Support This Site: Become a WW2 Forums Patron

When I founded the WW2 Forums in the year 2000, I wanted to create a place for discussion and research about the Second World War with the content maintained online. The two overarching concepts were permanence and accessibility. Permanence in that all messages, postings, and research should be kept online allowing researchers to visit threads years later and find relevant information. Accessibility in that I'd make the information available to as many people as possible with as little effort on their end as possible. In time, a bustling little community of rogues formed around our common interest in the Second World War.

For sixteen years these WW2 Forums have offered a place for discovery, discussion, and research about World War Two. In internet terms sixteen years is an eternity. The once mighty MySpace.com (remember that site?) was founded in late 2003, a full three years after the WW2 Forums went live. In those sixteen years, many WW2 websites went dark for a variety of reasons, but the WW2 Forums remained steadfast. Not only did we stay active, in 2007 we rescued a second discussion board in the form of WW2 Talk, this one with a Commonwealth focus. Headed by an entirely separate and very astute administration team, WW2 Talk flourished into its own significant contribution WW2 research. Over the past 9 years our two "sister" sites have coexisted, examining the Second World War in depth from very different perspectives.

The recent launch of our third sibling site, the WW2 Open Resource Group, (WW2.ORG) represents our continuing effort to preserve research and keep it accessible. Very early in it's development, the site will serve as an online WW2 encyclopedia as well as an archive to preserve copies of important primary resource documents for research and citation purposes.

The maintenance of this nexus of sites is a not insignificant expenditure of time, effort, and resources. There are server fees, software licenses, domain registrations, and the like which amount to thousands of dollars annually. Our current advertising system is a welcome help but is beginning to fall short of our financial demands. To maintain and expand this WW2 network, we are giving members the option to become Patrons of the WW2 Forums. For a small donation a member can now become a site Patron for a one year term and know they are helping these sites stay operational.

There are two ways to support this site: (you can do either one or if you prefer, employ both options)

Become a Patron. The cost is $33 USD for one year term. Patrons will get a badge on their profile, along with a few other small perks. You can do this by Upgrading your WW2F Account to Patron Status. Note that you must already be a registered member to upgrade your account.​

Make an Open Donation. If you want to make a one time donation in any amount, make a $5 per pay period contribution, or donate a single dollar. You can do this by clicking the Open Donation button on the WW2F Patron Page.​

I sincerely think this site serves a worthy role for WW2 research. If you also think it is worthwhile and can spare it, why not support our effort here? If you do so, know that you are making a tangible difference in our future as a network of WW2 websites.

We do have specific and immediate goals we'd like to accomplish here at the site. If you become a Patron of the WW2 Forums, here is what you are enabling us to improve the site and secure our future:
-Transfer of web hosting to a new more reliable server
-Migration to a new, more powerful discussion forum platform
-enlistment of professional services to conduct a full and proper database migration
-extension of domain registration for 5 years (WW2F.com, & WW2.org), indicating our commitment to stability through the year 2021
-Re-establishment of the Member Gallery

Details & Questions:
We've already had some inquiries on supporting the site and becoming a Patron. I've compiled the answers here and will add any new information to this section as it is published.

15 July 2016 - Patron badge start date
Please be aware that we will moving to a new server and migrating to new forum software, and the current interface will be rebuilt (that's a main purpose of your contribution!). As a result there it will not be possible to implementing the Patron status on the current platform as it will be removed very shortly. To resolve this, anyone registering for Patron status in the next 30 days will have their one year term commence 15 July 2016.

Non Paypal Users:
For users who don't want to use PayPal, you can become a Patron or donate directly by mail. For details please Private Message me or email me at


No Change to Existing Memberships
The addition of Patron status does not change any aspect of current site memberships. We'd certainly appreciate any member who donated or became a Patron, but if you don't do so you still have full access to the site as always.

Are we becoming pay only site?
No, and we never will.

 

Thanks for the comments Gaines, and thanks so much for becoming the very first Patron! I wanted to give options for people to support us if they wanted to.

Mussolini, the perks will be rather small. Patrons will get a few more PMs in their storage, a few more MB in the gallery, and of course the badge. The real change will be a restoration of the features we had a few years back. Our current platform (Invision Power Board) proved to be incredibly difficult to implement alterations to the site because the administrative side is so nebulous. Patrons will give us the ability to restore access to the members gallery, organized smilies, a better looking skin to the site, etc. The Patron badge will look something like the below example. This is not a final copy, but you get the idea.


KJ Jr, I'd love to offer beer a long as you are buying! Maybe a nice bottle of Panzer Grenadier?

 

I'm trying to become a Patron, but when I click the link, Paypal wants to ship money to me. What am I doing wrong?

 

Look at the Professor, jumping on out there. Way to go, Lou, also.

 

I think I did it! Let me know if it is made.

 

Yes to all three of you. I'm sincerely thankful gentlemen.

 

This site was my lifeline during my illness. The donation was the least I could do. Thanks, Otto.

 

Thanks all those who have contributed thus far. I appreciate your generosity and support. Touching to be honest.

 

Yeah, my children are going without a new pair of shoes. Jump on out there boys...and girls.

 

Just a couple weeks ago I had decided to let a newspaper subscription expire. Strangely the cost was $36.00 a year? It occurs to me I mentioned this to my wife while sitting in front of the computer with (of course) the WW2f screen open. Coincidence ????? Forget about Big Brother :sunglasses-peek:

 

Two more commitments right there, USMCPrice and Biak! Thank you gentlemen.

And yes Biak, I am secretly conducting a NSA style monitoring system on all Rogues. Don't worry, it's just metadata!