Just a few days left before Halloween – and before we reach the end of the month. We’re about a a third of a tank low (see pie chart)Â as of Tuesday morning – so I thought I’d post a little note to let everyone know and (hopefully) we’ll make up the deficit before the end of the month.
You guys have always come through before. I’m confident you will again. 
Also: I am sending out a bunch of EPautos magnets in the mail today. I know I sometimes get behind on this; please accept my apologies for this. I’m a one-man show and sometimes one thing gets put on the back burner so I can focus on whatever’s more pressing – like this debacle of a (s)election. And – the latest – plans by the Feds to regulate the “greenhouse gas” emissions of heavy trucks. Very little has been written about this potentially devastating new development. I should have something for you by tomorrow morning.
Stay tuned!
My supply of magnets (and stickers) is also running low. I need to re-order a fresh batch but (here it is again) that takes funds and hence this appeal.
So, if you can, please help keep things going. EPautos isn’t a corporate-funded PR organ; it’s just me and – as long as I can afford him – my computer guy, Ben.
If you dig what we do, throw us a bone!
Our donate button is here.
 If you prefer not to use PayPal, our mailing address is:
EPautos
721 Hummingbird Lane SE
Copper Hill, VA 24079
EPautos stickers – new design, larger and magnetic! – are free to those who send in $10 or more to support the site.
Hi Eric,
I’m a long time reader, but perpetually broke, so I (shamefully) have not yet sent a donation. I’m hoping I can help you out in another way, without coming off like I’m doing *myself* a favor.
I have accounts with a few different “trade” printers, having briefly run a printing/mailing broker business, and I can get your magnets printed at my cost (i.e. zero profit for me). That may save you a few bucks, depending on what you’re currently paying.
If that sounds like a good idea to you, please email me. If not, best wishes, and I’m still a huge fan.
Cheers,
Sean
I realized that a $10 per month subscription doesn’t hurt me at all and it keeps me from forgetting to kick in on the sites I visit to run my keyboard and crack my corny ass jokes.
Anyways…. you think maybe the techie could restore the feature in the latest comments sidebar that links to the comment? I always liked that part and was sorry to see it had disappeared. The new site is great. I like that the comments thread properly now. I kinda miss the old dashboard feature, but I’ll get over that.
Hi Ed,
Thanks – and, yes, I will ask him (Ben) about that!
Looks like he got it working. way to go, Ben.
Ben is the dude! 🙂
Can’t I just vote for somebody who will take money out of my neighbor’s pocket, even if he disagrees with us, and give it to you? It’s the American way! 😉
As for site problems. Man, if it were my site, I’d just find some free code from the late 90’s, for a very simple site, on which you could post artilces, and have comments; keep it real basic and simple. It’s be fast loading; quick and easy to edit; uncluttered and easy to navigate; and wouldn’t brake/make you lose stuff. It’d be completely under your own control.
I mist those simple old sites.
All the “improvements” since those days, just seem to eat up bandwidth and cause problems.
Or just even a basic site, with a service like Disqus for the comments (they don’t seem to censor, thus far, anyway).
Hi Nunzio, et al,
EPAutos uses WordPress, which is a Content Management System (CMS) based on PHP with use of an SQL database on the backend. This allows dynamic creation of content on the fly. It’s more complex and typically has lots of exploitable security holes. But without such systems, and there are hundreds, sites would be very bland and difficult to present in a timely manner. The problem with Disqus is that one needs an account to use it for commenting….Another point of attack IMO.
Hi Eric,
It looks like a bunch of comments got flushed again.
Jeremy
Hi Jeremy,
Yeah… we did a reboot…
Lost the Ford Q3 article… anyone have a copy?
Scratch that – found it!
Now I’m looking for the Libertarian driver one…
Backups! You gotta talk to your new tech guy about doing regular backups. Without backups you can lose the entire site in the blink of an eye.
I know… 🙂
The problem is this is a shoestring operation… notwithstanding the traffic (which is pretty yuge). I’m a writer, dammit. The making money part eludes me…
Believe me I’m sympathetic, my entire life is a shoestring operation! (I’m going to try getting together a few bucks to send you next month though.)
You might want to ask your guy what it would take to have the site backed up so you have an idea of the cost. Maybe it’s something you can aim for. (There are some pretty inexpensive solutions but the best way to do it depends on how you’re set up.) Would hate to see epautos just disappear because of a hard drive crash or some such thing.
Yup… about 400 people viewing right now… it’s crazy.
I ought at least to be able to make a living. Rich, I’m not particularly interested in. Just to make enough to keep on kicking the Clovers where it counts… to not have to sell out… that’s all I pray for.
Hi Eric,
What I value most about this site is the community of commenters that has developed, and I suspect many others feel the same way. So, here are a few ideas:
– Restrict comment privileges to registered users.
– Grant “free” comment privileges to newly registered users for a certain period of time, say 3 months. This could solve the problem of driving away newcomers before they realize the value of the site.
– Set a low price for comment privileges, say $5.00 per month.
– Offer a “quantity” discount, say $50.00 per year.
I know instituting such a system would not drive me away. In fact, a snail mail contribution should go out today or tomorrow.
What do you think?
Jeremy
Hey Eric,
I don’t know what your faith/belief system is spiritually and metaphysically speaking, but just coming from a Christian standpoint, there are many instances of individuals in the Bible that were dirt poor because they refused to serve mammon and stood fast in telling the truth. I would hope that you are a Christian in the purest sense, not a Churchian of the God, Inc. membership rolls (as is my hope for all humanity, but I digress), however even if you aren’t a Christian, please know that your efforts in telling the truth about what you are well versed in are greatly appreciated. Because you do tell the truth and REFUSE to sell out, the Enemy throws slings and arrows your way as well. The Word says that you shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free. Because what you write and disseminate are literally lynchpins pulled from freedom bombs, the Enemy will do whatever is possible from having them blow up. The fact that Gughul pulled the rug from under you shows that you have hit a MAJOR nerve. Keep striking at the root and know that even though The Powers That Be (I hate to the heavens how that Biblical phrase has come to be associated with such pure, unadulterated evil) are trying to stop you, there is no weapon they can wield against you that will succeed against you while you are doing that most noble work of spreading the truth. I know it may look a little dreary at time (probably more times than not) but stand firm that The God who is the Author and Finisher of the whole universe is on the side of those who spread the truth. You are fighting what God himself refers to as mighty beasts of prey seeking whom they can devour, so when the attacks are brutal, it should be unsurprising and actually expected. Through all, be of good cheer, keep your head up and keep pressing on. I read the last page of this book we call life and trust me, We Won!
Shoestring sounds good from here, being the frayed knot.
Some words from Arlo Guthrie and his tale of the FBI. “There’s always the ‘last guy’. But the FBI doesn’t care that he’s the last guy. They’ll fuck with anybody.”
Hi Eight,
Did I tell you I found an El Camino candidate locally?
eric, fill me in.