Edit:
I'm simply blown away with you goats. I was expecting a somber farewell in this thread but instead you've done the exact opposite; pulled off a rally at the bottom of the 9th. On a personal note, and this may seem sentimental, but you have given me a new hope for Voat at very dark time for me.
All I can say now is: Let's do this! I think your message is clear. We have a ton of work to do, a short window in which to do it, and I fully understand I can't do it alone. We will need all hands on deck if Voat is to have any chance at survival.
I will post the plans I have for Voat as well as a status update on your contributions by Monday.
P.S. Old goats, be nice to the new kids. ;)
Original Post
As I sit here about to write one of the most difficult announcements yet, I was just reminded that my account is one month shy of three years old. Nearly three years ago I came here from Reddit when the vote counts disappeared and I felt I could no longer trust what I saw. Nearly three years ago I met @Atko and started contributing code because I believed in him, his mission, and what he was doing. So much has happened during these last three years.
I know a lot of you are new, but Voat has been through a wild ride, and never at any point was it an easy one. My memories are bittersweet when it comes to Voat. I’ve sacrificed the best years of my life for Voat, I’ve lost my business partner whom I miss a lot, I’ve lost people in my life, I’ve given up golf which was my passion, and even with all this I still believe in Voat. I still see the dire need for Free Speech in this world, I fear a world without it, and I still will do anything I can to continue providing it.
But alas, I am powerless to keep Voat running without financial support. As of right now Voat has no solid commitments. Voat has always needed a financial partner whom had balls of steel and backing deep enough to give Voat the capabilities to run as an actual business (being able to hire staff and set itself apart from its competitors), not just a one man show. Potential investors have one or the other of these traits, but we have yet to find one with both. In this day and age, this is Voat’s unicorn.
In the past Voat has been lucky enough to be part of special programs designed for startup companies which gave us free licensing on various products and significantly reduced hosting costs. These programs have since expired and we are now paying full costs. Last month was our first non-discounted month on Azure and the usage was $6,600.90 USD. Donations, ads, and merchandise only put a dent in this and this is the primary reason why we have not launched another merchandise run. And begging for donations was always something we hated doing.
I’m writing this announcement to prepare this community, and the Voat family, for the possibility of a closure. I’m not certain on timing and I have too much invested in this place to give up just yet, so I cannot provide any timelines. In the meantime, I will soon be scaling back all Voat’s servers by at least 50%. I will also turn off some features that are resource intensive.
Voat needs funding. Without it, Voat will be no more.
Voat needs an Angel
Canary
https://voat.co/v/announcements/1330806
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fairytisya ago
Dont know what to say, that was such a lovely message but also not so good for you and your life. Sometimes you have to stop and give up what you dont what too, only to have something much better and if that is your family I understand. Family come first. I am new to Voat and this is the only site I have found that will not over run a thread and remove their guests from truth or what some see as truth. I talk and come out with many ideas and thoughts and I do so not for me but I know you dont have to remember every word in a book you read, or a sentence, sometimes it is just one word and that alone is enough. Voat will remain online for many years as the good remains and so does the truth. I believe there are a few on this site that will be happy to take over and continue your work,, just screen them all as there will be a few that will destroy it if they take over. No names there . for you you gave up so much and lost to much. I understand that so you need to take back your life and I am with you on that. you cant run a web site if the love in your heart is no longer there. too many good poeple on this site that alone and their good thoughts will keep voat alive. take time out for youself and your family. most people who come to a site like this have lost family and friends, why the 6 o clock news and the tv soap that runs after it makes them stay as if it is desert. my insites tell me there is 1 one this site that will do you good if you were to hand it over. but you yourself comes first. Voat will stay online ... heads up. go do what you have to and come back and make your comments. sorry I do go over the top.