Uterine Fibroids..Learn More!

Nothing wrong with talking about physiology on the SFG forum, right? After all, this thread has been posted in the 'Everything Else' forum so it must be appropriate.

Or, is it really not a topic that needs to be discussed on a family friendly gardening forum? I don't think it's appropriate. Nor do I think it's appropriate to be subjected to ads about the topic as guests are when they visit. I saw the ad just below the logo earlier this morning.

Ironically, I had explained in a post just last week that we haven't had ads on the forum because a member had complained about similar content, and folks at the Foundation had agreed that we didn't need that type of content. It was a matter of paying a few dollars to have the ads eliminated. Apparently, the Foundation no longer has the funds to host gallery pictures or keep the forum ad free.

So, it's up to forum members. As of an hour ago (exchange rate at play here), it would cost $21.42 to keep the forum ad-free for a year.

I thought I voted to keep the forum ad free, but reviewing the results, my vote did not post

Try again? I just voted and got a window that my vote had been cast. Did you get that message?

I'm ready to donate $25 (in case the exchange rate changes) right now. If I do that at the Foundation website, is there a way for me to restrict the funds to this purpose?

boffer wrote:Try again? I just voted and got a window that my vote had been cast. Did you get that message?

Thanks, Boffer, I did not get that message when I first tried, but it worked this time.

Luci Dawson wrote:I'm ready to donate $25 (in case the exchange rate changes) right now. If I do that at the Foundation website, is there a way for me to restrict the funds to this purpose?

Thank you, Luci. I've sent an e-mail to Alan at the Foundation; he usually responds quickly. I'll check back later this afternoon.

I am more than willing to donate as well.

Hey Guys,
I really appreciate your offers to help keeps ads off and the storage levels up for everyone to keep their pictures on. It's costing more and more to keep the forum ads free and to keep upping the storage space for all your wonderful pictures (not that I mind I love all your great pictures! ). I'll talk to Victoria and see about setting up a donation box specifically for the forum. I'll let you guys know ASAP. Thanks again! Alan

boffer wrote:
So, it's up to forum members. As of an hour ago (exchange rate at play here), it would cost $21.42 to keep the forum ad-free for a year.

So how per year is it costing the Foundation for the image galleries? Is that a cost in addition to the $21.42?

I think a Donate button would be an excellent solution. You may even get a surplus of $$$!

pattipan

It costs us a little under $10/month to have storage space. However that number increases as our pictures increase, so we spend around $100+ a year on storage and going up. I know for some that is not much money, but with all we are trying to do right now at the foundation, we have to count our pennies! (like most of us). As you guys have read in the newsletter, I've been traveling to South America and helping set up projects all over Ecuador and Peru. Along with our partner-the institute for Self Reliant Agriculture.(www.tifsra.org) we are literally now helping thousands of families to become self sufficient in those countries. We are helping to change the lives of many, many families around the world and in our own backyard. The core of these projects are Square Foot Gardens. We have been doing amazing things in many places. However much support you guys can contribute, it is going to helping many families not only eat more nutritious food, but teaching them principles of self reliance and helping them get off government aid. Thanks for your help, it is making an amazing difference! Alan

Storage and ads are two different fees.

Gallery storage is currently inching up towards $10 per month, and it will probably increase in a few months as more pictures are added.

Being that they are two different options, let's talk about picture storage in the original thread:
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t9224-membership-vote-needed-photo-gallery

I think an optional Donate button with the abilities to use paypal would be an excellent idea.

I don't really care, personally, what we do going forward with ads or donations or photo galleries.

That said, what chaps my derriere is that people in charge can so blatantly ignore what the forum members are telling you they want. There is another poll that is overwhelmingly in favor of ditching the gallery to save the money instead of asking for donations. Yet, here we go pushing donations anyway.

Just like the nation's political system, there is no better way to tell your followers that "I don't give a rat's about you....I'm going this way instead." At best it's an oversight. At worst, it's insulting and blatantly disrespectful.

BackyardBirdGardner wrote:That said, what chaps my derriere is that people in charge can so blatantly ignore what the forum members are telling you they want. There is another poll that is overwhelmingly in favor of ditching the gallery to save the money instead of asking for donations. Yet, here we go pushing donations anyway.

I understand your frustration, however, I don't think we were told how LITTLE money it would be to keep the gallery. If I remember correctly it sort of sounded like each of us would need to chip in $2/month which is a hardship on some people.

Now that we know it's such a small amount, I would change my vote to keep the gallery.

BackyardBirdGardner wrote:...what chaps my derriere is that people in charge can so blatantly ignore what the forum members are telling you they want. There is another poll that is overwhelmingly in favor of ditching the gallery to save the money instead of asking for donations. Yet, here we go pushing donations anyway...

Alan was just being supportive; I know that pictures and being ad-free are important to him. In my experience as admin last year, he was 100% behind my decisions and efforts. Once we present our final decisions, I've no doubt he'll be on board with us.

A while back we had talked behind the scenes about having a donation button and decided against it. From comments made in the storage thread and this thread, it appears it might be the right time to start one. Ideally it would provide excess funds beyond forum maintenance that would benefit the Foundation's general funds.

I could support a donation button as long as the forum expenses are met. At this point in time, this picture shows what options are available to spend money on. (Copyrights and Domain Name are not important to us.) There are no foreseeable future expenses to be concerned with, just ads and maybe storage, unless forumotion does something way out of the blue.

to adss

I would like to vote, but I feel I need more information. Ideally, I would NOT like to have ads, but would consider it if it would pay for expenses to keep this forum free.

So, if the choice is adds, or we have to pay, then I would like to know what type of ads, and how they would be used.

I have been keeping hush about this topic. However, I think I need to interject some things to ponder. I was attracted to this forum because it is SFG - which is the method I chose to garden. If I had had to pay to be a part, I would not have joined. Now that I have joined, and I have gleamed much from the collective collaboration of the posters - well, I still hesitate about paying to be a part of this forum. Why? Frankly, I think it will deter new members. Furthermore, I fear we will lose a number of current members and a percentage of those that remain will eventually leave as they no longer have interests in gardening or Internet conversing about gardening. Overall, I believe having a fee associated with this forum will be detrimental to the wonderful, and friendly exchange we have here.

So, with all that considered, I suppose I have a conditional preference for ads. However, I would vote to remove the gallery, or move its photos to a free web site, so that we can continue to enjoy our free forum and get back to the business of sharing SFG information.

Other options to pay for the forum:

Fundraising:

-How about using something like Cafe Express to not only promote our preferred gardening method, but to earn money to pay for our forum? I know I would love to have some hoodies and tee-shirts adorned with SFG insignia.

-What about seed fundraisers? Many churches and other organizations sell seeds, or give them away as promotional material. Perhaps we can get some seed companies to work with us and let us sell seeds for some of the plants we all like to grow.

-Perhaps the above can be extended to other gardening materials:trowels, weed cloth, etc

Special Privileges to paying members:

- I can't think of what these might be, but I think we can put our heads together on this one

Donations

- We can suggest a donation, but not require one.

Don't misunderstand my comment. That's why I put the disclaimer up front. I was only commenting on the perception, which is just a matter of principle.

I don't think a donation button is a big deal. If you want to, you donate. A dollar, 3 dollars, 100 dollars. No biggie....and likely anonymous. Ads don't even bother me...as long as they aren't the "tricky clicky" ads that are a bit misleading and would take newer internet surfers off on tangents and never get them to the information they desire. It's easy to ignore ads, too.

I don't fault the foundation for trying to offset costs. Heck, I don't fault the foundation for trying to make money. If you have a great product, or concept, it is well within your God-given rights to make as much money as you can. SFG is an outstanding concept (I should have put that in all caps). If you get greedy, the public will let you know.

As far as ads are concerned, as I understand it (and boffer might correct me if things have changed), ads don't pay for anything. Ads is how the forum PROVIDER makes money, so they don't make any money for SFG. We have to pay to keep them off. We like them off because:
1. I am tired of ads popping up everywhere trying to sell me stuff. I get that everywhere I go online and I like having a place where people can come where they will be able to have fun, make friends and not have someone trying to shove some product or service down their throat! This is important enough that we don't even display SFG ads!
2. We can't control the ads. They are whatever the provider chooses them to be. As we have seen, some are not family friendly.

I'm up for a donate button ..it's something I do on lots of sites I use .. not much in life is free.



Re:- Binning the Ads I'm up for that as well . If it saves one member from getting scammed or taken for a ride then it's worth it.



If the button is paypal or has a drop down with it I there I can do it from here in the UK without incurring horrific bank charges for the transaction.



One question though how does a donated income affect taxation etc.

I as for I understand that here in the Uk it has hidden consequences and liabilities.

mijejo,
I would just like to clarify (and please anyone correct me if I am wrong) that I don't think the topic at hand here is for anyone to have to pay to be a member or enjoy this great site. As far as I can tell, or from what I gathered, the poll is to see how people feel about the ads being there. There is a small fee involved to get rid of the ads if we would like them to not be there. Some of us have offered (purely optional)to donate to not have them.
No one should feel pressure to donate, or feel guilty to not donate. If donations where to take place, I think it would be purely optional. But again, I think the site will remain totally free to use and enjoy, and in my opinion no one should feel guilty about using and enjoying it and choosing not to donate.

I'm up for a donate button ..it's something I do on lots of sites I use .. not much in life is free.

Agreed. Just about every site I am a member on has a purely optional and guilt free donate button.

To re-cap:

1. Alan told mm that he no longer has the funds to pay for pic storage or ad removal.
2. mm polled to see if forum members thought the gallery was worth paying for. To date, the mandate is no.
3. I started this thread to complain about inappropriate ads and suggested that forum members could keep the forum ad-free if they wanted to.

Several members thought donations were a good idea. I don't think anyone would be surprised to see a Donation link on a non-profit site.

Alan is correct in his last post. Just like many blogs and personal websites, the forum is 'free', but, oh by the way, the provider is going to advertise on your pages to pay for them. Google is getting very good at targeting the ads to the content on the page. So, many ads displayed here are for raised bed gardening products from other companies. That's not beneficial to the Foundation, but there's nothing we can do about that either, other than pay to eliminate ads.

If, as Alan suggested, the Foundation has a way to track donations from the forum, I think a donation feature would be win-win for everyone.

What it boils down to for me is the fact that the content of the ads couldn't be specified to be "family friendly," as most of us so badly want to keep this forum. I vote no to ads. A donation button would not offend me and seems a much better option than crude ads.

Any reason why sometimes there are the "ad banners", and other times not? I really don't care if there are ads or not, as long as we can keep the forum open to as many as possible. I think the more info we can share, and encourage one another, the better off we all are. If this boils down to getting rid of the gallery...so be it!!