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This is just a quick update post to let folks know about a couple things that have changed on the blog and on the main site.
Amazon associates
The blog is now running Amazon associate links. This means if you click on a link on the blog and then purchase something a small percentage of your purchase will go back to the blog. This isn’t up charged to the consumer. Instead Amazon simply pays it out to the blog themselves.
You will also notice a link at the top of most Blog pages that reads
“Support the blog by clicking through to Amazon and shopping!”
If you use this link to access Amazon and buy something in the next 24 hours it counts towards our referrals and the blog will get a small percentage. In addition if you click on a blog link including the main link at the top of the pages and add an item to your cart it counts for 90 days.
You really don’t have to do anything, you just click through to Amazon and when you buy stuff like normal you support the blog for free. The couple dollars here and there will be used to offset server costs and future blog projects. If you use Amazon this is the best way to help us out and to ensure the blog and main BSG site stay around and active.
Currently the Amazon links are set to auto direct you to the Amazon store nearest to your location. This doesn’t always work 100% of the time. If it is bringing you to the wrong store you can go to the Affiliated Products and Services page and copy the url for the store you wish to visit. You can then bookmark the page or create a desktop shortcut for the link and use it to access Amazon.
If you don’t use amazon we have also set it up for eBay as well.
eBay Affiliated Links
If you use eBay and would like to help out the blog, you can do the same thing as Amazon. If you go to the Affiliated Products and Services page there are links for eBay store fronts depending on your country and language. Clicking through with one of those links and buying something in the next 24 hours means the blog will get a small percentage of the money spent. Like with amazon this is not up charged to the consumer, rather eBay pays it to the blog.
Whether you use Amazon or eBay this is a really great way to help out the blog and you don’t even have to do anything that special. Just click on an Amazon or eBay link and shop as normal and when you buy something you help us out.
ko-fi, buy a contributor a coffee
You will notice under a contributor’s posts in their author box there is now a link to buy them a coffee. This is done through the ko-fi website and uses PayPal. If you wanted to say buy Hannibal a coffee you could click on the link at the bottom of his post and buy him a coffee. The checkout process is handled completely through PayPal and the money goes directly to him not the blog.
This is a great way to support someone who writes on the blog and who you enjoy reading. All future contributors will have a ko-fi link if they want one, but overall it is their choice whether or not they want people to have the ability to donate to them. It has already been around for a week and it has been a great success. Thanks to those who do choose to support folks who write on the blog. The blog sure doesn’t make enough to cover server costs let alone paying contributors at this point, and it is greatly appreciated.
Thanks to Jade @t4ilz777 on twitter for pointing me in the direction of the ko-fi website. She also has a blog called Jaidie’s Words you should go check out.
Hosting and moving update
In June the Bsg main site and the BSG Blog are going to be moving to a VPS instead of the current shared hosting plan. This has been in the works for a couple months now and all the pieces are finally in order to start the move. There are multiple reasons for this. One of them is pages will run allot faster and everything will be much more smooth and responsive when visiting the sites. Also there are some different things in the works and being on a VPS will allow for us to expand and try out some new things that have been discussed and planned out.
Hopefully this won’t effect anyone in any real way. The Site email may be down for a little bit, and there may be some very short site downtime during the transfer. Overall I’m not expecting any issues, a test move has already been accomplished without any problems so hopefully nothing goes wrong.
This pretty much sums up the new things for the blog and the BSG site. The Affiliated Products and Services page isn’t written for the main BSG site yet but it will be in the next week or so. If you use Amazon or eBay clicking through from the blog will help us out a lot and it won’t cost you anything. If you have any issues with links bringing you to the wrong place feel free to send a tweet to @bsg_blog and I’ll try to figure out the problem.