On January 24, 2007 we launched our latest PCQandA fundraiser. That is exactly 34 days ago.

The good news:

As of this moment we have received $1,714.40 in donations, bringing us within $285.60 of our $2,000.00 goal. That represents an average donation of $25.59

The bad news:

By dividing our fund raising into two smaller drives we naively thought that we would be over the top in a few weeks. We are now at double that length of time, and still waiting.

Worse News:

So far a total of 67 donations have been received. and 9 of those have been from your moderators!

This does not bode well for the future. Other than the staff, only 58 other members care enough about the existence of this forum to send even a dollar to support it!

As I said in another thread, if the day comes that we can not pay the bills to keep this site alive, it will close that day for good. The staff will not go into personal debt to save it. No one can convince me that there are only 67 people on this site that can afford to send even $5.00 to support it. It just says loudly that hundreds of you don't give a damn about the site.

Shelly

>It just says loudly that hundreds of you don't give a damn
>about the site.

Hundreds of us are over are heads in debt but to say we don't give a damn well I don't think so. I give a damn & to see this site go off the net will be a very sad day indeed. I just sent what I could to Jason, it's not much but I give a damn!!!

Dave101

"The only goddamn thing you know about the law is how to break it." Chief Lafleche

I check this site every day! Learned everything I know about computers from here. You guys have help me with many computer problems.
Thanks to the all the mods and everyone here at PCQ&A!
Man I'd hate for this site to go down!
Second payment on the way.
Denbeau

I'm in as of Jan 31, but haven't yet received any acknowledgement of my donation. I let my subscription to a computer mag lapse and have made an equivalent donation to PCQandA. PCQandA provides as much or more relevant information than any computer mag.

>I'm in as of Jan 31, but haven't yet received any
>acknowledgement of my donation. I let my subscription to a
>computer mag lapse and have made an equivalent donation to
>PCQandA. PCQandA provides as much or more relevant
>information than any computer mag.


Did you send a check or did you use paypal?

marti

If PP sent info back then Jason got the money.

marti

Sorry about the lack of an acknowledgment. Beth usually takes care of that, but between some recent family situations and her being 8 months pregnant, we've fallen behind.

Our apologies to everyone. We hope to get caught up soon.

Not a problem Jason. As Marti stated above: If PP sent info back then Jason got the money.

If I'm successful in getting into my wifes purse tonight after she goes to sleep, I'll get an envelope in the mail

LilJoe

I will try to work on it when I can't sleep during the middle of the night. It'll be easier than lesson planning, cleaning, or failing to sleep.

--Beth

>Sorry about the lack of an acknowledgment. Beth usually
>takes care of that, but between some recent family situations
>and her being 8 months pregnant, we've fallen behind.
>
>Our apologies to everyone. We hope to get caught up soon.
Jason, I sent you an IM last week and have not heard from you.

I mailed you a check on 1/26 and it has not cleared my bank. Did you receive it? If not, I will send another.

I just sent my donation via PayPal.

Jason will have to check on that (I don't have the list with me), but we have received a bunch of check donations. In fact there were three additional ones when I went to the PO Box yesterday. Due to the unreal snowfall on Valentine's Day I have not been able to deposit many of them yet. My plan had been to do so last week, but a close friend's father had an aneurysm burst and I had to help her out with her son . . . along with taking a bunch of pregnancy related tests during my week off. I will try to have the deposits ready to take to the bank after school tomorrow. Again sorry to all for the delay, things have just been hectic.

--Beth

>Jason will have to check on that (I don't have the list with
>me), but we have received a bunch of check donations. In fact
>there were three additional ones when I went to the PO Box
>yesterday. Due to the unreal snowfall on Valentine's Day I
>have not been able to deposit many of them yet. My plan had
>been to do so last week, but a close friend's father had an
>aneurysm burst and I had to help her out with her son . . .
>along with taking a bunch of pregnancy related tests during my
>week off. I will try to have the deposits ready to take to the
>bank after school tomorrow. Again sorry to all for the delay,
>things have just been hectic.
Thanks. I'll PayPal you more right now but need to know if you received the check.

I will ask Jason to check today. One of us will get back to you ASAP.

--Beth

Over the years I have gotten a lot of information from this website.
I would be sorry to see this site close.

I also sent a check and it was cashed and as of yet I haven't got an acknowledgment.

For acknowledgments wouldn't it be much easier just to have a running list of donors names (TV Man 436 163) without posting their donation on this website.

Thank You
TV Man 436 163

I believe we had thought about doing that in the past (or something like it), but felt it wasn't a fair way to do things. As we all know and understand, there are people that just are unable to donate for one reason or another. In my mind it would be rude to post names of people that have donated, thus making it clear to all forum members the names of those that have not.

In all honesty the individual e-mail thank you notes are not hard to do (I have a quick and easy system), it just requires time. I will try to get some done this evening after I correct some papers for school.

--Beth

You have made a good point in your reply.
Thank you for your reply
TV Man 436 163

This site is important to me. I've learned a lot, and gotten some good help, since I first came here about a year ago.

My fifteen year old grandson and my niece, also fifteen, would very likely not have computers for their schoolwork if I did not provide and maintain them. I'm a retired grandmother in my 70's and could not do that without expert help like is available here.

I read here daily, usually at least twice. I need this forum. I've followed Denbeau's lead and just sent a second donation via paypal.


alpha

I do not know if you got my check as I balanced check book today and did not see it statement from Bank

David J Clark
Master Sgt. USAF retired
Jordan Minnesota

Well, my girlfriend's gone, Shelly's pissed and I'm drunk, so for $28.56

Shelly,

I had asked you guys to wait till May.however I have asked a friend of mine in the US to send a remittance which I hope will help towards the target.

Vijay

You most certainly could have waited to do your donation until you were able to. We just thought this part of year was best since it was a decent time after the holidays. A big fund drive in May wouldn't have worked for Jason and I since our latest addition to the family will make his appearance in that month.

--Beth

Hey, dear friends...We don't need a personal thank you from Jason and Beth. That paypal receipt is all I need to feel good. Here's my second donation of the drive.

Okay guys, I'm in. Just takes a good 'butt ripping' from Shelley to get me going. Thanks to all of you for your help to me over the years, I do appreciate having a place to go and call 'my forum'.

As always,
The Dropshot

$40 on the way through paypal.
I'll try to send more for phase 2.
as randy says...no need to send any Thank you email....we thank you!

I honestly can't remember if I gave once already but my $25 bucks is coming via PayPal for either the first or second time.
Honestly, I can't fathom all the members on this forum not being able to donate a buck or two to even say hey
" I gave what I could for all the people who GIVE all they can for me."
I have said this almost every year and say it again, I challenge any of you to find cheaper technical help anywhere. Go to Best Buy and see what you get for two bucks, probably a soft drink in the waiting area while they are servicing your computer for fifty bucks an hour.
I really do feel sorry for all the mods and other helpful people on this forum, because I for one ask alot of questions that they have probably answered a few thousand times already and I am sure that they wonder if it is worth it sometimes knowing that there are people who just don't want to help keep this site alive.
I could keep going but the people who don't care have already skipped this and the people who do care don't need to be reminded of what we already know.
P.S.
I passed on a cpu upgrade for my donation.....AND IT WAS AND WILL ALWAYS BE WORTH IT.

"Believe what you need to."

You know, there are circumstances that may prevent some from contributing. I have contributed in the past. This time I didn't because I just got married and moved 2/3 of the way across the country to be with my wife. Things have been a little tight. But, I believe I can safely support the site again.

I can understand the tongue lashing. But, doing a general tongue lashing may not be the best option when it doesn't consider individual situations.

What do you mean he's the Doctor? Doctor Who?

We completely understand that people have times where they are unable to donate to PCQandA. Do not feel that this message was targeted to you directly. It was to everyone in general. Every time we have a fund drive we need to do a little "kick in the butt" post to remind people of the need for funds. Whenever you are able to donate any amount is great. . . we collect things all year round.

--Beth

I just sent a paypal payment. I wish it could have been more. I am very happy to support the site when I can. This is, without a doubt, THE best place for help and support on the net!

What is the total up to now? And do you apply extra to the next fundraiser?

What do you mean he's the Doctor? Doctor Who?

Jason will update the totals tonight when he is home from work (I'm checking in during a break in my teaching schedule). All extra that we raise just means less will be needed later on, unless costs of running PCQandA change during that time.

--Beth

Doc,

There is some merit to what you say, but how do the powers to be address the several hundred non participants? As was said a bit earlier, the ones who don't care have already ignored this request, so what are the moderators and those who give their all to help here supposed to do to get to those who are able, but choose not to participate?

I am sure that there are those who give over and above what a small average could be if we had even 50% participation, in order to fill in for those who may be having a difficult time helping. If it weren't for them and those who have now double donated to cover the "able but just cheap" non participants, this forum would have shut down several years ago.

I will say what many others have in that no one expects those who are held tightly to a budget to give up what they need to go elsewhere. It's just that there are far too many who have taken the "free" concept of the internet a bit too far and need to rethink their current philosophy of contributing to a cause that they gain from regularly.

Respectfully,

Paul

I know quite well that there are those going through lean times that can not, and should not, contribute to something like a website. I have stated so hundreds of times in these forums, as you will see in my posts in the threads announcing this fund raiser. I have been there, and there were times in my life that I did not know where my next meal would come from.

The fact that only 58 members beside the staff members bother to contribute at all after nearly six weeks of the drive can not be attributed to hundreds of our members being in in a state of financial extremis. That majority just does not care, and will always leave the support of something they want and use to those that do care. I consider it sad that those who do care, so often feel obliged to dip into their pocket a second time to help us reach our goal. And those who don't care will never feel a pang of guilt for not contributing.

Shelly

Shelly, I wonder if it would be possible to print a list of all of the
contributors?

DavyWavy -

No, never. Those who helped know they did and many posted the fact themselves here. The last thing we would ever want to do is embarrass people who could not, for any reason, help this time around.
We don't even discuss that on our private staff forum.

Shelly

I didn't mean to suggest we embarrass anyone...just honor those who
contributed.

DavyWavy -

If we list those who did contribute, we will also be exposing those who did not.

Shelly

I wouldn't want to embarrass anyone...

DavyWavy -

It's a sign of the prevailing attitude. Free access, free software, free help; free, free, free! I was surprised in another thread on this side, when one of the regulars said that he doesn't pay for software.

Well folks, TANFL!! (Economics 101; There Ain't No Free Lunch!) There may be a handful of visitors who truly can't contribute, but truth is, most of the non-contributors just want their free lunch, or just don't give a damn.

Now retired, I don't have the disposal income I once had, but I can still kick a few bucks to this site; and a few bucks to good freebie software sites that ask for contributions.

Ray

Well, it could also be that individuals who contributed to the previous fund drive contributed an amount they felt fair for a year's contribution. Perhaps if they would have known that there were going to be semi-annual fund drives, they would have sent half as much back then and the other half now. Perhaps they don't feel it's reasonable to send more yet. Maybe they feel that semi-annual contributions allow for twice as many members to contribute rather than the same contributors contributing the same amounts twice as often.

Jim.

If twice as many members contributed half as much twice as often,
then half as many members could contribute twice as much half of the time.

DavyWavy -

No,I mean if twice as many members contributed half as much twice as often, then half as many members could contribute twice as much half of the time.

DavyWavy -

When we ran the last fund raiser it was recommended by a member that we do a semi-annual one instead. This would allow more people to find a time when they may be able to donate (the summer is tough since a lot of people are not around to see the posts). So, this is our first attempt at this. We in no way expect people to donate each time, we just are spreading out the fund raising that we need so the amount isn't as large at one time.

--Beth

Hi Beth.

I know that. I was just pointing out to OldRay that not everyone wants a free lunch and that there are legitimate reasons why some members may not have contributed this time.

Jim.

Weak, very weak. Sound like rationales I heard when my kids were teenagers.

Ray

Not weak at all. All I can say about your response is that feeling as you do, you may not have donated a sufficiently large amount last time. Those of us who did have nothing to explain to anyone who didn't.

Jim.

Splitting the drive into two sessions a year away from vacation times and the fall holiday season was the recommendation of a number of members last summer. If you don't remember it, go back and read the archives.

So we listened to the suggestions this year. At the end of this drive we will actually have enough in the bank to carry the forums into the early spring of 2008. The planned fall drive will extend the available funds through the early winter of 2008. In 2008 we will have two drives, if this years two drive system works, or one large drive, to carry us through most of 2009.

Since we pay our bills ahead to get discounts, we can't wait until we are broke before we seek additional funding. If we did, and the money did not come in, we would be personally on the hook for it.

Knowing that we had two drives this year, I simply donated half of what I usually do for this one and I will donate the rest in the second drive. What is hard about that?

Our problems are not due to the members that donate. It is due to all those that could and never do. If even 300 members who saved money from the help they received here kicked in $13 a year we would have no monetary worries. Instead we have some who contribute $100 a year or more and some who contribute $5 a year, and we appreciate all of the donations large and small. Somehow we manage to come through each year through the generosity, and often the sacrifice of a handful of the membership.

We all wish that we would never have to ask for funding. but we have no benefactor like when Windows Magazine paid the bills, and we will never be able to support the site through advertisers. The reality is we are on our own, there is no free lunch.

Shelly

But Ray, I don't consider the forum software, so my statement does not apply here. The forum is my daily fix. It's what makes computing interesting

LilJoe

I thinking attitude, Joe. Why shouldn't the persons or groups who create software be compensated for it, at least to the extent of helping them with the cost of creating and delivering it?

Ray

How many more billions does Microsoft need?

Visit the Basement

How many do you have to spare?

Shelly