TO ENSURE THE AVAILABILITY OF THE BWD WEBSITE SOME CHANGES NEED TO OCCUR. WE ARE ASKING FOR EVERYONE'S HELP
A group of us got together Monday evening with Dave to discuss the viability of maintaining the BWD Website. You may know that there has been a dramatic decrease in revenue with the loss of some key sponsors partially due to businesses closing down.

Did you know that the combined cost of the Cook St. and IV Webcams along with the IV Weather Station is approx. 150$/month? This is just one example of the many advantages BWD provides for the diverse user group. We are asking all the users of this site to contribute in some way to ensure the future of this highly valued website. Many of you expressed your concern about the potential loss of the latest report data. How would your life be affected without the entire website?

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN KEEP ENJOYING THE BENEFITS THIS SITE PROVIDES:
If you have any personal contacts to people who may be interested in advertising and /or sponsoring on the BWD Website, we are drafting a letter that can be sent out to potential supporters. Please contact BWD for a copy.
If you use this site to assist your business, please consider advertising or donating.
If you don't wish to assist the BWD website financially, please consider helping in other ways.
Donations of anything that can be used for a fundraiser are greatly appreciated. This could be merchandise or services or any other creative ideas that would encourage users to buy tickets toward these items.

This is a good weekend to acknowledge our thanks and commitment to assisting the continuation of this wonderful website
http://bigwavedave.ca/donate.htm

Based on these numbers:
-215 new users joined in 2010 (a lot join to post for the UoW data, non regular, fisherman or whtver, tks for helping with the UoW post btw)
-288 in 2009
-1678 since the creation of this website
And 114 users have more than 20 post.
Saying that there is at least 100 regular user would be true? Very conservative number right?

Now, let say that this website becomes a paying website, 25$ for a year or 60$ for 3 years. I am pretty sure that these 100 members would join in. About 20-30 of them already give yearly 50$-100$ or 200$+, so for them it would be a “Hell Yeah, count me in”. It makes about 2500$, but then again this is very conservative, so maybe you’ll get 3000$-3500$ for the first year.

Unfortunately by losing members you’ll lose more sponsors or have to lower the $ you get from them. Maybe have to cancel 4-5 webcams for the first 2 years. But every year there will be more and more people joining when they are going to realise that windsurfing/kiteboarding doesn’t happen as often as before and waiting on the beach or missing some wicked sessions does happen regularly.... In 3, 4 or 5 years sponsors will pay a little more because there will be more members and more money will come in due to membership...

I think that it is the way to go (before shutting it down, if you and the other admin that put lots of time and energy still feel like maintaining the website)

I also believe that Dave and some others should get a cut from the membership for all the work you guys did and continue to do for the better of everyone.

Nothing wrong charging a yearly membership IMO.

Organising draw is a good way to get donation but we had so many nice draw recently and it was often the same people/company giving stuff for the draw... Making a habit for draw is bad because people tend to forget why they give in the first place.
If you guys don’t go with membership fee maybe cancelling the Cook st and IV webcam would be a good option for now? (Ogden point and IV wind report are pretty accurate anyway)

Tks for the website, a car repair incident Saturday at the Nat delayed my donation but don’t worry I’ll donate next pay check.

Can someone do a poll just by curiosity? “Would you pay a yearly 25$ fee to access this website"?

This website is not missing 10 to 20 regular user donating regularly $50,$100 or $200+ every year. This website is missing the 100 to 120 regular or somewhat regular user donating $12, $24 or $36 a year ($1,$2 or $3 per month!!!) You decide how much, you don’t have to give $50+ or more, just need more of us giving a little. Sandy beach is right, what is $1,$2 or $3 a month? Seriously?

It is so easy donating by credit card to, takes 2 min. (you have to click on the PayPal button, then the credit card option will appear)

I even put the dollar sign in front of the number like so--> $1
Even if it should go after --> 1$ (like the French way) So please give!!!!

Ok...Yes i have donated...yes I have participated in the odd lottery draw (YOU ALWAYS WIN TEABAG lol) and I would be perfectly happy to pay a yearly fee for access to this site. I would gladly pay 25-50 dollars to have the priviledge to access the forcast web page as well as the web cams.

In reality I believe that yes you may lose a few people but once a fee is introduced I also believe people will pay more active interest as well in the forums and community.

I do believe other sites that offer such valuable information require a membership so in my opinion .... why not?

I clearly and definately do not want to see this site pulled down as I consider it a very valuable resource for me. I know I can get the nfo by digging around...but this site compiles it all for me!

My two cents anyways

Dale

I will gladly donate! Could someone tell me how? I have paypal but can't use it very well. If it wasn't for this sight I don't think I could have got involved in the sport like I have. There is a local surf shop my place, maybe I could get then on-board in some way. Iv never heard of these raffles!?

Thanks for the great post Jellyfish. I merged it with SB's post, moved it to the Rigging Area and renamed it to what your was, whew, hope that was okay. Thanks everyone for the input.

Thanks also to Teabag, monkeymanmike and rocdoc for your donations!!

dane wrote:I will gladly donate! Could someone tell me how? I have paypal but can't use it very well.

To donate you can go here: http://www.bigwavedave.ca/donate.htm
You don't need paypal, just a credit card. If you want to send a cheque that good too. There is a link at the top left of that page. Thanks.

If ever there was a site I would pay to use this is it. For the price of a double twisted mocha happichino at starbucks once a month. 100 dollars a year is cheap.

As a regular contributor over the yrs, I value the site, and can't believe the bargain that the data is. Even the Gorge, with it's big network of wind stations doesn't have the coverage we do in terms of video etc (and you still pay to have access). The dollars saved from the check and see drives not made is well worth it for me and for the planet. I already 'pay' a user fee by donating to the site, I'll pay regardless. Thank you Dave & team for the effort you put in to this.

A big thank you to the latest people to donate: KJ, KarenB, duckbill, Wingnut, ~~~~~4j~~ and Monk

http://www.bigwavedave.ca/donate.htm

Wow that's pretty awesome, over $1500 in the last 2 weeks!

Thank you to kitekook and more force 4 for their donations !
http://www.bigwavedave.ca/donate.htm

Thank you Winger and LeslieD for your donations!

Just a heads up. I'm trying to arrange a few prizes for a small Holiday fundraiser in December. It likely won't be the same scale as last year's, but if anyone has any prizes to donate please let me know.
Thanks

sock hop ?!?

I better start thinking about changing my moms paypal to my name leslieD just isnt cuttin it

I need a good BWD nickname!

dane wrote:I better start thinking about changing my moms paypal to my name leslieD just isnt cuttin it

oops I didn't know that was from you. Thanks Dane and thanks to your mom too

Thank you to Adrian (uddereef), Mike&Tara, Ron Meyers and JasonD for your donations!
http://www.bigwavedave.ca/donate.htm

Thank you to Tempy, SamJ, 240 and Shaggy for your donations this weekend!
http://www.bigwavedave.ca/donate.htm