Finance the Fool

[Itsallaguess]

I agree with Uncle. I don't think that any content should be behind a paywall. It just won't work.

I'd recommend setting up either a 'Just giving' or 'crowd funding' site and letting users contribute towards a target. If you reward paying contributors with a symbol next to their names it would encourage (guilt) regular users into paying.

I'll happily pay for these forums, but I'd resent a 'subscription' .

+1 for the 'Just Giving' suggestion.

That would, it seem, cover two aspects instantly -

1. It would, without a doubt, generate instant funds simply from the sheer goodwill from the people here already, rightly glad that Stooz and Clariman have been able to get something like this set up with such short notice from TMF.

2. It would, I think, give some ammo to Clariman and Stooz in terms of being able to think about funding levels using such a method in future, without the need (hopefully) to consider any sort of compulsory-funding methods.

Is there any reason why Clariman or Stooz couldn't set up a 'Just Giving' page right now, to test the waters regarding the above, and, to be honest, simply 'allow us' as really grateful site members, to show our gratitude in that really useful way?

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

[UncleEbenezer]

Thanks Uncle. I'm not a fan of paid premium content nor compulsory subscription fees. Have you been a contributor to the forum software development itself or some other area of code?

A little lower down the stack. My relevant work is on the Apache web server and APR library: I've been a core developer and published author on both for longer than I've been a Fool.

I took the liberty of sending a HEAD request to lemonfool when I first signed up, to see how much of your software stack it would announce!

[Clariman]

Thanks Uncle. I'm not a fan of paid premium content nor compulsory subscription fees. Have you been a contributor to the forum software development itself or some other area of code?

A little lower down the stack. My relevant work is on the Apache web server and APR library: I've been a core developer and published author on both for longer than I've been a Fool.

I took the liberty of sending a HEAD request to lemonfool when I first signed up, to see how much of your software stack it would announce!

... and the answer was? Too much, not enough?

The real value of the Fool to me was having so many intelligent and expert people who were ready to give of their knowledge and time to help others freely. So you are very welcome here UncleEbenezer.

Clariman

[LemonFool]

. . . but how would people feel about a voluntary donation on the basis of "Thanks for what you have done so far" without necessarily getting a commitment for a forever future with it growing like topsy?. . .

Absolutely.

I'd suggest estimating the likely costs for the next 12 months and asking for donations towards that figure.

I've no idea what the costs are, but say they are £1000 and we have 500 users.

If only a quarter wish to contribute that's £8 each. Surely a tenner or so for all this is little to ask?

Is it possible to have a PayPal 'Donations' button and 'church roof thermometer' constantly updated?

[UncleEbenezer]

... and the answer was? Too much, not enough?

Looked fine to me. What I meant to say was, that's where I saw Apache in the stack. Nothing geeky like fingerprinting the server.

The real value of the Fool to me was having so many intelligent and expert people who were ready to give of their knowledge and time to help others freely. So you are very welcome here UncleEbenezer.

Clariman

Likewise. Thanks!

[Tortoise1000]

I think Just Giving takes a percentage, doesnt it? Can we just have a Paypal button? Church roof fund thermometer is an interesting idea, I have not come across that before on a web site.

T

[88V8]

I think Just Giving takes a percentage, doesnt it? Can we just have a Paypal button? Church roof fund thermometer is an interesting idea, I have not come across that before on a web site.

I bet Paypal take 3% or more!
That said, I just renewed my Wikipedia donation through Paypal. If I'd had to sit and plonk through my credit card number, I might not have bothered, so Wiki got 97% instead of zero.

V8

[tieresias]

but how would people feel about a voluntary donation on the basis of "Thanks for what you have done so far" without necessarily getting a commitment for a forever future with it growing like topsy?

I'm happy to chip in few quid

[bionichamster]

but how would people feel about a voluntary donation on the basis of "Thanks for what you have done so far" without necessarily getting a commitment for a forever future with it growing like topsy?

Sounds totally reasonable, I'm happy to contribute something. Get the payment option in place and I'm sure many others will too. The wikipedia model seems the best to me.

[superFoolish]

I know it's early-days - a lot of fine tuning and learning for Stooz and Clariman.

I don't mind adverts at all but, if possible, I would request that the type of ads are limited; I'm pretty sure that it's possible to specify the types of ads that are displayed. I'm not keen on seeing ads for Sexy Thai Ladies*.

I would certainly consider one-off donations. I think any kind of paywall, or limiting features based on a paid subscription would turn me off.

[*No, I did not see this due to prior Internet activity; I am viewing using Chrome's Incognito mode!]

[DiamondEcho]

but how would people feel about a voluntary donation on the basis of "Thanks for what you have done so far" without necessarily getting a commitment for a forever future with it growing like topsy?

Sounds totally reasonable, I'm happy to contribute something. Get the payment option in place and I'm sure many others will too. The wikipedia model seems the best to me.

The Wiki annual fund-raiser was what I was thinking of too. As long as the stated funding requirement can be trusted, I expect one way or another it would be met.

[IME Paypal is a nightmare to use. I don't use it often but each time I do I have to I expect to spend a day or two jumping through fresh hoops. Keep it simple [and not via paypal] is my suggestion].

[stooz]

I know it's early-days - a lot of fine tuning and learning for Stooz and Clariman.

I don't mind adverts at all but, if possible, I would request that the type of ads are limited; I'm pretty sure that it's possible to specify the types of ads that are displayed. I'm not keen on seeing ads for Sexy Thai Ladies*.

I would certainly consider one-off donations. I think any kind of paywall, or limiting features based on a paid subscription would turn me off.

[*No, I did not see this due to prior Internet activity; I am viewing using Chrome's Incognito mode!]

Ive been getting those too. I need to work on it. The issue is they read the google cache and get a feel for the content. As it is a new site - they dont find anything and those type of advertisers mark themselves to target anyone for any reason, rather than if you were a bathroom fitter you would target matches on bathrooms for example You can hit the X on an ad to say "I dont want to see this thanks" and I will try and moderate whats allowed here too.

[stooz]

Well thats was easy - I have disabled dating, black magic, astrology ( I bet they didnt see that one coming) religion and ringtones

and get rich quick schemes, which I don't inherently trust.

[melonfool]

[IME Paypal is a nightmare to use. I don't use it often but each time I do I have to I expect to spend a day or two jumping through fresh hoops. Keep it simple [and not via paypal] is my suggestion].

While I find it a breeze and am much more likely to give via Paypal than anything else. If I am sitting with the laptop watching TV (as I am now) and I see a Just Giving type thing, I might quickly click through, click into the Paypal payment and boom, payment made in about three seconds flat. If the payment involves getting my handbag from the hall, fishing out my purse, finding my debit card, typing in all the numbers, remembering the 'verify' password, putting that all back again so that it's in the right place for the morning.....well, I'm just not going to do it.

There was something just the other day, on my phone, I thought "I could bung a few quid towards that", but it needed debit card details and I was already in bed so I just closed the page. Now I can't even remember what it was so there's no chance I'll go back and do it.

I actually use a separate bank account for Paypal and I fund it with the money I am happy to donate to good causes (I won't say 'charity' because it's not just charity, sometimes it's crowd funding stuff, for example).



Mel

[foundone]

I'd be happy to chuck a few quid in, but suggestions of £50-£100 per annum are well over the top I hope. I was thinking more on the freeware model of£1-£10. You would never attract new members with fees of £50pa, it almost goes against the principles of Fooldom which attracted us to TMF in the first place.

moneysavingexpert.com seems a reasonably close match in terms of objectives (although a little downmarket) and seems to thrive without subscriptions.

[BobGe]

I think Just Giving takes a percentage, doesnt it? Can we just have a Paypal button? Church roof fund thermometer is an interesting idea, I have not come across that before on a web site.

I bet Paypal take 3% or more!
That said, I just renewed my Wikipedia donation through Paypal. If I'd had to sit and plonk through my credit card number, I might not have bothered, so Wiki got 97% instead of zero.

V8

I believe that if you make a 'personal payment' via Paypal they do not levy a fee upon the recipient. It is also free to the sender if it debits cleared funds already with Paypal, otherwise if it debits a card, for example, the sender pays the fee. Question would seem to be if Lemonfool would have a personal account or merchant account with Paypal. No doubt Wikipedia would have a special arrangement anyway.

[grimer]

moneysavingexpert.com seems a reasonably close match in terms of objectives (although a little downmarket) and seems to thrive without subscriptions.

I have it on good authority that the look of the site is a deliberate attempt to give it a DIY look and feel. It is part of the appeal.

[Clariman]

moneysavingexpert.com seems a reasonably close match in terms of objectives (although a little downmarket) and seems to thrive without subscriptions.

I have it on good authority that the look of the site is a deliberate attempt to give it a DIY look and feel. It is part of the appeal.

Monesavingexpert was built solely as a vehicle promote Martin Lewis's early days in financial journalism. I think he got someone in Eastern Europe to build it for a few hundred euros. However, the website became a huge thing in its own right and a virtuous circle developed where his TV career and his website promoted each other. He sold MSE for about £20M to Moneysupermarket a few years ago but still maintains editorial conrtrol.

Clariman

[antannas]

I am very happy to contribute and a paypal button would make it simple.
How about a "pledge" system,rather like the BBC's Children in Need concept,to gauge
eventual outcome?
Ant

[wheypat]

I too would be delighted to chip in for the running costs.