ADMIN: Calling for commitments

["Eric J. Ray" <ejray -at- RAYCOMM -dot- COM>]

Gang,
Continuing with the train of thought, the total costs
for startup and operation for one year for what looks
like the most promising option would be at least
$13,000. This would be for a leased server, a big
pipe, software, and sys admin/backup/etc support.
(Full RAID etc. for those who care.)
With this option, we'll be able to provide (I believe)
a better level of service, more flexibility, and
better technical communication resources for everyone
who uses the list, the archives, or the TECHWR-L
site.

The best option right now looks like free membership
(just as it is now) with voluntary donations/contributions
to cover costs. Options like STC sponsorship, Onelist et al,
and many of the other suggestions made have some merits,
but seem (to us) to offer a new set of problems or issues.
This solution, given the funding, should provide a lot of
resolution to problems, rather than more problems. This
solution would also be a permanent (one time only) move,
rather than a move to, say, onelist now and another move
in a few months. (I'll go into more detail about what advantages
we'd get with this software in another (yet another?) email
later, but not today.)

If you, as an individual, would be willing to send a check/cash/
money order in US dollars (credit card clearing is eventually
possible, but not right now) to support the list, please
email me at ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com with the subject line
Support Commitment
and the total dollar amount you'd be willing to contribute for the
next year (that is, plan on one $10 or $20 check, and not,
please, 12 checks for $0.83 or $1.66). (The business about
labeling messages as from a supporter or not is certainly
a possibility, although not an absolute yet.)

If you, on behalf of your company, would be willing to commit
to a business list sponsorship for one or more weeks within the
next year, please email ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com with subject of
Sponsorship Commitment
and the total number of weeks or total dollar amount you'd be
willing to commit to for the next year. (Sponsorship messages will
be located at the footer of every TECHWR-L message.) List
sponsorships will cost $100 per week, with a maximum of two
sponsors listed in the footer. (We'll also be happy to place
free ads for you on the TECHWR-L site, with a sponsorship.)

Please, be conservative with your commitments--we'd rather
have nice surprises with additional sponsorships showing up,
than to make plans based on commitments that then fall through.

Assuming there's an adequate level of support
for us to think that TECHWR-L could continue in this way
without bankrupting RayComm, we'll later ask that you go
ahead and send a check. (And yes, a substantial amount will
be required _before_ the change happens to cover the startup
costs.) For those worrying about Deb and Eric retiring to
the Bahamas with the money, don't. Either you trust us to
do the right thing, or you don't. Excess
proceeds, should that happen, will either directly or
indirectly support TECHWR-L.

NOTE: With this message, we're asking for commitments that
will help determine what happens to TECHWR-L. If you're planning
to make a contribution and you want that contribution to be
considered in the decision-making process, you must email

Eric (and Deborah)

--
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Eric J. Ray                  ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com
UNIX Visual QuickStart Guide is "a superb book!"
Don't believe it? Check for yourself!
Find out more at http://www.raycomm.com/

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 From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=