You’ve been such a tremendous help to myself just starting out and so many others it would be tragic to have you leave because of a few bad apples.

I think most folks are “just good”, they (we) just need a little push to get going. I appreciate your wealth of information and the opportunity to learn from the talented folks that post here. I believe like many others that it is certainly worth a subs fee. I don’t think you should revamp the site however because it would turn away DEs that need this information (before they know just how much they need it) and it is something you obviously don’t want to do. I agree with some of the ideas that others have laid out like simply reminding us once a month/qtr to send in a fee (I believe in being specific, tell us how much to send) or have a ‘fund drive’ once a qtr with a tutorial gift or something.

I’m going to be real, if there is a bucket of my favorite candy just sitting on the porch of someone I know to be a good person, I’m going to say a silent thanks and take a handful. I’ll probably give them something later or have already given a gift or 2 so I don’t feel bad. If there is a note telling me how much the candy is and where to drop the change, I’ll pay the cost and take the same handful. Most people aren’t trying to be “not good” they (we) just have so much going on that they need to be told.

Thanks for the tip Nadine. I bought some from Amazon; the company selling it there sold it less expensively than they do on their own website. I have two cats who are a bit sullen and don’t like the other cats. Apparently, this product makes them happier too. I don’t know how effective it’ll be with my tomcat (Right) because I think he deliberately scratches the sofa when he wants me to chase him around the house; it’s all great fun for him, unless I can find the matagatos* which none of the cats like.

*matagatos = a water filled squirt bottle.
In spanish, a fly swatter is called a matamoscas (kill+flies). Matagatos means kill+cats. (I make up words all the time)

So i invested more $$$ in foam and fill and cleaning supplies than I had in the couch. A year later, it need a fill boost, but all it smells of is us and our dog!

Sorry to contribute something a little off topic – but about those cats and that sofa….

You should try this product – Comfortzone for cats by the Feliway corp. It is a synthetic pheromone that mimics the smell of a cat’s cheek. It is their happy face smell – the reason they always rub their face on people and things they like. Anyway, the reason this is great is because Comfortzone comes in a spray and also a – get this – plug in! When the cats smell their happy face smell they are less likely to scratch on sofas or fight with each other. I want to buy stock in this company so they can make a whole range of “Happy -insert your custom item here – Smell” Just imagine if we could buy plug ins for those horrible people at work, difficult students, family members etc. Not likely but one can dream. The great thing about this product is that it totally works. I used it with a super fraidy cat who did bad things like not use the litter box and it totally worked. I was very skeptical. So just offering a suggestion to save your couch. Sorry I didn’t have any info about saving your earnings – I’m thinking…

you have no idea how much you have made a difference! I’ve learned soooooooooo much from your posts. The information provided here is like having my own private mentor in the manufacturing process.

I’m not opposed to subscription based membership. Just be sure to have something free so new members can get a glimpse of this valuable information.

With friendship,
Lisa

As much as all of her clients love her, my midwife still has to get on the phone to collect money every now and then. It’s not that we wouldn’t want to support her- It’s just that when someone really loves what they’re doing and works so closely with people, it’s easy to mistake the situation as more of a relationship than a practical service that needs to be funded.

She smiles as she listens to my baby’s heartbeat and lingers for a while over coffee. She shares her personal birth stories and significant life events. She tells me my tummy looks beautiful and then I must remember to get out my checkbook- something about that just breaks the mood and tone of it all, doesn’t it?

I think you’re forgotten because you’re so dear and generous to us.
Take it as a compliment and remind us to pay you at scheduled intervals?
I know, it’s crummy. But people are a little bit crummy.

The other day I passed your link on to my neighbor who’s a former costume designer (and now sews only as a hobby), saying I’ve probably learned more about clothing construction (as well as neurodiversity and other near & dear “off-topic” subjects) from you than any other source in the last 25-plus years. But I don’t think I’m in your book’s target market.

I just made my first donation (yeah, I can be a bit slow on the uptake sometimes) and will make more – the information is definitely worth it to me now. The thing is, I don’t even remember how I first stumbled upon this site or when I started searching through the archives. I’m just grateful that they were available to me then. Had I been required to subscribe before reading, I wouldn’t have stuck around. I’d hate to see that opportunity lost to other new readers.

True, you don’t owe us readers anything. And if life gets in the way and you decide to post less frequently or start charging for “bonus” material, that’s your every right. You’re doing a terrific service here – don’t think for a moment that it’s not appreciated. I just hope it stays accessible to everyone who can benefit from it.

Otherwise, pursue your other dream jobs, and why not just blog for fun on your personal blog, and take the obligation and resentment out of it? Post about your son and your cats or whatever is on your mind, as frequently or as infrequently as you like. Post because you enjoy it – I know you do, you’re a natural, gifted blogger. I love the off-topic posts too, BTW.