Paying for the site...

[dave u]

From the donations you made, there's enough left to pay for the hosting for another two months. After that, the plan was to pay it from the money generated from the google ads.

 

However, as you may have noticed, the google ads haven't been on here since the server move. The reason for that is they cancelled my account without warning, for an alleged breach of their terms and conditions. They also took back the money that was in the account (around $240).

 

They didn't specify what the breach was, so I appealed the decision and asked them to explain what I had done wrong.

 

They replied saying that they have re-instated my account, but wouldn't say what the breach of their terms had been. They also didn't refund the money that was in the account when they closed it.

 

I've since emailed them three times asking them to refund the money, or to tell me what the problem was and why they won't refund the money. They have failed to reply to any of the mails I've sent, so I don't see the point in setting up the ads again in case they let me build up the cash and just cancel the account again and take the money.

 

So I'm going to have to find another way of funding the site. I've got a few ideas, such as Yahoo ads, and varous commission based ones (mainly online bookies), but I'm open to suggestions.

 

I'm thinking about setting up another forum where people can buy and sell tickets, with 50p per ticket (from both buyer and seller) going towards the cost of running the site. There's another idea that was given to me by Shankly's Ghost (I think) which is basically a mini ebay thing where forumites can buy and sell stuff from eachother on here, with the site getting a commission.

 

It's a good idea, but at the moment though I haven't got any spare time on my hands to set that up.

 

I think it was Cath suggested something a while back, about maybe getting some of the regulars to pay £2 a month or something to cover the costs. I don't really want to do that as it would be a pain in the arse to set up, and I don't know if there'd be enough people up for it. It's an option maybe.

 

Ideally, google will refund the money they owe me and we can just get back to normal, but if they don't I need to find an alternative way of raising the £95 a month (or thereabouts), and we've got two months to come up with something.

 

Thoughts?

[Dirk]

It was probably some fat knob head clicking all the ads over and over.

[King Emlyn]

i think Caths right Dave, subscriptions probably the way forward via standing orders our end maybe, £2 a months nothing in relation to the time some of us spend on here.

[Tim]

Deffo don't do the tickets one. You would leave yourself open to too much risk if that went ahead.

[Dirk]

I'm willing to make an annual donation of £25 for hosting costs. It'll have to wait a couple of weeks, though.

[Dirk]

Deffo don't do the tickets one. You would leave yourself open to too much risk if that went ahead.

 

I agree. I think we should dig deep in our own pockets and pay for it.

[King Emlyn]

I agree. I think we should dig deep in our own pockets and pay for it.

Seconded

[Stu Monty]

I agree. I think we should dig deep in our own pockets and pay for it.

 

Surely it can be self sustained can't it? I don't know anywhere near enough about the website side of things but surely there is enough traffic to make it sustain itself?

[Dirk]

Surely it can be self sustained can't it? I don't know anywhere near enough about the website side of things but surely there is enough traffic to make it sustain itself?

 

Probably as a long term solution but in the short term (as in raising the money in two months), probably not but I'd suggest that Dave speaks to Skeet, he's a professional web designer and knows about optimising websites for businesses and stuff. He's actually really fucking ace at his job.

[grazywalker]

We need a mysterious local business man to donate.If that doesn't work then I will defo pay the £2.00 per month.

 

What about some sort of gentlemans evening(this idea has many flaws) but heck..........

[dave u]

Probably as a long term solution but in the short term (as in raising the money in two months), probably not but I'd suggest that Dave speaks to Skeet, he's a professional web designer and knows about optimising websites for businesses and stuff. He's actually really fucking ace at his job.

 

The mini ebay idea thing may have been Skeet come to think of it. It was either him or Shankly's Ghost, but I'm now thinking it was Skeet.

[cochcaer]

It was probably some fat knob head clicking all the ads over and over.

 

Yep, some funt did that on my site and got me a warning.

[Sangria]

Whatever way is the best. If it is a monthly donation or a one off I am up for it. One thing is Dave whatever help you need, you will get.

I can understand people on here not having the money to contribute but surely there are enough that do.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Whatever way is the best. If it is a monthly donation or a one off I am up for it. One thing is Dave whatever help you need, you will get.

 

I can understand people on here not having the money to contribute but surely there are enough that do.

 

Anyone who can offord the internet, can afford £2 a month to pay as a donation by standing order sureley.

[Sangria]

Anyone who can offord the internet, can afford £2 a month to pay as a donation by standing order sureley.

 

I agree with that.

[NoelM]

I'm willing to make an annual donation of £25 for hosting costs. It'll have to wait a couple of weeks, though.

 

I'm game for this

[7dalglish]

I'd prefer just to make an annual donation through paypal as setting up a standing order from USA to UK wouldn't be cost effective. They charge for international transactions and the charge would be bigger than the donation. No idea if paypal can do standing orders but I only add funds to paypal when I actually want to buy something...

 

I think setting a threshold for payment by number of posts might work unless it can be done by time spent browsing, that way you would catch the 'lurkers' like myself who use this site but don't always get involved.

[bri]

what about auctions like ebay but for lfc stuff, signed shirts etc.

[Toddler]

I like the idea of an lfc-bay....I might be able to get my silk scarf, that I'd hung on to since the seventies, back from a pub floor in cardiff?

[BatChainPuller]

A couple of ideas - maybe have an annual fundraising month with heavy advertising on the site (header at the top of every thread etc), one of those barometer thingys with targets etc etc. Aim to raise a years costs through donations in that month.

 

I don't know if you want to keep the fanzine completely seperate, but what about email subscritions for the fanzine (PDF versions sent to peoples email).

[coop]

Its going to be tricky Dave due to the new arrival but what about doing possibly a smaller TLW mag each month and putting the proceeds to that (after printing costs etc have been taken out).

 

If you went down the route of doing a mag each month im pretty sure ppl on here would help lighten the workload off you.

 

Another possibly idea is a raffle of some sort each month. An obvious one would have been a ticket to a Home game £5 to enter take away the cost of the ticket and whatever left goes towards the server.

 

Another idea is a Lottery on a saturday 49 numbers at £1.50 at go. Each member who has got assigned a number then pays there £1.50 a week into a paypal account and the winner recieves £49 the spare cash going towards the server. If all 49 numbers were taken and paid for each week that would mean a profit of £24.50 therefore giving you about £98 over the month.

[Stouffer]

£25 a year is fuck all.

 

How about a scheme where the bigger a twat you are the more you pay?

 

I would be in for about three figures I reckon.

[Carradona]

£25 a year is fuck all.

 

How about a scheme where the bigger a twat you are the more you pay?

 

I would be in for about three figures I reckon.

 

Try five figures ;)

[cochcaer]

Monthly is just too much of a pain, it needs to be a half-yearly or yearly funding drive. I've tinkered with the idea myself and creating a members area for those that coughed up but it just creates a clique.

[ali]

Happy to chip in