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Subject:Re: Paying for the listserv From:"Brierley, Sean" <Brierley -at- QUODATA -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 4 Aug 1999 09:43:37 -0400
Hallo:
While I still think a free list is the easiest way to go, John Posada has a
point.
>>However, if you are a student, would you not buy a
>>required $5 or $10 textbook?
>>>> While I don't mind paying for the list, I do foresee
>>>> one potential
>>>> problem...students. While I was in grad school, one
>>>> of my professors
>>>> required that we sign up for Techwr-L. What a great
>>>> move! I learned more
>>>> about the "real world" of tech writing, and really
>>>> got a feel for the field.
>>>>
>>>> If payment had been required, there's no way I could
>>>> have had the
>>>> experience.
As a college student, I could afford $10, $20, $30, even $100 a year for
such a subscription. There were several classes where costs for books
approached $300. Certainly, the $5-$20 we are talking about represents the
monthly pizza bill for a college student. In any event, if you cannot come
up with a spare $20 in a year, you are cutting your costs too close and need
a job (or another one).
Now, about the non-North Americans on the list. I'd be willing to spot them
free membership and just accept payment from the USA and Canada. That'd be
the easiest way to deal with the international money issue. Yes, that means
some get the list for free! I'd rather pay to include those folks than have
them excluded. (How to determine country of origin? Aside from Whois, I
don't know.)
As for folks without credit cards: I understand and respect your decision
not to get mired in the whole debt and free transfer of personal information
issue. I appreciate that credit cards and credit reports can affect
information that is private. It seems like you made a decision for good
reasons.
However, your decision has consequences. Credit cards exist because they are
an easy way to pay for things, especially online things. By choosing not to
have a credit card, you have chosen not to take advantage of this benefit.
As a result, you have decided to make paying over the internet a tad more
difficult. Instead of a 1.5% interest rate, you suffer fees for getting
international money orders, and the like. That is one of the downsides to
your decision. But, it was and is your decision.
Hey, on the lighter side, no credit card does seem to be a Canadian thing
<g>. I expected it to be a European one. Strange . . . I though we, in the
USA, were more paranoid about loss of privacy to the evils of big government
and international trade and transfer of information <vbg>.
I still think a free list would be the easiest and most inclusive path. I
still **reject** any STC management and control of the list (but not
advertising). In any event, count me in for up to $20 per year (no higher,
please).
