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On 16/05/2011 3:31 PM, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:home@oranges.id.au">home@oranges.id.au</a> wrote:
<blockquote
cite="mid:BANLkTikHpZ_a39c6Z5c+pv2qucmx4OcQbA@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">On 14 May 2011 14:25, Haydon Knight <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:nodyah@gmail.com"><nodyah@gmail.com></a> wrote:
</pre>
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<pre wrap="">You say that only 44/370 members have coughed up the $10 annual fee. That's
12%. Have you considered an alternative way to doubling revenue would,
rather than doubling the annual fee, be to increase the number of members
coughing up to 88/370 (24% - still a very small percentage)?
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
Agreed. I don't mind a $20 fee in the least, but charging more people
a $10 fee is better (:
</pre>
</blockquote>
We have tried to balance this choice between head count growth and
fee increase for some time, but in retrospect, the lack of any
increase for close to 15 years made the $10 look even more
ridiculous. I've played with the RBA Inflation calculator on their
site, and $10 from around '93 would be $15.76 today. Think of the
$20 as round of the inflation to the nearest $10! ;) Working the
other way, the $10 from today is only worth about $6 back in 1993.<br>
<br>
PLUG is desperate to double membership - indeed, since January we
(almost) have! Great news! We only had around 26 financial members
just before the AGM. <br>
<br>
Note that most IT/Tech organisations/bodies charge far, far more (by
orders of magnitude) per year. SAGE-Au: $110/year. ACS: $320. So
does one get $20 worth of value out of PLUG? Do you read or
contribute to messages that help you in your
job/study/hobby/enjoyment? Do you come to meetings and hear
interesting content?<br>
<br>
We've also considered the reaction of some people NOT renewing
membership from this change; versus the difference PLUG will be able
to make with it. As I stated at the May meeting, our annual
membership incoming equates to around $30 per month. We've been
investigating using community halls if we had to - they are around
$50/month for an evening of 2+ hours for non-profit groups - not
that we're planning on doing this, but right now a plan like this is
not a sustainable fall back should we not find locations to host
PLUG events for free.<br>
<br>
PLUG's operational expenses as an incorporated organisation continue
to be small, but they are index/inflation linked and do increase
over time.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote
cite="mid:BANLkTikHpZ_a39c6Z5c+pv2qucmx4OcQbA@mail.gmail.com"
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<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">Perhaps one way might be to have an easily-accessible 'donate' or 'pay dues'
page on the plug website that takes members to paypal or somewhere where
they can pay their money in an single-step/easy/internety way. Right now it
is actually a multi-step non-automated hassle to pay the membership fee -
perhaps it is this hassle that is preventing greater numbers coughing up.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
I'm lazy. I don't happen to visit the PLUG website. I don't expect I
will any time soon. I read my email regularly. If I receive an
automated message every year saying "click her to pay your dues" or
"here's the details to send money", I'll probably do it. I'm glad
there's some action on tidying up the process.</pre>
</blockquote>
We are (<i>Harry is</i>) looking at hacking Mailman to add a footer
to mailing list messages to advertise if the sender is a <i>current</i>
PLUG member. It won't change/reject/requeue email messages, but it
could add some visbility. We're also looking at getting a
quick-and-dirty way for people to see their current status (and
expiry date). We do have/did have scripts that would email you
automatically, but they broken, and were in the process of being
fixed up when "we" (I) ran into some postgress issues (upgrade) last
week - hope to have this functioning again shortly. If anyone else
here has experience with working with Mailman internals, please
contact me/Harry and offer some help!<br>
<br>
<blockquote
cite="mid:BANLkTikHpZ_a39c6Z5c+pv2qucmx4OcQbA@mail.gmail.com"
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<pre wrap="">I've said a variant of this a few times over the years. I think I last
paid my dues in 2007 or so, maybe 2005. I'm really not fussed, but if
you want my cash, prompt me with info I can use (:
</pre>
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<br>
Indeed, I think we're agreed that the mailing list is the main point
of contact, so we're looking at what works with that! :)<br>
<br>
I think the main point to express is: PLUG is trying to do more;
PLUG needs your support. PLUG will do what you want. Please get
involved; ideas, time organise events, activities, projects, or as
often, contribute on the mailing list; this is our <i>local</i>
community, and the committee, the active members who are helping run
things, and I are trying very hard to bring you interesting and
"fun" Linux and Open Source related events (fun by a techies
interpretation, probably not my wife's interpretation!).<br>
<br>
Jason N (deputy treasurer) is also looking at PayPal - so far it
looks like 74 cents of a $20 transaction would be taken in Paypal's
fees (but that is likely to go up over time as everything does). So
clearly a direct deposit (or cash at a meeting) is still preferable,
but we can add additional ways to contribute. It may be some time
until this is available as their set up for Non-profit orgs can be
cumbersome.<br>
<br>
Thanks Greg, Haydon and everyone else for your feedback; keep it
coming.<br>
<br>
James<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
<em>Mobile:</em> +61 422 166 708, <em>Email:</em>
james_AT_rcpt.to<br>
PLUG President 2011: <a href="http//www.plug.org.au">http//www.plug.org.au</a><br>
Perth.pm Organiser 2011: <a href="http://perth.pm.org">http://perth.pm.org</a></div>
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