Re: ADMIN: More thoughts...

["Brierley, Sean" <Brierley -at- QUODATA -dot- COM>]

Hallo:

Thanks, Eric.

>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: Eric J. Ray [mailto:ejray -at- RAYCOMM -dot- COM]

You spoke of a "$36,000" per month cost for service.

>>>One vendor has expressed strong interest in ad space on the
>>>list, which would help cover costs (but by no means cover
>>>the full monthly expense). Other vendors (including all those
>>>who regularly use this space to advertise their services)
>>>have expressed little or no interest.

Okay, that's some.

>>>Voluntary donations to help cover the costs have a lot of merit,
>>>but, of course, also have the downside of some people subsidizing
>>>the list for the rest. (Yes, that's what's happening now too, but
>>>in a slightly different way.)

That's some more.

>>>One idea, which seems to me to have a lot of merit, is to
>>>continue to make list membership free, but to encourage
>>>voluntary donations (aka membership in the TECHWR-L site/
>>>sponsorship/whatever you want to call it). By my (perhaps
>>>cynical) calculations, something in the $10-$20/year range

Okay.

I don't see $432,000 here.

However, I'm in for $20, whether or not I get recognition.

>>>(I suspect the net result of this sociological experiment would
>>>be to discourage postings from those who don't pay, and
>>>that most people who make donations would tend to give preference
>>>to answering questions from others who make donations, but
>>>I could be wrong there.)

Ooooh, I think you're wrong there. For example, I'm not going to discourage
anyone who hasn't paid a *voluntary* donation, and I don't mind carrying
them if $20 is all it takes. I get plenty of value from those who have
stated currency is an issue, or who don't have checks, credit cards, access
to banks, gold nuggets, or who need the money for pizza <vbg>.

So, if you think you can collect and manage $432,000 in voluntary donations
plus advertising, great! Let's go the expensive route.

However, if that is not realistic or if you do not want the headache of
managing and explaining all of those checks to the IRS, let's go with free
list hosting.

Say the word and pass the address (I recommend you set up a separate PO box
and bank account). Er . . . was that $AUS?

All the best,

Sean
sean -at- quodata -dot- com

 From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=