[Duke]

Cost: I hate adding this part!!!

I want to state for the record that I don't want to add this but it's really the only way I can demonstrate how serious I am about finding the original focus of this website. Please do not think I'm standing on my podium begging for your hard earned money, I'm not; all I want is for you all to understand the hidden costs of keeping this place online day in and day out.

The monthly bill to keep Lifesupporters.com online currently stands at between $100 - $110 USD/month with the strong Canadian Dollar helping out somewhat lately. Now I am no millionaire, I've been working the same dead end job half my life so this bill represents a nice chunk of cash I could put towards other things such as my daughters education, RRSP, credit cards, etc. I choose to pay this sum and not complain about it because I just want to help people or give people a vehicle to help themselves.

In other words the money I invest is well spent if it does some good online. The big problem is that I don't feel this money is being spent wisely if it's being dumped into directions other than helping folks.

As for the emotional cost, well it's weighing heavy on me because we simply aren't reaching our target audience. There are people out there who do not represent a minority in that they have issues that need dealing with. I ask you all seriously, what good is a self help or social discussion forum if it doesn't reach people who need it?

The answer is obvious; it does no good at all.

I'm hoping that this is the only part of this "bigger picture" where I may come across as a bit of an a-hole but I have to state it because money has a way of turning many people into complete idiots. It is not, has never been and will never be about the money I spent or continue to spend on this site. If you read this into it you clearly have no clue about the person I am.

I do have a donation system but so do most sites online. I don't have it to pressure anyone into paying a cent nor do I ask for your money; it's only function is to allow those who want to or can afford to contribute a means to do so. I hope it's extremely clear given the above that I'm not here for the money, if I was I would have taken this site offline a long time ago!

All of you contribute your time here and that is more valuable to me than any sum of money so I'd like you to remember this one fact above all else!!!

My point is that if the site continues to morph into something else then it makes more sense for me to focus my dollars elsewhere otherwise I'm simply paying for something I don't want and we all hate it when that happens.