of the expences myself, which sucks. And then Christmas time ain't exactly cheap, so no, not this time. Maybe sometimes next year...
But I hope Subsim receives enough donations, so it won't hurt the economy of Neal too much. So good luck.

Hi Neal!
Would you please be so kind as to credit half of my donation to Carotio?
He does much to keep me coming back to subsim.

Side note to Carotio:
Hvem kan sige nej til Dannebrog?
Det er helt i orden.
Tusind tak for billederne fra snevejret!

[Letum]

How much did we raise?
I'm not asking for numbers, but...

Enough to cover the cost of hosting this post for a day or two?
Enough to buy Neal a pint?
Enough to keep SS going for a month? 6 months? a year?
Enough to keep SS going for a while plus a bit extra?
Enough to commission the building of a new VIIC?

[horsa]

Any thoughts on a long term solution ?

What does everyone think ? Come on you marketing gurus out there.

It may seem like a site that just started quietly in 1996 but Subsim is a brand - any ways that can make a permanent income ?

[Neal Stevens]

Originally Posted by Letum

How much did we raise?
I'm not asking for numbers, but...

Enough to cover the cost of hosting this post for a day or two?
Enough to buy Neal a pint?
Enough to keep SS going for a month? 6 months? a year?
Enough to keep SS going for a while plus a bit extra?
Enough to commission the building of a new VIIC?

Enough for a pint and a few lightbulbs for the conning tower of a VIIC, and Subsim's continued survival. A lot of great people stepped up and delivered, but I sure won't get rich running a sub game website.

Originally Posted by horsa

Any thoughts on a long term solution ?

What does everyone think ? Come on you marketing gurus out there.

It may seem like a site that just started quietly in 1996 but Subsim is a brand - any ways that can make a permanent income ?

I've given a lot of thought to this over the years. Naturally, I favor the methods that cost the members here zero dollars--that is the Google ad and commissions through sales of books and games through Amazon. Unfortunately, a lot of people block the one Google ad I have here, so that's null. And while some people make a point to start their Amazon shopping throught the Subsim store, it's pretty easy to forget (and I don't wanna shill constantly).

The other big revenue streams in the past are Subsim Battle Gear and donation mods, like Pacific Aces and the week long exclusive GWX3 donation download (ah, those were the days). Fred has throughtfully offered to let me use some of his radio mods as a second DVD with the Subsim Super DVD mods collection, so after the first of the year, we will try that. And I make a little money off the Subsim Almanacs, but you cannot imagine how much time and work one of those babies entails

Other than that, I hope the members who enjoy the website will put up with an annual fundraiser. There's no membership fee, it is 100% voluntary. You give what you want, when you can. And if someone wants to chip in throughout the year, the Make a Donation button is right under one's name and PM notification in the top right corner of this page.