Like any company, GameDev.net has ongoing expenses, including server and hosting fees, software licenses, other operating expenses. As most of you are aware, we are primarily funded by advertising, which allows us to keep the site freely available. With the economic downturn, advertising has slowed considerably. We're still getting by, but things are rough, and we want to make sure we're still around in the future, no matter what happens with the economy.

So how can you help?

1. You can directly donate to us. We'll be recognizing everyone who donates above a certain threshold by including a special award under your avatar in forum posts, at the $5, $100, and $500 level (these levels will reflect the total of all of your contributions over time). Use the link below and be sure to include your username!
   
   
2. If you'd like to do something more formal, you can sign up for a GDNet+ membership.
3. If you shop at Amazon.com, be sure to do so using our referral link. This gives us a small commission on everything you buy, and doesn't cost you anything extra. The easiest way to do this is to bookmark this link and use it every time you go to Amazon. You can also use any of the links from our books section. (Additional links to UK, Canada, France and Germany)
4. Buy from our CafePress GameDev.net store or CafePress imakegames store.

If everyone who has benefited from GameDev.net will do one or more of these things, it will make a huge difference and we'll be able to cover our expenses for years to come.

One final word: if you are using ad blockers on GameDev.net, please disable them. We've taken efforts over the years to remove intrusive ads from the site, and as this article explains, you're hurting us even if you never click on ads.

On behalf of the GameDev.net owners and staff, thank you for your support.