[Theforum] 3 Alternative Funding Ideas

Lachlan Cannon luminosity at members.evolt.org
Tue Apr 30 05:29:39 CDT 2002


>
> I dunno...
>
> I also like the 'subscription membership' model and would love to
> subscribe to Evolt and even see m.e.o go to a pay for service model.

No,no no no no. When you go to a pay for service model you immediately lose
many of the advantages of evolt.

1) meo is given based on contribution to the site. this way people who can't
pay, can still earn their way.
2) mandatory paying doesn't foster a spirit of openness - even if it is a
small amount.
3) paying for meo hosting would mean a whole heap of other headaches. This
has been gone over fairly throughly in the past.
4) if people pay a site they expect more bang for their buck - even if it's
only $1. but the only way to do this right now is take things away from
people who don't pay. if you notice communities which have gone down this
path, not very many are happy.
x) many other reasons I can't think of right now. (long day)

I love the idea of getting evolt financially independent, however forcing
people to pay is not the answer.

As for the other ideas. I would approve of corporate sponsors getting a
sideline bar, as long as they understood the rules. I would also approve of
a contributors page which could show all the people / orgs which have given
money / services to evolt.

In the end I think anything which gets in money for evolt, without
compromising us is good, whether it's for a recognition or not. it's
important to try to get us independent of one persons contribs. nothing
against you Dan, but it is in evolt's interests imo, to not be dependant on
anyone. Yes, I doubt you'd ever sell out, but what if you wanted to move on,
or had an accident, and evolt was relying on you? I would like evolt to rely
on no one entity. Thereofore we could for example have contrib money from
macromedia, but as soon as they wanted us to post advocacy for them we'd
withdraw - and we could afford to, since they wouldn't be the only thing
supporting us. also, the more money evolt gets, even if it isn't paying for
hosting, the better. after all if it's not spent on one thing for evolt.org,
it's spent on something else. it all goes into making evolt better.

Lach





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