That, or they don't wish to be recognized.

Kyle, I find it hard to believe that roughly 1400 out of 1500 members made anonymous contributions due to their passion for this site but a desire not to be recognized.

No, I agree with the premise but there are other ways to contribute outside of monetary means.

This site would be nothing without content, for example.

I have yet to donate monetarily.

If we measure this on the value of your entertainment $$ this is one of the best deals in the world.

I'm a broken record on this one.  

I haven't written a check since sometime in the late 90's.  I pay everything with direct debits or debit cards (comes out of my checking account).  Online I use a credit card or Paypal.  Paypal is the way I pay annual subscriptions to any number of golf and car sites.

It would take half a nanosecond to set up Paypal to accept contributions on the Contributions page.  This would make it incredibly easy for folks like me (there are many who don't use checks any more...just check with some 20 or 30 somethings) and non-US residents who are used to using Paypal to settle US-based transactions.

A few months ago I suggested this to Tommy, and Paypaled him $70 with instructions to forward it to Ran.  The funds went unclaimed and came back to me.  Tommy, remember you and I talked about it and you were going to look into it?

Here is the info page on Paypal (which is owned by eBay so it isn't some fly-by-night outfit).  I'm sure any GCAers who do anything on ebay would agree that a Paypal account is a no-brainer.  Probably a merchant account isn't even needed...just an plain vanilla individual account that anyone can send money to just knowing the recipient email address.

http://www.paypal.com/

There's literally no reason not to accept Paypal these days.

Kyle - There's no payment in kind here, that is except if don't contribute, and then you are the recipient.

Are you suggesting that your content contributions justify you not making a financial contribution??

I'll take your usage to mean the impersonal you. If between rent, a car payment and paying back student loans among other expenses on my Spray Tech's salary I find the extra $71.00 to give to Ran, my check will be in the mail. Until then, I'll provide content, knowledge and a generally good attitude to the site as my contribution.

To some extent, yes. When one contributes time and effort to a well researched In My Opinion article, thread or My Home Course - that is a contribution of content. I am willing that most of the unique hits this site receives are because of that content and NOT because of the discussion board.

That content is searchable on google, the discussion board content is not.

When I first came across this site, I rarely, if ever, read the discussion board material for the first year or so and instead found myself content to read the articles posted under those other three sections.

I understand that Ran can run this site because of the financial contributions of those who make it, however, there wouldn't be much of a site without the content contributions of others.

Contributions should not exceed the par of your favorite course.

Kyle,

Sorry to single you out but look on the bright side, I have you lined up with favorite gca Tom Doak.   I do some fund raising in another life, and the number of people often counts more than $$.

Ran has never asked for a set amount. If you and 1000 others send $10, it adds up. Then I can take some more shots at Tom Doak   when Asst Greenskeepers Kyle has contributed, but Tom "Getting Tiger Woods Fees" Doak has not contributed. See you Sunday.

Kevin,

Yours is a good suggestion about Paypal. Our moderators do not appear to be technology oriented. In the interim feel free (others too) to send a Paypal to me at mws13@cornell.edu and I will forward a hard check to Ran in your name.

A lot of tape dancing here over $70. Let's call it correctly, if you don't want to contribute, don't, but don't try to bullshit us with nonsense.

Just for clarification, least some folk look at the contributions page  between Jan and some other month in the future and make assumptions about who is and who isn't making a fair payment for all the usage and fun we have here on GCA.com, I am one along with others who contributes usually around June.  So, if you look at contributors and how many times they ponied up, you will not see my name at all until June, or at least that is how it seems to work in the past.  So, one might look, not see my name or others who similarly contribute at mid-year and think that they are free riding.  That doesn't seem quite right either.  Also, there are those of us who have additionally contributed over the years by sending in some residue of collected group gathering funds or collection taken at a golf outting that we have attended.

So, while I think that those of us that spend way too much time here on GCA.com, and use it for a variety of reasons from babysitter, to geriatric sitter, to therapist, to stepping stone to a career as an international gca critique, spycover, or access tee time maker, we all should contribute proportionally to what we use the site.

But, it is obvious that various people see this issue different ways...  big world therory I guess.

Kevin - forgive me but an "if only Ran would..." is a poor excuse.  Instead of twisting the responsibility around to RM, if you're inclined (not that you have to be) I'm sure you can find a way to financially support the site.

JC

To view it an other way, JC, treat my post as a suggestion for how to increase contributions each year, based on my experience at numerous discussion boards.  If you make it easy for people to contribute, more are likely to follow through.

Kevin - I'm always a bit mystified about PayPal. It seems to me that if you ever want these funds to be reduced to hard dollars you have to supply them with a bank account information, which I'm still wary of doing.

You can have the funds in your PP account deposited into your bank account, as you described, or you can request a check to be sent to you.

Another thing - doesn't PayPal involve fees for the beneficiary/recipient?

Yes, depending on the account of the recipient the fees and the means of funding the transfer by the payee (the payee could have used a credit card to make the payment, or he could have simply debited the funds from his bank account or taken it from a paypal balance).  It is not unusual for payees to "gross up" the payment so the recipient is economically indifferent about getting the funds via paypal versus check.  Here is the fee schedule:

Paypal Fees

Very glad to contribute - what's the process for doing so?

Chip Royce -

As is usual on golfclubatlas.com, things have become hopelessly overcomplicated.

1. Get a fifty dollar bill.

2. Get a twenty dollar bill.

3. Mail them both to

GolfClubAtlas.com
P.O. Box 2566
Southern Pines, NC 28388
United States of America

Quote from: ChipRoyce on December 05, 2006, 01:00:46 PM

Very glad to contribute - what's the process for doing so?

Chip Royce -

As is usual on golfclubatlas.com, things have become hopelessly overcomplicated.

1. Get a fifty dollar bill.

2. Get a twenty dollar bill.

3. Mail them both to

GolfClubAtlas.com
P.O. Box 2566
Southern Pines, NC 28388
United States of America

This is a classic, Chip. If your course is a par 72, add 8 quarters into the mix.

Cary