PDA

View Full Version : Donations



bms
31-12-2010, 04:19 PM
Great to see a donate button (albeit a little small and no information about what the donation is for - yet?), but why is the donation in Euros not British Pounds?

Justin
31-12-2010, 04:25 PM
Because I'm just installing it!

Justin
31-12-2010, 04:52 PM
As Martin has pointed out. I have now installed the Donate button, simply put this connects to PayPal and you can choose the amount you want to donate. If I have particular projects for us I'll post a progress bar that shows how far off the target we are.

In the meantime any donations made will be put towards running costs. All costs are up to date as I've just paid for this new forum and a years hosting so any donations will be kept in PayPal.

Paul
31-12-2010, 04:54 PM
albeit a little small and no information about what the donation is for - yet?

VB script just costed Justin about £150 so would be nice if that would be covered via donation plus usual costs of hosting etc I think.

JSR
31-12-2010, 05:28 PM
As Martin has pointed out. I have now installed the Donate button, simply put this connects to PayPal and you can choose the amount you want to donate. If I have particular projects for us I'll post a progress bar that shows how far off the target we are.

In the meantime any donations made will be put towards running costs. All costs are up to date as I've just paid for this new forum and a years hosting so any donations will be kept in PayPal.
I think you should put up progress bars anyway. One bar should show what you've paid out so far, and the other should show how much we've donated. That way, everything is easily understandable.

Just saying that you've paid for the new forum and a year's hosting gives the impression you don't need any more right now but, as Paul said, you've just paid out £150 that needs to be paid for by us.

Justin
31-12-2010, 05:30 PM
OK, I'll put up the progress bar and see what folk think. I don't expect to recoup all that I've paid out but any donations will always be used to enhance the forum further.

JSR
31-12-2010, 05:41 PM
OK, I'll put up the progress bar and see what folk think. I don't expect to recoup all that I've paid out but any donations will always be used to enhance the forum further.

I think that would be better because otherwise new people here will just think that any donations go into a bottomless pit. If they can see the costs and work involved with a progress bar or two, then they know what they're contributing towards.

mrs maggot
31-12-2010, 05:50 PM
done, and without going over old ground again, i agree with JSR. the cost of the forum hosting should be covered by members, but whether more needs to be spent on "enhancing" further should depend on how deep everyones pockets are. on another forum i belong to we put out the pot once a year 2 months before renewal of the site is due, and we put it away after the renewal has been done, over 7 years its clear that its the same people year after year who pay towards the site, but thats not the point, the point it, put the pot out only when you need it, otherwise people will stop

JSR
31-12-2010, 05:53 PM
OK, I'll put up the progress bar and see what folk think. I don't expect to recoup all that I've paid out but any donations will always be used to enhance the forum further.

I think you also need to get your logo hosted on a secure site. When I went to donate, I was warned about unsecure content on the PayPal page which turns out to be your logo (because it comes from http://www.dyesubforum.co.uk/vbforum/images/misc/DyeSubForumLogoSmall.gif which isn't behind SSL - so the browser alerts the user).

This alert/warning may put people off.

JSR
31-12-2010, 05:57 PM
the cost of the forum hosting should be covered by members, but whether more needs to be spent on "enhancing" further should depend on how deep everyones pockets are.
I agree. I was a member of a forum once which relied on donations. The owner urged everyone to donate, saying that the site wouldn't be around if we didn't. We all duly donated to keep the site, and then the owner went and spent the money on ten years worth of the domain registration fee. That was his choice and it made sense to save money that way, but he then immediately continued to say that the site wouldn't be around next year if we didn't donate to the hosting - the very thing we thought we'd been donating towards.

Needless to say, this got everyone's back up. Transparency is key. People need to know what they're contributing towards at every step of the way.

mrs maggot
31-12-2010, 06:42 PM
yep completely agree with that - hence why we only put the donation form up once a year if you want to contribute you do - if you dont then you dont, any shortfall is actually then made up from the admin team - there are 4 of us so we just split whatever is left between us if there is any to be made up.

Ian M
02-01-2011, 08:15 PM
I thought we would have been very near the donation total by now. I just had a quick look & realised that if all the active members donated the large amount of 60p we'd just pass the £150 target Justin has set.

Now this is the point where I get my soap box out. I really don't care who I upset now as some of you do need to be told in no uncertain terms what this forum has done to help you. Some of you come on here wanting help & advice which is freely given at all times by some very nice knowledgable people & then off you go & you don't even bother to give a penny in return or thanks. Now don't get me wrong as that isn't everyone but, there is a lot that do. SO, COME ON YOU LOT GET YOUR HAND IN YOUR POCKET & GIVE SOMETHING BACK FOR ONCE.

Justin has worked his wotsits off getting this new look wonderful forum up & running so, lets all repay him something back for once.

If you had to pay an expert in your business for advice or help it would cost you a small fortune. Just ask yourselves how many new businesses have paid all of 60p for advice on start up?

Ian

accdave
02-01-2011, 08:33 PM
I thought we would have been very near the donation total by now. I just had a quick look & realised that if all the active members donated the large amount of 60p we'd just pass the £150 target Justin has set.

Now this is the point where I get my soap box out. I really don't care who I upset now as some of you do need to be told in no uncertain terms what this forum has done to help you. Some of you come on here wanting help & advice which is freely given at all times by some very nice knowledgable people & then off you go & you don't even bother to give a penny in return or thanks. Now don't get me wrong as that isn't everyone but, there is a lot that do. SO, COME ON YOU LOT GET YOUR HAND IN YOUR POCKET & GIVE SOMETHING BACK FOR ONCE.

Justin has worked his wotsits off getting this new look wonderful forum up & running so, lets all repay him something back for once.

If you had to pay an expert in your business for advice or help it would cost you a small fortune. Just ask yourselves how many new businesses have paid all of 60p for advice on start up?

Ian

Now we know who trained Bob Geldof :)

Paul
02-01-2011, 08:37 PM
I thought we would have been very near the donation total by now. I just had a quick look & realised that if all the active members donated the large amount of 60p we'd just pass the £150 target Justin has set.

Now this is the point where I get my soap box out. I really don't care who I upset now as some of you do need to be told in no uncertain terms what this forum has done to help you. Some of you come on here wanting help & advice which is freely given at all times by some very nice knowledgable people & then off you go & you don't even bother to give a penny in return or thanks. Now don't get me wrong as that isn't everyone but, there is a lot that do. SO, COME ON YOU LOT GET YOUR HAND IN YOUR POCKET & GIVE SOMETHING BACK FOR ONCE.


btw. six people donated so far. I am sure quite few more people we helped in the past...
Justin has worked his wotsits off getting this new look wonderful forum up & running so, lets all repay him something back for once.

If you had to pay an expert in your business for advice or help it would cost you a small fortune. Just ask yourselves how many new businesses have paid all of 60p for advice on start up?

Ian

You got some bolls sir ;)

but this is so true what you just said :( I think exactly like you!

Justin
02-01-2011, 09:34 PM
Thank you Ian, some good points made there. It re-opens the tin of worms regarding how the forum is paid for, subscriptions, advertising, donations etc. The new VBulletin platform has the ability to handle/manage subscriptions as well as advertising. Results from the poll I took a while ago, indicated that members would be happiest with advertising paying for the forum along with the possibility of a small subscription charge. For every supporter of advertising and membership they'll always be someone who disagrees.

I greatly appreciate the donations given to the forum. I do spend pretty much every waking hour I can on here, outside my day job! so this support means a lot.

I'm still toying with all possible ideas of funding. If I could rely on a small amount of donations coming through regularly I'd be more than happy with this but the truth is it's pretty much the same members over and over again that donate. To echo what you've said, how many times have members told us what a great asset we were, saved them so much time and money. Yet they don't offer anything in return. I've actually has emails from a couple of members asking to be taken off the member list, basically they've got what the wanted form us and now they're off. One member even told me they didn't like the new look forum and wouldn't be returning! This was within minutes of it going live. I took a plunge/risk, call it what you will, changing over to VBulletin as I knew it wouldn't be a smooth transition, resetting passwords etc. Sure, we'll have lost a handful of members but we have to move forward and this was the clear way to do so.

I want to find a fair way for us all to enjoy the forum and will continue to look at this. I don't want the forum to be completely aimed towards newbies, I want the experienced members to get something out of being here...this is where your suggestions are needed.

In the meantime I would like to once again thank the handfull of members who have taken the time to give money recently.

Ian M
02-01-2011, 10:00 PM
You got some bolls sir ;)

I even have balls too Paul...........lol.

Ian M
02-01-2011, 10:15 PM
I know what Justin means about working all the hours God sends as I did the same for a charitable trust a little time ago. This was an archive centre for a few classic car clubs that belonged to an association & I got the job of marketing director. I found myself working full time at the bank & then when I got home I was doing even more work than my full time job. I soon realised I was doing well over 100 hours of work per week & had no free time for myself anymore. I was even doing this whilst I was under treatment for cancer too & on top of this every month I had to drive a round trip of 400 miles to meet with the trustees who did as little work as possible apart from 2 or 3 of them. We had to charge all the clubs members an extra 2p per week on their annual club subscriptions & a lot of them didn't like it. At one meeting we had all the clubs officials there & I went round each one of them & gave them a 2p coin & they were all sat there looking at it. I then said I want you all to go out of here & buy something with that 2p coin I have given you but, whatever you buy has to have some historical value & it has to last for at least 7 days. All of a sudden it hit home what they were paying towards & the best bit is that some of them even decided they should be paying a bit more. I just wish I could do the same with the people on here who refuse to give just 60p to hit our target.

Paul
02-01-2011, 10:45 PM
I want to find a fair way for us all to enjoy the forum and will continue to look at this. I don't want the forum to be completely aimed towards newbies, I want the experienced members to get something out of being here...this is where your suggestions are needed.

In the meantime I would like to once again thank the handfull of members who have taken the time to give money recently.

ther is no much we can do for experts because they already experts :) but I am sure if suppliers will give some % discount on blanks etc this will be one of the good reasons to stay :)


I just wish I could do the same with the people on here who refuse to give just 60p to hit our target.
http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/2030/coinu.png

lets send it to every body :) with thank you letter :)

Justin
02-01-2011, 10:49 PM
Any chance you could upload a £50 note for me to print off Paul? LOL. Just kidding, I know you, you;'ll bloody do it as well! ;-)

We have to be able to offer experienced members more, the discounts is a good idea and something I've been talking to a number of suppliers about recently but there has to be more we can offer?

Paul
02-01-2011, 10:55 PM
http://monety.banknoty.pl/banknotes/great_britain/GreatBritainP388-50Pounds-1994-donated_f.jpg
here it is mate! but dont tell me I never donated alright??!! :D

Justin
02-01-2011, 10:56 PM
OK OK, I owe you £49.40 change I guess? LOL.

Paul
02-01-2011, 11:00 PM
LOL :D naaah! Keep the change J!

JSR
03-01-2011, 12:57 AM
http://monety.banknoty.pl/banknotes/great_britain/GreatBritainP388-50Pounds-1994-donated_f.jpg
here it is mate! but dont tell me I never donated alright??!! :D

Blimey, I haven't seen one of them for about 10 years. The highest denomination I ever see has a 5 in it, but there's no 0 after it...:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

(I wish they'd bring back the £1 note - then I could have more than one note in my wallet....)

JSR
03-01-2011, 01:04 AM
To echo what you've said, how many times have members told us what a great asset we were, saved them so much time and money. Yet they don't offer anything in return. I've actually has emails from a couple of members asking to be taken off the member list, basically they've got what the wanted form us and now they're off.
It's a pity that we can't set up a "newbies forum" wherein they can post questions, but there's a big red banner saying "you won't see your replies without donating". We could all still reply so that everyone who has donated can benefit from the answers, advice, and experience, but the newbie wouldn't see the answer unless they'd first donated.

That might (i) get more donations in, and (ii) get rid of any freeloaders. :mad:


One member even told me they didn't like the new look forum and wouldn't be returning! This was within minutes of it going live. I took a plunge/risk, call it what you will, changing over to VBulletin as I knew it wouldn't be a smooth transition, resetting passwords etc. Sure, we'll have lost a handful of members but we have to move forward and this was the clear way to do so.
I'm not a huge fan of this VBulletin myself, but it's the pages within the manual that's important - not what dustjacket is on it. Those who leave can go find their help elsewhere.

Kaz
11-01-2011, 04:58 PM
I'm a bit skint right now, but will donate at the end of the month when OH gets paid.

I wasn't too keen on the new layout, took me a while to get the hang of it, but I'm getting there, slowly but surely.

And I've got one of those £50 notes in my purse (crimbo pressie), but it's a different colour to the one already posted

Justin
11-01-2011, 09:31 PM
;-)

The new layout is by far perfect, it's the basic platform that comes installed. VBulletin allow you to download as many styles/layouts etc. as you want and each member can choose which style they want. I've been testing this feature and whilst it's very easy to use I want to make sure I only install a few decent styles and not overload your eyes!

The VBulletin platform offers so much more than is obvious at this stage. From my point of view it makes the background work x100 easier and I can do so much more. Adding new features is also a lot easier and again, whilst this isn't critical right now you'll see what I mean as we continue to grow and expand.

I don't mind what colour the £50 note is, you can keep the purse...I have my own...ahem. :-)

Ian M
07-02-2011, 10:00 PM
If all of us in the forum now donated just £1 each then we would almost hit the latest target.

Please, please make Justin happy :biggrin:

Thank You

smitch6
07-02-2011, 11:21 PM
sorry it isn't more but at least it's something
and i for one am really grateful for the support i've had from here
i found this place thru another forum and am so glad i did

keep up the good work Justin and the team
as you know i run a forum and rely solely on donations and i know how hard it can be
i think the last time i went through my accounts i was about £800 out of pocket lol

but as Justin has said we do it for the love of it and not the money

i will say mate are we nuts??????????

i feel like i'm going mad every day lately