Printed WB articles to raise $$, widen readership base

[SGT Rock]

Here is a thought with that, in the case of the database, I think that if there is a charge for download, lets say $5. $4 of it should go to the ATC, and $1 could go for the site. We would just need to track about how many times it is downloaded and then make a contribution to the ATC at the end of the year in the name of "Members of the WhiteBlaze Community". Doesn't that sound equally fair to the ATC for the Databook info and the great trail that it goes with and still gives us just a little to support the bandwidth used?

[MedicineMan]

It gets better and better. Surely with the growth of WB the ATC would love the idea, especially at the end of the year when the checks come.....but in the end i wonder how many downloads there would be????

[SGT Rock]

Probably not many. But the Databook costs something like $5. So they would get about the same amount of money without the printing costs and all the other things that go along with maintaing a stock. So in the end, it would still be worth it to them.

[MedicineMan]

and i'm thinking that the newer and newer hikers will embrace packable tech and surely the Nano will eventually be capable of containing this database, you think?

[SGT Rock]

I think that at least a PDA will be able to carry it. Possibly other applications.

[MedicineMan]

vehement yes....already in mine but I'm using PDF Reader for Pocket PC and I dont think I can edit it??? would be nice to add my own notes. But it is very nice to have it even here at work.
Ultimately I hope to redownload it after checking off boxes of what the download is to include and PayPalling some money

[bogey]

vehement yes....already in mine but I'm using PDF Reader for Pocket PC and I dont think I can edit it??? would be nice to add my own notes. But it is very nice to have it even here at work.
Ultimately I hope to redownload it after checking off boxes of what the download is to include and PayPalling some money

I have software (and I'm sure there are many out there that convert pdf to word doc or txt files. then you can eddit uhhh er edit or update as needed.

[attroll]

We have it in word format now. We are the ones that converted it to PDF format. So there would be no need to convert it if we release it in word format.

I don't know of any way to track how many times it got downloaded. The only way that I know how to do what we want it to set up a separate area and have users that wish to donate for the database to have access to it for a donation and then we could set it up like a yearly thing. This way when it gets update they will need to renew there donations. We could set it to expire every 365 days.

Another issue is the donation to ATC, we would also have to send some of it to ALDHA because I believe some of the information came from them also. I don’t know if I agree with only $1 going to the site and $4 going to the ATC. I think we should get more then $1. But that would be something that we would have to talk more about later if we were ever to do this.

[MedicineMan]

and thanks bogey, didnt know it could be edited...i will search for something that can convert the pdg to word and then back to pdf again....maybe something on the home pc already that can do this?
and I agree with you Attroll about the $1....

[bogey]

We have it in word format now. We are the ones that converted it to PDF format. So there would be no need to convert it if we release it in word format.

> oops! UHHHH I knew that! yeah, that's right. I knew it all along.

I don't know of any way to track how many times it got downloaded. The only way that I know how to do what we want it to set up a separate area and have users that wish to donate for the database to have access to it for a donation and then we could set it up like a yearly thing. This way when it gets update they will need to renew there donations. We could set it to expire every 365 days.

when you get a paypal contribution, you email the "donor" the password. It should be understood that in you want to charge for annual updates, or solicit donations for the updates, you change the password at the start of the season.

Another issue is the donation to ATC, we would also have to send some of it to ALDHA because I believe some of the information came from them also. I don’t know if I agree with only $1 going to the site and $4 going to the ATC. I think we should get more then $1. But that would be something that we would have to talk more about later if we were ever to do this.

Since it's a labor of love for all or most who put it together, how'z about an even split?

[Just Jeff]

Need a way to give unique passwords after the contributions - if you see someone with 25 downloads from 24 unique IPs, you'll know whose password to change.

[SGT Rock]

Well we could implement the higher level membership thing where if you contribute, you get stuff like personalized Avatars, edit buttons, more PMs, and access to the file. This way a contributing member could download it again later if they loose the file without having to pay (good for hard drive failure issues) and we could track how much the WhiteBlaze membership donation would be by the number of contributing members.

[CynJ]

I like Troll's idea of member webpages. I would pay for that!

And the membership level thing is good too.

[Johnny Swank]

I've started a small publishing company to put my book out on the Mississippi River trip and have the bugs sorted out on short run publishing and the like. Give me a holler if there is any traction on this project - I'd like to help.