Klarinet Archive - Posting 000270.txt from 2006/01

From: "George Huba" <ghuba@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] 2006 Donation Drive - almost halfway!
Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 19:38:25 -0500

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Charette [mailto:charette@-----.org]
> Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2006 12:42 PM
> To: The Clarinet List; Doublereed; clair@-----.org
> Subject: [kl] 2006 Donation Drive - almost halfway!
>
> 6 donations short of the half-way mark!
>
> Today marks the end of the 1st week of the donation drive. Unfortunately
> I'm not a rich man, or I wouldn't have to raise money this way ...
>
> Think of it this way ... is being able to read and post worth the price
> of a box of reeds? Or even half a box? Or one reed for you double-reed
> players? We have a lot of list members who are always in the market for
> a new piece of equipment and think nothing of picking up the latest
> "gizmo" - why not think of the list as a "new piece of equipment" and
> justify it that way?
>

A few other points to put Mark's request for help into context ...

1) A commercial web site of the scope of this one costs not less than 10
times what Mark says his annual budget is. I have such a site and pay the
bills for maintaining it. I know Mark is operating on a shoestring.

2) High quality information is worth money. For many, Mark's contributions
to obtaining and organizing information has helped members avoid making bad
purchases, obtain items from less expensive suppliers, consider other
options, or enhance their own abilities and incomes from playing. For
others, it is "entertainment" and that has monetary value also. Yes, the
members provide the information, but Mark collates it, keeps it posted for
years, deletes the stuff that could legally get folks in trouble, and
generally keeps the wasted time on a list like this that can go into flaming
and trolling, etc., to an absolute minimum.

3) A novice web programmer type charges $50-$100 per hour and a pro charges
a lot more. Those fees are not being charged for this work.

Both years I have used this list and the web site, I have thought that what
I received back for my donation was a bargain compared to other sources of
high level information I use in my job and hobbies.

George

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THE WOODWIND.ORG ANNUAL DONATION DRIVE IS GOING ON NOW! VISIT
https://secure.donax-us.com/donation TO FIND OUT ALL THE FACTS!
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