Time to upgrade the server and get ready for next season

wow, if he really does it, that would be $133....sweet.

Inspired by rockHEAD, I got an idea for a prize for the next level($100+)..but I need to email a couple of people to see if I can make it come true.

PBS aint got nothing on us the way we are going...

 

Just dropped $10 via paypal

I am a outtowner, (Vancouver, Canada). I have been glued to this site since Yao was drafted by Rocket. There is pretty much no Rocket TV coverage here at all, so the BBS and game day chat room is my only source.

Thanks for the site and all the guys doing pbp on the game day.

Appricated.

 

exactly. that was some serious contribution... shouldn't we give Kimble14 a round of applause?

 

In for $50.

(thought I'd get in before the bidding gets too high).

 

excellent... bnb, hasher, barbourdg, cointoss... be sure to email me through the bbs (the letter icon near my user ID) Once I get confirmation from Clutch, I will package these up and most likely mail them off on Monday.

we got one more Dream Pack for the next $50 (or more) donation.
if you are not sure what a Dream Pack is go to Page 3 of this thread!

thanks to EVERYONE who has contributed thus far!!

Keep those "tips" coming fans!! Let's really help Clutch offset his costs!

Entertainment for the 12 o'clock hour includes Rasta Red and Gold The Dancing Roller Blader!!

 

If clutch wants to buy dell,
do not forget find a 10% sb coupon (can get it on ebay for 1-2$) and perhaps 15% off server coupon (this need wait).
That can save some money.

a reminder.

 

BIG, MAD PROP, THANKS to Kimble14 who donated $133 to the TIP JAR!!
What awesome generosity... I will be sending him some memorabilia as well!!

 

Great thread guys...its about time the masses stepped up to the plate...kudos to all!!!!

 

Maybe I can auction off my Hakeem bobble-head from his last game in Houston and donate the proceeds.

 

Damn!! I feel pretty good that my $50 tip (from yesterday) led to so much contribution to clutch in the last 24 hours!!

Now if I could only find a way to watch my first Rockets game (espn), while also attending the Panther release party at the apple store, I would be good to go. Thank god I have a VCR.

Keep the money coming!!!

 

I think it would be cool if there were a tip jar counter where we could check in to see how much is in the coffers.

I just got paid today, so after I do my bills this weekend, I'll be sure to stick a few dollars(maybe $50) in Clutch's g-string.

 

During the short time that I have had the pleasure to debate various subjects concerning the Rockets on the glorious website(which i found out in Sports Illustrated), I would be more than happy to pitch in.

$10 via money order on it's way.

Thanks again to Clutch and all of the rest of the powers that be......

 

it has been my pleasure to pad my post count encouraging donations....but biggest kudos to rockHEAD for taking it over and doing a helluva job.

 

Guys,

Thanks so much to everyone who is helping out. Clutch definitely needs help to maintain the site.

Since some of you have posted a few questions, I wanted to see if I could help address a few of them. Obviously, I don't have the responsibility of running the site - Clutch does. But, he's my business partner and my bud, so I want to try and give him a hand at least with this.

On sponsorships/advertisements:

Some have pointed out that the NBA has strict guidelines about what people can and cannot place on a personal site. ClutchCity.net is unique in that there is no other not-for-profit fan site even remotely close to it in size in the NBA. As a result, it has survived simply on the sheer will of Clutch and those who have supported it over the years.

Running ads would very likely draw the ire of the NBA. SacKings.com - a very cool fan site - was shut down by the league for ads it ran and eventually sold out to a larger company.

Secondly, ads don't make much money on the net any longer. Click-through rates have dropped rapidly and only the super large sites like Yahoo or MSN really reap real benefits from those.

Lastly, the concept of sponosrship is something I have suggested in the past, however, it is tricky because of the legal and accounting issues. Also, Clutch has told me on numerous occassions that he would like to keep it fan-only without the need for ads or sponsorships.

On publishing how much he has received:

I don't speak for Clutch on this AT ALL, but I'm not sure how appropriate it is for him to post dollar amounts on the site. Even though these are "donations," they do represent income for him and it might not be something that he'd want to publish.

He may turn around and do it anyway, but he may not.

On server costs:

ricerocket: It is nice of you to offer servers at certain costs, but, frankly, Clutch and are web developers for a living. We have priced servers and determined costs.

The problem is not the cost of the server, itself. It is the cost of hosting the high level of bandwidth required by this site. In most cases, it is cheaper to simply get a dedicated/co-located server, but even at that, you are talking thousands of dollars per year for the type of machine needed to handle the traffic this site receives.

I mean, on game nights or when there is "big news," we are talking traffic that rivals any major news or e-commerce site being run on a server simply not designed to handle it. And, any server that could handle that traffic of the BBS - nevermind the cost of hosting the front page of the site which is on a SEPARATE SERVER - will be costly.

On merchandise:

Many have mentioned the idea of t-shirts or other merchandise in the past. There are a couple reasons this hasn't happened.

First, the name "Clucth City" is a registered trademark of the NBA. Using it would be trademark infringement. Using the name for the website is one thing, but profiting by merchandise is a whole other ballgame.

Secondly, it is difficult enough to manage the tasks involved in running the site. Can you imagine Clutch buying hundreds of t-shirts of different sizes, taking orders, packaging them up, shipping them out, etc??? Me either.

On a one-time charge for the BBS:

Some have suggested a one-time fee for posting on the site. Unfortunately, it is highly impractical to do so and would very likely not remedy the situation because the costs to this site are monthly and yearly, not just one-time.

On subscriptions services and rewards for donations:

Rewarding people for their donations or chargning for subscription to the BBS are things I know Clutch has considered, however, they do have their problems. Having to track what each person gave, when a subscription is due for renewal, etc. is very difficult and is why companies have entire staffs of people to handle those services.

Unfortunately, the staff at ClutchCity.net is rather small.

On the NBA:

Just so everyone understands, the NBA has mostly left the site alone over the years, however, that does not mean it doesn't know of its existence or that it doesn't have issues with it.

There are plenty of reasons why ClutchCity.net could be shut down at any time by the league. That is just the reality in today's world of intellectual property.

This is one of the main reasons why Clutch has been so careful over the years when it comes to running the site. Unfortunately, the NBA is far more concerned with protecting its trademarks and expanding its scope than with fan involvement through websites other than NBA.com.

That doesn't mean they are going to shut anything down. It does mean everyone needs to realize that there is much more at stake and at risk here for Clutch than just the ire of a few trolls.

...

As an aside, I know how hard Clutch works on this site. I see it every day. They guy is a freakin' machine and I honestly don't know how he does it. I tried to do a fan website years ago when Clutch first started cc.net and I packed it in within months.

His dedication is often beyond my comprehension and I'm glad that so many of you recognize that and are willing to help out. Without question, he deserves all of it an more.

 

thanks R2K! I'm just doing a little part to help this great site!

We still have one more Dream Pack (go to page 3) and hopefully the night crew (those who check the BBS after 5pm) will see the previous messages and we can get the last Pack out to someone.

Dig deep fans, let's show Clutch we support him and his efforts!

 

Wow...

I feel bad for not having any money to contribute. :\


My bday is coming up in 2 weeks though. I'll definately contribute something then. Poor college student + not much of a job = pennyless at the moment

Come Nov 8th, though, I'll drop 20-40 bucks in the jar.

 

Dude. I just looked at your post count. You have been busy lately. You are over 4000. Catching up with me.

 

Maybe I'll celebrate my 500th post with a donation of 500 nickels.

 

I just dropped in $20... long overdue for a lurker like me.