Would a "real," Drupal managed services/dedicated server setup
I have built and run a number of fairly sophisticated Wordpress sites using a service provider to manage the backend and it works great. They worry about the software upgrades, database issues, and security so I can concentrate on building my sites.
Doesn't cost much at all and saves me a ton of headaches.
Not sure what the setup here is currently, but even just a quick google search finds any number of dedicated hosts to more expensive managed enterprise services.
Definitely something to consider.
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The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
As a follow up to Not Henry, another option is virtual servers.
A lot of companies, both large and small are getting away from dedicated servers in favor of Amazon Web Services. AWS also takes care the maintenance etc., but you are not bound to a specific machine for a specific time (although you can be). You an use the smallest server available to cut costs, but scale it up in minutes to something larger if needed and with no interaction with anyone at AWS. Your Control Panel allows you to customize your hardware (also possible to do through code).
The company for which I work is moving to AWS for their Oracle servers and I myself us it for my personal MySQL/PHP work.
Drupal is available on AWS both as a set up your own server and a pre-built LINUX image.
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"People always have been the foolish victims of deception and self-deception in politics, and they always will be until they have learnt to seek out the interests of some class or other behind all moral, religious, political and social phrases."
Please Jtc, please ask people to pony up. Our lives get complicated and some of us can do this on a regular basis. Please ask. This is my favorite site now. I don't want to see it bought, sold or abandoned.
of each month, a visual thermometer would do more to motivate donations. Visual is visceral. There is something about seeing how it's going and wanting to be part of it. Can't fully explain it, but have seen it work (ActBlue) and other fundraisers.
I'll bet there are folks here who have the skill set to link donations to the thermometer so that it is not a manual operation.
Anyone?
Then a handy dandy reminder of how to get the money or monthly deduction to its destination.
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You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again you did not know. ~ William Wiberforce
If you can donate, please! POP Money is available for bank-to-bank transfers. Email JtC to make a monthly donation.
group: anything that runs monthly and has a membership greater than ten, needs three people sharing the top end. It's too much for one. And very vulnerable to the one person's health, family needs, financial situation.
Yes you have to choose very carefully, who is with you sharing the admin and tech duties.
About 501 c 3: they require a board which can be very small, and you can elect to have membership which must be allowed to vote or to keep it closed. To control the design of this site you would probably want the closed board option. Membership orgs are quite difficult.
Shiz' idea of a GoFundMe is a better one than trying to get a funding as a 501. And of course the thermometer. There will probably be more coming as the Reddit groups collapse.
So it is very reasonable and not a stain on your character at all, (mama shakes finger at you), to need tangible support. /Sitting at a computer all day isn't good for your health anyways.
I hope this makes some sense. Building in continuity and structure for continuation (if that is your wish) it is important to have a small team who share your ideas and ideals.
You have been a wonderful web host, and provided us a very nice living room to share our ideas and stories. Can't thank you enough.
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You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again you did not know. ~ William Wiberforce
If you can donate, please! POP Money is available for bank-to-bank transfers. Email JtC to make a monthly donation.
I hope we can find a way to keep this site going. I would feel lost and a whole lot less grounded without all of you. I would find a way to donate $5/month. Donated. Hope we can avoid ads, but would rather have ads than to lose this site.
Too rapid came the swimmers from TOP. I don't Reddit (too confusing and fast, like Twitter) but if there look to be more leaps--yikes.
I dislike the Ad-income idea. AdBlock running on the PC. I have donated, about enough per your suggestion/wish above, but I understand that trying to live at minimum wage is frustration in 1---2---3.
For myself, no skillset that is helpful. Re-read the suggestions above, in daylight, please. And maybe in a week or two some plans will have formed. We members like this site and most other members, it would be awful to see it go. Victim of progress is a bad means of death. Keep us informed, we do care, I do.
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Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
I've been in financial hell, but I'm finally coming out of it. I could be on a monthly installment plan by September. I'm in to whatever is decided to keep it going. Love you all.
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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
I haven't been around too much this week, real life intruding with my intertube time, and I was astonished to see this post. At first I thought it was humorous, but I guess not. But of course Jtc you must do whatever is the right thing for your own sustenance/sanity/health.
This site has miraculously avoided numerous pitfalls that have brought down so many other sites like cliques, drama, authoritarian badge heavy mods, and some kind of site dogma that everyone has to swear fealty to. The comments are almost always courteous even when there is disagreement.
When I knew I simply had to flee the empaths at TOP who were so vigilant at rooting out thought crimes and lack of loyalty to one sadly lacking political party and who were willing to throw logic and ethics out with the partisan bathwater, I looked long at hard for a new place to roost.
There ain't much out there folks, for anyone who likes to write, read, lurk and comment without feeling like they need brain bleach afterwards. This place is small but unique in the opportunities it offers. I personally will be very sad if it disappears into the ether.
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" “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” FDR "
and hoping it isn't too little too late - just sent a little something. (It's more than I ever sent That Other Place!)
If you wind up requiring ads, I will exempt this site specifically from ad-blocking (it is possible to be that selective). Just - as someone else said - please don't put up video ads. I would have to block the video component, which would defeat the purpose.
I hope the community comes up with a way to support it and keep it going somehow rather than having some new unknown person with an unknown agenda and content editorial policy take over. I will do whatever I can to chip in some $ to any such effort.
It's not just the content that's important but the people who become a community over time.
but will donate again. Hopefully something works out to keep this place up and in good hands. Thanks for all your hard work.
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"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - JFK | "The more I see of the moneyed peoples, the more I understand the guillotine." - G. B. Shaw Bernie/Tulsi 2020
research. I was thinking this in relation to Facebook, but I'm sure there are many issues that arise.
When sharing on Facebook, instead of giving the first few lines of content, it gives the left-side links. If that's not a problem with site code, then I (or someone) could go to Facebook, ask TPTB there why it's doing that, follow up any answers until all is clear, then pass the research back to you for whatever needs to happen on the site for the content to appear on Facebook links (if the fix isn't on the Facebook side).
That way you keep the Admin private between you and Joe and maybe another techie, but we can all help save some of your time on issues by doing the research for you.
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Please check out Pet Vet Help, consider joining us to help pets, and follow me @ElenaCarlena on Twitter! Thank you.
the open graph tags facebook relies on don't appear to be set-up properly. With other content management systems, you typically need some extension to do this properly.
Like most things, the research isn't that hard for someone involved in web development and content management systems. What's a lot harder is the fix going back to the need for a paid developer... JtC in this case.
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A lot of wanderers in the U.S. political desert recognize that all the duopoly has to offer is a choice of mirages. Come, let us trudge towards empty expanse of sand #1, littered with the bleached bones of Deaniacs and Hope and Changers.
-- lotlizard
Anthrogenica, a "Genetics and Anthropology Discussion Forum" that I read, had recently added color coded subscriptions for financial support. If you subscribe, a note of that is added near the avatar in each post that you make. This is color coded in bronze, silver, or gold. This acts as a hint to others to subscribe.
This link shows its appearance: subs_0.PNG (18.3 KB)
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"People always have been the foolish victims of deception and self-deception in politics, and they always will be until they have learnt to seek out the interests of some class or other behind all moral, religious, political and social phrases."
could also be considered. There are several members who create the flavor of the site with their writings and do not have the finances to contribute $$.
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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
this blog does not give out bouquets or brickbats to essays and comments.
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There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
The important journalist David Dayen commented on the change of Netroots nation over the 11 years of its existence. At the start it was powered by bloggers. Since that time, power has shifted to Google & Facebook and another empire in amazon.com. (You might have noticed that both the head of Google and Amazon are on a team advising the pentagon about future plans)
There has been a coup d'etat.
The on line treatment is sabotage.
A couple of years ago I talked with the people at commondreams.org and they mentioned the huge problem they have in policing their site.
Last week an OSS handbook from 1944 was declassified. OSS was the parent of the CIA. It described sabotage techniques for civilians to use. That was a long time ago, and way back then people were more hands on with machines, so issues about sand in gears, interfering with lubricants, etc. played a major role.
These days of "double click" (an idea from the French polymath, Bruno Latour) which assumes that anything that matters can be found out by double clicking, in other words, information transfer is all that matters, in these times when context, humans and gaia can be ignored, suppressed, discounted, etc., having an authentic voice is very important.
The Bernie movement educated millions, but much more is needed.
And sites like this play an important role.
Back in the day, years and years ago I followed JoanneLeon with her morning post on TOP/DK "What's Happening." It listed issues. Even back then, years and years ago, TOP was all about parties, not issues and she was run off the site. I saw here recently posting an article on Kevin Gostzola's site.
As a suggestion -- could this site become linked to the ongoing revolution of Bernie?
Could Joanne Leon be a resource at all? For some reason, at some point, I could swear she was involved here with the IT/back end team. I see her on Twitter all the time, but don't see her anywhere else. Is she doing her own "thing" on a blog, or working as a resource/reporting for someone? I can't even tell from her feed, but she seems quite active out there. I, too, used to follow her What's Happening posts on DK, and then she just sort of disappeared from blogging--but I know she has beaucoup IT skills, though I have no idea what they actually are. Near as I can tell, she would share the same sort of vision we already have here, though...
. . . to $27, and can increase it again next month after some bills are paid off. I so appreciate the space you've built here, even though I don't say much. Thank you for that. I don't have time or tech skills, but I do have a steady job, and so can do more than I have been with the $. I'll be keeping an eye out to see if there are other ways I can help.
You definetely need more volunteers and paid help. Can you sell ads or make $ 5.95 a month membership mandatory. There could be endowments to help those who cannot pay the fee.
I am in the process of acquiring skills like javascript etc as well as, eventually, web maintenance. I could help if there was a group of tech people here who wanted to try to relieve the burdens of JtC and Joe. This site is so important at this point in time. It would be nice to know that it will be here in its present form until after the election. The site will still be as important after the election, but at least there will be more certainty as to how the events we care about will unfold and we can organize our next step.
Ads on membership forum type sites are ignored by the membership users, and often blocked by software such as adblock. The bulk of the revenue comes from site visitors who arrive at the site in searches and click on an ad. This revenue will pay to keep the lights on and give you some money for your labors. IMHO the best (Most Profitable) ad platforms with the least amount of work to use are Google AdSense & Amazon...
I've said it before you should monetize this platform, you have good user generated content, you index well in searches, you will make a substantial amount of revenue, and I for one could care less if there were ads here...
Enough of being a "Purist Pauper."
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"Do you realize the responsibility I carry?
I'm the only person standing between Richard Nixon and the White House."
~John F. Kennedy~
Economic: -9.13, Social: -7.28,
I for one could care less if there were ads here...
Judging from the comments in this thread, I think most people would be willing to put up with ads (and give them some clicks) if it means keeping the bern going for 99% issues.
Enough of being a "Purist Pauper."
It is of no use to have 'principles' if they can't be heard. Thomas Paine SOLD copies of "Common Sense" and still people clamored to hear the message that helped to reason out what the masses were processing philosophically at the time.
Using the 1% monies to fund the 99% is beautiful. It's like wealth re-distribution.
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We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when we are afraid of the light.
--Plato
I just gave another $35. Even if c99 doesn't survive, JtC, you deserve some thanks.
As a small business owner I can sympathize that being in business sucks, and worse. The economic problem here is that we are all paying economic rent to the Oligarchs and can barely survive. They've got it all and have us on a leash. People's revolution, really difficult. Political action by the Oligarchs, really easy. It would be a pisser for this movement to dissipate. The thing is that the revolution started with OWS, continued through Bernie's Run, c99, and now needs to survive, even as a seed for incubation in the future.
Here's my 2 cents. This site should be a meeting house, to discuss political and economic issues and strategies going forward. It also needs to pay the Purveyor of this Fine Establishment. I think that the site should be open to membership only. Membership dues could be on a sliding scale. Standard membership dues would be $50 per quarter. Students and retired folks would be $25 per quarter. Those in financial stress would be $5 per quarter on an honorary system. Really stressed folks would be $0 plus one essay per month. The content would have to be high enough quality to justify membership dues. I know I would gladly pay for membership in a quality discussion environment. We can't move forward without the theoretical basis for a New America. I know millennials are just waiting for the opportunity to support this, if we can stimulate them with great ideas.
I think that the site needs to bring in enough money to pay some of our more gifted essayists and others who are not members. That way we would also be expanding our membership and attracting more writers. You have to think a success model, or you are doomed to a slow ride to obscurity.
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Capitalism has always been the rule of the people by the oligarchs. You only have two choices, eliminate them or restrict their power.
I've signed up for a monthly contribution, but not a large one. I can do more for an ongoing contribution -- would that be helpful, or an immediate cash contribution?
I certainly understand your predicament, and have worried that the site might not be sustaining you. Would it be helpful if I did a matching monthly pledge essay, or a one time matching donation essay?
I detest having to even ask. I wish I had the where with all to just fund the site myself, but I'm not there. When we were a small site of just a couple of hundred folks it was an easily managed hobby, that all changed, well, you know when and how.
I just read and lurk and learn -- but do love this place. I'm in for $20.00 a month. And if there are times you need a bit more just ask. Thank you for all that you do.
now, especially through the Evening Blues and What's happening and have been 'concerned' that you might be berning out. But what do I know, being absent for long stretches in photographing wildlife and drinking booze in southern Africa for weeks at a time etc.
All I want for myself, you, and all, is perfect health, wealth, love, and creative self expression. Don't remember where we got that saying but we say it often and amazing how often we get close to that!
To be honest, I thought i had read here that money was no big thang so we contributed a little. Guess that was before it came to you that this was not working out doing it for free. Willing to pony up more. Will stand by to see what the consensus is here.
All the best and 'divine order.'
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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.
Donating 120.0 for 10 per mo. This site is my life blood. First thing in the morning, check regularly all day as i can. Read morning blues at 2am as that is when i wake for no reason every night. Love gee!john.sit. Await those posts. Hope we can money bomb. We did for bernie and this got me through that craziness. Thanks alphalop for that. Boy howdy. Hope we can make this happen for u jtc. Thanks so much.
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Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation
can we get you through another two months with $8,000, to give you and us all a reprieve? That’s $14 a day from the whole of your members - likely long enough to regroup, reconsider and plan for the future? It’s clearly what we all desire.
I haven’t read through all the comments and suggestions yet, but so far there seems to be the potential.
What can I do to help? I have no computer skills, but I do have time and motivation.
Jtc needs at least $4000/month to ignore his other business and focus here. There are approx 2000 active members here. Let's say half can't afford to give money. So for 1000 people, each giving $4/month (equals $4000), Jtc can keep the site alive.
If 500 people are willing to take on a solid monthly payment of $10/month, Jtc would have $5000/month to make his efforts a little more worthwhile. Or 250 people at $20/month.
If there is ad revenue as well, there may be enough for Jtc to add more to site maintenance and improvements. (For instance, a decent phone app would make it easier to link the site on twitter and fb while using a phone (thus bringing in more potential $$$).
(iirc there was discussion at one point on TOP about revenue. If someone comes on the site to just read one article, then the hit doesn't register. But, if that visitor clicks on even one link, such as comments or home, then the clock started retroactively to when the user first got there. Ad revenue (I think) is based on: total time users are on site, total number of audience who are exposed to ad, and total clicks that ads get. So more unsubscribed users gives more ad revenue.)
Subscriptions could also be gifted to each other, and/or to prolific writers that bring hits to the site.
The win/win would be to have subscriptions that allow for no advertisements. We poorer folks could put up with ads (hey, I don't mind wall street paying for my access to anti-wall street efforts). The subscriptions could guarantee Jtc livelihood while ads give the gravy for better tech etc.
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We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when we are afraid of the light.
--Plato
I'm guilty of sporadic with donations and occasionally go off the rails and cause JtC headaches and grief. I have cleared out my do gooder monthly automatic donations at the bank. They were not doing much good but instead were lobbying or some other nonsense. If there was someway other then paypal to directly contribute monthly I would gladly contribute the 50$ a month that has been coming out of my bank account for years.
Could we make it easier to subscribe auromatically monthly without involving Paypal. Paypal is not working as I had a previous account on my old computer. I no longer donate to pols or Act Blue as I think the politics are just a con and a useless money suck.
Could someone here take this off JtC's head and help set up the financial end so the there was a steady stream instead of sporadic donations? If 500 people gave monthly at 25$ according to my faulty math it would come to 25,000$ a year. Not Johnny's required salary but a base to count on. Those who cannot do this could contribute 5.00$ a month. Or make contributions when they had the extra bucks.
Go Fund Me seems like a good idea. A kick start not a final solution. We know a lot of musicians and artists who have raised enough to get their music recorded and pressed on vinyl. I don't like ads but if that's what it came too I think it would be worth it to keep afloat. I do not want anything to do with Amazon or google. They are the monkey's paw no sence in selling your site to the devils.
Isn't there an internet ad placement vehicle that's liberal? I see ad's on common dreams and truthdig that are not offensive or don't tell you how to get rid of your wrinkles or refi nance your mortgage If we had a base of monthly subscribers and some ads and a yearly or twice a year pledge drive or auction that was organized and consistent I think there is no reason we could not come up with 40, 000 a year. I would like us to hire JtC.
To JtC. while I understand this is your baby and a fine baby it is, I do think you need help. Too much time even if your being paid is just not going to work for you or your family or your health. Perhaps you could find trustworthy people to help on the front end? I also think as in all things endless growth is not a good idea. I don't tweet and have no interest in a site that includes fb or twitter. A tower of Babylon. It would definitely turn this place into a partisan, pol central madhouse and change it's nature to something else entirely. I do face book but it is a whole different beast as far as politics goes. It's a stream of endless 'drivel' as one of my friends calls it.
We own our own business and cash flow is a bitch. If you grow to fast you can't handle the work as you need to hire another person but in order to pay them you lose some of your inconsistant income. I cannot thank you enough as I've been blogging for 12 years and cc99% is by far the best experience I've had. It's the best community on line.
Just my 2 cents on this wall you've hit. I love this site. I love blogging non-partisan where I can read and write about something other than us vs. them and the poltic's of persona. I love the community that's building. I think we could pull this off. It's doable. I trust and believe in JtC's vision of a site that's not partisan or a platform for electoral politics. I will talk to my CU about setting up automated payments and in the short term will send you a donation snail mail today. Let's save this great site and get JtC an income and some help.
the terms you propose: You continue to run this gem you've built, and we the people agree to keep it funded to the current tune of $4K per month. I'm going to write a post asking other members to join me in a peoples' ongoing-fund-guaranteeing group whose only site function would be to keep the monthly subscription/fundraiser level total at that minimum amount. The idea would be to keep both admins and mods from ever having to ask for operating funds, and would keep donors from having any non-donor-related influence.
The Ad Hoc Caucus99 Compensation Committee has a nice ring, deliberately both pretentious and limiting. It can be shortened to the Ad Hoc Committee, or the AHC99CC, or c99cc. We'd function like a financial town hall, with each 'speaker' in turn being an essayist who feels like explaining his or her reasons to subscribe, or donate items for auction. We'd need a monthly 'total kitty' report only, no total subscriber numbers and no names. The dollar number and a site traffic number given monthly should be all a self-respecting ad hoc money-raising group of people need in the age of private messages. Let's try it.
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Please consider subscribing monthly, to help keep c99 going.
Just got the ball rolling with a monthly donation match pledge drive. I like your idea of an organized group, though, and would like to read more about it if you feel like expanding your thoughts in an essay.
My plane was delayed, rooms at the hotel not ready and a gig to olay in a few hours. I'm just beat from traveling.
But I just had to say quickly how much this place means to me and how much you beautiful rebels brighten the world for me and give ne hope.
I believe we'll find a way to help JtC through this. Mine coming when I get back home.
Thanks for your commitment brother!
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"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"
Am going to visit Dallas Doc's essay first, per DD's suggestion, but intend to commit the money that went to Bernie for many many months to C99. JtC -- you do awesome work and this site deserves to thrive. Here's hoping you can continue to nurture your beautiful baby.
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"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." 14th Dalai Lama
-But if there really are a few thousand of us, or more, and you need $4K/month, wouldn't that be a couple bucks a month, each? You can't subscribe to an old-school newspaper of any description for that any more. Hell, you can't get a cup of coffee for that, most places. If you made it a little more than that, it would probably cover those of us that are currently broke.
I'd suggest making it a regular payment, just like receiving a newspaper used to be. I don't have the greatest job ever, but I could sure handle a subscription. Even during the height of the "Depression Petite", when things were TIGHT, I probably could have swung it. I get more REAL news here than the MSM feed that comes "free" with my over-priced internet service. Fact is, I have been skating here on C99P, same as everywhere else on the Web. But that is nothing more than habit.
The problem with the Interwebs, as I see it, is that the notion that everything must be free, ends up getting paid for in other ways, like non-stop ads, siphoning up personal data and selling it, malware, etc. Since you have obviously chosen the path of being ethical rather than using those cheats, you should get paid, and why not directly? I know this isn't the most original notion. -But I think that if you put it in terms of getting a newspaper, a targeted community newspaper, that it would probably fly. -And if site visitors increased, that might help with the bottom line, too.
You have created an important site in no time, JTC. -And I mean that in general, not just for we Lefties. The most RW friend I have respects it, and reads it occasionally. -And so do his RW buddies.
We should have figured out that such an incredible result was taking its toll. I think one of the reasons it has been as good as it has, is that you and Joe have been adding the one very important function, that very few sites have - a sane and reasonable "editorial policy", also like an old-school newspaper. With that one change from modern-day business as usual, the entire Web could be a more civil and troll-free environment. The proof's in the puddin'. Look around at your creation.
So, hell, yes, I'd pay to help keep this site open and on course. TOS is free, and look what we got. If Kos had charged even 50 cents / month for a subscription, he would have enough wealth by now to (maybe) resist becoming a toady to the Clinton Foundation.
So, there's my typically long-winded 50 cents. Or $3.50. Or whatever. Let us know what you decide, JtC. We also want it to live on.
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"Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men for the nastiest of motives will somehow work for the benefit of all."
- John Maynard Keynes
We've already had a fundraiser, and are looking at starting a fundraising and expense committee to help out. A lot of us have committed to this site, and this announcement has shown us that our commitment will involve helping with upkeep, in any way we can.
You're one of the best content providers and smartest minds here, so you're contributing a helluva lot already.
The community has rallied over the weekend with a big and successful fundraising effort already, and plans are in the works for a sustained effort so we can keep this site afloat. A lot of us don't want to lose it, and are going to do everything we can to prevent that from happening. JtC just posted earlier this evening that an update will be coming tomorrow. I'm feeling optimistic now that things will work out.
this site will stay in JtC's and Joe's hands, if they want to continue with it and it's our task to make sure their work for the site is not exploited, so we try to put in what it needed financially. Hopefully many will help. You do a LOT of writing and it's really a great asset to the site. Each time I read your stuff I tweeze my eyes and try to read the charts and make sense of them. Sometimes I succeed...
Comments
^^This^^
I have built and run a number of fairly sophisticated Wordpress sites using a service provider to manage the backend and it works great. They worry about the software upgrades, database issues, and security so I can concentrate on building my sites.
Doesn't cost much at all and saves me a ton of headaches.
Not sure what the setup here is currently, but even just a quick google search finds any number of dedicated hosts to more expensive managed enterprise services.
Definitely something to consider.
The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
Another option is virtual servers
As a follow up to Not Henry, another option is virtual servers.
A lot of companies, both large and small are getting away from dedicated servers in favor of Amazon Web Services. AWS also takes care the maintenance etc., but you are not bound to a specific machine for a specific time (although you can be). You an use the smallest server available to cut costs, but scale it up in minutes to something larger if needed and with no interaction with anyone at AWS. Your Control Panel allows you to customize your hardware (also possible to do through code).
The company for which I work is moving to AWS for their Oracle servers and I myself us it for my personal MySQL/PHP work.
Drupal is available on AWS both as a set up your own server and a pre-built LINUX image.
"People always have been the foolish victims of deception and self-deception in politics, and they always will be until they have learnt to seek out the interests of some class or other behind all moral, religious, political and social phrases."
THX for jumping in, bob --
When Cicero had finished speaking, the people said “How well he spoke”.
When Demosthenes had finished speaking, the people said “Let us march”.
Just sent 50 bucks
I love this place, please don't let it go.
Thanks.
Yea, I lurk most of the time, but most of the time I read on my phone. ..
fwiw~
Keep it going brothers and sisters ,
Peace -
Murph
I just made a donation too.
Everyone should think about what this site is worth to you and where you will go if it disappears. Then give what you can.
Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.
same here.
Please Jtc, please ask people to pony up. Our lives get complicated and some of us can do this on a regular basis. Please ask. This is my favorite site now. I don't want to see it bought, sold or abandoned.
Don't believe everything you think.
A small suggestion to add: with the suggested 4th and 16th days
of each month, a visual thermometer would do more to motivate donations. Visual is visceral. There is something about seeing how it's going and wanting to be part of it. Can't fully explain it, but have seen it work (ActBlue) and other fundraisers.
I'll bet there are folks here who have the skill set to link donations to the thermometer so that it is not a manual operation.
Anyone?
Then a handy dandy reminder of how to get the money or monthly deduction to its destination.
You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again you did not know. ~ William Wiberforce
If you can donate, please! POP Money is available for bank-to-bank transfers. Email JtC to make a monthly donation.
I learned a thing or two running a non profit and a support
group: anything that runs monthly and has a membership greater than ten, needs three people sharing the top end. It's too much for one. And very vulnerable to the one person's health, family needs, financial situation.
Yes you have to choose very carefully, who is with you sharing the admin and tech duties.
About 501 c 3: they require a board which can be very small, and you can elect to have membership which must be allowed to vote or to keep it closed. To control the design of this site you would probably want the closed board option. Membership orgs are quite difficult.
Shiz' idea of a GoFundMe is a better one than trying to get a funding as a 501. And of course the thermometer. There will probably be more coming as the Reddit groups collapse.
So it is very reasonable and not a stain on your character at all, (mama shakes finger at you), to need tangible support. /Sitting at a computer all day isn't good for your health anyways.
I hope this makes some sense. Building in continuity and structure for continuation (if that is your wish) it is important to have a small team who share your ideas and ideals.
You have been a wonderful web host, and provided us a very nice living room to share our ideas and stories. Can't thank you enough.
You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again you did not know. ~ William Wiberforce
If you can donate, please! POP Money is available for bank-to-bank transfers. Email JtC to make a monthly donation.
I hope we can find a way to
I hope we can find a way to keep this site going. I would feel lost and a whole lot less grounded without all of you. I would find a way to donate $5/month. Donated. Hope we can avoid ads, but would rather have ads than to lose this site.
I'm sorry but unsurprised that you are feeling stretched, JtC
Too rapid came the swimmers from TOP. I don't Reddit (too confusing and fast, like Twitter) but if there look to be more leaps--yikes.
I dislike the Ad-income idea. AdBlock running on the PC. I have donated, about enough per your suggestion/wish above, but I understand that trying to live at minimum wage is frustration in 1---2---3.
For myself, no skillset that is helpful. Re-read the suggestions above, in daylight, please. And maybe in a week or two some plans will have formed. We members like this site and most other members, it would be awful to see it go. Victim of progress is a bad means of death. Keep us informed, we do care, I do.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
I can't express what this place means to me.
I've been in financial hell, but I'm finally coming out of it. I could be on a monthly installment plan by September. I'm in to whatever is decided to keep it going. Love you all.
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
So sorry to see this even being under consideration
I haven't been around too much this week, real life intruding with my intertube time, and I was astonished to see this post. At first I thought it was humorous, but I guess not. But of course Jtc you must do whatever is the right thing for your own sustenance/sanity/health.
This site has miraculously avoided numerous pitfalls that have brought down so many other sites like cliques, drama, authoritarian badge heavy mods, and some kind of site dogma that everyone has to swear fealty to. The comments are almost always courteous even when there is disagreement.
When I knew I simply had to flee the empaths at TOP who were so vigilant at rooting out thought crimes and lack of loyalty to one sadly lacking political party and who were willing to throw logic and ethics out with the partisan bathwater, I looked long at hard for a new place to roost.
There ain't much out there folks, for anyone who likes to write, read, lurk and comment without feeling like they need brain bleach afterwards. This place is small but unique in the opportunities it offers. I personally will be very sad if it disappears into the ether.
" “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” FDR "
Wish You Luck, But One Request
Please do not sell this to a Clinton agent. It would be like them to scoop up this site and then change it into Kos
Fortunately
they're so damned obvious in everything they do, they probably wouldn't pass muster on the first meeting.
Thanks for this site
It's an island of sanity in a crazy world. Just sent some cash...
Feeling guilty about not donating sooner
and hoping it isn't too little too late - just sent a little something. (It's more than I ever sent That Other Place!)
If you wind up requiring ads, I will exempt this site specifically from ad-blocking (it is possible to be that selective). Just - as someone else said - please don't put up video ads. I would have to block the video component, which would defeat the purpose.
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
Aw Shit!
Don't believe everything you think.
This site is an important political refuge for me
I hope the community comes up with a way to support it and keep it going somehow rather than having some new unknown person with an unknown agenda and content editorial policy take over. I will do whatever I can to chip in some $ to any such effort.
It's not just the content that's important but the people who become a community over time.
Geez, money sucks sometimes. :/
Love is my religion.
That's sad to hear JtC. I really like this place. I have no time
but will donate again. Hopefully something works out to keep this place up and in good hands. Thanks for all your hard work.
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - JFK | "The more I see of the moneyed peoples, the more I understand the guillotine." - G. B. Shaw Bernie/Tulsi 2020
Another thought to take some of the load off: Delegate the
research. I was thinking this in relation to Facebook, but I'm sure there are many issues that arise.
When sharing on Facebook, instead of giving the first few lines of content, it gives the left-side links. If that's not a problem with site code, then I (or someone) could go to Facebook, ask TPTB there why it's doing that, follow up any answers until all is clear, then pass the research back to you for whatever needs to happen on the site for the content to appear on Facebook links (if the fix isn't on the Facebook side).
That way you keep the Admin private between you and Joe and maybe another techie, but we can all help save some of your time on issues by doing the research for you.
Please check out Pet Vet Help, consider joining us to help pets, and follow me @ElenaCarlena on Twitter! Thank you.
It's a problem with site code
the open graph tags facebook relies on don't appear to be set-up properly. With other content management systems, you typically need some extension to do this properly.
Like most things, the research isn't that hard for someone involved in web development and content management systems. What's a lot harder is the fix going back to the need for a paid developer... JtC in this case.
A lot of wanderers in the U.S. political desert recognize that all the duopoly has to offer is a choice of mirages. Come, let us trudge towards empty expanse of sand #1, littered with the bleached bones of Deaniacs and Hope and Changers.
-- lotlizard
Color coded subscriptions
Anthrogenica, a "Genetics and Anthropology Discussion Forum" that I read, had recently added color coded subscriptions for financial support. If you subscribe, a note of that is added near the avatar in each post that you make. This is color coded in bronze, silver, or gold. This acts as a hint to others to subscribe.
This link shows its appearance: subs_0.PNG (18.3 KB)
"People always have been the foolish victims of deception and self-deception in politics, and they always will be until they have learnt to seek out the interests of some class or other behind all moral, religious, political and social phrases."
If financial contribution is recognized, content contribution
could also be considered. There are several members who create the flavor of the site with their writings and do not have the finances to contribute $$.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
I believe there's a deliberate reason why
this blog does not give out bouquets or brickbats to essays and comments.
There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.
Sorry, that sounds classist. Labeling people.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
David Dayen - Google owns ads, Facebook own eyeballs
The important journalist David Dayen commented on the change of Netroots nation over the 11 years of its existence. At the start it was powered by bloggers. Since that time, power has shifted to Google & Facebook and another empire in amazon.com. (You might have noticed that both the head of Google and Amazon are on a team advising the pentagon about future plans)
There has been a coup d'etat.
The on line treatment is sabotage.
A couple of years ago I talked with the people at commondreams.org and they mentioned the huge problem they have in policing their site.
Last week an OSS handbook from 1944 was declassified. OSS was the parent of the CIA. It described sabotage techniques for civilians to use. That was a long time ago, and way back then people were more hands on with machines, so issues about sand in gears, interfering with lubricants, etc. played a major role.
These days of "double click" (an idea from the French polymath, Bruno Latour) which assumes that anything that matters can be found out by double clicking, in other words, information transfer is all that matters, in these times when context, humans and gaia can be ignored, suppressed, discounted, etc., having an authentic voice is very important.
The Bernie movement educated millions, but much more is needed.
And sites like this play an important role.
Back in the day, years and years ago I followed JoanneLeon with her morning post on TOP/DK "What's Happening." It listed issues. Even back then, years and years ago, TOP was all about parties, not issues and she was run off the site. I saw here recently posting an article on Kevin Gostzola's site.
As a suggestion -- could this site become linked to the ongoing revolution of Bernie?
good, good, good, good, NO!
was with you up until the last paragraph.
I think it would be a disastrously bad decision to link this site to Our Revolution.
Yes...
what makes this site what it is and it's attractiveness to many/most is the non partisan aspect we adhere to.
That reminds me...
Could Joanne Leon be a resource at all? For some reason, at some point, I could swear she was involved here with the IT/back end team. I see her on Twitter all the time, but don't see her anywhere else. Is she doing her own "thing" on a blog, or working as a resource/reporting for someone? I can't even tell from her feed, but she seems quite active out there. I, too, used to follow her What's Happening posts on DK, and then she just sort of disappeared from blogging--but I know she has beaucoup IT skills, though I have no idea what they actually are. Near as I can tell, she would share the same sort of vision we already have here, though...
Don't want to formally or exclusively support Bernie, but we
might be able to post some articles at pro-Bernie sites to interest people there in here, as part of the wider progressive community.
Please check out Pet Vet Help, consider joining us to help pets, and follow me @ElenaCarlena on Twitter! Thank you.
Just upped my recurring contribution . . .
. . . to $27, and can increase it again next month after some bills are paid off. I so appreciate the space you've built here, even though I don't say much. Thank you for that. I don't have time or tech skills, but I do have a steady job, and so can do more than I have been with the $. I'll be keeping an eye out to see if there are other ways I can help.
Hey 12...
I'm wanting to do the same, but don't see how to do it on PayPal. Do I have to cancel the current one and set up a new one?
-thx
That's what I did. /nt
This sucks.
But sorry that you're so overworked.
If you start delegating to volunteers, pls keep me in mind. I can't do the techie server stuff, but if there is something else, pls contact.
dfarrah
Sell ads?
You definetely need more volunteers and paid help. Can you sell ads or make $ 5.95 a month membership mandatory. There could be endowments to help those who cannot pay the fee.
This is very sad but understandable
I am in the process of acquiring skills like javascript etc as well as, eventually, web maintenance. I could help if there was a group of tech people here who wanted to try to relieve the burdens of JtC and Joe. This site is so important at this point in time. It would be nice to know that it will be here in its present form until after the election. The site will still be as important after the election, but at least there will be more certainty as to how the events we care about will unfold and we can organize our next step.
Beware the bullshit factories.
Here's the deal on ads...
Ads on membership forum type sites are ignored by the membership users, and often blocked by software such as adblock. The bulk of the revenue comes from site visitors who arrive at the site in searches and click on an ad. This revenue will pay to keep the lights on and give you some money for your labors. IMHO the best (Most Profitable) ad platforms with the least amount of work to use are Google AdSense & Amazon...
I've said it before you should monetize this platform, you have good user generated content, you index well in searches, you will make a substantial amount of revenue, and I for one could care less if there were ads here...
Enough of being a "Purist Pauper."
I'm the only person standing between Richard Nixon and the White House."
~John F. Kennedy~
Economic: -9.13, Social: -7.28,
Me too.
Judging from the comments in this thread, I think most people would be willing to put up with ads (and give them some clicks) if it means keeping the bern going for 99% issues.
It is of no use to have 'principles' if they can't be heard. Thomas Paine SOLD copies of "Common Sense" and still people clamored to hear the message that helped to reason out what the masses were processing philosophically at the time.
Using the 1% monies to fund the 99% is beautiful. It's like wealth re-distribution.
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when we are afraid of the light.
--Plato
The Revolution needs a place to meet
I just gave another $35. Even if c99 doesn't survive, JtC, you deserve some thanks.
As a small business owner I can sympathize that being in business sucks, and worse. The economic problem here is that we are all paying economic rent to the Oligarchs and can barely survive. They've got it all and have us on a leash. People's revolution, really difficult. Political action by the Oligarchs, really easy. It would be a pisser for this movement to dissipate. The thing is that the revolution started with OWS, continued through Bernie's Run, c99, and now needs to survive, even as a seed for incubation in the future.
Here's my 2 cents. This site should be a meeting house, to discuss political and economic issues and strategies going forward. It also needs to pay the Purveyor of this Fine Establishment. I think that the site should be open to membership only. Membership dues could be on a sliding scale. Standard membership dues would be $50 per quarter. Students and retired folks would be $25 per quarter. Those in financial stress would be $5 per quarter on an honorary system. Really stressed folks would be $0 plus one essay per month. The content would have to be high enough quality to justify membership dues. I know I would gladly pay for membership in a quality discussion environment. We can't move forward without the theoretical basis for a New America. I know millennials are just waiting for the opportunity to support this, if we can stimulate them with great ideas.
I think that the site needs to bring in enough money to pay some of our more gifted essayists and others who are not members. That way we would also be expanding our membership and attracting more writers. You have to think a success model, or you are doomed to a slow ride to obscurity.
Capitalism has always been the rule of the people by the oligarchs. You only have two choices, eliminate them or restrict their power.
Johnny, although I am saddened to see this post,
I am glad you made a decision to take care of yourself.
Thanks for everything!
Johnny, although I am saddened to see this post,
I am glad you made a decision to take care of yourself.
Thanks for everything!
I'm so sorry to read this, JtC
I've signed up for a monthly contribution, but not a large one. I can do more for an ongoing contribution -- would that be helpful, or an immediate cash contribution?
I certainly understand your predicament, and have worried that the site might not be sustaining you. Would it be helpful if I did a matching monthly pledge essay, or a one time matching donation essay?
Please help support caucus99percent!
Whatever you can do doc...
I detest having to even ask. I wish I had the where with all to just fund the site myself, but I'm not there. When we were a small site of just a couple of hundred folks it was an easily managed hobby, that all changed, well, you know when and how.
I know -- when I came!
Lemme see what I can do.
Please help support caucus99percent!
I'm In!
I just read and lurk and learn -- but do love this place. I'm in for $20.00 a month. And if there are times you need a bit more just ask. Thank you for all that you do.
Jmarks, please read the essay I just published
I'd love to add your $20 a month to my monthly pledge match. If you'll mention it over there I'll add it to the match.
Please help support caucus99percent!
Hey frin, thanks for the candor. 'Known' you for some time
now, especially through the Evening Blues and What's happening and have been 'concerned' that you might be berning out. But what do I know, being absent for long stretches in photographing wildlife and drinking booze in southern Africa for weeks at a time etc.
All I want for myself, you, and all, is perfect health, wealth, love, and creative self expression. Don't remember where we got that saying but we say it often and amazing how often we get close to that!
To be honest, I thought i had read here that money was no big thang so we contributed a little. Guess that was before it came to you that this was not working out doing it for free. Willing to pony up more. Will stand by to see what the consensus is here.
All the best and 'divine order.'
A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.
Noooooo
Donating 120.0 for 10 per mo. This site is my life blood. First thing in the morning, check regularly all day as i can. Read morning blues at 2am as that is when i wake for no reason every night. Love gee!john.sit. Await those posts. Hope we can money bomb. We did for bernie and this got me through that craziness. Thanks alphalop for that. Boy howdy. Hope we can make this happen for u jtc. Thanks so much.
Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation
Hot Air Website, Twitter, Facebook
All i can say is
the knowledge and social interaction here is priceless.
I'm sure Monsanto can come up with a fair opening bid.
"the reason you need a new class to come into power in the United States is because this one is useless" -- Vijay Prashad
Johnny,
can we get you through another two months with $8,000, to give you and us all a reprieve? That’s $14 a day from the whole of your members - likely long enough to regroup, reconsider and plan for the future? It’s clearly what we all desire.
I haven’t read through all the comments and suggestions yet, but so far there seems to be the potential.
What can I do to help? I have no computer skills, but I do have time and motivation.
Not sure where you're getting the numbers.
Jtc needs at least $4000/month to ignore his other business and focus here. There are approx 2000 active members here. Let's say half can't afford to give money. So for 1000 people, each giving $4/month (equals $4000), Jtc can keep the site alive.
If 500 people are willing to take on a solid monthly payment of $10/month, Jtc would have $5000/month to make his efforts a little more worthwhile. Or 250 people at $20/month.
If there is ad revenue as well, there may be enough for Jtc to add more to site maintenance and improvements. (For instance, a decent phone app would make it easier to link the site on twitter and fb while using a phone (thus bringing in more potential $$$).
(iirc there was discussion at one point on TOP about revenue. If someone comes on the site to just read one article, then the hit doesn't register. But, if that visitor clicks on even one link, such as comments or home, then the clock started retroactively to when the user first got there. Ad revenue (I think) is based on: total time users are on site, total number of audience who are exposed to ad, and total clicks that ads get. So more unsubscribed users gives more ad revenue.)
Subscriptions could also be gifted to each other, and/or to prolific writers that bring hits to the site.
The win/win would be to have subscriptions that allow for no advertisements. We poorer folks could put up with ads (hey, I don't mind wall street paying for my access to anti-wall street efforts). The subscriptions could guarantee Jtc livelihood while ads give the gravy for better tech etc.
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when we are afraid of the light.
--Plato
You're right
I left off the zero on $14 a day. Obviously math is not my strong suit. Sorry. And thanks for clarifying.
JTC I'm pasting my comment
that I made on hecate's OT on this thread also.
I'm guilty of sporadic with donations and occasionally go off the rails and cause JtC headaches and grief. I have cleared out my do gooder monthly automatic donations at the bank. They were not doing much good but instead were lobbying or some other nonsense. If there was someway other then paypal to directly contribute monthly I would gladly contribute the 50$ a month that has been coming out of my bank account for years.
Could we make it easier to subscribe auromatically monthly without involving Paypal. Paypal is not working as I had a previous account on my old computer. I no longer donate to pols or Act Blue as I think the politics are just a con and a useless money suck.
Could someone here take this off JtC's head and help set up the financial end so the there was a steady stream instead of sporadic donations? If 500 people gave monthly at 25$ according to my faulty math it would come to 25,000$ a year. Not Johnny's required salary but a base to count on. Those who cannot do this could contribute 5.00$ a month. Or make contributions when they had the extra bucks.
Go Fund Me seems like a good idea. A kick start not a final solution. We know a lot of musicians and artists who have raised enough to get their music recorded and pressed on vinyl. I don't like ads but if that's what it came too I think it would be worth it to keep afloat. I do not want anything to do with Amazon or google. They are the monkey's paw no sence in selling your site to the devils.
Isn't there an internet ad placement vehicle that's liberal? I see ad's on common dreams and truthdig that are not offensive or don't tell you how to get rid of your wrinkles or refi nance your mortgage If we had a base of monthly subscribers and some ads and a yearly or twice a year pledge drive or auction that was organized and consistent I think there is no reason we could not come up with 40, 000 a year. I would like us to hire JtC.
To JtC. while I understand this is your baby and a fine baby it is, I do think you need help. Too much time even if your being paid is just not going to work for you or your family or your health. Perhaps you could find trustworthy people to help on the front end? I also think as in all things endless growth is not a good idea. I don't tweet and have no interest in a site that includes fb or twitter. A tower of Babylon. It would definitely turn this place into a partisan, pol central madhouse and change it's nature to something else entirely. I do face book but it is a whole different beast as far as politics goes. It's a stream of endless 'drivel' as one of my friends calls it.
We own our own business and cash flow is a bitch. If you grow to fast you can't handle the work as you need to hire another person but in order to pay them you lose some of your inconsistant income. I cannot thank you enough as I've been blogging for 12 years and cc99% is by far the best experience I've had. It's the best community on line.
Just my 2 cents on this wall you've hit. I love this site. I love blogging non-partisan where I can read and write about something other than us vs. them and the poltic's of persona. I love the community that's building. I think we could pull this off. It's doable. I trust and believe in JtC's vision of a site that's not partisan or a platform for electoral politics. I will talk to my CU about setting up automated payments and in the short term will send you a donation snail mail today. Let's save this great site and get JtC an income and some help.
JtC, thank you for giving us users first crack; we accept, on
the terms you propose: You continue to run this gem you've built, and we the people agree to keep it funded to the current tune of $4K per month. I'm going to write a post asking other members to join me in a peoples' ongoing-fund-guaranteeing group whose only site function would be to keep the monthly subscription/fundraiser level total at that minimum amount. The idea would be to keep both admins and mods from ever having to ask for operating funds, and would keep donors from having any non-donor-related influence.
The Ad Hoc Caucus99 Compensation Committee has a nice ring, deliberately both pretentious and limiting. It can be shortened to the Ad Hoc Committee, or the AHC99CC, or c99cc. We'd function like a financial town hall, with each 'speaker' in turn being an essayist who feels like explaining his or her reasons to subscribe, or donate items for auction. We'd need a monthly 'total kitty' report only, no total subscriber numbers and no names. The dollar number and a site traffic number given monthly should be all a self-respecting ad hoc money-raising group of people need in the age of private messages. Let's try it.
Please consider subscribing monthly, to help keep c99 going.
I think this is a great idea and
I'd be willing to be
On the cee-nine-nine-cee-cee
Cuz sites don't run for free
Just send a note to me
And I'll be willing to be...
{sorry, this idea was so good it got me singing}
Excellent idea, David
Just got the ball rolling with a monthly donation match pledge drive. I like your idea of an organized group, though, and would like to read more about it if you feel like expanding your thoughts in an essay.
Please help support caucus99percent!
Whatever you do...
...please don't sell it to Verizon. K? : /
(Just joking. I know you wouldn't sell the site to the media sucking machine.)
was at the airport this morning, and read this dazed.
My plane was delayed, rooms at the hotel not ready and a gig to olay in a few hours. I'm just beat from traveling.
But I just had to say quickly how much this place means to me and how much you beautiful rebels brighten the world for me and give ne hope.
I believe we'll find a way to help JtC through this. Mine coming when I get back home.
Thanks for your commitment brother!
"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"
- Kurt Vonnegut
Monthly Pledge
Am going to visit Dallas Doc's essay first, per DD's suggestion, but intend to commit the money that went to Bernie for many many months to C99. JtC -- you do awesome work and this site deserves to thrive. Here's hoping you can continue to nurture your beautiful baby.
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." 14th Dalai Lama
Blimey!!
I get back home and this happens.
Okay, so I'll have to read up thread and ponder.
Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.
Stop me if I'm wrong here...
-But if there really are a few thousand of us, or more, and you need $4K/month, wouldn't that be a couple bucks a month, each? You can't subscribe to an old-school newspaper of any description for that any more. Hell, you can't get a cup of coffee for that, most places. If you made it a little more than that, it would probably cover those of us that are currently broke.
I'd suggest making it a regular payment, just like receiving a newspaper used to be. I don't have the greatest job ever, but I could sure handle a subscription. Even during the height of the "Depression Petite", when things were TIGHT, I probably could have swung it. I get more REAL news here than the MSM feed that comes "free" with my over-priced internet service. Fact is, I have been skating here on C99P, same as everywhere else on the Web. But that is nothing more than habit.
The problem with the Interwebs, as I see it, is that the notion that everything must be free, ends up getting paid for in other ways, like non-stop ads, siphoning up personal data and selling it, malware, etc. Since you have obviously chosen the path of being ethical rather than using those cheats, you should get paid, and why not directly? I know this isn't the most original notion. -But I think that if you put it in terms of getting a newspaper, a targeted community newspaper, that it would probably fly. -And if site visitors increased, that might help with the bottom line, too.
You have created an important site in no time, JTC. -And I mean that in general, not just for we Lefties. The most RW friend I have respects it, and reads it occasionally. -And so do his RW buddies.
We should have figured out that such an incredible result was taking its toll. I think one of the reasons it has been as good as it has, is that you and Joe have been adding the one very important function, that very few sites have - a sane and reasonable "editorial policy", also like an old-school newspaper. With that one change from modern-day business as usual, the entire Web could be a more civil and troll-free environment. The proof's in the puddin'. Look around at your creation.
So, hell, yes, I'd pay to help keep this site open and on course. TOS is free, and look what we got. If Kos had charged even 50 cents / month for a subscription, he would have enough wealth by now to (maybe) resist becoming a toady to the Clinton Foundation.
So, there's my typically long-winded 50 cents. Or $3.50. Or whatever. Let us know what you decide, JtC. We also want it to live on.
"Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men for the nastiest of motives will somehow work for the benefit of all."
- John Maynard Keynes
This is not good
I just fully committed to this site.
I don't want to have to go searching for another site.
We're hoping you don't have to
We've already had a fundraiser, and are looking at starting a fundraising and expense committee to help out. A lot of us have committed to this site, and this announcement has shown us that our commitment will involve helping with upkeep, in any way we can.
You're one of the best content providers and smartest minds here, so you're contributing a helluva lot already.
Please help support caucus99percent!
gjohnsit, much has happened since JtC posted this on Friday
The community has rallied over the weekend with a big and successful fundraising effort already, and plans are in the works for a sustained effort so we can keep this site afloat. A lot of us don't want to lose it, and are going to do everything we can to prevent that from happening. JtC just posted earlier this evening that an update will be coming tomorrow. I'm feeling optimistic now that things will work out.
well, I will shackle you on your ankles, if you would leave,
this site will stay in JtC's and Joe's hands, if they want to continue with it and it's our task to make sure their work for the site is not exploited, so we try to put in what it needed financially. Hopefully many will help. You do a LOT of writing and it's really a great asset to the site. Each time I read your stuff I tweeze my eyes and try to read the charts and make sense of them. Sometimes I succeed...
Don't worry ...
about it, g.
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