OTF Patreon?

[Satchmo Distel]

At last night's Zoom 'Thon, we raised the possibility of supporting the forum through Patreon. I was wondering if this would enable greater protection against cyberattacks and also provide greater long-term security for OTF's future, similar to the funding some of us are already giving to WSC.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Very happy to contribute if/when that gets set up.

[Capybara]

Does this not still work?

[Satchmo Distel]

I don't use PayPal because we were hacked when living in the UK and had a few grand stolen, which fortunately the bank reimbursed (but it felt like a huge violation). Patreon goes through our AMEX, which we can police better.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

What would it cost to run this board as a standalone thing? Including buying Snake all the eccles cakes he could eat?

[Sits]

Always happy to support, but I’d want to check whether Snake thinks it’s necessary or the Donations here are sufficient, and whether the Patreon route would make any difference hack-wise. Not that I know much about Patreon tbh.

Edit: whatever we do, we should not move to a model where everyone has to pay. But I assume that’s not part of the discussion.

[Jah Womble]

I don't use PayPal because we were hacked when living in the UK and had a few grand stolen, which fortunately the bank reimbursed (but it felt like a huge violation). Patreon goes through our AMEX, which we can police better.

Sorry to hear that of course, but I'll be honest that I'd no idea people kept 'a few grand' in Paypal.

[Snake Plissken]

Just so everyone knows, I have nothing to do with the financial side of running the site. The donations go to WSC and hosting OTF is paid for by them - I don't know any of the details of costs and donations and TBH, I don't want to as it's none of my business. So - and I'm just throwing this out there - rather than a separate OTF Patreon, maybe becoming a WSC patron would achieve the same thing and get you a magazine or two.

[Sits]

Sorry to hear that of course, but I'll be honest that I'd no idea people kept 'a few grand' in Paypal.

I used to think I had to keep a float in PP, which put me off. Now I realise I can just debit my current account from PP, and use it all the time.

[Satchmo Distel]

Sorry to hear that of course, but I'll be honest that I'd no idea people kept 'a few grand' in Paypal.

I was insufficiently clear in my post: the bank told us that the hackers got into our bank account via Paypal, and that was what cause the loss of the few grand (from the bank, not a PayPal float).

I'm glad to hear that my WSC Patreon helps OTF.

[Tactical Genius]

you only have a PayPal "float" if someone pays you via PayPal.

[Jah Womble]

I was insufficiently clear in my post: the bank told us that the hackers got into our bank account via Paypal, and that was what cause the loss of the few grand (from the bank, not a PayPal float).

I'll admit I was struggling with that concept.