Do we need a donate button?

Sotonians is famously free of charge at the point of use. Over the course of the past year, I’ve had a number of people offer financial support for the site. I’ve politely refused on each occasion, mostly because the costs of hosting don’t really justify it.

It’s about £240 a year, or £20 a month. We don’t need donations money to keep the place running, and the site seems performant enough with its current user load. The only other cost is time spent, and both bletch and I waive that.

However, after the most recent offer, I realise this. We may not need the money, but we could use could it, hence the idea of a Donate button.

Goaters and I have spoken about doing more real life promotion for the site, stuff like bumper stickers which could be proudly borne on Sotonians cars. We’ve also donated money to charity before.

If we do a donate button, we’ll only do it to achieve growth or good. Accordingly, I’ve listed a few ideas of what we might do with any readies if we ever get more than the costs of hosting. I’ll set it up so that it is transparent.

To re-iterate. I am completely ambivalent about this and had every expectation that I’d be fronting costs forever, and that was really never a problem. The site will continue whatever people discuss here.

However, if people are up for any of the above ideas (or any of your own), let me know…

    1. Go for it, using anything extra to charity
    1. Go for it, using anything extra for promotion
    1. Go for it, doing a split of retained donations (promotion/charity)
    1. It would bother me

0 voters


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Option 5. Go for it, as long as you publish very regular updates on who has viewed the donate button / page (and how many times) but not donated anything.

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can you do an option so that everyone does donations, and then when an important frm member, i.e. Bearsy or someone, falls on Hard Times, frm could sub him a few dollar to pay for his court bills or whatever that would be sweet tks

OK. What have you done?

Thanks Pap.

I think its a great idea and think the last option is the right way to do it.

Quite like the idea of it being anonymous so there isn’t any oneupmanship/ pressure on anyone to donate who can’t or doesn’t want to for whatever reason.

The badges Goat did were absolutely brilliant and I wear mine to work each and every day. Its a great logo intersting to see who gets the first Papsweb tattoo done.

If there is any way to integrate the charity logo onto it as well that would be even better.

I really can’t see there are many who will object - it can just sit at the top of the page for us to randomly click on when drunk or sentimental. win/win isn’t it ?

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oh, you know, nothing really, yet, but it is gd business to Be Prepared.

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Originally posted by @Goatboy

Originally posted by @Bearsy

can you do an option so that everyone does donations, and then when an important frm member, i.e. Bearsy or someone, falls on Hard Times, frm could sub him a few dollar to pay for his court bills or whatever that would be sweet tks

OK. What have you done?

Is illegal immigrant

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It’s not just me tho, lets say that someone on frm, lets say tokyos For Example, needed emergency gender realignment surgery, wouldn’t it be nice if we could help Him/Her out?

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We would have to have a vote though Bears before spending £83. Democratic place this, and that applies even if it’s Furball who needs an axe removed from his head. Fair one.

pap will spunk the whole lot on Jeremy Corbyn Face Masks and Kronstadt Soviet Workers Rebellion commemorative mugs srs. I suggest we find some trustworthy bear to put in charge of Company Funds, I would account for every penny srs, less expenses

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Genuine tho, it is a bit hard on pap to Foot All The Bills and I would be happy to throw him a few dollar, even tho he says he don’t need it, he could use it to get a haircut or something.

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On other hand the fact that paps opinions re: jeremey corbyn and what frbls real name is, or whatever it was, were found to be so offensive the only way he continue to distribute them was to buy his own internet is, in most respects, his Own Fault, so why should I pay? I’ll only pay half cos of this. You can get the right side, or the left side of ur head shaved. Your choice.

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What’s a haircut?

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Donate button sounds good to me. It also should not matter who donates what out of the group. If I do any good or not I would not want to see results of this, as some people are not in a position to donate and others our. It should all be done up front like X amount was donated as a total in 2016 and this was spent on X,y,z. This has left a surplus that will be carried forward to 2017, or go behind the bar at the end of season Sotonians piss up. This may encourage people to come along if there is 1 end of season do every year. Even more so if they have donated!

Also I love the idea of Sotonians merchendise, like the bumper stickers, car stickers, even Sotonians and Southampton FC half half scarf, tees and the like. But this could be me, as I love all that sort of stuff.

I do think the donate button should be primarily for the site and its users benefit with a secondary choice to give a percentage to the charity that Sotonias.com choose. Like when you list something or buy something you get these choices.

So cut it short, yes. Donate button to promote the site, merch and help with running costs, but left overs every year go behind the bar at the Sotonians end of season piss up (after the last home or away game). Users have the choice and giving a percentage to the chosen charity.

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BTW Pap if you ever need any technical help that leans towards my specialities (not a euphimism) I am more than willing to help (or at least try to).

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TBF to Pap, I don’t think the site needs anyone drinking less than everyone else so that they can pretend to be better at pool.

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That Black IPA, or whatever it was called, did effect my eyesight somewhat!!

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Back door privatisation of Sotonians. What a jeremey hunt.

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Quick update/final appeal:

Sotonians charity fundraising currently stands at £590 :lou_lol:

Many thanks all:

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I’m all for chipping in, only fair isn’t it?