The Conservative Cave
Current Events => The DUmpster => Topic started by: dandi on August 21, 2012, 08:46:26 PM
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with lower taxes.
Tue Aug 21, 2012, 02:40 PM
Skinner (56,173 posts)
Pay what you want. Pay how you want. Becoming a DU Star Member is now much easier.
Late last year when we moved into our new software, we also changed the way people could become paid subscribers. For the first ten years of this website's existence we called it a donation and you could pay whatever you wanted. Starting in December of last year we stopped taking "donations" and instead asked members to purchase a subscription at a fixed price. We had a number of reasons for making that change, but to us the most important was that Democratic Underground was not (and had never been) a non-profit charitable organization, and the "donations" we received were not tax deductible. The "donations" received did not go to any charitable purpose other than to pay our expenses and our own salaries. So over time we had come to feel that using the word "donation" was perhaps not completely appropriate.
So, for the last nine months, we have been giving members the opportunity to purchase Star Memberships at a fixed price. And it has worked more-or-less how we expected it to work. We knew fewer people would purchase these memberships because (for some) a fixed price represented a greater expense. In terms of Democratic Underground's bottom line, it was basically a wash: Our income from member subscriptions went down, while our income from advertising went up. But there has been one enormous problem with the new approach: There are many people in this community who clearly want to become Star Members but who feel they cannot afford it. The DU Administrators have spent months discussing this issue, and have considered dozens of possible ideas to make memberships more affordable including tiered subscriptions or subsidized subscriptions or special senior rates or whatever. But every time we had a new idea, we kept coming back to the idea of just letting everyone pay whatever you want to pay.
So, the new price to become a Democratic Underground Star Member is: Whatever you want to pay.
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http://www.democraticunderground.com/10131833
And there was much dancing around the fire that night...
More money for Cheetos. :party:
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So, the new price to become a Democratic Underground Star Member is: Whatever you want to pay.
What if you want to pay nothing? Clearly he didn't think this through. :-)
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There are many people in this community who clearly want to become Star Members but who feel they cannot afford it.
You're surrounded by people who feel it's the government's job to pay for those kinds of things.
Good luck with that.
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What if you want to pay nothing? Clearly he didn't think this through. :-)
From each according to his ability...
It's time to get that DUStar I've been wanting!
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/2010_cent_obverse.png/220px-2010_cent_obverse.png)
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it was basically a wash: Our income from member subscriptions went down, while our income from advertising went up.
However, the increase in ad revenues did not come close to matching the loss of donations. That is the reason for the change. I hope the DUmmies take advantage of Skinner and donate 3 cents so the donation costs more in administrative fees than it's worth. (remember some DUmmie suggesting they do this to Romney?)
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However, the increase in ad revenues did not come close to matching the loss of donations. That is the reason for the change. I hope the DUmmies take advantage of Skinner and donate 3 cents so the donation costs more in administrative fees than it's worth. (remember some DUmmie suggesting they do this to Romney?)
Don't tempt me. :-)
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However, the increase in ad revenues did not come close to matching the loss of donations.
You got it, sir.
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How's that "hopey-changey" thing working for ya, $kammer?
Yeah, JimRob is having the same problem, not to worry.
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What if you want to pay nothing? Clearly he didn't think this through. :-)
This is too good to be true. What if the amount you wanted to pay was a negative number ?
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Don't tempt me. :-)
You KNOW the new 'pay what you want' subscription model will be used as a mole trap. All members who pay an unreasonably small amount are subject to scrutiny. All members who pay an amount so small as to be insulting will be removed.
Edited to add:
I believe the best way to get a star is the tried and true method. tell a sob story and get a regular to donate it.
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LuckyLib (3,043 posts)
117. Thanks! I consider DU to be my news center -- can't imagine having
View profile
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!
(http://www.ddotomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/dunce-cap.jpg)
LuckyLib at the DU NewsCenter
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Yeah, JimRob is having the same problem, not to worry.
No, big difference. Skimmer is a clever, conniving capitalist, preying on his impoverished, half-witted clientele.
JimRob is just a nut. He's lost so much money, he's just now finally allowing Freepers to support the Republican candidate without being zotted.
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One penny... bitch. :)
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LMAO! Imagine if they had went with the idea for senior rates. The masses would be claiming membership to AARP, and that they had dentures. :lmao:
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However, the increase in ad revenues did not come close to matching the loss of donations. That is the reason for the change. I hope the DUmmies take advantage of Skinner and donate 3 cents so the donation costs more in administrative fees than it's worth. (remember some DUmmie suggesting they do this to Romney?)
The ad revenue is generated by how attractive his site is to those ads. He increases his memberships, he increases the ad revenue. Of course Skinner is a capitalist pig, who I have long suspected of being a Republican mole so he ain't giving ANYTHING away. Pay up misfits to keep Skinner in the 1%.
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That's fine and dandy, $kammer, but what about the chocolate rations?
:lmao:
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So basically they set a higher price and most likely donations were down, so they set a lower price and most likely they're going to make more money. Now let's look at it this way, DU raised "taxes" and less came in, DU lowers "taxes" and most likely they're going to generate more money.
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LMAO! Imagine if they had went with the idea for senior rates. The masses would be claiming membership to AARP, and that they had dentures. :lmao:
I'm sure most of them are missing teeth. Not due to age. :lmao:
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So basically they set a higher price and most likely donations were down, so they set a lower price and most likely they're going to make more money. Now let's look at it this way, DU raised "taxes" and less came in, DU lowers "taxes" and most likely they're going to generate more money.
Good point.
So how fair was it to those that had to pay full price for the star? :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:
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Good point.
So how fair was it to those that had to pay full price for the star? :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:
That was just a temporary tax hike on the rich.
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Funny shit...
Wait Wut (4,335 posts)
61. Almost affordable for anyone.
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
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The debate starts about the price of booze.....
Wait Wut (4,335 posts)
176. Yeah, I went into shock when..
...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
The DUmmies love it when the bartenders steal from the company and slip them a free drink that the owner must cover later. :argh:
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Funny shit...
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The debate starts about the price of booze.....
The DUmmies love it when the bartenders steal from the company and slip them a free drink that the owner must cover later. :argh:
It's how libs perceive "free". As long as it's free to them, that's the beginning and end of their consideration.
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