One must assume the donations are enough to cover the current operating costs as outlined by their donation usage page. For over $1200 the hardware present is pathetic. Apart from the main grid server, even though that too for some reason still uses HDDs in 2025, when it is clear that heavily impacts performance of OpenSim as a heavily database-drives application, the vast majority of machines they operate are overpriced for what's provided. Over $500 for the asset servers, when a server with more space, better hardware and flash-based storage is about the same price.
There are a number of options out there now with a lot better hardware and for a budget of $1200 each month there is ample funding for a full backup server large enough to host the assets three times over.
If there isn't enough money for that, then it's also easy to come up with a configuration like that for a lot less, as low as $800 and still include a backup server and modern hardware.
Apparently the aim is to eventually modernize, but yet again software layers are being looked at despite this already having failed twice now. The more fancy technology is added to something as stupid as an asset server the more potential options for failure exist. Couple that with an apparent lack of monitoring and it's another setup for disaster.
It's frustrating to see this unfold and having to weather all the bad press and user discomfort that results from it. Driving people away from the platform either through poor operational performance or no performance at all. That seems to be the mission. I have offered help in the past. Even directly being in contact and warning about pitfalls that need addressing sooner rather than later, but seemingly went ignored nonetheless. There is only so much one can do to help, the help has to be accepted and turned into action as well.
