I was also thinking, to get more support for the site… Videos?
what about letting supporters upload short clips?
The only thing I’m thinking might kybosh that is it would cost more, right?
Other than that. I wouldn’t change a thing. 
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I completely agree. I feel this would keep people who are in restricted areas to feel more secure posting on a members only site.
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To me this goes against everything OG stands for. There are many lurkers out there and while they don’t really help OG, OG sure helps them. Many don’t actually sign up for one reason or another, and I personally would hate to see those people cut off from the wealth of knowledge Overgrow provides. Just my opinion but I would really hate to see OG restricted in such a way. It just doesn’t feel right to me. 
Edit: Also, when I say they don’t help OG, that’s not entirely accurate. They still count as site traffic and ads are still displayed for them. I asked @LemonadeJoe if leaving banner ads on helped the site when he gave supporters the ability to turn them off. He stated they did so I left ads turned on. So by cutting off the lurkers, it’s taking away revenue as far as I understand it.
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This would hurt @LemonadeJoe and OG. It would remove us from Google, which we at the moment have very good standing with. When new and old growers Google problems or strain info, we are high up on the search results. This is how a forum organically grow and closing down things behind a membership door would completely remove this influx in people.
The extra people who are not register are helping us more then you know.
Take me for example, I lurked and was a frequent reader for 6 months before I signed up. I’m generally not a fan of these type of forums, but it was from reading I understood that this forum was different then for example ICM and RIU…
Pz 
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I also agree.
In general i am against the elitism and gatekeeping that is prevalent in some of the cannabis community/scene.
It always feels too much like crabs in a bucket energy to me
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Oh trust and believe the elitism goes on here as well @leetdood . I come across it all the while. If you’re not in that elitist group here you can forget about getting certain seeds from certain members, but they’ll gladly and quickly send to those in their elite group while bypassing you like you don’t exist smh. Thought Overgrow was better than this but it’s here…
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I don’t think this is any of our business. I wouldn’t expect a full accounting and it’s really not my place to ask. Do you want to ask how much money this place makes or doesn’t make? What does Joe take for a salary? Is it too much? None of our business.
I agree with @DougDawson. This is not a private community. The world is welcome as far as I’m concerned. The only risk is the occasional scammer which is true for everywhere else in the world. It’s just something that needs to be accepted. If you’re going to be open there’s a chance you’ll get burned. That’s life. Don’t be charitable if you can’t accept ingratitude.
There are ways to contribute that don’t involve hard cash, even a little, a month. I get why that’s the goal but support is more complicated than a few bucks.
How much traffic do seed giveaways create?
How much money is raised through private fundraising?
These are rhetorical questions I do not expect answers too.
Even just sharing knowledge and bringing people together is a form of support “overgrow is awesome they helped me I’m going to tell all of my friends” is a powerful thing.
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I would give caution to such unfavorable criticism. Everyone tends his own garden and diposes its product as he sees fit. There should be no expectations attached.
I try to share as much as I can when I can. Sometimes, that’s a good amount. Other times, it’s none. I’ve developed friendships with several other members through various interactions for various reasons, and I would tend to prioritize them when they ask for something.
Make seeds in your garden. Share them with other members. Before you know it, you’ll be overflowing with options.
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whoops my bad, lost my head for a second. Sometimes I surprise myself with how little common sense i sometimes have.
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Im sure more than a few of us dabble in the illegal arts. Just try to keep it less than a felony.
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I could’ve used that advice for sure when I was 18 and 22……. and 27. Thank you for the heads up.
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I have done this @Tracker you can see my grow journal by clicking on my profile pic and seeing the link. Have sent out loads of authentic Jamaican Lambsbread and Blue Mountain but because those aren’t by some famous breeder from a pack, it’s like they’re unworthy for trading to those elitist. I bet when I start growing out those beans received with breeder names, I won’t have the same issues. They’ll be more open, well except for the ones that are going to be in their feelings because this post hitting close to home… but it needs to be said. I might’ve just joined this Overgrow but I’m from the original Overgrow. My credentials for growing goes back way further than this site, that’s all I’m a say on that. Happy growing to all and be blessed.
*Weed is weed and it’s all bagseed til you grow it out. Stop feeling superior cause you spent money on some packs, doesn’t look good for the community…
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So are you saying you feel some are elitists because they don’t want to trade their breeder name brand seeds for just anything? It’s strange, I have been here for years and not seen what you are talking about. Well, you are entitled to you opinion.
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Big thanks to @mndlss and everyone else who continues to support Overgrow, whether you’ve just joined Patreon or even increased your pledge. I truly appreciate it!
Thanks to everyone who shared their ideas. The idea that @BTYGMO mentioned (requiring supporter status for specific parts of site or features that a user would personally benefit from) is intriguing. It’s an interesting concept that could be worth exploring, maybe through anonymous polls.
The site should remain open to new members and publicly accessible in the future. I’m opposed to changing OG into a private server. I don’t think it there are any real benefits to it.
I also appreciate the honesty in why people choose to support the platform!
As for the “visual progress bar” idea, I’m unsure. It could definitely be motivating, but there’s also a chance it could have the opposite effect. 
@PsillyRabbit, The problem with companies in general is that they bring more advertisement 
The support directly from members on the other hand provides independence, which is a huge benefit.
@KrakenKultivation, great suggestion! I’ve added the “Support OG” link to the sidebar.
@leetdood, I completely agree that being transparent is key to building trust. I tried to give a rough breakdown in my original post, but here’s a bit more detail.
The biggest expense, by far, is my time. Running a platform like Overgrow takes constant attention, not just for the servers and software, but for the community itself.
Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Servers - Hosting & Housing Costs: These can range from $300 to $500 per month, depending on traffic and saving for future hardware needs.
- Software & Tools: We spend $100 to $300 per month on security, graphic design, development tools, and licenses.
- Time: The most significant cost is my time. Managing the site involves everything from server maintenance and user support to resolving disputes and building new features.
To put it in perspective, a typical full-time DevOps engineer earns around $100,000 to $150,000 per year in US. Here in EU salaries tend to be lower… My goal is currently to reduce my main job to half-time so I can fully devote myself to OG.
That’s why I’m encouraging more member support. It’s not just about covering the operational costs. It’s about freeing up time to focus entirely on making Overgrow the best it can be. With stable support, we’d be able to raise the bar for everyone.
Thanks again for all your input and support!
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@DougDawson you wouldn’t see it because everyone loves and reveries you. This doesn’t apply to you, you more than kind with your sharing and everyone sees it (even though the elitist would consider you one of them). It applies to the ones that brag about having a humongous collection, more than they’ll ever be able to grow but when you contact them for a few (small trades) all of sudden they don’t have any seeds or want you to wait for seeds from an upcoming breeding (that’ll you’ll probably never get cause it’s so far away in the future). That’s what I mean by elitist mentality and they probably got me blocked or muted by now but I don’t care. I’m a still keep growing and smoking that fire with or without them. They know who they are, hit dogs gonna holla. If it don’t apply let it fly (there are lots of kind members that I’ve dealt with and you all know who you are, I appreciate every last one of you)!
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well in the scenario i mentioned above the product they are giving is the advertisement,
We would be supporting directly for the chance to win.
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I think you are right DD - I got a PM from LJ a few days after supporting through Patreon and also the chance to personalise my title etc. suddenly appeared in my account details
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Yes, it appears to be the case and also it was mentioned above and on Patreon that if you don’t use the same email as you do on Overgrow, to reach out to @LemonadeJoe .
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Ok, ok. This is bs and I didn’t want to bring this up here, but you leave me no choice.
You have an interesting way of making you the victim here.
I posted earlier how if anyone needs beans hit me up.
1 minute later I received a dm from MMS, I must say a very demanding dm. Not even saying hello or anything.
I reminded him that less than 2 months ago I had shipped him 4 flips of OG donated beans. After he told me he had nothing to grow… Then I noticed his, “growing 150 plants outside” in 2024 and thought to myself… Hmmm looks like he’s got more than enough grow…
So I off him beans that I planning on making in the future, no problem man. Your on the list…
This message got a response from him similar to what he is bitching about.
“why do I have to wait for your seeds? Send me what’s on my list. I know you have it”
I’m sorry but I’ve told MMS to go pound sand and loose his “entitled” attitude and to never contact me again.
This has become my first bad experience dealing with anyone on OG.
I was actually thinking of getting LJ involved but thought better then to trouble him with some bs.
But here you are trying to play the victim.
Tell the hole truth… Oh look, an ignore feature.
Y’all can make up your own mids on this. But trust your gut.
Lz
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Ive had a similar experience. Very intitled, like i sent everyone in the world a few flips except him. I dont care how long youve been growing for, you’re a taker. Another one ignored
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