Q&A Volume 1

13/05/25, 10:08 pm

Greetings Fanlings

Krisgoat here! In preparation for our upcoming Questions and Answers feature I'd like to directly address some general questions and concerns that members have brought up. It is my hope that sharing this information will clear up any rumors and distrust that have manifested due to lack of communication. I have not shared this information before because to me it is private and upsetting. The purpose of this first Q&A volume is to be open, honest, and clear up misconceptions. Content warning for medical topics.

+ Krisgoat's Health
I'd like to start by explaining certain behaviors or patterns some members have noticed such as inconsistent site updates.

I have been diagnosed with a severe case of Hypothyroidism which was untreated for many years so has unfortunately led to serious health issues. Hypothyroidism is a condition that stops the production of the hormones that regulate the body's vital functions. Thankfully I am currently being treated, however I am also managing symptoms such as; chronic fatigue, risk of heart attack, agoraphobia, joint/muscle pain, vertigo, skin issues, brain fog, poor memory, blurry vision, anxiety, and depression. As many members can imagine or relate, this makes some work days more difficult to handle than others. Many of our staff members also manage chronic illnesses and this is the main reason why I keep update time frames loose and flexible.

Again, I have not shared any of this information publicly as of now because I do not want to worry others, have it be seen as an excuse, or have the severity of my personal experience invalidated. Privately, I also wanted to prove to myself I can follow my creative passion no matter what.

+ What does Krisgoat do on Goatlings.com?
For many years, Goatlings.com was a two person project started by me and our programmer. So I was in charge of everything beside the more complicated programming. Over time I made friends who wanted to help moderate, and eventually led to more friends helping with art, programming, and an official Discord. I am grateful and lucky to now have a great team by my side to help bring members more updates and content. It is a lot to do, but we are very passionate about this site. My long term goal is to automate as many features as possible to lessen the workload for myself and staff so we can work more comfortably and have more consistent updates.

In recent years I still do a little of everything, some examples:
Organizing and posting most updates such as; Battle Center, Design-A-Goatling contest, Spotlight Blu, Treasure Trivia, Monthly Support boxes, Seasonal events
Work with staff to answer Support Tickets and Discord questions
Manage most Art Staff projects
Manage most programming updates
Organize all art files, (quality control, edits, touchups, testing, and prepare for uploads/sneak peaks)
Post most Dev Log posts
Seek out and train/guide new staff members
Manage all staff payments
Create items, Goatlings, and graphics
Help moderate Live Chat, Forums, and Discord
Basic coding/programming, and aesthetic improvements where I can

Due to health issues I sometimes work at strange hours, however my weekly workload averages a little more than 40 hours a week. And I do make sure to take at least two days off a week to manage my health and stress levels.

+ Where is the money going?
As a self employed small business owner, Goatlings.com is my main source of income for my home. Since I work from home my top priority is living/housing expenses so I can continue to have a comfortable location to live and work on Goatlings.com. The amount of funds vary each year depending on Diamond Dust and Support Box purchases, but in general this is where it goes;

House bills such as:
Utilities
Power
Disposal
Internet
Gas
Water
Property tax

Living expenses such as:
House repairs
Medical bills
Exercise Equipment
Food
Student loan payments

Pet care such as;
Food
Medical
Licenses
Tracking chips
and misc supplies pets need

Site fees such as:
Business taxes
Paypal Fees
Programming
Moderation
Artwork
Discord
PC repairs
Site Host
Live Chat room host
Domain Host
Email
Physical Gift Shop items

On my weekends I often take private commissions to fund entertainment items such as games, music, and movies.



+ Pie Chart
This chart is based on last year only. Each year is different depending on Diamond Dust and Support Box purchases. In this case, I understand it appears to be quite a lot going into living and housing, however this amount represents a below minimum wage total. The amount that goes into living/housing expenses is relatively the same each year if not more due to the fluctuating costs of living. The remainder is put back into the site. If extra funding is leftover it is placed into savings for taxes, future site updates, and/or when site funding is low.

The next Q&A Volume will be posted in a few days and if you have questions about the site (behind the scenes or lore) our new Q&A feature will be available soon. As a reminder, Discord Staff is in charge of Discord related issues only and not site related questions, so please save site issues for Support Tickets or Q&A.

Thank you!

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