Hi Martin
Like the others, I think the price is more than fair. In fact, there's proabably a few years of donations I need to log with you anyway...

That being said, in some ways I agree with the name thing. Some folks may have sensitive jobs, so there would be some of the "I don't represent any official position" kind of protection. I certainly don't mind my first name being used.

My biggest concern would be the chat room - sure, there'd be real time dialogue, back and forth, etc. But I can see a bunch of paid members having a great discussion that ends when the last one logs off, and no record of it ever enters the thread itself. So a thread may linger and die with minimal participation seen by the general public, but potentially the world's greatest discussion that disappears in the space of a night.

consider a life membership option at some multiple of annual membership, to include a hat, a window decal, and a 'Smiling Doug' bobblehead.

In for a bobblehead!!!

I'd pay $12.00 a year, but let's not get hasty... I lost a lot of work and an apartment recently when I had to spend some "funtime" in the hospital. $12.00 is good. LOL

If things looked up, I'd be willing to think about more.

If the subscription fee led to me being able to sell some things, that would be a bonus. And I do have a paypal account.

I do worry about having my name out there on the net though.

Simple enough. We cross-check your stated name an address against many databases that are out there. Cheap, even free.

Archives of chats would become posts. chats are visible to non members.

Good idea. Just FYI - there's "digital" and the opposite of digital, which is "private".

https://panopticlick.eff.org/

"In for a bobblehead"

Yeah, but not the naked smiling Doug bobblehead.

<shudders>
On the plus side, they could sell "accessories" for the DR bobblehead, and we could load up its tiny pockets with tiny survival accessories!

More fund raiseing activities!

OK, replying to myself here and consolidating.

There's been some good comments (including some side discussions from DR hisself) and the core concept - a "Benefactor" seems to be OK on one level. Still not saying this will actually HAPPEN but it's under evaluation. The whole idea might get tossed once the logistics of it all are worked out.

What's not at all clear is what being a "benefactor" gets you, but I have a list of things that it's not going to get you. Early access to Shot Show reviews is off the table and the idea of a "marketplace" makes the internet old-timers nervous.

Everyone seems to think that $12 a year is too cheap, I think I'll believe that when the subscriptions come in.

I got a few side notes about accessing some video content - maybe some version of one of DR's presentations. I don't know if that's going to work, but it's an interesting idea.

Another idea that came in via another channel is the concept of some kind of digital "tools" (planners? reminder services?) that are only offered to benefactors.

Anyway, keep the ideas coming.