Hey all,
Recently while we were in Utilia, the discussion came up that there has been no mention of the donation system here on the forum for some time. While some of you may think that's a good thing, there are a number of new people to the forum who may not even know about it.
Photonlexicon is a tremendous resource and I'm sure we've all gained a great deal from it at one point or another. While it IS free... there are still fees involved with "keeping the lights on" and that financial responsibility falls on one often unsung hero. Whether you know him as "Spec", "Admin", our illustrious Janitor.... fact is, there is SOMEBODY that has to pay the bills to keep this going. Hosting fee's, vBulletin updates, maybe needing to replace a computer part, keeping the backups going so nothing is lost, and so forth.
It is encouraged, if it's within your means, to make a donation in some way shape or form. Some people just make an occasional donation when they've got a few extra pennies to spare or, for example, maybe they've been helped by something and happen to feel a bit philanthropic because it's "the right thing to do". Some of us just simply arrange a monthly Paypal debit and, the encouraged amount is $10. That's what I do and that's what a few others do. I don't even miss it coming out of the account. It's pretty painless. That's how you get your name in blue at the bottom of the page and in all your posts. Just sort of a "recognition" as being a "trustee" of sorts for this great resource.
Some people who sell items in the buy/sell thread often donate 10% of the items sale price to PL but sometimes it's not mentioned in the thread. It's encouraged and again, it's a worthwhile, admirable thing to do. (Yeah... that includes commercial sellers - ya'll should be doing it as well.)
The leftovers from events like SELEM, if there are any, are also customarily donated towards keeping this amazing site running.
So... long story short, if you haven't seen or been made aware of it, throwing the cost of a couple beers (or lattes) towards keeping this forum alive and running is, I know, always greatly appreciated. Think about it!