Dear SOS Members and Community,

For our newest members since last year, I want to share that Ships of Scale has an annual Donation drive. It is something we have been doing for several years now.

We continue to do this, as of course, the cost of operating a forum. I also would like to take this time to express sincere appreciation for all the Donations and Gifts during last years Fund Raising events. It is members just like you that keep the ship afloat, if you know what I mean.

Just as a side note, we only "ask" for donations and it is certainly not necessary to be part of this forum. We also do not charge for the use of the forum either.

Therefore, here is the link to make your Donation.
The link is Safe and Secure **

** PayPal focuses all their attention on making sure that every transaction you make through the service is as smooth and secure as possible.
The service automatically encrypts all transactions using secure sockets layer (SSL) protocol technology with 128-bit encryption. PayPal also performs server checks to ensure customers are using an approved browser (supporting SSL 3.0 or higher) for web-based transactions.
PayPal offers a strong purchase protection program for buyers, and follows the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), a set of standards also followed by credit card companies to secure user data and protect against theft and fraud.
It's important to note that PayPal acts as a secure intermediary, never exposing credit card numbers or bank account information during a transaction, which can happen if you use your credit card on other sites.


Further reading will express the justification of such fund raising and I hope you all will agree: As membership grows, it is expected that server space is adjusted to compensate. This is a good thing for everyone such as more involvement, more kit Build Logs, more Scratch Builders, and all other sorts of elements that go along with the building process. It is all about the community of like minded. It is all about the community enjoying this truly adventurous hobby that keeps us engaged and ever learning new things. It is also about building freindships across the globe.

We are an open community. We do not mind sharing our faults, failures and accomplishments. Our health and wellbeing. Also, we share our downtime as many of us have suffered and endured fights with Cancer, loss of loved ones and grieving. We lift each other up when hard times avail and pat each other on the back with a job well done on that completed model.

We stand firm and dedicated to the advancement of this hobby. These are the things that makes Ships of Scale different.
Several of you asked about where our Donations go to and I think it is appropriate to mention a few items here of where our funds go.

This is a basic list of things we take care of:
  • Hosting Company / Cloud Server cost
  • Domain Name Annual cost
  • Annual License renewal for Core Forum Software
  • Annual License renewal for added feature sets for site enhancements.
  • Occasional consultant payments to software developers for assistance for the support that goes beyond my particular expertise.

So, with this said, I just want to conclude that I personally thank each of you for your support to keep the best ship building forum alive and well. What makes us the best - its community and relationships.


Sincerely,

Donald B. Driskell (@Donnie)
SOS since ca 2007