No worries making the donation, PayPal just wouldn't accept it! Thanks for providing an alternative!

I tried to sign up without using Paypal but it wouldn't work because it recognized my email I think. So I tried signing up through Paypal and it took THREE different tries over about a 30 day period before it finally took!! lol.

Paypal would not work because of previous card use and did not recognize password? I guess I will wait a few days and see how much someone has charged on my credit card? I tried about 3 times. I simply don't trust the Internet with cash or credit card transactions. Everytime I have done it, my card has been compromised. Not with DU , but with other vendors and products.

my Paypal account and changing everything; credit card, password (I couldn't remember it anyway). Resetting everything there seemed to help.

I hope you suffer no loss of income and that, by goodwill and many more members spending less than they would have had to, your revenue goes up, not down.

And keep up the good work.

I liked the quarterly fund drives.

I googled it.

Seems to be of British origin.

Combination of Twit and another word that shall not be spoken.

I could be wrong.

Thanks for filling me in. I guess I could have/should have googled it. I think I was thinking it would be a new exclusive DU term and not yet out there. My lazy butt.

It's a different "T" word that I shall NOT repeat!

Got it.

Who comes up with this kind of insult? As if the words weren't enough on their own.

It was pay-what-you-want plus quarterly fund drives on the old DU and that seemed to work quite well.

Derp.

I almost always donated for each one.

Those ads have only been bothering me for 1 day and I can't stand it.

This is great news.

Good to see you! I hope you're well, Curmudgeoness.

I'm so pleased with their decision - I'll have a shiny new star in my next pay period!

And look at that star!!!!!! I intended on holding out until the class system was gone, and I did. I love DU more than ever now.

do I have permission to


Thanks by the way!

This change is a much more practical way of meeting member's needs, I believe.

can we donate for others now?

The price of a Star Membership is now affordable for anyone. If someone wants a Star Membership, they are able to get one.

We may reconsider whether to provide this option in the future.

I know there are some trolls who think it is funny to get somebody to by them a star while they are actually posting nasty shit about DU elswere on the tubes - better for even a dollar to come out of their own pockets.

most people can swing a couple of bucks and if not we can work to help if really needed

I just thank you for making the price change - it was truly a hardship for many.

I know we have several unemployed DUers here. What if we make a 'Donated Star Membership' a flat rate of like $20? I'd gladly pay that for some people. That's only 4 gin and tonics if you include the tip.

I figure you'd have to do some math to figure out how much each unstarred member is worth in advertising dollars and then add $5 to that number to find a flat rate that would still buy your kids dinner.

I also like the idea of a 'suggested' donation. Whenever I make a donation seeing the options from $5 to $100 I almost always end up giving more than I intended. Those little buttons are so easy to click. What's another $10 bucks, right? Two more gin and tonics.

I think we were paying $6 a piece last weekend (of course we order ours in pint glasses)

I only drink that cheap at weddings

...I was charged $13 for a really crappy, small gin and tonic in San Diego. The bartender was a real ass, as well, so I asked if that included his tip. He wasn't amused.

I live in a smallish town with a lot of borderline dive bars (with some really good live music, including the husband ). Competition is pretty fierce so the average is about $3 a drink and I tip well. Occasionally, my bartenders will slip me a Tanqueray because they love me.

I got a message telling me to log back in over and over, but it was after I put in my credit card information so I'm not sure.

If you're making a one time payment you don't have to login, just click the box that says you want to pay as a guest when you get to the Paypal screen.

If you're signing up for a recurring subscription, you'll need to login - might just need to try again.

I'll try again

yay

PayPal says I have paid but DU says nope.

and for what it is worth, I have no problem with fund drives - they are a nice diversion, especially the ones where we can buy hearts or whatever for other members.

If revenues are ok with the switch consider doing the drives anyway for charities like we did for Planned Parenthood and have done for Feeding America.

thanks for making this change, I really think it helps build community

Community is what it is always about. I feel a sense of belonging and comfort when I click on. Thanks guys. I like this.

i really like just paying at the time - the only auto payment i have is to netflix.
by the way i never minded the fund drives. i liked the hearts and the sticky notes and all that.

My opinion? A wise and obviously carefully considered decision.

I sincerely hope that the change to the old form will prove a wash for you (in a good way) - that the decrease in the size of the subscription will be cancelled out by an increase in the quantity of donations.

Thank you again.

I think the old system was in no small part what made this community strong. Thank you for making this change.

A very well thought out response to all the concerns raised. Well done you guys.

Julie

--imm

My star membership expired, but I didn't know it and wasn't notified (that I can recall). I'll renew it now.

I can't give a large amount, but I'm not short on cash, either.

So, I'd like to propose that you establish a very short menu of "recommended" dues. Select what you think a nominal, fair membership fee would be and state it on the payment page.

Are you thinking $20/year? Two or three dollars per month? What would be your guidelines?

already give what we wanted. And, naturally, we could pay at any other time beside the fund drives. I don't see any difference from what we had.

Will there be a permanent, easy way to access the payment feature since we won't be having fund raising reminders? Maybe a pinned link at the beginning of each main discussion.

Also, the fund drives were fun - valentines, etc.

The fixed annual membership was beyond my budget, and while I understood the need on DU's end, it was disappointing for me not to be able to afford to contribute.

(I thought the fund drives were usually pretty fun, though.)

Thanks again for all your hard work.

I will likely donate soon.

Really really really really don't like PayPal. I don't like any 3rd party having my credit card info in their database.

Maybe include something along the line the amount that is hoped to receive from each person with some people not being able to and others can contribute more.

(maybe more than one) that offers the option of secure online account numbers -- real cc #s that you can use one time without revealing your permanent acct #. I've used this option to shield my acct no.

An added benefit is that if one of these cc #s gets hacked, it's easy to pinpoint which vendor's db was compromised.

That would be really nice!

And I'd like to echo what someone else said in this thread - the fund drives were a fun diversion, and if they help your bottom line, I think it would be great to have something like that available again.

Nice work, fellas!

Thank you ! Thank you! Thank you !

You are a pretty good guy, Skinner. Elad and EarlG too.

Thanks to your new policy.

Ah it feels good to be a star member again

current!!!

Last edited Wed Aug 22, 2012, 07:30 AM - Edit history (1)

I'm confident that between the new system and *possibly* quarterly fund drives, we can help DU stay afloat. Thanks for responding to the concerns of our members.

I have not for sevearl years. I was irked at how unfair the method of censorship seemed to me. I wanted a place for alternative theories to be discussed openly. I didn't like the way the dungeon set up. It didn't feel right.

I am pleased with the changes. I can in good consience donate to DU again. Expect me to be a regular contributor again.

You rock, Skinner! Well played, my man. Well played.

I use one time credit card numbers, don't like to have cc number in other databases, so if you send me a reminder next year, I will gladly pay again.

Keep up the good work.

that this place was different from any other web-site I've encountered in my life. This kind of attitude only confirms it.

Thank you so much Skinner and all - Being part of this community has been a real blessing.




~blu

If you run short, I'm sure we'd all be happy to see Grovelbot on the job again.

My household will soon be subscribing. I think overall DU will be better for this new policy.

For me, it wasn't the amount asked - it was that the amount got divided up over 12 months. Then it could hit someone's account the one moment six months down the road when the checking account was near empty. That action could incur tens if not hundreds of dollars over the membership price for NSF fees - all to go into the coffers of one of our nation's lovely banks or credit unions.

input and concerns.
Absolutely applaud you for it:

I know you are not calling it that, but in essence, it is an honor system sliding scale pay what you can plan.

Thank you for all your hard work. This site is really, REALLY, appreciated.

This is much appreciated.

...much, Skinner. I will renew on September 1st. You guys are the best!

Most seemed to enjoy them, especially the 'hearts'.

There was also a lot of good feeling in the other drives when people were able to donate stars.

I'm afraid that feeling is now mostly gone.

BTW party @ Skinner's house!

Last edited Tue Aug 21, 2012, 03:48 PM - Edit history (1)

The Secret Service - Mr. Romney wants you out of his kitchen and off his property.

richie rich ... where's those fucking taxes! hmmmf.

to be here but because money is very tight right now.

Some of us are really strapped these days. You guys are great!

My meager donations will keep me on the boat



YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY

DTo see if I have a star by my name

That explains the ads...

I asked my wife to renew for me because I don't have paypal. This afternoon she called me and said "How much do you want to give?" I told her, Do the paypal for $42. She said "I don't see that." I said It's a long story, do it that way or it's $60. She said "I don't see that." It went back and forth like that for a few minutes. Then I said, Fuck it, I'm busy, just pay the $5 monthly. She said "I don't see that. There's a big letter from Skinner there." I thought, what fresh DU hell has emerged now? I told her, Just give them the $5, I'll check in later.

Now I see this.

It shows 366 days for $5. Now I have to make it up to DU. And I have to apologize to my wife. I hate that.

All that aside, this is really outstanding on your part. So many people are just scraping by. You three get that.

Thanks for doing this.

(And no, I won't be asking for a refund!)

(:

it means a lot to me that you all have been concerned about the impact of set subscription prices on the DU user community - and it says a lot about you all that you have come up with a win/win situation - The DU Admins are the BEST!

Thanks guys! I think this goes a long way in the community feel of DU.

Why, why, why didn't I wait?

bump it up later to make it $60. I hated not having a star.

I don't mind giving money to DU, but it's much easier to do so in smaller increments. I donated today for the first time in a long while.

and I'm betting revenues go UP because those who can pay more will feel motivated to do so.

I hope it works out and you don't come up short.

I get to be a star member for the first time!

I'll leave it be.

Thank you for what you do.

I have been one of the 1x/year donors because that has what has worked for me in the long run. I was really bummed out about the subscription because I didn't think I could reliably come up with money every month. Yeah, I'm one of the ones for whom this decade hasn't been a winner. So I tend to budget and pay off bills all in one lump when I have the money.

So, I am very happy you are going back to the old system, sorta. And I don't mind the quarterly fund drives. The hearts and chance to give to other members are fun and a way to maybe meet others you don't regularly correspond with. Though, if fund drives are a PAITA from an admin POV, I can understand that.

I will contribute something next week when I get paid again.

for those of us who were given stars when we were broke to pay it forward. Since that's an ongoing process for a lot of grateful people, DU will continue to make its nut, although in smaller pieces.

Kudos.

Some businesses who do pay what you wish wind up taking more in than with price points, even accounting for zero and hyper low payers....I have seen it with my own eyes. May it go that way for you too!

I won't be asking for a refund; I get more out of my DU membership than I'd get from ten magazine subscriptions.

I'm grateful that DU will now be more affordable for everyone.

My star just expired a few days ago and I really didn't like the idea of a fixed-cost subscription so I was waffling on whether to subscribe. This makes it easier because I can again think of it as a "donation".

My star ran out yesterday and it was between new shoes for work or a new membership. I am sooo happy that I can become a member again! Thanks, thanks, thanks Skinner!

For the record, I miss the quarterly fund drives. Many, many thanks to the DU Administrators. Hugs to all of you.

If there is some reason why you can't do this, I'll stick with the snailmail option.

I had to re-up yesterday and had difficulty finding a way around PayPal. This makes it much easier.

.

but I just LOVE your signature gif!

For a while I had a pair of the cats side-by-side, but it was nearly hypnotic and one had to go.

to rely on the garbage that is MSM these days, both national and local. Subscribing to DU makes perfect sense, in any way folks can pay. You've made it logical and compassionate. Kudos!

I always liked to donate when i get a little ahead Or when i get moved by a great post

I pledged what I could, 20 bucks. If someone needs help, take 5 from me and make me a 15 dollar pledge.

I have been out of work for a year now and I didn't like it that my membership had expired. Going back to this method enabled me to throw a few bucks into the hat. Hey maybe it is the beginning of a personal turn around - I'll see. Everyday for the past year I've felt like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day - let the clock tick over and this VERY long year end in a "New Year". Not just for me but for all of us still struggling to find work.

As far as fund drives are concerned, I would love to see them come back. You guys made them fun and I think they were good for community spirit.

<-----admins