Alternative 1a: redirect traffic via domain name service (DNS) registrar
My background model:
in order for a web browser to get to graceandtruth.net, Grace and Truth Ministries must pay a subscription to a DNS registrar
the subscription pays for the DNS registrar to keep an entry
graceandtruth.net -> IP-ADDRESS-FOR-SERVER-FOR-GRACE-AND-TRUTH-DOT-NET in the DNS system
Given this background model, we could ask the DNS registrar to change the entry to
graceandtruth.net -> IP-ADDRESS-FOR-SERVER-FOR-TRUTH247-DOT-NET
After this change, users who try to get to graceandtruth.net will instead reach truth247.net.
This solves the PayPal/donation problem because donations work on the site the user reaches.
Assumption of this approach: after the registrar changes the DNS entry, we could stop hosting graceandtruth.net on Digital Ocean. We could either:
stop hosting it or
host it via another hosting service or
host it from our own server
If we can do one of these ^ and it is cheaper than paying Digital Ocean, then this approach solves both problems of the project.
Questions:
Who is the DNS registrar for graceandtruth.net?
Is Digital Ocean the DNS registrar for graceandtruth.net?
If so, can we change the subscription
to Digital Ocean from a hosting plan to just a DNS registration and thereby reduce the cost?
from Digital Ocean to an alternative DNS registrar? and stop the subscription to Digital Ocean?
Do we need the site at graceandtruth.net to stay as it is (except for the PayPal button) rather than redirect to truth247.net?
Alternative 2: fix the PayPal button and host the site elsewhere
Fix the PayPal button
What is wrong with the PayPal button?
Can we reproduce the problem?
Can we update the button in place by asking PayPal for a new button and putting it in the page?
How would we know whether it is fixed?
This project is about graceandtruth.net and truth247.net.
Problems
This project aims to solve these problems:
Situation
Currently, graceandtruth.net uses:
Donations on https://www.truth247.net/ work.
Alternative paths to solving problems
Alternative 1: redirect traffic from graceandtruth.net to truth247.net
Alternative 1a: redirect traffic via domain name service (DNS) registrar
My background model:
graceandtruth.net -> IP-ADDRESS-FOR-SERVER-FOR-GRACE-AND-TRUTH-DOT-NETin the DNS systemGiven this background model, we could ask the DNS registrar to change the entry to
graceandtruth.net -> IP-ADDRESS-FOR-SERVER-FOR-TRUTH247-DOT-NETAfter this change, users who try to get to graceandtruth.net will instead reach truth247.net. This solves the PayPal/donation problem because donations work on the site the user reaches.
Assumption of this approach: after the registrar changes the DNS entry, we could stop hosting graceandtruth.net on Digital Ocean. We could either:
If we can do one of these ^ and it is cheaper than paying Digital Ocean, then this approach solves both problems of the project.
Questions:
Alternative 2: fix the PayPal button and host the site elsewhere
Fix the PayPal button
What is wrong with the PayPal button? Can we reproduce the problem? Can we update the button in place by asking PayPal for a new button and putting it in the page? How would we know whether it is fixed?
Can we replace the PayPal button with a link to https://www.truth247.net/donate?
Host the site elsewhere
Note: Hosting the site elsewhere does not solve the problem that the PayPal button does not always work.
Host the site via another hosting service
Which hosting services are we considering? Are the hosting service alternatives to Digital Ocean cheaper?
Host the site on our own server
... see email for more details