Due to vicious lies, rumors, and childish drama being spread by a well known and reputed developer and at least one other well-known individual in the Android scene, I've decided to make it known that I had to incur a significant amount of debt ($5,000) to rebuild AllDroid last year. When I decided to bring AllDroid back, I did it for the community, my passion for Android, and I was willing to take on the risk because I fully believed that this cost wouldn't be an issue but it's become clear that I hoped for too much and if AllDroid is to survive, I need your support. I can't do this on my own as things are now. AllDroid is for the community, not me, and definitely NOT for profit.
The site now has a user-base just shy of 14,000 users. If 1/3 of that user-base donated $1 (or everyone donated $0.33), I could repay that debt and could happily call the 100's of hours I've put into the site and community my contribution. I'm in no position to take on the debt myself and if the site had the traffic I expected it to, that likely would have been taken care of entirely within a couple years though the advertising campaigns on the site alone. Clearly traffic isn't going to be the solution though since AllDroid is no longer as popular as the other sites who run for profit (and not the community) and hence have money to do give-aways and what not. It's also become more of a trend that developers run their own sites instead of using forums like AllDroid.
I have put myself "out there" for a year and a half now, against much resistance, building the site back up from NOTHING (that is, building the framework so that users like yourself could populate it), and because I don't do anything with 1/2 an effort, this has been a real personal and sometimes heart-breaking endeavor for me.
To continue to take on the burden of the debt in addition to the abuse I've received recently from people I've tried SO hard to help and people I've gone out of my way to forgive and AGAIN try to help, is something I think nobody should expect me to do and so I don't think any reasonable person should find it wrong for me to announce this collection (I've done others, but always for developers or public projects). I don't doubt that many will have something to say but to them I ask, "What have you suffered to see Android succeed?"
If I don't see a strong response to this plea for support, I will take it to mean that AllDroid is no longer wanted and that will dictate where the site goes from here. If the debt can be resolved (or even a strong portion covered), then I be justified in keeping the site as-is which means continuing to support developers in every way I can (such as buying plane tickets, development hardware, assisting with personal issues, etc..) which is what I'd prefer. I can only do this with the help of the community.
If you are a developer, you could also help just by posting your work on AllDroid and supporting users who would interact with you on this site. That brings traffic which helps more than you might expect. One developer in recent history did an exclusive release of a popular ROM here and it generated enough revenue that I was able to buy his round-trip ticket from FL to CA for Google I/O.
If you are a user but not a developer, you can help by productively participating in forums and spreading the word.
Once this debt is covered, I have additional plans for AllDroid that will be a community first and should benefit everyone if I can get some participants. Just know that AllDroid exists to support developers so they can do what they do best and in that way I hope to help Android progress and thrive. It is up to the community whether AllDroid becomes what everyone wants (the next phase) or just disappears.
Rainabba
Use the form below to make a donation to AllDroid using PayPal. Your donation will be noted and you will be recognized as a sponsor of AllDroid.org
Your Shirt/Sweater size and shipping address are requested because eventually AllDroid hopes to provide noveltly wear to members who donate above a certain threshold (to be determined, and if the main site debt can be resolved). Of course, this is optional.