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Buy the forum a beer!
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The forum doesn't currently cost much to run though paying annually rather than monthly, as happens now, can save on costs further. If the forum had more money, there would also be more options for upgrading and making your experience better.
The donate button in the sidebar has been an on and off feature of the forum. Often when it appears, one or two users donate but most ignore it. After a very short while it becomes ineffective. While these one off donations are very welcome, the donate button has never succeeded in securing a consistent revenue stream to cover the forum's costs. From now on, you will be able to buy the forum a beer through a subscription, either monthly or quarterly. The forum's not too fussy about the beer it drinks so isn't asking you to dig deep and pay £4.50 for a half of Leffe. £3 is the price of the forum's preferred tipple. A small regular donation like this, from many users, will keep a consistent revenue stream to cover ongoing costs and to provide options for upgrades in the future.
Subscriptions are administered through Paypal and if you enter your username you'll receive a star by your username on the forum as recognition of your support.
Click here, or the donate tab at the top of the page, to setup a donation. -
i'm happy to donate, but does this donation extend as far as the cost of parts donations or, say wheel truing costs, to get jack's bike up and running as that bike is essentially an operating cost of the forum and, as i see it, we as a forum are currently in debt.
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I had considered that some donation money gained over the next few weeks could be used to buy parts that Jack's bike doesn't get through parts donations.
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cool. i wasn't trying to be an arse with my comment, i'm just keen (as i'm sure everyone else is) to get jack his bike up and running.
i'm also fully aware that you've pretty much carried the burden for the hosting costs solo to this point, so i definitely think it's far to ask for donations. -
this is what happens when i hit the donate button by the way:
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Did you get as far as this screen?
screen by AndrewLeitch, on Flickr
If not, I'm unable to replicate the error in Safari or Chrome. -
nope. error as soon as i hit the donate button.
i'll give rebooting a shot. -
still getting the error.
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just downloaded firefox and getting same error with that too.
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okay - got it working now with the link in your initial post. the donate button on the sidebar doesn't work though.
edit: i'm not crazy about the fact that i'm now signed up for a quarterly standing order.
there should be an option to make a one-off payment and i should be able to decide if i want to pay again in three months.
ALSO - have you considered adding further value to users for their money.
i subscribe to SCUK and they have brokered deals with online and brick-and-mortar retailers to provide discounts to members. could we look at implementing something here. perhaps engaging with gear, wheelcraft, the bike shed, etc for discounts for paying members in exchange for advertising space on the forum?
potential velodrome discounts when that opens? -
I've sorted the one off donation button, taken it away from the side bar, and put it on the donate page. I'd quite like to sort out discounts like the ones you've mentioned. First I'll need to do a little bit of analysis of the forum's reach so that I have a good pitch when approaching these retailers.
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Cool - if you need any help let me know.
can i have a star now please? -
Could you add an option for an annual subscription? Would rather have a yearly payment than a smaller amount every quarter.
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An annual subscription of what amount?
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£1,000,000
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might be worth giving a breakdown of what the real costs of the forum are if you want more folks to donate. david at lfgss does that, although their costs are insano. puts things in to perspective for forum users. i hadn't considered donating to forums until someone presented the costs of hosting to me.
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The big yellow donate button caught my attention last week, so it is effective if it just appears occasionally.
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You'll get 2 months of a gold star for your donation when I get home.
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I've sent off a few emails about discounts. I've also started working on an e-membership card that'll work with iPhones and Android phones.
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nice!!
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have a pint...now I want my star
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i want my star too
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Is my star working yet?
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Seems it is.
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I couldn't give a fuck about the forum, i just want my gold star!!!!
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my account is being an awkward bastard the now but paypal says the debit been setup, give me a shout if the 3 sterling dont show up
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How long does it take the system to give me a star? Or is Rusty the system.
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I've been waiting about 2 months so far.
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With enough time provided this could be automated , if anyone's interested.
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The current system is that you set up a subscription and draw my attention to it here. Often the names of people's Paypal accounts don't help with knowing which user is sending the money.
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Ah, didn't know that. Cheers!
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Have subscribed. Gold star now or I'll smash the place.
