You may have noticed a small pop-up on geteach.com recently asking if you’d like to “buy me a coffee.” I know…I know, nobody loves a donation prompt. As a teacher, I\u2019ve always wanted this site to be a friction-less resource for the classroom.<\/p>\n
However, after 15 years of building and maintaining this platform out of my own pocket, I want to be upfront about why that prompt is there, what the money covers, and why I\u2019ve chosen this path instead of showing ads.<\/p>\n
For a long time, I was able to keep costs very low. But as geteach.com<\/a> has grown to over 1.3 million views and 300+ map layers, the technical requirements have changed.<\/p>\n Most months, the site costs me around $30\u2013$40<\/strong> to keep online. However, during high-usage months like this past March, that bill spiked to ~$106.00<\/strong>. There is no company subsidizing this, no ad revenue, and no investors. It is just a teacher covering the costs of a global classroom tool.<\/p>\n Here is exactly where that money goes:<\/p>\n Most “free” tools for teachers aren’t actually free\u2014they are often paid for by your students’ data. Companies harvest usage patterns and learning behaviors to share with third parties. This is a trend in educational technology that gives me concern.<\/p>\n If you’re not paying for the product, the product is usually your students.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n I pay out of pocket specifically so I don’t have to do that. My deal is simple: you get a powerful, professional mapping tool, and your students\u2019 information never leaves your classroom. No ads, no logins, no data mining.<\/p>\n For the CS and web development teachers: I wrote this prompt to be as private as the rest of the site. It uses The logic is simple and designed to be a nudge, not a nag:<\/p>\n I chose a one-year window<\/strong> because the site\u2019s fixed costs, like the domain and hosting, are billed annually. If you find geteach.com adds value to your students’ learning experience, a yearly donation is greatly appreciated and goes a long way toward making the platform self-sustaining.<\/p>\n Please keep in mind that because this is tied to your browser\u2019s local memory, clearing your browser data or switching to a new computer will reset the flag.<\/strong> If that happens, there is no need to make a new donation; simply clicking the “Buy me a coffee” link again will reset the clock for that browser.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n \nWhat<\/th>\n Why<\/th>\n Typical Cost<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Google Maps API<\/strong><\/td>\n The engine behind the maps. First 10k loads are free; after that, Google charges per 1,000 views.<\/td>\n $0 \u2013 $70+\/mo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Google Cloud Storage<\/strong><\/td>\n Powers the 300+ custom map layers and data backups.<\/td>\n ~$10\/mo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Google Workspace<\/strong><\/td>\n Keeps the site’s professional communication separate from my personal data.<\/td>\n $9\/mo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Domain & Hosting<\/strong><\/td>\n The “rent” for the geteach.com address and server space.<\/td>\n ~$11\/mo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Typical Total<\/strong><\/td>\n <\/td>\n ~$35\/mo<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n The philosophy: Why I don’t use ads<\/h2>\n
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A nerdy detail: How the pop-up works<\/h2>\n
localStorage<\/code> to remember your preferences directly in your browser. Because I don\u2019t use accounts and no data is ever sent to a server, the \u201cthank you\u201d flag follows the specific browser or computer you are using, not you as a user.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
What happens if I don\u2019t contribute?<\/h2>\n