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    #76
    I think this message board should become a user owned co-operative. Access to join and contribute should be free and anyone can join in, but those of us who wish to can contribute to keep the board going. This would of course mean setting up a company which would need 4 or 5 m̶i̶d̶d̶l̶e̶ ̶a̶g̶e̶d̶ ̶m̶e̶n̶ ̶w̶e̶a̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶g̶l̶a̶s̶s̶e̶s̶ people to act as directors but it can be done. Most importantly of all I think OTF must retain its link to WSC (in fact I think one of the directors should be the editor). The reason why is because people seem to have forgotten where WSC came from. It came out of the dark hooligan days of the 1980's when football fans were pariahs and fanzines were their only outlet. I think OTF should be heavily promoted in WSC as an independent fans forum owned and paid for by the fans. I would contribute ?100 a year to a co-op so the ?30 contributed seems more than reasonable.

    Any thoughts?

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      #77
      Originally posted by Antepli Ejderha View Post
      Very rough calculations based on the numbers given, we'd need 100 subscribers paying 30 per year.
      More than happy with this. Recognise what SB says about new blood. Maybe OTF could give someone who comes across it a week of access then say they have to subscribe, much like some online magazines/newspapers do. Agree that anything to keep ads off OTF would be acceptable.

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        #78
        Keep the WSC link, for the reasons Paul and others mention but also as it's my favourite Undertones song. Well, just behind Tearproof and you've got my number.

        A few years ago we went as far as setting up a shadow cabinet under Tubby Isaacs. IIRC E10 Rifle was going to sort out the unions (by conceding everything they wanted )

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          #79
          Originally posted by gt3 View Post
          Maybe OTF could give someone who comes across it a week of access then say they have to subscribe, much like some online magazines/newspapers do
          I respectfully disagree with this.

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            #80
            Sign me up to two pounds a month, and to the articles pinned to the church door by Sits in his first post today.
            I suggest quickly agreeing fundamentals and establishing a payment system as the only reliable way to measure interest. I have no objections to whatever method the majority decide on but understand the resistance to PayPal and have a feeling that Patreon now allow you to pay in local currency without further charges. The default use of board names above real ones is my only dietary requirement.
            Beyond that, for now and in the foreseeable Ursus and Snake hold my vote in all other matters. Until, and as such.

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              #81
              We shouldn’t force people to pay. There needs to be a model which caters for this.

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                #82
                Absolutely no forcing of people to pay. I'd donate 30 quid a year.

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                  #83
                  I agree Sits and should have made that clearer. But I think we have enough goodwill and agreement here already to start voluntary payments. Only then will we know if the board will survive for everyone.

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                    #84
                    Feel free to carry on the excellent discussions and suggestions. I’m going to post some thoughts based on it all a bit later.

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                      #85
                      I'm more than happy to contribute to keep this excellent and occasionally life-affirming site going. One bottle of cheap wine per month seems more than reasonable to me.

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                        #86
                        Originally posted by nmrfox View Post
                        I'm more than happy to contribute to keep this excellent and occasionally life-affirming site going. One bottle of cheap wine per month seems more than reasonable to me.
                        2 quid wine Foxy, where do you get that?

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                          #87
                          I would willingly sell my house and all its contents to help OTF.
                          Last edited by Rogin the Armchair fan; 13-02-2021, 12:44.

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                            #88
                            I'd definitely do a sub of a few quite a month. That would be no problem at all. I think it should be kept as open as possible. But 100% I'd contribute. Like the BBC, it just has enough practical value life-wise to make it a no brainer.

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                              #89
                              The consensus seems to be free access and no ads, with the board financed through contributions, which is all well and good but exactly where we were when the most recent iteration of the board came into being. Then as now there were pledges of financial support that didn't materialise. So, if the annual running costs are around 3,000 quid, we need iron commitments from 100 OTFers that they'll stump up 30 quid a year or that 60 will pay 50 quid or variations thereof and we're only going to be able to judge what people are prepared to commit to if we run a poll.

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                                #90
                                Will definitely contribute 30 of your British pounds sterling a year, and moderate if desired - was an early moderator along with ad hoc, and was probably too hands on. Would hopefully be more moderate now.

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                                  #91
                                  I agree with you Sporting I was just putting it out there as a possible solution. Already subscribe to WSC a patron. No quibbles with making a monthly payment and keep it free for those that don't/can't.

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                                    #92
                                    Only just seen this thread and not read the whole thing yet but wanted to say that I agree the board should not make payment compulsory but that I would be happy to contribute the kind of monthly or annual amounts discussed here (or more, if needed) to help keep it going.

                                    I also suggest you put a thread alerting people to this one in all the sub-forums for those of us who rarely come on World.

                                    Edit : ah, it's not even on World! My point still stands though.
                                    Last edited by Ray de Galles; 13-02-2021, 13:56.

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                                      #93
                                      Originally posted by Ray de Galles View Post
                                      Only just seen this thread and not read the whole thing yet but wanted to say that I agree the board should not make payment compulsory but that I would be happy to contribute the kind of monthly or annual amounts discussed here (or more, if needed) to help keep it going.

                                      I also suggest you put a thread alerting people to this one in all the sub-forums for those of us who rarely come on World.

                                      Edit : ah, it's not even on World! My point still stands though.

                                      It's at the top of all the sub-fora for me and also at the top of the main OTF page.

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                                        #94
                                        I saw it at the top of main page but that was by chance, I initially assumed it was the message about changing passwords that's been there for ages.

                                        I just think it should be highlighted as much as possible and threads within fora do that better (for me) than notices elsewhere.

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                                          #95
                                          There should be a notice / announcement at the top of every page.

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                                            #96
                                            There is

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                                              #97
                                              I'll pay 30 quid a year, just let me know where and when.

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                                                #98
                                                Originally posted by Nocturnal Submission View Post
                                                The consensus seems to be free access and no ads, with the board financed through contributions, which is all well and good but exactly where we were when the most recent iteration of the board came into being. Then as now there were pledges of financial support that didn't materialise.
                                                This. I'm afraid there'd need to be some evident certainty that promised donations would be fulfilled. I suspect how this is obtained might be controversial. Polite reminder emails might work, and/or post-payment, a check mark next to the donor's name on the site itself (though this inevitably raises the issue of a "two-tier" board.)

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                                                  #99
                                                  The only way these things work is the 'set it and forget it' systems like automatic monthly Patreon payments. Reminders, pledge days, etc are doomed to failure.

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                                                    Yes, but someone still has to 'set it' in the first place. Not just say they will.

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