Tech: Membership - Way to go?

Subject: Membership - Way to go?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 06:25 AM

It's probably been raised before, and will be again, by me or someone else. Surely we must have an annual subscription system for the use of The Cat. It seems crazy that Max is forced to live this hand to mouth existence, I don't know about you guys, but it would drive me mad. If we added treasurer clones to the Joe Clones, they could keep track of renewals when they come due. We could have one for each country, money can be sent by Paypal, and Mudcat could keep its pretty little head above water.
Sits back and waits for comments.
Giok
So glad it's back!!! YAAAAAAY

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: Jeri
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 07:05 AM

I believe donations should be a voluntary thing. Some people just don't spend that much time here and some don't have any money they can spare. What was it Marx said about abilities and needs?

MY problem is sending money. $20 a month doesn't seem like much, but if I sent it EVERY month, and other people sent $5 - $25 every month, it sure would add up.

What would make it easier for me would be if there were a way to have it sent automatically. Is there an account with its own electronic account number? I could perhaps have my bank transfer $20 a month without having to DO anything, and it's that 'doing' that makes me such a goldbricker when it comes to donations.

I don't have a lot of extra cash and I'm gonna have a lot less after I pay for the $800 septic line replacement and the unexpected but inevitable automobile and house disasters, but $20 is about 4 pts of Guinness and 4 bags of chips.

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: MC Fat
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 07:06 AM

How about setting up a 'pay pal' system ?

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: Pied Piper
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 07:19 AM

I make it about 220 mudcat members £10,15$, 700eu, a year is 3300$ not a vast amount but would certainly help.
My problem is I don't have Master or Visa, but do have Switch, is there any way that a page on the site could be set up to take donations using a Switch card?
PP

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 07:28 AM

For any UK mudcatters, there is a way to help pay for the use that we all make of this wonderful site - it's called "Friends of the Mudcat".
Members make a regular (usually monthly) transfer into a special bank account which in turn makes transfers to Max.

PM Gareth for further details of this scheme.

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: GUEST,Lowkey(at work)
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 07:33 AM

I,m willing to pay to keep on enjoying the site.
If the adult sites can sucessfully run an international subscription system then I am sure that a catter can come up with a similar system.
BT

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: Gareth
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 08:10 AM

Sorry for delay It took my IPS some days to realise that the 'Cat was Back - see this thread for fine details of the Friends of Mudcat Click 'Ere

£265.00 is being remitted via Bill Sables - this is roughly US$ 450.00.

Those residing in the UK and Eire should PM me or E-Mail me at
[e-mail] for details as to method and opperation.

We opperate a bank account to consolidate small regular donations by standing order - you will appreciate that it is dangerous to give out full bank details on an open forum. The faudsters are watching !!

Gareth

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: mooman
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 08:29 AM

Happy to donate something of course but Euro 700 seems a bit steep Pied Piper!

moo

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: Rapparee
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 08:48 AM

Since I'm in the States, why can't I just send a check? I don't use, nor like, services like Pay Pal. I don't even like using a credit card.

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 11:06 AM

Considering the number of members and visitors we have, if we could install a turnstile that cost 5 cents to enter, we'd be rolling in dough.
    I personally am opposed to charging for membership. If anyone is short of cash and feels uncomfortable with making a small donation, you can help support the Cat by buying a patch ($5), or a T-Shirt. Even better, you can get to hear what Mudcatters sound like by purchasing one, or two or a set of five Mudcat CDs--$15 per or $60 the set including postage in the US (slightly higher o'seas.) A good deal-- they're very good recordings, and 100% goes to support the Mudcat.

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 11:18 AM

"if we could install a turnstile that cost 5 cents to enter"

-I- (and I suspect a LOT of people) would NEVER come back!

I'v ebeen on message boards that tried memberships and such, and it's been my experience that they just don't work... They don't generate the kind of regular $$ flow that a site needs to stay up and running... Same with T-shirt sales and auctions...

The best, and easiest money maker? Banner adds... plain and simple...

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: Sorcha
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 11:22 AM

Banner Ads---ICK! I would rather pay for Membership than have to put up with banner ads. Besides, who ever really clicks on the damn things?? Not me.

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 11:40 AM

I don't want to belong to a private club. I think it would close the door to many who come here to look for a song and end up liking it. We need new people to keep us fresh, and I don't think they'll come in the door if they have to pay admission before they know what they're getting.
So no, I don't like the idea of requiring paid membership. But I do think that those who use Mudcat substantially should support it substantially.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 11:54 AM

You will never get the deadbeats here to pony up enough money to keep this place going. If Max had to rely on paid membership this place would have folded a long time ago. Unfortunately most are incapable of putting their money where their mouths are.

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 11:58 AM

Only problem with that, Joe, is some who use it substantially do not have susbstantial pockets, being on disability, social security and the like.

I've said it before, anyone can contact their bank and set up an automatic deduction on a monthly or whatever basis they want to be paid directly to Mudcat and all they need is the address to send it to. I do this with my bank, online, for several bills and donations and I have total control over it. I can choose to have it happen as often or as few times as I want, in whatever amount I want. No credit cards needed, no bank numbers, etc. It's really easy. If a lot of us did this at a few dollars a month it would add up just like the "widow's mite" in the Bible. 100 of us at $5 per month would take care of the operating expenses.

Rapaire, checks are FINE!**bg** I've never heard of one being rejected, yet!

kat

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: NicoleC
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 04:48 PM

What about a volunteer subscription? Make it reasonable -- say $25 per year -- and in return you get a gold star on your profile as a "Contributing Member," and automated email reminders that your subscription is about to expire when the year is up?

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: Rapparee
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 06:04 PM

I put it off and put it off -- oh, hell, I was on unemployment! -- and I just now ordered the Mudcat CD set. All five of 'em. 100% to the Cat, enjoyment and enrichment to me.

Does everyone one the CDs? Or at least one of them?

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: Helen
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 06:07 PM

For the Oz-Catters, is there a way to do a direct transfer from my bank account to the Mudcat account? If so, then maybe I could set up a similar system in Oz to the one that Bill Sables has done.

I have very limited money for most of the year, and have to budget tightly when I do have money for the 15 weeks of the year when I don't have an income at all. I refuse to pay huge proportions of my donation to the banks as useless fees and charges. The banks don't need my money, but Mudcat does. That's the problem for people not in the U.S.

A couple of years ago, when Mudcat still had credit card facilities, I sent Max my credit card details and an authority for payment for a substantial donation. I finally found out that he no longer used the credit card facility and he had not taken the deduction. That stuffed me right up because a bank cheque or similar at that time cost about $AU15, and I was donating about $AU100, because I use Mudcat a lot, and have been a member since about 1996. That's a huge percentage of my scarce funds going to a bank, for no real reason.

Helen

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: Rapparee
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 06:11 PM

"... everyone one the CDs?"

It would make more sense, I suppose, if it read "...everyone OWN...."

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: Sorcha
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 06:20 PM

I don't think 'everybody' has one or a set, but a lot do. I have all of them.

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 06:39 PM

Rapaire, a lot of us own the the CDs--they're very good.

I agree with a number of the sentiments regarding bank fees. Even if the donors don't end up paying extra, often times the party receiving the funds has to pay a fee or a percentage to the bank that processes the transfer. And there is the hassle of setting up the account in order to receive transfers. How about mailing money orders or traveler's checks? They might have to sit in the bank for a little while to clear, but they would simply need to be deposited. The fee for a money order is usually under $1 in the US, and the first class postage, even overseas, shouldn't push the price too much higher.

One resource that advertisers see here at Mudcat is the membership. If a formula could be constructed (or a look at the activity log over the course of a day or a week) that projects how many people visit the Mudcat site for how long, there could be grounds for selling ads.

I use a free version of the Eudora electronic mail program. My choices were Eudora light (with no ads), Full-strength Eudora that I would pay for (with no ads) or Full-strength Eudora at no cost, with little ads running in the bottom left hand corner. I chose the free, full-strength version, and barely notice the ads. Anyone else use this version of Eudora? How involved would it be to set up a small spot for rotating ads?

SRS

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 08:33 PM

'2d per person per trip'- wel it'd mount up ye know!- a peony saved is a peeny saved!

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 07 Jun 03 - 06:59 AM

Max has a PayPal a/c, I've used it! If the membership gave you deeper access, e.g as in Mudchat, but this time to the Digitrad, it might be better. After all this is not just a chat site, it provides useful and valuable information too.
Giok

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: artbrooks
Date: 07 Jun 03 - 09:41 AM

PayPal has a bill pay utility, but Max/Mudcat is not listed there. I've sent money in to [e-mail], but that must be a personnal account. Does anyone use PayPal for paying bills, and can it be set up for recurring payments? BTW, I've used PayPal to send money to Oz, so I assume it can be done the other direction.

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: Susan of DT
Date: 07 Jun 03 - 10:03 AM

CAMSCO Music can take VISA, Master or Discover cards. If you're in the US, and want to contribute this way, call 800/548-FOLK (3655). If you're overseas, while I don't have a secure site, you can E-mail me half of your credit card number and send the rest via a personal message at Mudcat--should be plenty secure. And I can set up for recurring payments. And I don't give a damn about how small they are--I'd rather have a thousand 1 dollar contributions than one $1000 one.

WHOOPS-
I forgot. This is dick greenhaus, running on Susan's computer.

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: Max
Date: 07 Jun 03 - 10:59 AM

Mudcat does have a paypal account, and it is [e-mail]. It is my prefered way to recieve money, and they have good international support.

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 07 Jun 03 - 01:41 PM

See; told you!

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: Rapparee
Date: 07 Jun 03 - 04:43 PM

Why not market them outside of the 'Cat then? They ARE good, the money goes to support -- where's the problem?

As a suggestion: buy one ($15 to the Cat), donate to your local public library and tell the library about the rest of the CDs. What happens after that is up to the library; in any event you've donated $15 to the Cat and brought a little ray of traditional music to folks who might not be exposed otherwise.

Subject: RE: Membership - Way to go?
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 20 Sep 04 - 02:58 AM