Hurrah! I’ve got two people sans PayPal or credit cards I’ll be proxy-subscribing! Still open for business on the outright-donation front, plus any more in search of proxies.
By posting in this thread I will state that I am willing to host at least one subscription.
All that I need is an e-mail communication from a current member with their username and password. I will then process their new 1 year subscription at the current rate of $4.99. I will do this with as many requests as I wish, whether it be 1 or 87. I will take members on a first e-mail basis, without prejudice to the member. I will reply to those whom I am not able to help because I have already reached my quota.
I will then, never at any point, release this information to any other person(s) or hold this over the head of my sponsored member(s) for any reason at any time.
After I have fulfilled my own personal gift subscription quota I will immediately post to this thread to let others know that I am finished hosting guest subscriptions without letting on to whom or how many I processed.
Any interested hosters may now post to this thread stating that they will take on a membership for the first people that e-mail them (up to their quota).
Naturally, the signup period isnt untill the 21st so the actuall payments wont take place before then. However, the communication and the exchange of information can take place before then.
Please confirm that the host member is able to help you out before you send your password to them.
This thread may also be used to help someone pay who doesn`t have a credit card or other means of auto payment.
Yes, me too
Tris
I see that I was too hasty in assuming that it was an affordability question, it’s sometimes also an access question.
So… we’re looking into what arrangements, if any, can be made on a systemic basis.
Dex, I realize that processing a bunch of mail-in payments comes with its own set of issues, but could you guys rethink allowing that? I bet a number of Dopers would happily use that route, but for various reasons can’t or won’t use the volunteer proxy method.
Oh, and I haven’t forgotten that Staff Report. I’ve just been working so many hours lately, I barely have time to post fluff on the board, let alone actually marshal my thoughts and compose something intelligible. 
Hee!
Hey, I didn’t misquote. Just an unfair edit.
Well Dexter, I guess you haven’t been walking in too many people’s shoes.
The ONLY reason I started navigating the net was because I was off work with three herniated discs, awaiting my 2nd back operation. I was 29 years old, in 2000, and didn’t even have my own email account. Had no clue what IE was. To get to another site, my bf would have to tell me, “Press the blue E”. Embarrassing story about myself, but who cares?
I had no choice but to stay home. Couldn’t stand for long. Couldn’t sit for long. Coudn’t lie down for too long. And I was lonely as hell. There’s only so much Oprah you can watch. Friends were working/taking care of their families. If it weren’t for the net, I would have lost my mind.
I was lucky enough to have my bf living with me, at the time. My salary had been cut down to %55, due to my absence. Without him, I couldn’t have paid the ISP costs, forget another $5. Without him, dinner would have been pasta if I was lucky.
So yes, maybe people who can’t afford the $5 DO have bigger problems. But maybe some of those problems can’t be solved overnight. And sometimes, as in my case, time heals all wounds. But in the meantime, it gets damn lonely out there. I think you might be overlooking why your board is so popular. I realized early that a lot of people in chat rooms have a medical problem preventing them from working temporarily. I have a hunch a lot of people are in similar situations here.
I posted this in another forum, but hopefully I’ve found the right thread for sponsorships.
I can afford to sponsor up to three Dopers who, for whatever reason, can’t do it themselves. However, since I’m always looking to get something out of the deal, I’d like to sponsor non-US or non-Canadian Dopers, if I can. My prerequisite is sending me the $5 in whatever currency your country uses. I have a small collection of non-US bills and I’d like to expand it.
Any interested parties can email me…here’s to the SDMB staying active and interesting.
-WMD
I posted in another thread yesterday, but no take-ups so far … 
I just love the opportunity to rub shoulders with the Bright Young Things here, and so would like to sponsor three struggling students for the first year, at the $4.99 rate.
Email me on sdmb_shrinking_violet at hotmail dot com if I can help you. 
Ale, your profile says that you live in Montevideo, Uruguay. Do they not have banks in Montevideo? Banks that might handle debit cards?
Behold! VisaLatinAmerica! Truly global.
http://www.visalatam.com/e_personal/products/debit/infinite_descri.jsp
There you go. Not only will you be empowered to subscribe to the Dope, but also you will receive instant recognition when you present the card! Isn’t that exciting? 
I said this in the other ATMB thread, and I’ll say it here. I will sponsor 3 memberships @ $4.95, and I will happily act as an intermediary for anyone who can not or will not use PayPal. My e-mail is in my profile.
BTW, Ale and BiblioCat, check your e-mail for offers to act as your intermediary.
I’ve said this in about three or four thousand of the other threads, so just to be clear. The current Official Position:
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The READER does NOT want to get involved in accepting other forms of payment. It’s basically an administrative cost to process and handle checks and cash and whatever else, that the READER does not want absorb. Plus, the READER fears that there are plenty of jokers out there who would send checks that bounce, and then the READER is hit with NSF fees – which are usually more than the damn $5 subscription cost. So, at least for now, it’s PayPal or credit card, period.
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The READER does NOT want to get involved in running a Scholarship Fund. There have been LOTS of people offering to pay extra for the very small number of peole who can’t afford it or can’t access credit cards. Thus: if you can’t afford the $5, or if you don’t have access to a credit card, go to the thread about Subscriptions and find someone who’s offered to pay for another, and email them privately.
As a side note, we’ve already had some cases of people who CAN afford to pay and who DO have credit cards, who have been trying to freeload by playing on the charitable feelings of others. We suspect that’s easier to do with a scholarship fund – they rationalize that they’re cheating the fund, an abstract pile of money, rather than cheating individuals. We therefore think there will be less of that, if the charitable cases are handled one-on-one.
Worx4me, Dex. I think we have enough volunteers.
No one has asked me to sponsor them, but I have received a couple of requests for pay by proxy, which I will be doing.
After the grace period, I won’t be sponsoring anyone, but my pay by proxy offer will stay open until I get banned for all the other things.
Ciao
I posted this elsewhere, but I’ll add it here: willing to sponsor a Doper. Contact me privately.
As I have also stated elsewhere, I am willing to sponsor a few at the $4.95US, and to act as proxy for as many as ask me to. My email addy is in my profile.
Okay, I’ve reached my sponsor limit.
Still accepting all proxy requests, and will for the duration. Remember, to get the $4.95 and 50% for life, we have to get you signed in before April 21st.
After that, I will still do proxies for anyone who asks, but bear in mind it will then be at $14.95
I use PayPal, btw. Pretty safe overall.
Also, since passwords are required to sign you in, please make a temp one that can be discarded after sign up is finalized.
OK, if I wish to be being sponsored(I will pay the person back, I promise), is there anyway to do it without giving my password to the sponsor? I feel uncomfortable giving such information, except to maybe a select few.
Aslan, I’d be happy to do you. BTW, after the subscription goes through, you can change your password to something else.
E-mail me – it’s in my profile.
Thank you.