Thanks for all the hard work and dedication Paul! I am in the IT field, and too familier with the hassles (though, I wish I got this kind of praise when I did upgrades and cutovers! )

As for funding... I absolutely hate (Hate!! HATE!!) popups. (Did I mention that I hate popups?) IMO, they're not only annoying, but they "cheapen" the feel of a sight. I understand that they can become a necessity, but should definately be a last resort. I highly doubt this group will let it get that far though.

On the other hand, banners are no issue for me. The two bigger forums I visit, Fullsizechevy and AVSForum, both use banners extensively, and I honestly don't even notice them (it's half a turn on the ol' mouse scroll wheel). Carefully placed, they should blend right in (i.e. Up top as suggested, or the space below the shout box is unused on my screen). I'd of course prefer that the site remain "pristine" and will be sending in my contribution to help the "cause".