Member
The last time I was at a craft show, every small time operator there had the ability to accept credit cards directly. I would be a lot more quick to pay the $6 if I were able to pay SMC that way. I do not like Paypal as a company and I don't write checks any more.
Member
Originally Posted by Art Mann
Paypal is no less direct than Square, which is how most of those small time operators accept credit cards... whose board of directors has old PayPal execs on it
Moderator
As has been noted, you do not need a PayPal account to pay the contribution to SMC...on the Donate page, click through until it gets to the PayPal login pop-up. Below the login is another link to simply pay by credit card. PayPal is merely the processor just like other processors for the transaction. All of the small businesses at the craft shows are using a card processor for the transaction and some of them are using PayPal's system, just as others are using Intuit or ETSY or Square, etc., depending on where they acquired their reader from and where they chose to do their business.
--
The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Member
I write virtually no checks either (1 or 2/yr, maybe?), and yet I issue a lot of them.
My bank offers a payment service on their website. I just logon tell them who, where, how much, and when to deliver >> hit send. Save the Payee if I'll use them again. I'm done and no fees, not even postage. Bank prints a check and mails it. I can even do the same from my phone. Many large check receivers, like electric utility, have agreements with banks to electronically process it, so a paper check is never even cut as I understand it - - and the float is same day or at worst overnight, just tell the service the due date.
No free lunch - the semi-hidden cost is that the bank deducts the funds from the account as soon as the check issues - not when it clears. Result is that I lose the 3-5 days of float that a paper check in transit with the USPS would normally have. I don't play any 'float games', and it is a non-interest bearing, cash flow account with a low balance, so lost interest is minimal. Just remembering to buy stamps is a PITA, so convenience is worth it to me.
I won't mention any bank in particular. I've found them to be just as polarizing as politics & religion.
Last edited by Malcolm McLeod; 05-08-2019 at 12:03 PM. Reason: typo
Contributor
Keith, just now the site statistics showed 78 members and 1337 guests. It didn't say how many were subscribers but I assume they are a subset of members. Lets assume all tje members will become subscribers. At $6 per year per subscriber it doesn't make any sense as to how you will cover costs. Also, what becomes of all the guests? Also, the statistics say most all time was 6054 users and I bet that maybe only 1/3 of those were members. To get 15 million banner views per month seems very ambitious with the number of users. Are you sure the site statistics are being reported properly? Finally, what about the new site software? Its been over a year since that discussion. As I recall your nephew was too busy with another job to work on implementation.
Contributor
Not unreasonable at all. Every time a member or guests switches forums, switches threads, switches to a new page on a long thread, submits a post etc, it brings up a new page with a new banner ad and clicks the counter. And 15M page views per month is only 500K per day, or about 6 per second. For the current 1400 or so viewers, that actually sounds low: on average it means they're staying on each page for several minutes.
Unless of course, an ad blocker keeps the banner ad from coming up with the new page.
Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
"Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.
We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.
The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".
The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.
You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.
Contributor
You do realize that the total membership is pushing 120K, right? At $6 each...I think that would keep the lights on.
Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
"Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.
We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.
The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".
The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.
You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.
Contributor
Lee, I have no doubt you are correct! LOL!
Ken
So much to learn, so little time.....
Contributor
Keith, Have you considered only locking down pics until enough donations come in to cover your yearly operating cost? Those of us who want pics soonest (or get the most out of SMC) can make a donation, and all the others can simply wait until enough donations have been given in order to start seeing pics again.
Last edited by Karl Loeblein; 05-08-2019 at 10:48 PM.
Contributor
I do agree that $6 is not worth all this fuss, for those of us that know how valuable this forum is.
But for the newbie who hasn’t gotten to see the value, is he/she supposed to shell out $6 just to see? I think there should be a trial period where new users can see pictures for free, then after X months or whatever they have to pay up.
Contributor
This is the same childish reasoning why lots of people don’t vote.
Patrick, John, others, if you don’t like it here for all these reasons then LEAVE! Why are you still here discussing this? The powers that be have made their decision.
Contributor
I totally agree... if these "members" think it is such a bad idea then just GO!!!!...we don't need to hear your argument over and over and over.... move on to another website and give them the joy of listening to you...
Contributor
Harold - you have a lot to say for someone who has only contributed 175 posts in 5 years. Guessing you mainly come here to read and learn from others.
Lots of talk very few ideas for a solutions.
Here’s one suggestion I’ve made three times now and no one has really made a comment about it:
For those worried about lack of content and new users, how about new users have a free trial period to get them in and hopefully they stay and pay and become a contributor? I know there will be a lot of single posters who come once to ask a question, a question that likely has been asked before, but it adds new content and allows us to help beginners.
Contributor
Good morning Matt.
Actually, Keith commented on this at least once. I didnt search for the post, but IIRC, he felt folks would just register under another name to get another free trial. Im not saying he's right or wrong.
Fred
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
Guest
I’m gonna leave my contribution to this conversation and topic at this.
I’ll start by saying I can’t begin to speculate the intent or desire of the forum owners and moderators nor will I even try to speculate.
I can’t help but think or rather feel as it continues to creep into my subconscious that we all have to and are forced to step into the future as things change or we all get left behind. In some cases some of us choose being left behind as that is what suits us most. In many cases this is me.
My point, the Felder forum or SCMI forum. These two forums once were vibrant, they did not adapt, they did not stepinto the future with the internet as the internet changed. Now it is to painful to make that move. Imop the two forums although some help with regard to a deep knowledge base can be found are both duds. You can hear the tumbleweeds blow through them. It’s obvious that it’s the same ten people just taking back and forth with each other baring the odd new member that comes knocking with zero knowledge looking for a basic answer. That’s fine and maybe that is what those forum members desire but it’s not a forum if you ask me and honestly I see the updates I get from joining them years ago as nothing more than spam at this point.
I won’t speculate what’s going on here but just offer the above as one possibility if this new direction is followed through with. Again I really don’t care as I don’t think any of our life start and stop with SMC..
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