fishing for server parts

Okay, this isn't working.

Under moderate loads, the server appears to be cratering again. That's why the user count is lower than usual.

It's not happening nearly as often as before, but we really need a new server. This one just seems to be dying. I'm considering parting with a good portion of my cel collection to buy a server for... guess what? A cel collecting website. Ha.

For the technically keen, here's a shopping list:

- A Xeon or P4 chipset, with matching cpu(s)
- about 1gb LP pc2100ish sdram
- tape drive (ours was never very reliable, I just mirror the site across a few other drives to back stuff up)

Everything else we can salvage from the old machine, I think. I want to work on the site, but I'm going window shopping online for the rest of the night. Bleh.

I really, really hate this server. =/

About how much money is needed for a new server and how quickly is it needed? I'd feel really bad to see you sell your collection for this....maybe something else can be done to raise the money...(when I have an idea, I'll let you know).

I wouldn't sell my *entire* collection. Work's been slow, but I should probably go out and try to get some contract work. One job buys one server. No cels harmed in the process.

There's no urgency to buy a new server now, the only problem is that I can't work on new things for the site until we do. It's just too unstable. Right now it's only doing the database error 1 in 20 times. If I keep messing with it, it might get worse. The remote admin utility that allows me to reboot the server bought the farm many nights ago. I don't think I can convince anyone to go back to server storage to reboot a free website for the second time in two weeks.

Tonight's adventure in instability will probably be the last for a while.

As far as "how much" is concerned, I couldn't ask for that kind of money in good conscience. It's a lot. I don't like panhandling, it makes me feel icky. I'll probably make a webpage where I can pencil in some percentage of any donations starting today towards the "new server fund" though. It'll be like that telethon, minus Celine Dion and Stevie Wonder.

I would sell t-shirts, but CafePress (the only outsourcing site I know of) charges insane base fees. ($16 for a white shirt.)

Anyone out there know any place that offers the same service for less?

I like that T shirt idea. the other thing i can think of, is a coffee mug? What would be really cool, and I would buy, is if either, is personalized. Like, for a shirt, itd have the rubberslug logo, then, a cel of the buyers choice, one they own, and their gallery name printed on the back, same for coffee mug. meh thats probably a tad toooo pricey, but id for sure go for it!

I like the t-shirt idea, maybe there's someplace other than CafePress that can make the shirts. Well, but then you'd have to buy them up front? Ohh well. A coffee mug, or some sort of other thing (can't think what) wouldn't be bad either.