The donation bar would seem really desperate... I'm not sure if it would be the best idea to encourage donations either.
'Please donate because we need the money to survive... oh yeah, you'll lose your money if we go under'. : /

Facade;
They could just tack it on to the two notices they already give monthly about the CIs leaving XD

I try to donate when i can, but i'm on a pretty tight budget myself and can think of other things i'd rather spend my money on. I remember when i started gaia i was 17 & use to spend craploads of money on pixels lol. I'm 25 now & have bills coming out the hoohaa. xD

To add on to the counter bar thing, a site I use actually shuts a feature off UNTIL the counter amount is reached, say the server cost.

Annoying yes, but it does get people to donate to get the feature to turn on, it is proven a successful tactic to get the money needed to keep the site running.

Agreed with Rainybows.
And since one month of fail doesn't necesarily mean site will die, I think it would be just a reminder that site DOES cost some real money to maintain, so does your fun here.

I'm not sure of the partnership Gaia has with AnimExpo, but considering it is one of the major state cons, and even a second home con for them, first being Fanime, it's not surprising. For advertising like that, it also cost a lot of money, and they do make it up later with the site.

Mene, should try to branch out more to cons, and not just anime ones. Gaia does ComiCon and WonderCon, they don't do APE, but they do other cons that are not just anime. Host things that are not just anime gathering.

Doesn't take much to get a table at a con, Artist alley is always good, and currently Mene only goes to one con.

Akstar;
That would really suck. o-o; "SORRY RAINBOWS, NO TETRIS THIS MONTH UNTIL YOU GIVE US 1,000 DOLLARS TO EQUAL THAT 1000g YOU'D GET FROM IT <:D"

Akasha;
I don't think they pay their staff members to go to a con for mene, though, do they? It'd require more people willing and able to do it. x:

What options are on the table to get new users anyway?
I'd suggest some things, but I don't want to waste the staff's time with something that isn't realistic.

Does the staff want to simply expand the forums or introduce something big like a pet system to get more gamers?
I do think we need something to draw in the gamer crowd... let's face it, we're just a girly dress-up site for now. xD

I agree with Rainybos, for most, it would make leave the site. @[email protected];

Rainbow: *shrugs* Well they might not choose games as the feature to toggle..I mean they could toggle a different thing, but games might be a good choice since I know a lot of us play those. Sometimes to get to places compromises must happen. Trust me I play the games maybe a bit more often than I do post.

Rainbows: I'm not sure, I forget the 2 of that go, but it's only in Georgia and the staff is already going to it, since they live there and is home con. Gaia does have a fulltime staff member for said con jobs. It started smaller, and the job has expanded. I don't think it would be hard to get some volunteers, be mods or not, and get an artist alley both at different cons for them.

Yeah-- CK and I pay all of our expenses for Momocon ourselves (hotel, food, gas- convention itself is free). Going to conventions, unless we're guests with paid expenses or if Mene could recoup costs through merchandise sales at the con, isn't a realistic idea at this point.

(We don't live in Georgia, though. XD We drive 3-5 hours there.)

Wait..
so if we don't donate...
Mene will die?
:(
I'LL SEND IN 20 WHEN I GET PAID!!!
I PROMISE!!!

The last thing this site needs is to hire someone they don't need. Salaries are always so expensive. D:

Can you guys print some cheap t-shirts instead of merchandise? That might help a little.

I'll be donating tonight as I have a little extra money. I don't want Mene to go away. I'd be so sad!

Well, are they not desperate? This counter concept has worked on a lot of sites, and isn't desperate. It shows that the site needs help in order to survive, which is a common denominator in most forum communities. :lol:

Screen printing would work. I'd buy one when I got the money. I'd like one with Mr. Mayor on it please.

I am still for merchandise when we have got some footing again, cheaper maybe at first, but still.
And ads on the site. And maybe cons, yes, if we could get people who could take part in them.
And the donation bar. -nods-

How much of the staff lives around the country?
I know artist alley tables aren't that expensive, and I've seen people take over tables and run things for stuff that isn't offically there at Fanime. I don't think it would be too hard to get some volunteers for that. Especially if said people are already going to cons.

I'm not saying have to follow Gaia and hire someone like DJ Helsing to run around to cons, wouldn't be smart for them. But it wouldn't help to have user volunteer to do some advertising at cons eiither.

A counter of how much more mene needs to break even would be nice to have... not a "Pay us nao!", but a "We're losing X money this month so far, want to help us stay in business?"

Doing mechandise through cafe press cost nothing, and can be set-up through Insomniac, putting up the ads for it on the site would a be a way to draw some revenue.

Omi- If I lived within reasonable distance of Georgia, I'd go. :ninja: I've almost sent friends that live in atlanta in stead of me, before.. XD *greedy for tshirt omnompeaches*
But even if I don't get to go, I'm glad you two do that for mene :yes: I hope it brings in some new people, along with making some users here happy x3

If it's t-shirts,
I want Victoria on it.

That might be nice. Some people might be willing to help if they knew what was needed per month.

I forgot about cafe press.

@Facade: What kind of site do you see the donation bar thing on though? It's probably not a for-profit site. ;D