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I agree with Shawn and Doug. I didn't know whether I would have to pay a fee when I first took Shawn's advice and logged on, but I'm not sure I would have ponied up any cash before getting a good look at the nature of the site. A two tiered system seems the best way to keep recruitment going and keep the site growing. A fee as a key to the inner archive works for me.
One very important thing - please let me pay by PayPal or some other electronic means. I can't handle paper transactions any more.
Dr. Bob
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I am very much in favor of a yearly fee that provides additional benefits for the donor.
I would also love it if some of the money could be used to increase the capacity of the system so that a forum on Eastern Block countries can be added.
Dietrich
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I would be for this "membership fee" idea, if there wasn't a trouble: Sending some money abroad is next to impossible for me because of the way post office here works.
Electronic ways of payment seem untrustworthy to me, but I can make a sacrifice if it is REALLY needed.
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I have no problem with a yearly fee either
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I find reasonable a fee too, but couldn´t it be a bit less? I mean, just seeing it from my situation, a very pathetic one...($0000)
:hurl
There's nothing in the streets
Looks any different to me
And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye
And the parting on the left
Are now parting on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight
The Who, Won't get fooled again
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I've been out of the loop for a long time, but here I am again. I have discussed the idea of fees with Art. He really puts in alot of effort to keep the website alive. As a result, I have a creative outlet for my writing and research, and I also learn many things from all of the contributors.
In life, there is the 20/80 rule. I'm sure you are familiar with it. I learned it while in grammer school when we had to work in groups on a project...20% did 80% of the work while the rest contributed very little or nothing at all, but everyone equally received the same credit. Life is that way.
Guys like Art and quite a few members here are in the 20%, so the idea of a membership fee isn't negative. Art puts in alot of hours here, and when I went to Ukraine and Russia in search of history, he sent me donations to hand out. When I went to Ulan Ude to return a Hero Star, he contributed $50 to the orphanage I was going to visit.
I'm not trying to put a guilt trip on anyone, but I do recognize the efforts that Art has put in, and I will contribute. If people don't like the idea of a membership fee, then simply send in a donation. Believe me, Art is not getting rich here, and a few extra dollars that you can send his way will go a long way in paying his bills for keeping this site alive.
Please get out your checkbook and send him a check...let's say November 15th is the deadline (for no particular reason). I'm sending him a check tonight.
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I asked Art about the way to pay the fee or donation (call it how you want). Art E-mailed to me that the next week he is planning to place a PayPal button on the Forum site.
Eric
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Fellow forum members,
Out of curiosity, did YOU donate?
"Be civil to all, sociable to many, familiar with few, friend to one, enemy to none." Benjamin Franklin
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Member #193