I was thinking of several ways to tackle this topic, and really it's pretty difficult or very easy.
The thing is, I love RZ. I've said this a million times. I've donated in the past *a whopping $20* to get mir2 back up; it did go back up but not because of the "2?" donations it got. Alas, this is not the same circumstance.
I don't consider myself a leecher. I come here to chat with some really cool people. I don't come here to take; in fact, I feel that I give back somewhat in knowledge or just in general humor. I know Adel wasn't pointing fingers at me, or anyone in general, but tbh, who here on what I like to call the "heart" of RZ (the Others sections, particuarly ex-rz mir2 players) leeches from RZ? We come to talk to each other, to laugh, to flame; to just be friends

(as much as you can be online, of course).
I would like RZ to succeed and move on and prosper. But what's the direction of RZ? Most people (ok, maybe not most anymore, but a good amount especially in the past) came to RZ to play Mir2. There hasn't been a Mir2 in what, a year? So many of those people just come here to chat, not to do much of anything else. That's why people say "why should I donate?"; not that they don't want RZ to live on but in many peoples minds donating money to something thats just their means of online communication (ONE of their means) doesn't make sense.
If the issue was bandwith I would easily point to the MU board, but of course that's not the issue. If anything, a post should be there for people to donate as they make up 90% of RZ right now. Why's that? Because many of the people that used to go here frequently have no need for it, because there is nothing for them here. Because, like it or not, redudant as it sounds, people in this section at least, for the most part, played mir2 and w/o it they don't really need RZ.
Now this isn't saying Mir2 would make people donate, either. Because, that didn't work either

Obviously, people just either don't have enough money to give away, don't have the credit card to help, or just don't see why something on the internet, ESPECIALLY a forum, should have a cost.
I mean, this is the generation of people that download $10 games ffs.. Doesn't make the person a bad guy but the mentality is if its out there for free, get it! And when there's a price attatched it gets very tricky..
So what's my point? Well, I think people don't know why they should donate. Because all we, at least in this area of RZ, see is MU, in which many don't even like. And if not MU, it's another MMORPG, which if you look hard enough you can find other forums for out there. People don't like paying for things, simple as that tbh..
Don't hate me, just throwing my 2 cents in.
I love what Mental has done, making something out of nothing. Not many people out there could make a forum and have it running for so long at such a young age, and have people visit it time and again. Hats off for a great job, too bad I got here on what seems to be the last legs. Though I can't believe that, because what you (Mental) made, along with everyone here, is great, and good days and good memories won't be forgotten so easily.