It's frustrating because the server can accommodate the average forum load easily, but it's those spikes that bring the server to its knees and it's usually due to one of the hundreds of vBulletin software options being toggled On instead of Off, or vice versa.
For example, I found out what was causing the downtime that's been hitting us at 4am CST every 24 hours. I toggled it off.
I appreciate the gesture and it says a lot about you that you'd be willing to donate. Nowadays I make enough from advertising to cover the costs of the server.
Well, in online school (my online school, anyway) -- they give you classes, and all you have to do is work on them and have them finished in a certain amount of time, like maybe 2 weeks per course, which is easy. Then they keep opening up classes for you until you finish them all. You can work as fast or as slow as you want...just not too slow, else they'll kick you out XD And you have to be online for at least 4 hours per day. The good part is, not 4 hours straight. You can do it in segments.
Lulz Why thank you (: And I am definately not a morning person x.x I have online school and I love not having to get up early. Ugh...doesn't the world understand that mornings are -meant- to be slept through? Duhh. XD