Trip Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 I spent 3 wonderful weeks with the princess..aka, boss, Darlene...Yo Woman... And when I saw the amount of her time that this place takes I knew she needed help, she spends hours every day on the phone and the pc at the same time, dealing with things to do with this place. Now nobody should have to handle all this stuff and be out of pocket to boot.. So I think either a paypal thingie or a direct mail thing... Now I will say this is all my idea as far as blame goes ( there are others involved but...) she can hate me or whatever but it needs to be done, we, all 2500 of us use this for an info depot and a home...so I'd say lets vote on how to do it...paypal or direct mail... This much I do know, if this place went away, I'd be so lost, I;ve just met some of the nicest folks that I'd never have met without this site and Darlene... Yawl can do as you will but I wanna do this so ... But lets do it before expences eat the poor girl alive... Come on folks, this is our home and family... heres her addy...use it fast before she deletes this... and keep using it..a little bit every month is worth it!! PM me for addy Link to comment
PoGo Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Trip, I'm sure you have the best of intentions, however, I want to caution you to get her permission before giving out her personal information, if you haven't already. Link to comment
Trip Posted October 25, 2008 Author Share Posted October 25, 2008 Originally Posted By: PoGo Trip, I'm sure you have the best of intentions, however, I want to caution you to get her permission before giving out her personal information, if you haven't already. I have to a few of the very regular one who will not be named, and ya I know that.. I don't know how to set up a paypal or whatever so if you do how bout jumping in and help out... I won't claim this as my idea only, but I'm taking the blame if it blows up... I've been kicked out of entire countrys so this site don't sweat me... ..well it does but sometimes you gotta do what ya gotta do.... she can kill me but she can't eat me, it's again the law... Link to comment
Stephanie Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 You've got a big heart Trip. (((Trip))) I too appreciate this place and the fact that we don't have to wade through commercials/ads and such. What a blessing! Link to comment
michelle Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Good idea Trip. A lot of websites have a link on them to be able to donate to a paypal account. That would be a good idea. We need Darlene to set up a paypal account for the donations to be sent to and then we can put the link on the site. It'd be easy that way for everyone. Link to comment
westbrook Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 rumor has it... not that I know or anything... she has a paypal account already! but how would I know that? Link to comment
Amishway Homesteaders Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 We also have been trying to think of a way to help out as we know things have changed since she moved to her 'home'. and yes ad free is great but then there are the bills to pay. If some of us knew the amount it coast each month to keep this running then we each could 'pledge' the amount we would send to the pay-pal account to help out? ANd we will be there for what we can do. Link to comment
Amishway Homesteaders Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Maybe we need to have a special support club? a few of us could pay so much each month and then others can pay what they want when they want to help keep this place open and safe. Link to comment
JCK88 Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 What about everyone who is registered being billed each year on their anniversary date? Sort of like membership dues. It would not be right for the burden of support to fall on a few. So..how much does this place cost per month, divide by usage, and then multiply by 12...and that's what we need to contribute as dues yearly. I'm happy to help out. Just let me know the venue. Link to comment
Virginia Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 I want to help, too, but don't have paypal. Link to comment
Cat Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 The moderators have been discussing this already, but ultimately, it has to be up to Darlene. I know your heart is involved, Trip (you 'ole cuddly-wuddly bear, you ), but this place is her place and her ministry and her heart. I'm sure she will be blessed to see the love and support she has from all of us. Link to comment
Trip Posted October 25, 2008 Author Share Posted October 25, 2008 Well I'm not a moderator, but I live in this house and feel that if it needs doing then it should be done. Yes it's Darlene's love and it's a part of her family which makes us part of her family and if the roof is leaking we need to fix it so let's get it done... Also keeping in mind that this is in a sense, a business and as such needs to be treated as one, it takes most of her day on the phone and computer and that's what a business does, this business if not showing a profit and it needs to...IMHO of course, I would not devote the time she does plus out of pocket etc etc for nothing, love is great but it don't fill the tummy.. So, why not have a discussion on it? openly with the whole family? I vote for both a paypal account and the ability to use snail mail...some of us can afford more then others so let it be do what you can...once a year, monthly whatever...as long as there is something flowing in not just out. That's my input.... one last thing, if we wait for Darlene to bring it up hell will freeze over, I love her to death but her pride will get in the way... Now I await her wrath but that's ok, I've had all my shots... Link to comment
Stephanie Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Trip and all, As Dee has already mentioned, yes this very discussion has been taking place already. Proof that great minds think alike! The reason that we're not taking a vote is... well, this is not a democracy! Darlene is the Queen! Also, sometimes a discussion like this feels a little private and personal. Maybe that's a girls viewpoint. In case anyone is reading this and wondering, MrsSurvival is fine, all is in order, she's not going anywhere. It's just that some of us who love this Online Community and it's owner, Darlene... would like to contribute to the expense of operating it. MrsSurvival has always been her gift to us and we'd like to give back. So no worries! Let's give Darlene some time to mull over how she'd like to handle things, she's a pretty smart gal! And then, once she's made her decisions, we can each make ours! Link to comment
lunamother Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 here's what I've learned in the last 2 years with Ward's illness putting a tremendous burden on our family- if someone offers help in ANY form from their heart, *I* do THEM a very large dis-service by denying them the chance to help me. I'm a stubborn, bullheaded "I'LL FIX IT- I DON'T NEED ANY HELP" kinda gal, and that was a hard lesson, but when I thought about it- *I'M* the one who's always trying to help other people out, yanno, FIXING IT. I'm sure Darlene is alot smarter and more sensible than I am paypal can be a very generic account, and a po box is also secure. (I even have my po box in a town 30 miles from my home- how tin foil hat am *I*?) Link to comment
Darlene Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 No. This has never, is not, and never will be a business Trip. One of the reasons that you and others love this place so much is because it ISN'T a business. It's just a place that is safe, with genuine people who really care, that give from their heart for that reason and others. Just so everyone knows, I just got off the phone with Trip. He called me asking if I had read this thread yet...when I told him I hadn't, he went on to explain his perspective. He wouldn't listen so I told him I was going to hang up on him and address it here lolol... First of all, you have a HUGE heart Trip and we all know that and love that about you. You have no inappropriate intentions here and I trust you even though you're a little misguided and confused at times lolol... Here's the facts and I know them... I've ALWAYS paid for everything on this site. It has meant alot to me to be able to do that because it was my way of giving something that I knew meant alot to other people. The costs on this site for the most part, aren't really too bad. Once in a while, there are extra costs, like right now, as we look into getting a new message board because this one is becoming increasingly unstable. So yes, my circumstances have changed this past year and I don't have the extra monies that I always used to have, to cover these things easily. Like Cat said, the Moderators and Admin have been talking about help, and for the first time in 10 years, I'm considering letting others help. Sometimes it just gets down to facts being facts, and all my emotional/best intentions/pride, whatever you wanna call it, just really don't matter compared to what's best for others. God is allowing these circumstances into my life where I hafta humble myself and ACCEPT things for others and I'm not handling it very gracefully but I'm trying to be willing cause otherwise I just look really, really stupid. It's just gotten to that point...I gotta stuff my thoughts and feelings and just stick with the facts. So, the facts are... The domain name for MrsSurvival came up for renewal this month. Normally I pay for 5 years, but could only afford 1 years, which wasted alot of money. 1 year costs about $35, 5 years costs $99, but I didn't have the $99. The people that came to the MrsS get together donated monies and I'm going to use a portion of that money to pay for our domain name which will keep us paid up for the next 6 years. I had paid for our server fees for 5 years also...that renewal is coming up next year, but I'll have to check into when that's due and how much it's going to cost because we had to upgrade our server package because the site has grown so much. I think it cost me about $90 extra for the year. I don't know where the site will be in a few months with usage and needs, so I think it's best we wait to see exactly what kind of server plan we'll need, then. I just went over and looked at their server plans and ballpark on server fees should be somewhere between $100-$150/year...of course if I pay for 2 or 3 years in advance, I'd save a few dollars each month (which adds up). We have a little time before that will need to be addressed. I'm seriously looking at another message board program that is more stable than this one. We've had to address serious issues with this message board 3 times over the past 2 years and that makes me very nervous. Our webmaster MountainMommy has suggested a message board program that she has been using for 4 years, virtually without problems. The technical support is far superior than what we have with this board, etc., and there are alot of other advantages we would receive if we were to move to that. The cost of that program would be a one time charge of around $200, with minor costs that MIGHT be needed here and there over time, but not that big of a deal. I've always been hesitant about donations for a couple of reasons. One, because it has meant alot for me to gift this to everyone. Two, because we don't need money just lying around in a bank account...we only need monies when we need them. We're all looking at the same future, we're all trying to prepare the best we can, and we're all using every last dime we have in an attempt to accomplish those goals. Third, because money causes problems. Misunderstandings can happen, conflicts can arise that aren't true and so I've guarded this site jealously, prohibiting anything like that from ever happening and just handling it all myself. What I'm thinking, and I haven't completely decided cause every time I start to think about this, it stresses me so I just put it back on the shelf, is MAYBE doing temporary donations. When the site has a need, I can make a post about it, laying out all the details, the costs, etc. Once that amount of money has been received, the donations would be cut off. When a need arises again, we'd open it back up. I really don't see the need for donations being often because like I said, the domain name would be paid for 5 years...done. The server fees could be paid for 3 years...done. The message board program would be bought, paid and owned...done. The only thing I can foresee with the message board program is that after the first 6 months of ownership, technical support would end. If additional technical support were needed, it would cost $75.00 for another 6 months. If we decided we wanted to buy a nice chat program (instead of all our cheap ones lol), then that could be bought and then that would be done. MountainMommy, Cat or westbrook can confirm the above website needs, and anyone that owns and operates their own website will be able to too. Other than that, we just keep on keeping on, doing what we do best, which is help others get their ducks in a row, support each other through our ups and downs, and remember Whose hand covers all of our lives. Link to comment
Darlene Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Originally Posted By: ArmyOfFive4God DUCKS?!?!? Link to comment
PoGo Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 :ninjaduck: (<--trip) :cleanduck: :ghostduck: Link to comment
westbrook Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 <-- Trip!!! ROFL!!!!!! trip!! oh too funny! trip!!!! yep! trip. Link to comment
Darlene Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Originally Posted By: westbrook yep! trip. Yep, that's it exactly. Link to comment
Shandy Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Reading and waiting to see if you need me. I know people like Trip in real life. He is *so* necessary. I know one person like Darlene in real life. She is *so* necessary. I don't know anyone like Westie in real life. I'm finding out how necessary someone like her is. Oh. Wait. I'm getting off topic. Ok. Reading and waiting to see if I'm needed. Link to comment
Trip Posted October 25, 2008 Author Share Posted October 25, 2008 Say as you will...do as you will....as for my house, we will fight on...and on. Oh and the conversation between us wasn't quiet like that... she did call me back and jabber at me then hang up, but it had nothing to do with the subject at hand.... So...princess???? Link to comment
westbrook Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 oy vey! making me do this in public!! here is my thought on the subject.... it is one GIANT thought! and that is saying a lot for only having 2 brain cells left! Can Darlene handle the finances alone? yes. but why? so many of us love this site so much we want to help... I want to help anonymously and why shouldn't I? after all, I love this site and want to help buy an awesome program with everything!! one that won't break, one that it never says 'forbidden', a hosting company that can handle an emergency and handles it per Darlene's outline. Like.. chat is broken so just take that portion down!!! not the entire site!!!!! one that has 3 shifts!!! I personally think a donation button is the way to go.... (for those without paypal.. get it! life is so easy.. but.. a P.O. Box may be necessary and in that case some of the monies will need to go to pay for the box.) the money comes in... and comes in.. and comes in... let it sit in a Mrs. S. account... when we need updating or upgrading or paying.... you spend the money! there should be NO amount to be donated, after all it is a donation.. $1.00 slipped into an envelope will be as much loved as $10.00 or $20.00... because it comes from the heart! it is donated just because! If more money is collected then let it sit there until you need it. so what?! if you get a whopping $100 or $1000 you use what is needed and the rest sits there! put it in a Mrs. S bank account.. draw interest. worry about the excess later... I am thinking positive. and.. if people don't want to donate and many won't.. not every one is going to donate.. that is fine! nothing changes.. but for those of us that can afford to throw a little money toward Mrs. S let us. We don't want voting rights, we just want to help. Besides.. God told me to help! (argue that one!!! Darlene! ROFL!!) sheesh! here is what I told Darlene... Darlene... in this case.. it is NOT about you..it is about US! so don't think about this money as weird to use.. *you* are using *our* money on *us*!!! right ladies and gentlemen? (so much for anniminity) Link to comment
Darlene Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Originally Posted By: westbrook Besides.. God told me to help! (argue that one!!! Darlene! ROFL!!) You are so busted. lol Link to comment
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