On Tuesday 17 July 2007, Justin Mason wrote: >Matt Kettler writes: >> Robert - eLists wrote: >> > Is it really true that in all the time spamassassin has been alive that >> > the SA Team has only recv'd a hundred bucks or so in donations and such?
[...] >Actually, part of my job description in a previous job was to spend a >certain amount of time working on the OSS code, a good bit more recently >than that. ;) > >For what it's worth, I've heard from other projects where the "paypal >button on the homepage" model hasn't worked either. In my experience, >it's easier for people (and companies) to express donations in "barter" >terms, than in direct monetary payment. I believe the major reason it doesn't work is related to the PayPal TOS. There have been quite a few projects such as this one that have benefitted me directly, and I am willing to donate a small "Hey, great stuff, I appreciate it" message that people could "take to the corner ice cream store". Unforch, I'm also retired, on a relatively fixed income that while it does have some "discretionary spending" wiggle room that would allow me to say thanks, the actual mechanism to do that opens me up to the possibility of electronic funds transfer fraud because PayPal seems to think that the only way to do business with them is to give them the routing numbers that allow them free access to extract whatever they think they need to balance the books at PayPal. I do 99% of my bill paying online, and if it was as simple as having my bank send your project's head a check for $20, and have that automaticaly converted to your local monetary system at the current rate of exchange when your projects head takes it to his bank and deposits it, it would happen quite often. The difference is that my writing the check puts the "is it good?" onus on those that handle it as that piece of paper makes its way back through the clearing houses to my bank, and they like being paid for that liability/risk. A 2 digit check, on a 5 digit account shouldn't be that big a deal, but with PayPal in the handling chain, that 2 digit check has the possibility of turning into an empty account, and that's so not going to happen. I have NDI if it would work or not, but no one seems willing to put a second donate button up that simply displays a valid address where I could send a donation, possibly even real cash. And we won't know if it would work till someone tries it. For all I know, fixed, per transaction fees might eat it all up & only the money changers wind up going to the store. All I do know is that there really should be a direct "from me to you" funds transfer path that works as well as me handing that $20 bill to you in person. The feasability is the next thing to determine... -- Cheers, Gene "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed Howdershelt (Author) Brain fried -- Core dumped
