[theforum] colors & support block

Erika ekm at seastorm.com
Sun Nov 16 16:57:55 CST 2008


Martin Burns wrote:
> 
>> You can have an existing relationship w/ evolt and never make a user
>> acct.
> 
> OK, so show me another way of knowing whether current user has a 
> relationship stronger than J Random Visitor, and we'll talk.

well, my point was to allow J Random and everyone to see donation 
options as a regular content block.  I don't know how that would be any 
more disturbing than a google ad.  But, I'm not particularly attached to 
my strategy.

>>> Assuming we won't countenance ads on weo (and I think our
>>> audience is so used to seeing them elsewhere that that wouldn't be
>>> such A Bad Thing any more)
>>
>> worth revisiting if we need the money to survive.
> 
> Which we do.

Ok, so now there is an established need for money that we didn't face a 
few months ago (it sound like).

Google ads are an option... it's something we have really been against 
in the past.  Advertising is different now than in the past...

Another, less permanent, option would be a fundraising drive, something 
with a beginning, middle, and end.  Again, check out wikipedia.  Every 
single page features a very prominent call for fundraising.  Presumably, 
once they reach their goal (6 mill $ !!!`), that will go away.

>> FWIW I would like to see us to continue our tradition of creative and
>> nontraditional solutions to problems.
> 
> I'm fine for experimentation, but let's have something to compare 
> against. Champion/challenger.

I don't understand what you're saying.  In the past, evolt has tried 
things that worked, and things that failed.  So go creative efforts.

I'll say that even though I may favor a fund-raising effort to ongoning 
advertising, I personally am not the person who can follow through on 
this in terms of programming.  Nor am I a great accountant.  In the 
past, people would have ideas, and carry them out.  I can't easily do 
that with anything but front-end and content.

I hope that others here will weigh in with ideas, opinions (on 
fund-raising/advertising) and have the ability and motivation to follow 
through... If not, well... yeah, bring on the google ads.

> infer that donations are needed. Ya need to actually directly ask. 'n' 
> shit.

my argument was about the manner of asking.  bright colors vs subtle 
colors, essentially.  On which I would change my opinion if this were a 
limited fund raiser vs something that is "always there."

> IMO, I'd put in an extra role for those who already give, which would 
> involve stronger asks (and yes, that's proven to be successful, tyvm), 
> which might be the wikipedia drive thing.

I think fund-raising drives are by their nature extremely visible. 
Everyone knows it will end when the goal is reached.  So they are 
motivated.. if only to "make it stop" (lol) to give.

So I gather:
1. we need to raise money to fund our effort
2. we need to determine goals
3. we need to decide on strategy
4. we need to incorporate that into our redesign strategy.

Erika



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