[merk_aus]

DieselMinded,
I understand where you are coming from with what your saying and if your post ever got deleted (unless it just turned into name calling etc) I would never come back to this forum because this is a discussion board which to me means people are entitled to discuss what is on their minds.

I have been working on a Sports Website for almost two years, and finally about to launch it into the public eye after numerous style changes etc to get the right feel. I like you did not select a topic that I thought I could make money out of I had always grown up as a sporting person and loved my sport and am very passionate about my sport however 3 years ago I dislocated my neck and was told I could not play sport any more which is why I thought about and eventually started to create my sports website.

I agree with you that you should be passionate about what your site is about and not in it just for the money...

However over the past two years I have invested over $7000 into my website, taking into account the hosting, domain name, website design, news system, vbulletin forums, vbulletin styles etc etc as you would know the costs just keep mounting not to mention added on extras that are not for the website however are used for the website eg: new phone lines for adsl, and stuff like that.
And when you have a now 7month old son its not always easy explaining to the MRS why you need another $1500 for this or that when there is stuff to buy for the baby however my son will always come first.

My website is now at the point as to we have a steady number of visitiors coming to the site (and once it officially launches we hope that number will grow) and we signed our first sponsor. Now after me personally investing $7000 I am not prepared to invest any more and its going to be riding on what we can earn - however when you look at it that way I am $7000 out of pocket so what I do with the website is any money earned through sponsorship, or advertising etc I will take 10% to slowly pay me back while 90% goes back into the website to improve it - however any donations that are made 100% goes to the website as people are donating to improve the website not to give me my money back.

So I guess what i am trying to say is in some ways it is ok for admins to take a little cut especially if they have forked out there dollars to get that money back. I dont agree with someone making a donation and me going out to get a new pair of nikes however with advertising money if someone paid $1000 from that I would get $100 it looks legit on the books and once that $100 is mine i can then do what i want with it.