If this doesn't get them dipping into their pockets i'm not sure what will...

It won't. And you know what's worse? I've had around one-third of my monthly subscription donors CANCEL during this fundraiser and only one person sign up. Our net sales are down and donations have been scarce. One thousand dollars of that total amount raised wasn't actually part of the fundraiser. i was paid for a job I did and just tacked that on to the fundraiser total.

Does anybody ever say why they cancel?
This is a quality site. Every bit as good as Truthout, Buzzflash and Rawstory,
yet you have a fraction of the budget and even fewer donations.


I can certainly empathize with your frustration.

Yeah, they do. It's cuz they're broke. Plain and simple. Gas prices, food prices... it's killing us all. I try to thank everyone for their support after they cancel, and it's always the same response: "You guys are great, but we can't afford to keep doing this. We'll resubscribe in the future". And I totally understand. I may have to cut off my monthly doantion to the ACLU. It breaks my heart to do it, but it's becoming necessary. The thing with my brothers in arms... Buzzflash is a side project of a bigger organization. Kinda like this forum is a side project of the actual Project. (BTW, I've spoken with the guy who runs it. Really cool dude. I really really like him) Rawstory had bunches of starter money and aggressively advertises. Truthout has just been around since the early days of the series of tubes. We, on the other hand, reject advertising (for the most part), started with only 10 dollars (yes, seriously), and have only been scraping by for 6 years. So what we've accomplished and continually accomplish is really monumental, but I have a foolish business model: I invest everything back into the project and every time we get comfortable, I create a new innovation that always costs just a little more than what the site brings in. This time it's the media center thing. But the videos, if produced well enough, will be viral and be posted around the web (like our graphics are) with a POAC watermark on the bottom and generate more traffic and more sales. We tried it with flash videos, but the learning curve was so steep that the time involved wasn't really feasible to spend hours creating a five minute presentation when I could create more content in less time putting together other POAC exclusives like the buzzwords page and the other archives.

As far as it being frustrating... Yeah, it is. But I don't mind being broke (been that way all my life) and I live with the understanding the nobody makes it rich by performing selfless acts for public service. I'm willing to do it. My wife is willing to put up with it. And god damn it, our country needs it. And I REALLY dig the principals the country claims to be founded upon. I intend to hold them to it. =-) Even if I have to beg on the corner to get the resources to do it.

I know you've propbably heard this before(not from me), but either Sun. or Mon, I'll be sending you a year's worth of $5/ month... talk to you soon.
I'm finally NOT begging on the corner anymore.

That's awesome. Let me know your addy if you want to be on the newsletter subscription list

That's why I'm here boss, and why you have my loyal support.

So glad to read that... went to bed really worried last night!

As soon as my business grows enough to cover all my expenses I'll help out a bit more.
This is one of the best resources on the net and is worth every penny!
Looking forward to the new vid's

Thanks. You've already been a great supporter.

You know it's funny...

All Americans please ignore the following post. In fact, just go read another thread. This comment is just for the Brit.:

You know, it's funny. The stereo-type about lazy spoiled Americans? Well, I'm not saying anything specific, but you know, in the past three days of the fundraiser, we've received more support from Australia than from Americans. And the Aussie only pitched in 21 bucks. And this morning I was standing outside checking my tomato plants and reflecting on what I was doing with the Project/my life. Is it really worth it? I could actually get a job that pays... or start another business that can have employees and not have to rely on the charity of volunteers. But what's really important is that when it's all said and done and I'm fertilizer for someone else's tomato plants that I've made a positive contribution to society. And it's hard to feel like I'm doing that when I can't get more than a few dozen people out of 12,000 to toss me a couple bucks. Seems like it wouldn't matter at all if i went off line. But people like you, and others here, help me fight off that feeling. That I'm NOT wasting my life and time on a fruitless endeavor. So when I say thank you to you. I really mean it. From the bottom of my heart.

OK, Americans, you can come back now.

OK, I peeked.
It's the nature of your job that you don't get to have much contact with those who frequent your sites. You will get the occasional goodness post, like that from Karen, but generally you will feel invisable. You will be the internet version of George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life, and just have to trust that you do have impact, and that you do make a difference without actually having someone tell you it's so.

Lemme put it this way TJ. I can't speak for anybody other than myself,
but if I didn't believe in you and the POAC, I wouldn't still be here.

Everything happens for a purpose and a reason, even if right now I don't have a damn clue what that might be.




You hang in there George Bailey, and we'll pull for you.

Thanks Sky. I appreciate it.


.... PEEKER

Better to die knowing you lived well than to die rich..? Oh yeah!
One of my motto's - Be the best you you can be; no-one else is qualified for the job!

You know something TJ, I've just come from TWM where, for very different reasons, I almost locked the forum and walked away. But when I sat there and weighed it all up, there were more reasons to keep going than not to.

Sky's right...

On both counts!

Do you think I'd nominate you for president without belief that you could raise funds? I'm serious TJ, Run for office, get the handouts you're given, and use it to keep going. Yeah I peeked too, you knew we would. Shit, if we didn't, why wouldn't Paris Hilton be the story of the day here? We're inquisitive as a people, yet we've become complacent. The hippie movement died a painful death in the mid seventies, with very few survivors - those who did survive have been seen as extremists and pariahs - They're gaining ground, now, with the amount of crap that "America, the beautiful" has handed us - Fixed elections, revocations of the freedoms we HELD dear - you can't expect a majority to hold to the truths that were held as "self evident" two-plus centuries ago, or support them financially! We need to embrace the concept that the American populace is DISILLUSIONED, that is; we are given the Beauty of the constitution, and it is still being pimped to those who are just entering our educational system. However, they're not being taught the values of dissent - they're being conned into a Christ-like allegory, where, those who died in the revolutionary war died for OUR SINS, and that we need not shed blood because our government had a Jesus running it - I haven't figured out quite who that was yet, but it's opium for the masses, and the intoxication's in plain sight.
I love this place TJ, and I love what you do, but if you've got 12,000 people that are viewing your stuff, then be grateful that it's getting through. I know it's frustrating knowing how badly we're being screwed, but I (personally) need you to be a positive supporter of the newbies. As kind of (as one who hasn't had the ability to contribute financial, until recently, but did a lot to contribute to the base of knowledge available here) one who has been active, yet homeless for a period, these sideways comments hurt, and may be - little the next revolutionary who would take this country to task for the shit its pulled on us.
I mean no offense TJ, just a different angle. Their probably aren't too many others here who read the web-page to get out of the cold and rain in a library for their first time. I'm one who's risen up because of people like you and forums like this.

Just a thought, I couldn't let this go without speaking.

I'm with you. There are all kinds of circumstances for all kinds of our readers. I don't want people to contribute if they are on a limited income. It's the professionals and the well-to-do that should be chipping in. And posting articles and commentary on the forum is just as important to our cause of spreading information as donations are.