Site Support

[gerryr]

I agree with Lou also.

 

[its_virgil]

It is the same way for every organization that is financed by voluntary contributions. Less than 10% of the members contribute the dollars needed to support the organization. It's true in most churches as well as similar organizations with which I belong. Everyone who visits here, posts here, downloads from here and uploads to the IAP can afford a computer and the monthly internet charges, a digital camers to take the pictures, and a lathe to turn pens. We all have $$ to buy wood, kits, gold nibs(nothing personal Anthony), and $20 snake skin blanks. I really think we can afford to pay a membership fee. I'll give up one diet coke per day and send in $182.50 for a year.. It's worth it to me. I'm really not trying to step on any toes. But this is just the way it works. 10% foot the bill for the entire 100%. Most of us are willing to pay for all of the other things that we consider important.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
[/quote]
The point is that 187 people (well, 188 if you include me) support this site. I'm not griping about that. Not everyone is in a financial position to donate. The whole purpose of this site is the free and open exchange of ideas and education, and that includes people who can't or choose not to donate.
[/quote]

 

[RussFairfield]

Jeff needs a steady income rather than the hand to mouth barely staying alive not knowing how next months bills are going to get paid operation that is now the IAP. A reliable and forcastable income means either access fees or advertising.

I have always been against any kind of fees for Web site access or posting messages. That would be completely at odds with the goals of the IAP to provide an open access for the education of ALL pencrafters.

All of this talk about membership fees makes me ask a larger question. Has anyone given any thought to what that entails? Membership fees means a treasury, accounting, and administrative costs. Somebody has to receive the mail, handle the money, and keep the books. We can't expect Jeff to take on that work load for free.

Back in the olden days (2 years ago) we attempted to make the IAP into a virtual organization with members, Directors, Officers, and meetings. We even wrote a set of By-Laws that included the provisions for membership fees should they be required at a later date when the IAP had a larger operating budget. If it didn't get into the By-Laws, we sure talked a lot about it. That effort died in its infancy, and for a lot of reasons that can be avoided should there be a next time.

Is it time to revisit the IAP as a organized effort?? We might even get Lou to run for President again under the right conditions, and a more reasonable possibility for success.[][]

The only other source, and the easiest way to achieve an income, is through advertisement. Why is everyone so set against advertisements?? We need to face the fact that this site needs sponsors who can provide a steady income to keep it operating. It isn't like there will be ads for virility enhancements or hemorrhoid cures. These will be ads for the same people who we buy our stuff from and whose Web site address are linked in messages on this site every day. The banner ads on WoodCentral aren't intrusive, and they keep the place alive. It seems to me that 10 ads at the $75 or whatever their cost per month would be a simple solution to the problem.

There are now 2 places for advertisements on the IAP site, and they are both available without charge. I would be in favor of the individual ads remaining without cost, but why is the IAP providing free space for commercial advertisements?? As a minimum, there should be a monthly fee per word of commercial advertising. There is a per/word fee for classified ads in the back of the AAW Journal and other woodturning and woodworking magazines. I have to ask why this service is free on this site?? That is another source of income that hasn't been tapped.

There are a lot of ways to achive a steady income that should be exploited before considering an access fee to the IAP site.

 

[KingBubbaTruck]

I don't have any problems with Advertisements. Personally, I think that if you did have a fee to join the site, you might see a significant drop off in traffic.

I use Google all the time. It's a great search engine, and they have a lot of useful, un-obtrusive advertisements...

Heck, I even buy from their advertisers sometimes.

Too tell the truth, I've made a wallet-load of purchases from companies that were either direct advertisers on this site, or recommended by users, since I joined here....

That being said, this thread did raise my awareness of the issue and I did make a donation to help out...

 

[jhop]

Originally posted by jeff
<br />

Originally posted by rtjw
[br
To respond to the email I received that "a $10 a month package should do what you need", I'll say this. Consider just a plain vanilla T1, the basic business class circuit. 1.544 MBit/sec. That'll transfer about 500GB in a month. Price a T1 from a good provider and you'll see that's anywhere from $500-$2000 a month depending on circuit-miles. So if we're using a third of that capacity, you'd pay $150 at the least. We have uncapped bandwidth up to 45Mbps, and multiple redundant paths to the Internet.

I'd be very interested in hearing about ANY legitimate web host who will tolerate a couple hundred gigs of transfer for $10 a month. That just isn't a business model that works.

check out oneandone.com 500gb/mo $4.95 with 50 mb storage

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

Originally posted by RussFairfield
The only other source, and the easiest way to achieve an income, is through advertisement. Why is everyone so set against advertisements?? We need to face the fact that this site needs sponsors who can provide a steady income to keep it operating. It isn't like there will be ads for virility enhancements or hemorrhoid cures. These will be ads for the same people who we buy our stuff from and whose Web site address are linked in messages on this site every day. The banner ads on WoodCentral aren't intrusive, and they keep the place alive. It seems to me that 10 ads at the $75 or whatever their cost per month would be a simple solution to the problem.

There are now 2 places for advertisements on the IAP site, and they are both available without charge. I would be in favor of the individual ads remaining without cost, but why is the IAP providing free space for commercial advertisements?? As a minimum, there should be a monthly fee per word of commercial advertising. There is a per/word fee for classified ads in the back of the AAW Journal and other woodturning and woodworking magazines. I have to ask why this service is free on this site?? That is another source of income that hasn't been tapped.

There are a lot of ways to achive a steady income that should be exploited before considering an access fee to the IAP site.

Bingo! Give that man a kewpie doll.

 

[Daniel]

Selling advertising space is my number one favorite idea. without stopping the fund raisers or donations. some info on how the group is financially would go a long way in getting others to donate as well. I think many members never think of it simply because they have no idea of the cost the site generates. I also like dues for members that give them greater access such as a photo album or the ability to view photos or something like that. this way we do not cut new members or the just curious out. but there is an incentive to become a paying member.

 

[Deere41h]

I have to agree with Russ. IAP needs a better stream of revenue than can be received from donations. I fear that memberships would seriously limit the great flow of information we currently have. If Don is correct and only 10% would join that too becomes a very limiting factor. With that said I voted for donations but am convinced that that by its self will not support the need of this site. That really only leaves ads to provide the constant cash stream that is required. I have been opposed to ads in the past as their nature tends to be overbearing. But if they can be done discreetly and in good taste and can help keep this forum alive than I say give it a try.

Maybe IAP should be like NPR and consider a couple of fund raisers a year to keep we members informed of the financial needs. I know for myself I only donate when asked and was not aware of the costs to run this site. Perhaps that is a way that donations might bring in a more constant revenue stream.

 

[JimGo]

The proble with Russ's suggestion is where to draw the line between individuals and companies. For example, I can think of at least four members, all of whom regularly post pens they've made and contribute to the various forums, who also regularly sell blanks; are they companies or individuals? It's going to be tough to enforce that line between individual and corporate advertisement, and you're likely to annoy those who are paying to advertise simiar goods when others can advertise for free. In that case, you drive away the source of revenue, and drive away access to good sales, discounts, etc. If we charge for ads in one forum, then we really should charge for ads in all forums, and I think most will agree that charging in the individual classifieds will really limit how much we're able to buy/sell/trade with each other. Banner ads are a better idea, and I have no real objection to them.

That being said, my personal preference is for a membership fee. It's worth AT LEAST $20 a year to be able to pick the brains of people like you Russ, as well as Anthony, Don, Lou, Bruce, Alice, Bev, Paul, Fred, and many, many others, especially about relatively esoteric topics. My proposed solution is that we leave the forums open to the public to read, except the library and archives, that we charge for membership, and that we require (as we currently do) that you become a member if you want to post in the forums.

Oh, and Gerry, there are actually a few members who have had their post counts reset, and I think they'd be payin' even more than Dario and me!!! []

 

[Randy_]

Originally posted by JimGo
<br />.....My proposed solution is that we leave the forums open to the public to read, except the library and archives, that we charge for membership, and that we require (as we currently do) that you become a member if you want to post in the forums.....

Only thing I would add to Jim's proposal is that photos should also be off limits to non-members. From what Jeff says, apparently they are a significant contributor to the band width costs and are a feature of the site that, presumably, are of interest to many people.

If I understood Jeff's figures correctly, if we get a dollar a month from the folks who are currently posting and some additional income from the lurkers who wish to preserve their ability to access the archive, library and photo gallery, that should cover most if not all of the current operating budget?? Add in a little income from ads and classified and the balance sheet should be in pretty good shape.

One thing that hasn't been fully discussed is that taking in money is going to cost money. Unless IAP is set up as a corp or a non-profit business, all of the fees are going to end up on Jeff's 1040 on April 15th.

I don't know what the final answer is going to be; but whatever it is, it isn't going to be simple!!

 

[ldimick]

Originally posted by RussFairfield
<br />
All of this talk about membership fees makes me ask a larger question. Has anyone given any thought to what that entails? Membership fees means a treasury, accounting, and administrative costs. Somebody has to receive the mail, handle the money, and keep the books. We can't expect Jeff to take on that work load for free.

I know of one group where the webmaster is paid $500 per month and does less than Jeff currently does.

Then there is the issue of disagreements - If I don't like a policy and make a suggestion to change it is there a vote for reformation, and if so, is it based upon dollar contribution like a a stockholder?

I know it sounds silly but it does happen.

I don't mind a set fee for membership - but I think it would be a bad idea because we would drive people away. The stated goal is to share information and to promote our passion.

I think that the IAP should solicit contributions in the form of pledges and then ask for the money. I try to give when I know of a need but I am not always aware of a need.

I also would not mind if ONE of the major sellers of kits or blanks were to be allowed to have a single ad on the home page that all must enter per month. $350 per month is a cheap cost for reaching a focused audience that has the buying power that this group holds. The downside is that we may lose our objectivity about vendors or kits.

Perhaps one of the big vendors could offer a bulk buy of several kits at the 25-35% off level and then sell them to the members at the 20% level. Donate the difference to the IAP.

 

[rtjw]

Originally posted by ldimick
<br />

Originally posted by RussFairfield
<br />
All of this talk about membership fees makes me ask a larger question. Has anyone given any thought to what that entails? Membership fees means a treasury, accounting, and administrative costs. Somebody has to receive the mail, handle the money, and keep the books. We can't expect Jeff to take on that work load for free.

I know of one group where the webmaster is paid $500 per month and does less than Jeff currently does.

Then there is the issue of disagreements - If I don't like a policy and make a suggestion to change it is there a vote for reformation, and if so, is it based upon dollar contribution like a a stockholder?

I know it sounds silly but it does happen.

I don't mind a set fee for membership - but I think it would be a bad idea because we would drive people away. The stated goal is to share information and to promote our passion.

I think that the IAP should solicit contributions in the form of pledges and then ask for the money. I try to give when I know of a need but I am not always aware of a need.

I also would not mind if ONE of the major sellers of kits or blanks were to be allowed to have a single ad on the home page that all must enter per month. $350 per month is a cheap cost for reaching a focused audience that has the buying power that this group holds. The downside is that we may lose our objectivity about vendors or kits.

Perhaps one of the big vendors could offer a bulk buy of several kits at the 25-35% off level and then sell them to the members at the 20% level. Donate the difference to the IAP.

Some good opinions. I have heard of at least one story of memberships that were sold and then a member got kicked off and sued the site. It wont be the members of IAP that get sued, it will be jeff.

Also, who do you select to have the ad. It would drive away sellers if you limited who can advertise.

Everyone has brought up ideas that are really good. But the main thing that everyone is missing is that eveyone is throwing something more on Jeff. Trust me it takes a lot to run the site. Whether you agree or disagree with me about TPS. I am still a member here and still support the site. But do we want to add more responsibilities to Jeff, like, maiking sure who can view the photos and who cant, membership fees and when they are due, advertisers ads, etc, etc, etc, etc,.

Again Jeff, the answer is who knows.

 

[blacksmith2461]

I have no problem with an annual fee . but how will it affect jeff as far as tax goes,and will jeff be able to handle this extra work [xx(] I presume jeff would like to make a pen on the odd ocasion [] and also how would fees affect members not in the US . donating pens for sale is not a bad idea , but then we are back in the same boat as fees will jeff have to handle the sale of the pens. and will non US members be able to send a pen to the USA . at least with an annual fee everybody knows where they stand . this is a great site for us in AUS it would be a crime to see it close decause of the lack of finances []

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

Originally posted by JimGoThe proble with Russ's suggestion is where to draw the line between individuals and companies. For example, I can think of at least four members, all of whom regularly post pens they've made and contribute to the various forums, who also regularly sell blanks; are they companies or individuals?

That would be simple. Individuals can only post a classified once a month. If an individual is selling pen/bowl blanks on a regular basis, it's a business. If an individual is selling a pen/bowl blank on a one time basis because he has more he can use it is individual sale.

 

[jeff]

A few comments based on the discussion so far...

There are tax implications for every dollar collected in donations. I run the donations through my S-Corp, which of course generates a personal tax liability for me. Fortunately (or unfortunately!) for the last couple years that Corp has posted a loss, so the tax consequences of donations have been minimal.

18 months ago when we were heading toward becoming a non-profit, and more recently, I've looked into the issues of becoming a 503C organization. It's something I'll work toward. Not impossible, but not trivial either.

I'm happy to see that the gist of the discussion pretty well matches my own thoughts. I hate the thought of a membership fee. It squashes the free and open flow of information and education. As others have noted, If we're an open group, 10% of the membership will provide support. If membership costs money, we'll be 10% the size we are now.

Some members-only content is a possibility. Even though it's free, requiring membership might motivate some to actually become participants and get motivated to support the site. Maybe viewing more than a couple pages of the photo album, or getting to the article archive will require membership. I'll conduct a poll before I do that.

Limited, tasteful, targeted advertising is a possibility. There are several places this could work... a spot on the front page, here and there on the forum pages, and maybe even a text link in subscription emails. I don't know how many of you shop at Amazon or some of the other on-line mega joints, but referral links pay too. That worked pretty well on another site I ran. One thing that will never happen the sale of member lists. Guaranteed.

I have a feeling that donations would significantly drop off if there was revenue coming in from advertisement. As long as the ad revenue was sufficient to cover costs, that's OK, but if that doesn't happen, donations would still be needed. I think I'd begin publishing a financial statement so everyone knows exactly where we stand.

I kind of like the classified proposals for businesses. I'd define a business as having employees, or more than $10,000 annual revenue, or reselling purchased goods. The last thing I want to do is shut off our friends who sell us great blanks on the cheap, but for the larger organizations who can afford it, maybe a small charge is the way to go.

Thanks again for all the great ideas.

 

[jeff]

Originally posted by ldimick
<br />I know of one group where the webmaster is paid $500 per month and does less than Jeff currently does.

[:0] I'm happy with the occasional box of blanks that shows up in my mailbox from time to time, the nice emails I get almost every day, and the great friends I've made here.

 

[mick]

I will echo several others here and say that I'd be willing to donate some of my profits from sales back to this site. After all without the IAP I wouldn't be making the quality of pens I am now. I'm like Don, I love this site and am a daily viewer and poster. I've learned so much this past year and am always amazed at the quality of work as well as the inovations some of you come up with. I did a very small show yesterday and only sold two perfume pens ....but I'm going to go ahead and send Jeff the proceeds from one of them and in the future I'll donate from other shows as I can. I challenge other penturners here to do the same, if able. We all know the time and costs we have in any given pen and IMHO it doesn't hurt me, or any of us to donate at least one of them periodically. So come on folks all of you who do shows, think about what this site means to you and what you've learned here and send a little of your profits Jeff's way. Let's help him support this site and keep spreading the knowledge!!!!!

 

[airrat]

wow Jeff I didnt know it cost that much a month. If the advertisments were reguarding woodworking I am all for it. I am always looking for a sale or a deal. I have not donated in a few months its time to do it again. Sorry I didnt know it was so much.

This site provides alot of valuable information. Maybe you can put something on the home page showing how much is needed to run the site.

 

[airrat]

My wife is a member of a site that allows members to be sponsors for the month and promote something. Not sure if that is an idea that works for advertisement. It will not cover the entire cost but would help.

 

[Blind_Squirrel]

How about a hybrid approach? Make the front page and active topics free. For a nominal membership fee have access to things like the archived (past years) articles and the search function.

This would allow people to come onboard and get a good look to see what things are like. If they decide to become serious about turning pens and want to learn more they can help promote this great site.

 

[Jim Boyd]

How about subscriptions? I donate here but only when reminded, like now[] But if I had the ability to subscribe with a paypal payment once a month I would not feel bad about having to be reminded. Some of us have CRS bad[] This is what I do at BT3Central and even though I'm not a rabid pen builder as some of you guys, I'm logged on here at least 4 times a day[8D]

 

[rtjw]

Jeff, I was thinking about this today and remembered that this is one of the reasons why everyone should support The Penturners Almanac. I have said already that the profits from the sale of the almanac will be split between the IAP and The Pen Shop. Hopefully that will help both sites out.

Okay, I am finished with my plug. BTW Jeff, we need to finish the website so we can start taking subscriptions.

 

[pete00]

My late two cents worth.
I would pay for membership if so decided.

A couple of suggestions i agree with, limit access for non members.
Sell advertising space. Charge for classified ads, much like a newspaper.

A couple times a year we promote a fund/donation raiser for IAP.
Mabey IAP could work a deal with a vendor(s) to sponser a group buy, IAP get a % of sales.

We need to be reminded to donate. Otherwise we all get caught up in our daily lives. Then we think Jeff is fine and running the site from Bermuda sipping cool ones.[][]

pete

 

[DCBluesman]

Originally posted by rtjw
<br />Jeff, I was thinking about this today and remembered that this is one of the reasons why everyone should support The Penturners Almanac. I have said already that the profits from the sale of the almanac will be split between the IAP and The Pen Shop. Hopefully that will help both sites out.

Okay, I am finished with my plug. BTW Jeff, we need to finish the website so we can start taking subscriptions.

This belongs in the classifieds!

 

[rtjw]

Lou, no it doesnt. It belongs here because we are talking about ways to support the site. I bet myself you would be the one to say something negative about that post. I was right.

 

[thewishman]

Congratulations to the donors who already are contributing over 70% of the costs of running the IAP website. The rest of the members and guests owe you many thanks. Thank you Jeff and those who have given money and support to this site.


The topic is Site Support. It takes about $350 per month to pay the bills, for a total of $4200 per year at current levels. The issue is how to get the $4200 - not "so-and-so should have to pay for ads" or "some content should be restricted to supporters" or "it's not fair that just 5-10% contribute."(Besides, memberships, ad fees and the like add tremendously to administrator responsibilities.) The issue is how to get the $4200.

A counter, prominently displayed on the homepage and/or the discussion page, with the caption "THE IAP NEEDS $XXXX.XX TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS" (or two months, or whatever) with the donation button right below. Everyone will know what is needed, and those who didn't previously think about the costs will be reminded. The only work, beyond setting up the counter, is updating the tally.

(I'm sure I saw the counter idea in a previous post, but I couldn't find it again. I apologize to the poster.)

Jeff, you have established a great fun and educational forum. I have been coming here at least daily for a few months and I never noticed any mention of the need for monetary support except for the tiny PayPal support button. I doubt that many people ever thought about the money that was required to keep the doors open. Thanks for letting me (us?) know that more was needed.

 

[Johnathan]

The amount of information, useful tips, and friendships I have made here beats any amount I've ever spent on a yearly magazine. I've tried to support where I can and have no problem paying a monthly fee. I would leave the information for everyone to use, with paying members able to post. What you offer here is so worth it! Anyone that has been here for any amount of time will know that they have stumbled upon a jewel worth every penny of a membership fee. You might just create an icon next to the names of paying members, that should put some pressure on those that are not helping out. Come on People!!![:0][8D]

 

[Jerryconn]

I have a possible idea about the classifieds for both individual and business. They add $1 to their prices for each purchase (i.e. you buy $20 worth of blanks the total sell is $21) with the $1 going the the IAP site. I realize that there is no way to monitor this but from what I have seen of members on this site the chances of this being takem advantage of would be small. Like I said earlier, I have only been here about a month but what I have learned here has advanced my abilty 10 fold. My donation has also been sent. And thanks to all that share and the effort that is made by Jeff and others.

 

[Jim15]

I have only been here a matter of months and I just didn't realize how much it takes for Jeff to do this. Now that I know I am willing to do what is necessary to keep the site going, and at no money out of Jeff's pocket. I will donate, pay monthly fees, look at advertising etc. This site is a real treasure for a person like me. Learning from experts and people who really know what they are doing is invaluable to me.

Thank you,
jim

 

[Johnathan]

Another comment is that many have the IAP "Active Topics" page on their "favorites" section of their computer. So, many don't look at the front page, and don't see the donate button, or the "Behind the Lathe" article lol. I think this reminder should be placed at the top of every page right under the logo.

I think this site should be run by member donations alone. Advertising is good but this site is not costing that much. The members should be supporting it.

I agree that classifieds should have a payment along with it, not much, but something. You would never expect to get free classified space anywhere else. []

I do think there needs to be some type of reward for those working hard to do something for IAP. Possibly limit the posts per day of non payers or no posts at all.

 

[Dario]

Okay I'll budge on the advertisement issue. The posts are very enlightening/educational. I now believe it is alsoa good idea IF done in good taste. Don't want all pages to be runned over by advertisement []

Maybe put another star system for the donors? Similar to the post count star system. Maybe it will encourage others to donate more []

 

[JimGo]

I really like the star idea Dario, especially if it couldn't be hidden.

 

[wade]

Just a thought, but how about having a fund rasing pen auction? You could have everyone who want's to donate make a pen and send it to whomever, then, once the pens are received, you could put each of them up on ebay and auction them off. It could be a nice fund raiser.

I don't know if this is an acceptable idea, but hey, I thought it might be worth a suggestion.

Wade in MN

 

[wayneis]

I've been giving this quite a bit of thought and I believe that the adds could stay basicly with what we already have in a way. Any one who advertises in the Business section would pay a fee for that right. Anyone who advertises on the Individual section should pay a smaller fee. I also think that anyone who places ads on a steady basis should place those in the business section. This would in my opinion place the least amount of work on Jeff because we already have those areas set up, all he would have to do is lock them so that no one can post ads until they pay. This way we would not have ads all over the site and no one would have to spend the time to create anything new or spend the time making up fancy ads. In my opinion, the individual section should only be for someone who has an occasional sale, like some one who desides he/she has extra kits or kits they don't want or need any more. Also for those once in a while blank sales when someone happens to purchase a board for themselves and has a few extra blanks that they want to get rid of.

In a way I have a problem with memberships, to me that is like making the teacher pay to teach. What makes this site great is all the help that everyone gives. The articles, the photos, the questions that we answer are all what makes this site what it is. If you stop and think of all the people and Companies that make money from us who have in the past been allowed to advertise for free, well to me its just wrong if Jeff has to pay to build and update the site, that we have to pay to help and teach and all of these individuals and Companies continue to make money from us without putting any back in to the site.

Just my opinion,

Wayne

 

[Bev Polmanteer]

Well, I guess it's better late than never! I am in favor of membership, advertising, donations, and anything else that will keep Jeff from having to foot ANY of the bill. Goodness nows he does enough work on the site without having to put $$ into it also! You know, sometimes it takes something like this to really open the eyes of us that just take some things for granted. Yes, I have donated but not nearly as much as I have received in friendship, knowledge and entertainment! Jeff, may God lead you in the proper direction to take, I'll be praying for it and you!

 

[chitswood]

"I hate the thought of a membership fee. It squashes the free and open flow of information and education. As others have noted, If we're an open group, 10% of the membership will provide support. If membership costs money, we'll be 10% the size we are now."

Exaclty, and the problem with a premium membership is I can't think of anything to offer that shouldn't already be free.

I have made ample use of the business classifieds. But when I joined, if I had seen a listing fee, I would've avoided it like the plague.

Now that I've interacted with you guys, sold stuff, and seen the value of this site, I'll be happy to donate whole truckloads of wood. -no kidding

I'm afraid donating money directly is something I'll avoid, I get killer deals on the wood we buy in bulk, so thats how I can help in the biggest way, I know my dollar can make more money for this site if I spend it on wood first.


Offer advertisement on this site, "chitswood" may be a buyer. As long as the site is still here and free, I'm a happy goober.
We advertise our woods in the classifieds don't we? Why is anyone against a business advertising for pay?

I think the idea of a pen donation is cool, but we need to find out how to sell them all.

MOST importantly should be the donations, LET US KNOW HOW MUCH YOU NEED SO WE CAN HELP, a counter on the main page or at the beginning of all pages is fine, put it everywhere so everyone can see it.

If this site has enough devoted pen turners, the members can support it.
We have to love the site to want to help though, so whatever attracts us, keep it there.
Fees our gonna hurt, it'll defeat the purpose of this site.

What are the possibilities of Jeff (or one/a few of us) running a site specifically for us to sell our wares?
Like a community site that people go to for buying pens.
Most of us here aren't interested in a pen, but if we could get a site that people go shopping on, donating pens to jeff can be a big boom for support, especially if it turns out like this site.

Keep up the good work Jeff, let us know what you want need.

-Darick

 

[alamocdc]

Jeff, I've only been involved with IAP for a little over a year. In that time I've made a few donations, but probably not as much as I could have. Would I still belong to IAP if you charged for membership? Absolutely! The amount of information gleaned from this site is worth every penny it would take. Am I in favor of more generosity from myself and others? Most definitely. Would I take offense or be upset at paid advertisers? Only if they were pop-ups and could bypass my pop-up protection. Would that cause me to leave the IAP? Certainly not!

Bottom line - You run the show, so you tell us what you want or need to do and I'll support it. Sorry, but you're stuck with me; like it or not.[]

 

[Pipes]

I voted for donations BUT I think a fee would be fine also with donations also what ever it takes to keep us up and running Ima a NEWBIE here BUT I LOVE this Forum and the folks here and have donated a little since I been here and be glad to do what ever I can !! Thou I think dealers outa pay to advertise IMHO only now [:I]
specialy BIG ones ...

 

[guts]

Jeff,i'm like lots of folks on here, have no idea what the buisines end of operating something like would be,i have not donated anything and i apolize for that,don't use pay pal but i think the (pay your dues is probably the best thing to do)i don't sell pens i like to give them away but whatever you decide will work for me,all that matters is this site does not go away,thanks much for the effort.

 

[Dario]

Originally posted by guts
<br />Jeff,i'm like lots of folks on here, have no idea what the buisines end of operating something like would be,i have not donated anything and i apolize for that,don't use pay pal but i think the (pay your dues is probably the best thing to do)i don't sell pens i like to give them away but whatever you decide will work for me,all that matters is this site does not go away,thanks much for the effort.

OR...you can join the RAFFLE [:I][]