Contributions Tab now active!

[jandl100]

I think you have somehow managed to entirely miss the spirit of the thing, Steve!

[jandl100]

P.S. - I can understand that the badge thing might be a bit divisive - I'd be happy if there were no badges, just a PM acknowledgement of any contribution.

[hifi_dave]

I'm quite happy to stump up a little extra to help the best forum on the net. The pleasure AOS has given me over the years is incalculable.

[Scooby]

Some of us might actually like the chance to say thanks by making a small contribution. For me, it’s just a small gesture of appreciation that I’m very happy to be able to make. Nobody who doesn’t want to contribite is obliged to do so. I like the badges too.

[montesquieu]

P.S. - I can understand that the badge thing might be a bit divisive - I'd be happy if there were no badges, just a PM acknowledgement of any contribution.

Likewise.

More PM space would be handy though

[montesquieu]

Think I'll start a donations forum. Forget the Hi-Fi, just gimme yer dosh!!

Just invent a sob story and put it up on twitter.

[struth]

tut

[walpurgis]

Just invent a sob story and put it up on twitter.

'Older gentleman seeks funding for a carer, preferably one with generous knockers and a nicely shaped back end'

[Macca]

I do realize that the request for contributions are just that though when ever money comes into the equation conflict and/or sensitivity raise their heads. I would dislike very much to see what happened to another Hi-Fi site happen here where corporate interest in a quest for site funding takes president over over the spirit of the forum. If the site needs an annual fee why not publish the outgoings on open forum and spread the cost equally across the forum membership? This would take the vagary out of who is contributing what and how much they are valued more than others. There would then be no need for badges as we would all be equal again.

Steve - fact is the site costs a significant amount to run and although we could move it onto the various crappy free hosting sites we don't want to. Why would we want to downgrade for the sake of a few people chipping in a few quid each year? Trade revenue is less than it was and due to changes in the law so is advertising revenue. So the site cannot support itself unless the trade fee is jacked up or we have a shitload more advertising and sponsoring.

I think pretty much everyone here would rather chuck a couple of quid in the kitty once a year than take that option.

if someone does not want to contribute or cannot afford to contribute then they do not have to and they still get to use the site and all of the benefits. I have no problem with people not contributing, that's up to them. I'm not interested in why they don't want to. That's their business. I don't care. If not enough people contributed then I guess Marco and I and maybe the other mods would just pay the lot out our own pockets and keep the site going regardless.

But the fact is that the support for the contribution system has been overwhelming which I'm really pleased to see as it's a great indicator of how much people value the site and the community that we have here.

[mad-moon]

Steve - fact is the site costs a significant amount to run and although we could move it onto the various crappy free hosting sites we don't want to. Why would we want to downgrade for the sake of a few people chipping in a few quid each year? Trade revenue is less than it was and due to changes in the law so is advertising revenue. So the site cannot support itself unless the trade fee is jacked up or we have a shitload more advertising and sponsoring.

I think pretty much everyone here would rather chuck a couple of quid in the kitty once a year than take that option.

if someone does not want to contribute or cannot afford to contribute then they do not have to and they still get to use the site and all of the benefits. I have no problem with people not contributing, that's up to them. I'm not interested in why they don't want to. That's their business. I don't care. If not enough people contributed then I guess Marco and I and maybe the other mods would just pay the lot out our own pockets and keep the site going regardless.

But the fact is that the support for the contribution system has been overwhelming which I'm really pleased to see as it's a great indicator of how much people value the site and the community that we have here.

Hear hear...or here here...take your pick......