Latest revision as of 22:22, 28 September 2026

Background: Why This Is Changing

Community update by Foxx Bode

Times are changing, and so is OSGrid.

Yesterday, we held our annual community meeting. Having more than 100 people pop over — maxing out the region — was heartwarming. Thank you for showing up in such force. We will keep this massive turnout in mind for the future so we can look into setting up a livestream for those unable to attend a full sim.

The Reality Check

OSGrid has reached a "mathematical breaking point". With our data expanding, the server and storage costs required to keep the grid online have skyrocketed, driven heavily by the global AI boom consuming cloud resources. Our hosting bills now simply exceed our annual donation income. Since we cannot negotiate with a balance sheet, and magic will not pay for new servers, we are migrating assets to S3 storage.

For 19 years, this 501(c)(3) non-profit has survived on the generosity of a loyal group of core donors and the unpaid labor of our volunteers. The board refuses to keep squeezing those same donors to cover the rapidly expanding footprint of the entire user base. We had to find a reasonable, affordable model to share the load.

To ensure OSGrid remains alive and accessible to everyone, we are implementing a strict, mathematically necessary cost-recovery model using service fees:

The First Region is Free: Your first region — whether it is a standard 256×256 or a 512×512 — remains 100% fee free. This preserves the core mission of OSGrid, keeping it open and free to all. (If your first region is larger than 512×512, it will be charged $1 USD.)
$1 Per Additional Region: Every subsequent region beyond your first free footprint will cost a flat fee of $1 USD per month.

To clarify how this works in practice, we aren't twisting your arm. The math is simple:

Your first region (up to 512×512): Free. (Bigger than 512×512? $1 USD.)
Your next region (e.g., 768×768): $1 USD
Want a massive 8×8 sea around it?: Another $1 USD
Want to host a 512×512 region for a friend who already has a free region?: $1 USD
Still not enough, you want 4 more 512×512 regions?: $4 USD

Region hosts will have different billing options and will be billed based on a monthly overview of registered regions. For more information, read this guide — it covers all the details you need to know. Mind you, this does not imply OSGrid will start hosting your regions for $1! You still need to have your own region server, on your own or hosted machine. Just for the privilege of hosting more than 1 free region on the OSGrid backend, we apply this fee.

Commercial grids extract monthly tiers to bankroll infrastructure and generate corporate profit or budgets to expand, and do cool things like redundant backups. That's doable when you charge people $15 a month on average. OSGrid operates as a free public utility on roughly $1,000 in donations a month, entirely managed by unpaid volunteers in their free time. We are not a commercial enterprise, and as such, we cannot afford to continue operating at a deficit while subsidizing massive private virtual estates.

Our goal is not, and has never been, to make a profit; it is the operational survival of the grid and everyone in it. This fee is not a profit margin — it is the exact, raw cost of your cloud footprint. We have dragged the free model as far as it could carry us, and then a little further. But we can't maintain this balance another 8 months. And ultimately, this grid exists through collaboration. We don't ask you for a better salary. We ask everyone to share the load, and keep it open. Meanwhile, we keep the show on the road, and sincerely thank you for your continued trust and support.

OSGrid Regions Guide

Connecting a Region, Free Allowances, Regional Service Fees, Payment, and the Transition to the New System

A plain-language guide for Residents, Greeters, Non-Profit Organizations, and Hosters

Regional payment is a service fee — not a donation The amount charged for a region covers the cost of running that region on OSGrid's infrastructure. It is a regional service fee, not a charitable contribution, and it is not tax-deductible. If you'd like to make a voluntary, tax-deductible donation to OSGrid instead, that is handled separately through Zeffy — never through the regional payment process.

One month free when the new system launches All existing regions will receive one month of free access when this system takes effect, giving everyone time to review their regions, update account information, and prepare for billing.

Effective date: 28 September 2026 | Consolidated Guide, Version 2.0

This is a plain-language summary of the official regulation for the convenience of the community. Where anything here conflicts with OSGrid's Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws, or applicable law, those governing documents control (see "Legal & Nonprofit Framework" at the end of this guide).

1. Quick Reference

Topic	Rule
Region up to 512 × 512	Will qualify for the standard free allowance.
Region larger than 512 × 512	Does not qualify for the free allowance; billed at $1/month.
Any other billable region	$1 USD/month, regardless of size.
Residents	Pay billable regions in advance, via PayPal.
Payment method	PayPal only, through the OSGrid website. No other method is accepted.
Greeters	Up to 3 regions free, per the Greeter program terms.
Non-profit organizations	May qualify for a free allowance once their status is verified (see Section 3).
Hosters	Every region they start is billable except one designated free test region.
Unpaid fee	Teleportation is suspended. Nothing is deleted; IAR/OAR backups remain valid.
New system launch	One month free for all existing regions to allow for the transition.

2. Connecting a Region: The Claim Process

When you start a region for the first time, OSGrid uses a one-time "Claim" code to link that region to your resident account. This is a separate step from payment.

Steps

Enable simulator access on your resident account.
Start the region using your simulator software.
Copy the Claim code shown in the OpenSim console exactly as displayed (this is not the same as the region's UUID).
Log in to the OSGrid resident account that should own the region.
Go to "Link a Region" and enter the Claim code.
Once validated, the region is linked to your account. The code is then consumed and cannot be reused.
If the code expires before you use it, simply restart the region to generate a new one.
Finally, check whether the region is free or billable, and if billable, pay the covered period in advance.
Keep current IAR/OAR backups of your region content at all times.

Claiming a region and paying for a region are two different things The Claim links a region to your account and answers "who owns this region?" Payment covers the cost of running it and answers "is this region's service fee paid?" A region can be correctly claimed and still have an outstanding payment due.

3. Free Allowance and Fees by Region Type

Standard allowance: up to 512 × 512

Any region sized 512 × 512 or smaller may qualify for OSGrid's standard free allowance. As soon as a region exceeds 512 × 512 — even by one size increment (e.g., 768 × 768+) — it loses that free allowance and becomes billable at $1/month.

Greeters

Volunteer Greeters may receive up to 3 free regions in recognition of their assistance to the community, under the terms of the Greeter program. This benefit does not automatically extend to any additional regions a Greeter owns beyond those 3.

Non-Profit Organizations (Schools, Colleges, and Similar Educational or Community Institutions)

A formally recognized non-profit organization — for example, a school, college, university, or similar educational or community institution — may apply for a free-allowance arrangement for its region(s). To be approved, the organization must:

Provide documentation establishing its non-profit or institutional status; and
Have that documentation reviewed and accepted by OSGrid under the applicable framework.

Approval is not automatic and is granted on a case-by-case basis once the required documentation is submitted and verified.

Community-Useful Regions

OSGrid may, at its sole discretion, grant a free allowance to a region it considers broadly useful to the community. This is a discretionary decision by OSGrid, and the free allowance may be revoked at any time without OSGrid being required to provide a reason.

All Other Billable Regions

Any region that does not fall into one of the categories above — or that exceeds the 512 × 512 free-allowance size — is billed at a flat rate of $1 USD per month, regardless of size.

4. Special Rules for Hosters

Hosters (hosting providers) follow a different billing model than individual residents, described below.

Every region a Hoster starts is billable — with one exception Labeling a region a "test" does not make it free. Only the one region specifically designated and identified by its UUID as the free test region is exempt. Any other region a Hoster starts, even briefly or for testing purposes, is billable — there is no retroactive exemption for short use.

Situation	Result
Using the designated free test region (by its UUID)	Free — no charge.
Starting any other region, for any purpose	Billable, even if only used briefly.
Hoster status generally	Does not exempt a Hoster from payment on non-test regions.

How Hosters Are Billed

The Hoster billing model works differently from a resident's advance payment:

Each month, a statement/invoice appears in the Hoster's account on the 6th of the following month, listing the regions hosted and the amount owed.
Example: regions hosted during September will appear on a statement visible on October 6th.

5. Payment Process

For Residents

Residents pay for billable regions in advance to keep a valid coverage period:

Renew before the covered period ends — a newly created billable region is not free simply because it is new.
All payments are made through PayPal on the secure OSGrid website. No other payment method is accepted.
You do not need a PayPal account to pay — PayPal offers a guest / no-account checkout option in most cases. Available options may vary by country and currency.

If Payment Is Late

If a payment is overdue, teleportation to that region is suspended until payment is made. This is only a service restriction — the region itself is not deleted, and IAR/OAR backups remain fully valid regardless of how late a payment is.

Donations Are Separate

Regional service fees are not tax-deductible and cannot be booked or requested as a donation. If you would like to make a voluntary, tax-deductible contribution to OSGrid on top of (or instead of) paying for a region, that is done separately through Zeffy, OSGrid's donation platform.

6. Transition to the New System

When this system officially takes effect, every existing region will automatically receive one month of free access. This gives residents, Greeters, non-profit organizations, and Hosters time to:

Review the new rules before any billing begins;
Check region sizes against the 512 × 512 threshold;
Identify which regions will become billable;
Update account information;
Confirm Claims and any non-profit or association status; and
For Hosters, confirm which region is the designated free test region and prepare the first PayPal payment for billable regions.

After this free month ends, standard rules apply as described throughout this guide.

7. Examples

Scenario	Outcome
One 512 × 512 region	May remain within the standard free allowance.
One 1024 × 1024 region	Exceeds 512 × 512 → billed $1/month.
Two additional billable regions	$1/month each.
Greeter with 3 regions	Free, per Greeter program terms.
Non-profit school with a region	Free allowance possible once documentation is submitted and accepted.
Community-useful region	Free allowance possible at OSGrid's discretion; revocable anytime.
Hoster testing on the designated test region	Free.
Hoster starting any other region, even for a "test"	Billable.
Resident pays late	Teleportation suspended; region and backups unaffected.

8. Frequently Asked Questions

Is the regional payment a donation?: No. It is a service fee for the region, not a charitable donation, and it is not tax-deductible.

Can I pay by a method other than PayPal?: No. PayPal, through the secure OSGrid website, is the only accepted method for regional payments.

Do I need to create a PayPal account?: No, in most cases. PayPal typically offers a no-account (guest) checkout option.

Is a 512 × 512 region always free?: It may qualify for the standard free allowance, though special cases (e.g., Hoster rules) can still apply.

Does a 768 × 768+ region still count as free?: No — any size over 512 × 512 loses the free allowance.

Can a Hoster test any region for free?: No. Only the designated free test region (identified by its UUID) is exempt; any other started region is billable.

What happens if a payment is overdue?: Teleportation is suspended, but nothing is deleted — IAR/OAR backups remain valid.

How do I make a voluntary donation to OSGrid?: Through Zeffy — never through the regional payment process.

9. Legal & Nonprofit Framework (Summary)

OSGrid, Inc. is a Texas nonprofit corporation. This section briefly summarizes the legal basis for regional service fees; it is not a substitute for the governing documents linked below.

Nature of the fee: The amount charged for a region is a service fee tied to OSGrid's operating costs, not a public tax and not a donation.

Purpose: Fees help fund servers, software, maintenance, and continuity of OSGrid's services, supporting a financially sustainable, nonprofit structure rather than private profit.

Nonprofit status: OSGrid's Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws establish it as a Texas nonprofit whose revenue and assets serve its stated purposes, not the personal benefit of directors, officers, or other private individuals (aside from reasonable compensation for services rendered).

Governance: The Board of Directors manages OSGrid's affairs under the Texas Business Organizations Code, the Articles of Incorporation, and the By-Laws, consistent with the federal Section 501(c)(3) requirements (exempt purposes, no undue private benefit, no political campaign activity).

Precedence: If anything in this guide conflicts with the Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws, or applicable Texas or federal law, those governing documents control.

Reference Documents

Adoption and effective date: 28 September 2026 | Issued on behalf of OSGrid, Inc.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+== Background: Why This Is Changing ==
+''Community update by Foxx Bode''
+Times are changing, and so is OSGrid.
+Yesterday, we held our annual community meeting. Having more than 100 people pop over — maxing out the region — was heartwarming. Thank you for showing up in such force. We will keep this massive turnout in mind for the future so we can look into setting up a livestream for those unable to attend a full sim.
+=== The Reality Check ===
+OSGrid has reached a "mathematical breaking point". With our data expanding, the server and storage costs required to keep the grid online have skyrocketed, driven heavily by the global AI boom consuming cloud resources. Our hosting bills now simply exceed our annual donation income. Since we cannot negotiate with a balance sheet, and magic will not pay for new servers, we are migrating assets to S3 storage.
+For 19 years, this 501(c)(3) non-profit has survived on the generosity of a loyal group of core donors and the unpaid labor of our volunteers. The board refuses to keep squeezing those same donors to cover the rapidly expanding footprint of the entire user base. We had to find a reasonable, affordable model to share the load.
+To ensure OSGrid remains alive and accessible to everyone, we are implementing a strict, mathematically necessary cost-recovery model using service fees:
+* '''The First Region is Free:''' Your first region — whether it is a standard 256×256 or a 512×512 — remains 100% fee free. This preserves the core mission of OSGrid, keeping it open and free to all. (If your first region is larger than 512×512, it will be charged $1 USD.)
+* '''$1 Per Additional Region:''' Every subsequent region beyond your first free footprint will cost a flat fee of $1 USD per month.
+To clarify how this works in practice, we aren't twisting your arm. The math is simple:
+* Your first region (up to 512×512): '''Free.''' (Bigger than 512×512? '''$1 USD'''.)
+* Your next region (e.g., 768×768): '''$1 USD'''
+* Want a massive 8×8 sea around it?: Another '''$1 USD'''
+* Want to host a 512×512 region for a friend who already has a free region?: '''$1 USD'''
+* Still not enough, you want 4 more 512×512 regions?: '''$4 USD'''
+Region hosts will have different billing options and will be billed based on a monthly overview of registered regions. For more information, read this guide — it covers all the details you need to know. Mind you, this does not imply OSGrid will start hosting your regions for $1! You still need to have your own region server, on your own or hosted machine. Just for the privilege of hosting more than 1 free region on the OSGrid backend, we apply this fee.
+Commercial grids extract monthly tiers to bankroll infrastructure and generate corporate profit or budgets to expand, and do cool things like redundant backups. That's doable when you charge people $15 a month on average. OSGrid operates as a free public utility on roughly $1,000 in donations a month, entirely managed by unpaid volunteers in their free time. We are not a commercial enterprise, and as such, we cannot afford to continue operating at a deficit while subsidizing massive private virtual estates.
+Our goal is not, and has never been, to make a profit; it is the operational survival of the grid and everyone in it. This fee is not a profit margin — it is the exact, raw cost of your cloud footprint. We have dragged the free model as far as it could carry us, and then a little further. But we can't maintain this balance another 8 months. And ultimately, this grid exists through collaboration. We don't ask you for a better salary. We ask everyone to share the load, and keep it open. Meanwhile, we keep the show on the road, and sincerely thank you for your continued trust and support.
 = OSGrid Regions Guide =
 ''Connecting a Region, Free Allowances, Regional Service Fees, Payment, and the Transition to the New System''
@@ Line 24: / Line 53: @@
 ! Topic !! Rule
 |-
-| Region up to 512 × 512 || May qualify for the standard free allowance.
+| Region up to 512 × 512 || Will qualify for the standard free allowance.
 |-
-| Region larger than 512 × 512 || No longer qualifies for the free allowance; billed at $1/month.
+| Region larger than 512 × 512 || Does not qualify for the free allowance; billed at $1/month.
 |-
 | Any other billable region || $1 USD/month, regardless of size.