New Subscription Policy

[Adam Went]

Hi Chris,

Ah, good! Thanks for that. Good thing I stopped short of launching into the "This is what's wrong with modern society..." rant that I had lined up!

Cheers,
Adam.

[Garry Wroe]

Many people donate to Casebook in the form of Premium Subscriptions, and in return they don't have to deal with any of the advertisements, a necessary evil in funding a website. A $50 donation would (I believe) be worth an entire year without advertisements.

The Premium Subscription is just shy of thirty-five dollars, Ally, or twenty-one pounds in proper money.

[Chris]

However, I personally wouldn't be worrying so much about holding money back to refund others who want their money back, cancel their subscriptions, etc. If, for instance, a subscriber receives 3 issues out of their 6 for the year and then decides to cancel, what kind of "person" is going to demand their $4.50 back that would otherwise have been going to a charity?!

I'd be very shocked and disappointed if anybody stooped to the level of doing that. If you spend your whooping $9 on a year's subscriptions, then it should be non-refundable anyway, I'd say....

As I now realise, Ally was talking about the possibility of having to refund subscribers if the Examiner stopped publishing, not if they cancelled their subscriptions and wanted a refund. But I'm relieved to know that I wasn't the only one who misunderstood.

[Adam Went]

IMO, the new idea is an excellent one and i've no doubt it will be fully appreciated in time by the subscribers to Examiner.

However, I personally wouldn't be worrying so much about holding money back to refund others who want their money back, cancel their subscriptions, etc. If, for instance, a subscriber receives 3 issues out of their 6 for the year and then decides to cancel, what kind of "person" is going to demand their $4.50 back that would otherwise have been going to a charity?!

I'd be very shocked and disappointed if anybody stooped to the level of doing that. If you spend your whooping $9 on a year's subscriptions, then it should be non-refundable anyway, I'd say....

Looking forward to the new format of CE.

Cheers,
Adam.

[mariab]

Hello Don,
Any specific spammers in mind? ;-) I'm probably coming off as a difficult customer, first I was complaining about the ads slowing down the loading of the pages, now the pages are all depressingly bland.
By the by, I hate to pry, but your posting in this thread makes me assume that you're still part of the Examiner editorial team in a big way? (Please, say “yes“!!)

[Supe]

Maria,

If the page really looks now like a ghost town (tumbleweed and all) I am prey to some persistent spammers that you may assurdedly have.

Don.

[mariab]

Yeah, the page looks kinda bland without the ads.
I almost feel better now, I was feeling like a total parasite for the 9 months I've been “taking advantage“ of all the knowledge so generously available on casebook.

[Ally]

Hey I came to respond and see by your shiny new banner that it has. Glad it worked for you.

[mariab]

Hi Ally,
thanks for responding so quickly. I'm perfectly clear that Examiner and casebook are run as separate financial entities, still, I was thinking about a casebook donation since quite a while, I was aware about casebook supporters also receiving the Examiner, and I'd be glad to get rid of the ads when the casebook pages are loading.
I'm off to try a Premium Subscription through my User CP, I hope it works.

[Ally]

Hi Maria, I wanted to let you know that any donation to Casebook is appreciated...but donating to Casebook and donating to the Examiner are two different things.

Many people donate to Casebook in the form of Premium Subscriptions, and in return they don't have to deal with any of the advertisements, a necessary evil in funding a website. A $50 donation would (I believe) be worth an entire year without advertisements. The money donated to Casebook goes to funding it and maintaining it for everyone's use. If you are interested in donating to Casebook, you can go to your User CP, and look for the link that says Paid Subscriptions. It is located near the bottom of the left hand menu in your UserCP. Everyone who donates to Casebook also receives the examiner.

The money that goes to Examiner is given to charity. Just wanted to be clear that Examiner and Casebook are run as separate financial entities.

Best Wishes,

[mariab]

I completely understand the stressful part in needing to keep a balance with refunds in donation form, and the “burden“ part of owning money and magazine issues, especially after what happened with another Ripperology 'zine recently.
I very much hope that Casebook Examiner doesn't fold in 2012! I would be devastated if that were to happen, as I've enjoyed every issue of this 'zine, especially the outstanding editorial work.

On another matter, I was wondering if the amount of only $50 for a (first) donation to casebook would appear as offensive?

I'm also trying to round up some people interested in contributing to the Arbeter Fraint translation project, but this is not the proper time and place to discuss said project.

[Chris]

Ally

Thanks. I got hold of the wrong end of the stick - probably just me being slow on the uptake.

[lynn cates]

price

Hello Ally. I am not sure why L6 per year would seem steep to some. After dealing with archives and translation services, the price seems quite reasonable--even humourous. And if one of my race does not quibble over money. . . well, you get the idea.

Cheers.
LC

[Ally]

If you are asking how that will change, it won't. Obviously in any volunteer enterprise, you are reliant on the whims of people. This one is no different. However, because people will quit, and depending how many do, could mean the difference between having an issue and not having an issue, this way we won't have to worry about who has the money, who refunds the money, how many people we owe.

No one has to feel obligated to keep going at something they no longer enjoy simply because we have obligations to other people. And if you believe that the above was aimed at any one in particular, please remember, this was discussed BEFORE any recent staff changes, so there was no bite intended at any one specific person. This was the reason that the change was first discussed, before there was a practical application that proved the change was needed. The timing is simply ironic.

Owing people anything, especially money, is a heavy burden and we wanted to lift that from our volunteers who put in a lot of time and effort. There is a lot of stress involved in this, and we don't want to compound that by having the burden of an obligation on our heads.

Plus everyone involved is practically at death's door with various illnesses and liable to keel over at any minute, so if we all die, we won't owe you all anything.

[Chris]

Ally

I can see all that, I just don't understand the relevance of the bit about "the whims of people who can decide between one week and the next to quit."