I've been thinking. (Oh no! Run for your lives!!)
There's this discussion about an extra 75 cents to cover the paypal fee. It's an extra cost, so you cover it.
Well, I'm not part of the committee. I haven't spoken to anyone about this, and I hope I'm not overstepping. I just wanted to point something out...
I haven't priced things in a while, but last I heard, a DVD-R disk cost about $1 (give or take). Throw in an extra 20 cents or so for the case. Then there's postage, which, IIRC, is another $1 or so, depending on package weight. Come to that, there's the packaging itself. A padded envelope or something. That's another $1 or so. Then there are labels, which require not just the sticker itself but also ink and wear and tear on the printer (it adds up, and hopefully there'll be a lot of these things to send). Then you have to consider that mistakes happen and some stuff will have to be redone. Then, too, there's...
You get the idea. It adds up.
Now, sure, it was factored in to the original $15, but it does take a significant bite out of things.
There's also the fact that the donations are being split between five different sites.
There's the archive. Do you write fic? Consider what they're doing for you by hosting it. Do you read fic? Think how hard it would be without a central archive.
There's the nfic archive, which does the same for fics rated over PG-13, and which has a PG archive that actually covers some things you won't find on lcfanfic.com.
There are these boards. How much time you spend here? How much do they do for you? A place to post and read fic before it hits the archive (and get reader-author interaction). A place to discuss fic. A place to tap into the vast resource of FoLC knowledge. A place for vids, posters, icons, etc which you'd have a hard time finding elsewhere. A place to just meet and hang out with cool people...
There's FoLC Video, the site that plays host to the majority of vids you'll find on the boards. It's got some other neat features, too, like a FoLC photo album.
Finally, there's the official Kerth Awards site, new home to everything Kerth. It goes a long way to making the Kerths possible.
You probably depend on some of those sites a lot more than you realize. Think about how often you find yourself using them (directly or otherwise). Your donation goes to support them, helping to ensure their continued existance.
All of which goes to say that maybe, if you can afford it, it would be a good idea to give more than the minimum. I'm sure you spend more on other hobbies/entertainments/activities.
Think about it.
Paul
