At the top of the thread listing for each forum. Also here.
(OK, now I see you found it, I’ll submit anyway)
I am willing to sponsor some people, insofar as I am able. But I will do it privately, and I suggest that this is the best way for ALL of us to handle it. Surely we all know and care for people who are students, or unemployed, or…whatever. They are our friends, and part of friendship should encompass helping in situations like this. IMHO, that is.
Scotti
Agreed, Civil Defense, DJ, and astroboy.
I probably could sponsor a couple folks, assuming it was on real need and remained quiet. Also, agreed with Crunchy, it would have to be an existing poster.
Of course, we’ve seen what, maybe five people who seem like they are in a genuine position to not be able to pay? I think they will be taken care of. To the ones who won’t pay on principle (including some posters I really like and will miss) – that’s your decision to make. See you around.
[Beavis]Huh, huh! He said “doo-doo”![/Beavis]
“I propose a 30-day free new member trial posting period.”
nice but whos going to do the bookkeeping?
It seems that we are falling into 2 main categories, here:
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People who would donate, but only anonymously.
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People who would donate, but only to a poster they already knew.
Fortunately, the two are not mutually exclusive. The people in category 1 could participate in a fund like dalovindj suggested. The people in category 2 could contact those they wished to sponsor privately. The posters who got sponsored by category 2 people would simply not apply for sponsorship by the fund.
I personally agree with Crunchy Frog’s statement above. I would gladly pony up for any of the posters who have stated thus far that they could not afford a $20 membership–with no strings attached. I would be reluctant to pay for someone I did not “know.” Why? I dunno!
Anyway, this thread and the posts on the subject in other threads have reinforced the fact that the Dopers are a very generous bunch. I think the few people who truly can’t afford the $20 will be taken care of, one way or another.
I would want to sponsor people because A) I can and B) there are some damn good people who I don’t think I’d get to see on the board anymore if it went to a $25-per-year or more expense. And here’s how I’d want to do it:
- Email Tuba or someone of her ilk.
- Say “I want to sponsor x people” where x is the number of people.
- Not know who I was sponsoring.
- Those sponsored would not know who was sponsoring them.
That way I don’t have the ability to lord it over anyone, and they don’t have to feel guilty about “taking” someone else’s money or like they owe me anything.
I’m also liking da lovin’ dj’s idea of a no-interest loan. I’d consider it a damn good use of my money, and better than most things I could come up with. If they want to pay me back, fine. If they can’t, fine too.
If you say you need sponsorship, it’s on your conscience if you really don’t need it but just don’t want to spend the cash. And it’ll be your tell-tale heart. It’ll eat you alive until one day you just crack.
And as a side note, I do not think that membership here will cost in the realm of $50; if the folks in charge have been reading this and other threads as they spring up, they see how many folks can’t even really afford $20, let alone $30 or $50. Just as an example, I’d be able to sponsor four people, easy, if it were $20 a pop. If it were $50 I’d sponsor one. If it were $10 I’d probably sponsor ten people. For the money this place has saved me in terms of medication and therapy? Good gravy:)
There’s a great new invention out on the market for just this sort of thing… I think it’s known in the U.S. as a computer.
::d&r::
I, too, would be willing to sponsor the cash-challenged Dopers, but only if it were done anonymously. Perhaps a SDMB fund that the admins could dole out on a first come-first served basis. Donations and disbursements would all be anonymous so no one could take “credit” for their contribution.
Sounds like a win/win to me. Now if I could only get “team” and “empowerment” in that sentence, I could be a CEO!
I’ll happily sponsor people, but I don’t want it going to a random person. Not that I need to hold something over someone, not that I even need to know who the person is. I just want to be sure that someone somewhere is putting my money to a use I consider valuable. I’m not interested in a first-come first-served basis. I don’t want to see a welfare program; I want to see scholarship/art-endowment like program.
My proposition:
There exist one or more bohemian funds. Anybody can contribute to these funds. People who contribute to a fund elect that funds distribution board. The distribution board decides which bohemians to fund.
I would also be interested in a list of those who cannot pay. That way I could choose someone to sponsor, but they wouldn’t have to know about it. They could just be informed that their tab was paid. I would know who I sponsored, but they wouldn’t.
I do like the sponsorship idea. And I’ll tell ya why.
ChickDope.
I had been planning on attending for weeks. Had cash set aside & everything. Then a crisis arose, on Friday afternoon, and I had to use my ChickDope money.
But, I was able to attend anyway. Ended up with just enough to pay for my room and a little food. The rest of my meals, and a few lovely gifts, were covered by a couple of really, really nice Dopers, who I will love until the end of my days.
I’m not looking to be sponsored myself. If I set aside a couple of bucks every pay, by the time we actually go to PtP, I’ll have enough for my own membership. But, in honor of the Dopers who helped me this weekend (and more than one Doper who has helped me through this year–not just finanically, either–), I want to give back.
This is the single most amazing community on the Web. I am lucky to be a part of it. And if I can assist another Doper who wants to stay but can’t find the funds, then count me in. I won’t be able to pony up a whole lot right away, but every so often, I’ll be sending in a little. I just want to help others, the way this place and the people in it have helped me. I can’t thank you people enough.
Love, Cristi
Perhaps a scholarship fund could be created?
I don’t think I would want to know who sponsored me if someone did as I would have to be nice to them all the time 
I could use a sponsor, as I am destitute.
I know who it WOULDN’T be…
hey handy, maybe we can be taken on together…
I think this is the kind of thing that a lot of prospective contributors are going to hope to avoid. If I end up paying for someone else, I don’t want them to be “nice to me all the time”.