To: All our loyal community members –

Wow, has it been seven years already?

The Druids Grove started off as a fledgling site devoted to all things about the Everquest Druid. As the druids’ role in the MMO universe has grown, so has the Grove. We now host forums for Everquest, Everquest II, World of Warcraft, and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes – we’ve even opened our doors to non-druid specific sites like the Priests’ Haven.

Even during our humble beginnings, the Druids Grove has always been a site run by its members. Our mods and admins are all volunteers, our coders and artists pitch in whenever they can, and our operating costs were always covered by the generous donations of our community.

So ‘Grovers, we’re looking back to you guys again.

‘Tis the season for giving (yeah, yeah, a used up line, I know) and your community needs you now more than ever.

If we do not raise a bare minimum of $2500 in donations by the end of December, all Grove sites will be shut down come this new year.

We’ve never had ads
We’ve never had pop-ups
We’ve never “sold out” to anyone

$2500 will get us through to the new year, but donations have been slow all around. We know things are tight for a lot of folks and many would give if they could. We’re not asking for every cent that you’ve got, but just for you to consider what having the Grove around means to you.

So this holiday season, please think about donating to keep this place around!

Please Read this before proceeding: http://eq.forums.thedruidsgrove.org/showthread.php?p=214575#post214575

<center>http://www.thedruidsgrove.org/elements/donate/donate.jpg (http://eq.forums.thedruidsgrove.org/donate.php)</center>

I just logged onto TDG for the first time in a long time. I haven't played EQ for years (except a little during the progression free month hehe ;) ) but I've put a donation in for this as I really appreciate the work you guys have done for us druids (and ex-druids) over the years. I really hope others do the same.

Anyway, really just wanted to say thank you for all your efforts past and present and have a happy holiday season :)

Cheers
Telaman

Threw in 20 bucks - hope it helps.

$50.00 will be donated around the 3rd of december. If at the end of December still need more will try to help out more beginning of January.

I donated $25 hope it helps some, love this site!!!!

We have collected a total of 77.8% of our goal. (Updated: 11-27-2006, 07:25 AM)

I got a email about our efforts to collect this amouth from our community and I responded with the fact that if 10% of our Registered members donated $1.00 each we would meet our goal. If 2% of our Registered members gave $5.00 each (just over 500 members) we would meet our goal.

Lurkerz (unregistered community members) are welcome to donate! They are part of our community and our community has never require membership to view our community; just to post.

As always if your having any problems registering to our forums a quick email to admin@thedruidsgrove.org with your email and name that you tried to registered under will get your posting rights active.

Thank you from the Staff for all those who have donated and those that are going to donate.

Happy Holidays!

Sobe Silvertree
TDG Network Admin
The Druids Grove
Priest Haven Forums

I will be donating of course. I need to wait a few weeks, so look for mine around December.

Haven't been to this site in a long time now ever since I switched over to a WoW Warlock, but you guys are my favorite druid site of all time and I have a feeling it's in my best interest for you all to remain around...I'm very tight right now but I chipped in a few bucks.

Good luck!

Thank you all who have donated so far. We are making ground but we need to push a little bit harder to make our goal.

If you love Grove it's time to buck up. Just a few dollars will help!!!

This Pally donated! Good luck guys and gals!

Haven't played my EQ druid in a long time but am playing a WoW druid. This is too good of site for information (& memories of EQ) so chipped in a fiver.

Cymtaeg - WoW
Cymraeg - EQ - formerly Mith Marr server

Chipped in too.

=)

First off I personally want to thank you for your donation and I will be so bold to say "The entire community thanks you for your donations".

We are almost to our goal.

Supporter Tags!

Just so everyone knows I have to update your accounts manually.

There is a message on the Donation Page http://eq.forums.thedruidsgrove.org/donate.php (http://eq.forums.thedruidsgrove.org/donate.php) that states the following:

(Adding this soon)
MAKE SURE YOU ARE LOGGED INTO THE "EVERQUEST SECTION OF THE BOARD" Same username and password that you use for EQ, EQ2 and WOW usernames on "The Druids Grove" Share the same username Database. When you fill out your Paypal put your Username in the Notes Section (Username for the Druids Grove or Priest Haven).



When your paypal payment is complete please click, "Return to Merchant".
We need you to do this so your TDG Username is recorded in our database.


For those who saw this and clicked "Return to Merchant" our system was updated; THANK YOU!!! Saves me a lot of time. Those Community Members have a Donor Tag in there Profile. (example: http://eq.forums.thedruidsgrove.org/member.php?u=1 (http://eq.forums.thedruidsgrove.org/member.php?u=1) (look in the right bottom corner of the Profile)

As for the Support Tag (that one that shows under your name every time you post) I have to do those Manually. I have sent out several emails already for those who have different emails tied to there paypal account. Please check those and respond so I update your tags.

If you did not get an email; possible that a spam engine has eaten it. Please contact me direct with your username of TDG and the email in which your paypal receipts go to; I can then crosscheck your receipt (which I get one) and with your username (the druids grove username or Priest Haven username) and update your account. You do get more privileges each year you donate. If something is incorrect please contact me via PM or admin@thedruidsgrove.org (admin@thedruidsgrove.org) (best if its PM) so you know I got the message; and I will correct it.

<center>http://www.thedruidsgrove.org/elements/donate/donate.jpg (http://eq.forums.thedruidsgrove.org/donate.php)</center>

Thank you,

Sobe Silvertree
TDG Network
Druids Grove Forums (Registered Trademark US/UK)
Priest Haven Forums

Chipped in also :texla:

LOL, im sitting here at my computer waiting for midnight for my paycheck to hit my account so i can transfer the funds to paypal/druidsgrove LOL. Im too addicted.:epopcorn:

this site has been my guide for many mny years donatated just wish i had more

thank you for all your hard work keeping this site as it should be

I'm in the process of re-upping for our guild website and have been looking at pricing from the various providers. Granted I'm a non-techie type so excuse the ignorance, but I was just curious on why it costs so much to host The Grove. I've seen 5tb bandwidth/500gb storage for as little as $70.00 a month. Granted thats a shared hosting price, but if its the choice between a dedicated server and shutting the site down I would hate to see the site close.
Of course you didn't say specifically it was a hosting renewal so I could be missing part of the cost. Good luck with it in any case :)

I can't say for certain, but I imagine the CPU usage for TDG would be too high to run on shared hosting. As it is, we've had problems with CPU usage.

Yup. Remember that the pages that make up this site are not static, but dynamic and database driven.

Yrys would be correct, it's not the amount of bandwith. It's about the amount of processing power this site uses. TDG is pure MySQL/PHP driven. So at any given time you have 200-500 people scanning, inserting and reading our database tables.

500 people viewing a HTML page is alot different then 500 people reading a MySQL/PHP file. For me to even view this thread, I've made 66 queries to the server. Another 20-30 when I hit reply. ect ect ect.

In short, TDG pays for this servers "rental". TDG pays VB $130(forgot the final number) a year just to have access for VB updates. The VB fee is each site, so 130 x 4. It just all adds up and becomes a beast to maintain.

We tried 2 shared hosts years ago, both kicked us off.

Also to add to what Rahj said, we have an AMAZING server. I forgot the exact stats ( it's on some old post here somewhere ) but its something like an Illudium Q36 Explosive Space Modulator.

Also to add to what Rahj said, we have an AMAZING server. I forgot the exact stats ( it's on some old post here somewhere ) but its something like an Illudium Q36 Explosive Space Modulator.

I may have to pick up a Q36 ESM so I can stop locking up in Icefall and Vald any time I have FOE on :)

Thanks for the responses!

Also to add to what Rahj said, we have an AMAZING server. I forgot the exact stats ( it's on some old post here somewhere ) but its something like an Illudium Q36 Explosive Space Modulator.
On numerous occasions Marvin has tried to destroy the Earth (it obstructs his view of Venus) with his "Uranium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator", which resembles a mere stick of dynamite (The original reference to "Uranium PU-36" changed to "Illudium PU-36" in subsequent cartoons. Some people mistake the sound of "PU" for a "Q" and say "Q-36." However, the weapon's name is derived from the letters "PU" which coincidentally is the atomic symbol for Plutonium—named for the dwarf planet Pluto).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_the_Martian

Marvin pronounces it as "pew" rather than saying P.U., so it is easy to understand why people think it is Q. If you listen closely to this you will hear the P clearly:
http://www.cartoonspot.net/looney-tunes/sound/Marvin01.wav

i know of a hosting site that might be able to hook Thedruidsgrove up..... i can put in a word with them. www.abstracthosting.com (http://www.abstracthosting.com) its my good friends site used to play eq and all that plays wow now... i might be able to talk him into something

Donation made--thanks for the good info!

I see that the announcement is all but 1% recieved, congrats on a good money drive.
Looking forward to continued use of the site.

I donated :)

Just donated...according the the donation page, that should have put us over the top! Can't let a good thing go! Keep up the awesome work.

Benyen

Thanks all for the help, it is enormously appreciated :) /poke Benyen

A small amount on the way from me, €10. Hope it helps :)