# Join the Straightdope PBS Fund Drive! Help our Board! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 23, 2000, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409 "2000-11-23T03:13:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/21 "2000-11-23T07:10:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mblackwell \* > **I would pledge more, but I have no money.** HEY! None of that attitude! šŸ˜‰ Pledging **anything** at all is fantastic - $5 to $500! Donā€™t feel shy anyone, to put in $5 if thatā€™s all you have free. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/22 "2000-11-23T07:11:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mblackwell \* > \*\*I believe the total is now $1,280. \*\* Yes, the current running total is indeed **$1280**. Looking good folks! Maybe I will have to provide a talent show of some sort, to keep the telethon rolling alongā€¦? ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/23 "2000-11-23T07:21:01Z")
Nah, just offer tote bags, mugs and Steely Dan videos. Robin ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/24 "2000-11-23T08:04:46Z")
Talent show, eh? Well, okay - if itā€™ll help bring in those pledges. I would like to do for you now my impression of Mr. Tommy Tune! _TippityTapTippityTapTippityTapTipTapTipTapā€¦_ā€¦ Hey! Whereā€™d that big hook come from? ---
**Author:** ![bunnymom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c4cdca/32.png) [@bunnymom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bunnymom)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/25 "2000-11-23T08:14:32Z")
I really wish I could help more, but put me down for $20. Total: $1300 (I think) ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/26 "2000-11-23T09:26:19Z")
make that $1350 ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/27 "2000-11-23T09:28:52Z")
Heck, I suppose I could squirrel away an extra $20 for right now and who knowsā€“maybe more later. That gives us $1370. ---
**Author:** ![tatertot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@tatertot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tatertot)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/28 "2000-11-23T10:50:25Z")
I can give $50, so that brings us up to $1420. ---
**Author:** ![honkytonkwillie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@honkytonkwillie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/honkytonkwillie)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/29 "2000-11-23T11:47:43Z")
Iā€™m in for $20. Now weā€™re at $1440. How high are we trying to shoot this rocket? ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/30 "2000-11-23T12:01:29Z")
You can make that an even $1500. ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/31 "2000-11-23T12:34:18Z")
Iā€™ll kick in 50 samoleans weā€™re up to $1550 ---
**Author:** ![sorrel554](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@sorrel554](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sorrel554)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/32 "2000-11-23T12:45:31Z")
Iā€™ll kick in $50. $1600! ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/33 "2000-11-23T12:54:25Z")
$20 from me. $1620 total pledges. Oh, and on Thanksgiving Day. How serendipitious (or some word like that). ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/34 "2000-11-23T13:11:16Z")
$30.00 make s it $1650.00 Keep on truckinā€™ ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/35 "2000-11-23T13:19:38Z")
I spend _way_ too much time here, but Iā€™d never get a chance to talk to someone like **Anthracite** in real life. Iā€™ll kick it up toā€¦ $1700 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/36 "2000-11-23T15:13:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ChiefWahoo \* > \*\*I spend _way_ too much time here, but Iā€™d never get a chance to talk to someone like **Anthracite** in real life. Iā€™ll kick it up toā€¦ > > $1700 \*\* Iā€™ll toss in a $20, which to me is something like $50,000 Canadian. Now itā€™s **$1720** ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/37 "2000-11-23T15:26:07Z")
Make that $1,740 ā€“ if I donā€™t have any unexpected car repairs or anything. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/38 "2000-11-23T15:27:39Z")
I can kick in 20 US greenbacks. $1740 + 20 = $1760 ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/39 "2000-11-23T16:07:33Z")
**$1760!!!** You guys are all the best! Now, as to the question of how much do we need: IMO, that is in dispute. The number given in the past was $40,000 for a new server that would be the ā€œKing Kongā€ of servers. However, myself and others feel that this number might be too high, and we have asked that someone who knows tell us exactly what sort of server, hardware, and software we would need to buy. This is important to note - Iā€™m not questioning the sincerity of the estimate, or of the persons making the estimate. And if they know me at all, they should know I wouldnā€™t do that. All I am asking is for the details of exactly what we currently have, and exactly what we need. I am personally going on a figure of **$20,000** as being the target number. Why? Because the company I work for does buy and install pretty large and powerful enterprise servers, that cost about that much minus software (hopefully software licenses for the current server can be transferred). Now, I could be way off-base here, but until I get some sort of detailed, official word thatā€™s the number I feel ought to be the target. Even if it is a $40,000 thing, well, being able to come up with half of it via donations would still make a very big impact. There is another issue - we are told that the Chicago Reader operates the SDMB at a loss. I am assuming that this is due to internet charges, maintenance, equipment rental, and so forth. Perhaps if we only get **$10,000** , we can cover a great deal of the maintenance and internet charges for a year or so. I donā€™t know. At the time I type this, we are at $1760, which is a pretty damn good start I feel. So letā€™s see what happens yā€™all? Letā€™s see if we can get this thing to even $10,000? E-mail friends - PM people - AIM people - get them to pledge even $5. A $5 donation from 20 people does more for meeting the goal than a $20 donation from 4 people. And 20 $20 pledges are fan-freaking-tastic! šŸ™‚ Itā€™s too bad that I canā€™t post my erotica here. I would be willing to write a new story and post it just to get the pledge numbers up. Hmmmā€¦maybe the Mods could be convinced that itā€™s for the good of the Board? (LOL - ā€œUncleBeer - to save the Board, we must have more lesbian porn!!!ā€ šŸ˜‰ ) Una ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409/40 "2000-11-23T16:13:56Z")
Since I am addicted to this place and start jonesinā€™ for a fix whenever the site is down for maintenance, Iā€™ll kick in $100. I hope I wonā€™t have to pay this til _after_ Iā€™ve paid my holiday credit card bill, but Iā€™ll consider it part of my Xmas present to myself if I have to cough it up before. Total: $1860 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-straightdope-pbs-fund-drive-help-our-board/42409.md?page=3)