TWEB financial realities

[Dee Dee Warren]

Hi folks, we had our owners meeting, and are working on the next banning auction. Since the layout and software has changed since the last one, some things need to be redesigned on limited staff time. Do you have real design or programming skills? Please talk to me-- good resume building volunteer work!

We also found some ways to reduce expenses for a typical month down by $50 to a typical total (meaning excluding months when we have domain or license fees) to $200/month.

We have... let me check... precisely $0 in the account and a server bill due of $200. Typically I float the money until we raise it. My house is in foreclosure right now, so I don't have the luxury. While boom and cir have given thousands of hours in design and programming services as well as money, typically, since I am retarded on the tech end and have to make myself useful some other way, I contribute financially. I probably have invested well over $8,000 of my own money over the past decade.

We currently raise around $100 in monthly support total from about ten people. That's it. Throw in my monthly subscription of $20 and we raise about half.

Okay enough bitching (is that word allowed now?) I think even our daftest member can see, this has to change.

The banning auctions give us our cushion for unexpected expenses, and fees, Not regular costs.

We need to have a larger subscriber base or another way to raise money. I am all ears. Talk to me.

But at this moment, I have a $200 bill to pay or the lights get turned off.

I understand that times are rough. I havent slept in days in worry over my house (I have a financial plan to save it in 90 days, God willing), but honestly, most of us cam afford $5 month. If you can only do $2.50, talk to me, I will set up a micro-subscription option as I see many podcasters have done.

This message is for our regular members only-- visitors, enjoy the site and the fellowship.

If this site is your forum home or a regular stomping ground, and you can't afford even a micro-sub, really, you should prolly get off the Internet because you are near starvation. If you don't think it is worth it, why do you stay? We put our time and mony when we can afford it into the site because we see the value and want to provide that value to the members, assuming our regulars see the value as well, but honestly if you don't, well, let me know that as well.

Any hating or ranting or negativity needs to go to my email addy of ddw at theologyweb account or my PM box.

All constructive comments welcome here. Yes you can snail mail support. I remind you that we are not a tax deduxtible charity. The site is privately owned and pys it's expenses cooperatively. We make no profit, but pay only expenses for goods and services.

I can post each month what was spent if that would be helpful to members.

Remember this site is yours too in a very real sense. While staff is orthodox Christian only, there is plenty of space for even further involvement for our nonchristian and nonorthodox members. We have some other domains that are meant to highlight features here--- do you have an idea for them thatnyou would like to spearhead? Run it by me. Is there a sub forum area you want to develop? Host the TWEB pal talk room (non-staff will be considered for that)? Host a TheologyWeb podcast? Non staff can do this as well within guidelines. I would like to do TWEB podcast with a group of people, christian and/or nonchristian.
When I first got the idea form this site it was because I was a member of another forum that I loved. I was part of the "out" crowd. I sniveled and paid my way unto staff (pathetic I know, but I blame my love for the forum), I WANTED to do more but was not allowed.

Take advantage of the infrastructure we offer.

And please help shoulder some of the expenses, even if only literally $2/month.

[Dee Dee Warren]

why isn't this appearing on new posts!!! Its a conspiracy!

[Dee Dee Warren]

Here is the support link

http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/fa...port_financial

the paypal addy for one time or if you want to do it manually each month

ddw@theologyweb with the proper prefix

Write me for the snail mail address.

[Hamster]

I'm going to subscribe as soon as I get employed again

[Darth Executor]

I can donate a little but without a steady job I can't commit to monthly payments.

[Catholicity]

hmm..I know I can't do much, I wish I'd known a few weeks ago (I'm unemployed too, and a student) I know that when I am employed I can contribute more. What if we temporarily raised the money for this month like we got 20 people to donate $10 this month. That should cover the server. And planned for future expenses, I don't know like selling something....The T-shirts maybe, coffee mugs? I don't know if thats feasible but its a thought.

[Hamster]

I'd be able to send ten dollars this month, but it would have to be in cash form

[Catholicity]

well you could also charge every member $12 per year to sign up.....that would equate to $1 per month and considering how many members we have....hey we might even get rid of the trolls

[Hamster]

How much are the monthly costs?

[Darth Executor]

200

[Hamster]

oh, duh, it's right in the OP.. Didn't Tweb used to have a cafe express store a long time ago?

[MoGrace2u]

Isn't there a podcast transcribed somewhere that states TWeb has 6,700 registered members? Even CARM offers a super membership for a mere $5 a month. And with that offers additional features not available otherwise. In this day and age nothing is wholly 'free'. Surely not all the members here are unemployed and expecting a free ride!

Loyalty ought to exact a price else how can one even prove such loyalty exists? Unless of course they have been prevented from posting altogether thru arbitrary moderation rules.

Just call me an odd duck who at least has a conscience to go with her mouth.

Robin

[Hamster]

I think that was brought up in the first year of TheologyWeb's existence but the admins didn't want to do it because they didn't really like the idea of paying for forum features. Some forums have things where you can buy emoticons and they will appear in the emoticon list for like 20 bucks.. or tweb could just use small ads

[RBerman]

Isn't there a podcast transcribed somewhere that states TWeb has 6,700 registered members? Even CARM offers a super membership for a mere $5 a month. And with that offers additional features not available otherwise. In this day and age nothing is wholly 'free'. Surely not all the members here are unemployed and expecting a free ride!

That raises the question: What is the active userbase? 50 or so?

[Catholicity]

more than 50...hey could we hit up the rich members??