The TBTF Benefactors (original) (raw)
Background
Since TBTF began open publication I've mused on how to produce income from the service without contravening the principles that inform it. Quoting from the FAQ:
It's not really about money. TBTF creates more value in the world by circulating for free. Also, many of the obvious ways one can make money from a newsletter and Web site --advertising, micropayments -- are unappealing to me and I won't impose them on you. Subscriptions are less objectionable but the surveys I've done indicate that any mandatory charge would slash the readership to a small fraction of what it is now. Sponsorship is a possibility, but I place a high value on my independence, and email from readers indicates that they do, too.
Meanwhile, the newsletter has grown to the point where Net access, telephony, Web space, bandwidth charges, and domain-name fees comprise a fair fraction of my monthly outgo.
The solution
TBTF is and will remain free. And I've set up this TBTF Benefactors program for those of you who get value from the publication and are in a position to contribute to its upkeep. TBTF Benefactors' names are listed here, if they so choose.If you want to become a TBTF Benefactor:
| Visit this secure Kagi account. Contributions are accepted by credit card in any amount from $5 US. |  |
|---|---|
| -- or -- | |
| Contribute via e-gold to account # 105298. You can use the following link to set up an e-gold account. If you spend e-gold for TBTF, please let me know. |  |
| -- or -- | |
| Beam funds via PayPal to dawson@world.std.com. Contributions via PayPal are accepted in any amount. If you are new to PayPal, please use this referral link when signing up (PayPal will add $5 to your contribution): https://secure.paypal.com/refer/pal=dawson%40world.std.com |  |
The TBTF Benefactors
(alphabetical order)
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| These people have put their money where their mouse is, and I am grateful to them. 24% of donors choose to remain anonymous; their contributions represent 24% of the total. The single largest donor accounts for 2.9% of the total. Linking to these Web sites does not imply endorsement. | |
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