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| Author |
Message |
danr
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A gentle reminder
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Jul 26 16:16 UTC 2002 |
At the last board meeting, there was a discussion about sending an e-
mail to non-members every three months gently encouraging them to
become members.
Aruba made the motion “For the Board to approve a gentle e-mail
reminder, regarding how Grex is funded, sent every three months subject
to a review of the message in co-op, provided there is a way for users
to “opt out” of receiving the e-mail.
Mary seconded and the motion passed 7-0.
I've somehow been given the task of drafting that e-mail. Response #1
is the draft I came up with. Comments and suggestions are welcome.
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| 21 responses total. |
danr
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response 1 of 21:
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Jul 26 16:19 UTC 2002 |
Hi--
This is an automatic mailing being sent to all Grex users who are not
members. Its purpose is to encourage you to become a member.
Grex is run cooperatively by a not-for-profit corporation known as
Cyberspace Communications, Inc. and is totally funded by members of the
corporation. We want you to become a member, too. Becoming a member
helps keep Grex alive and allow us to offer even more services.
Membership also allows gives you the right to vote in Grex elections
and will make you feel like a really great person (just a little
poorer).
Membership costs US$6 per month or US$60 per year (cheap!). Dues are
100% tax deductable. If you pay for at least three consecutive months,
you become a voting member, and if you pay for 3 months all at once you
may request a copy of the 32-page Grex handbook, "Wizard in Training",
and we will send it to you.
To become a Grex member, send cash, checks, or money orders to:
Cyberspace Communications, Inc. P.O. Box 4432 Ann Arbor, MI 48106-4432
Or you can send money over the net using Paypal. See
http://www.cyberspace.org/member.html for more information.
(If you send cash or a money order, or use Paypal, please send a
photocopy of a current ID, such as a driver's license or student ID
card. If you send a personal check with your name pre-printed on it,
that's good enough ID for us.)
Feel free to send us mail at membership@cyberspace.org if you have
questions, or see the membership FAQ at
http://www.cyberspace.org/memfaq.html
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
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polytarp
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response 2 of 21:
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Jul 27 00:57 UTC 2002 |
If I get any mail like this, regardless of whether I "opt out", under any of
my many accounts, I will never give Grex funds, unless I decide to do so.
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davel
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response 3 of 21:
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Jul 27 01:07 UTC 2002 |
Hmm. I don't think anyone was proposing forcing you to give money, so your
not giving unless you decide to do so can be taken for granted.
Suggested nitpicking rewording to Dan's proposed mail: For "totally funded
by members of the corporation", substitute "funded entirely by donations".
The former is not accurate.
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polytarp
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response 4 of 21:
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Jul 27 01:15 UTC 2002 |
Re.3: Don't tell ME what to do.
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carson
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response 5 of 21:
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Jul 27 06:08 UTC 2002 |
(is the "Wizard In Training" manual still published? it could pribly
use an update by this point.)
(the fifth sentence of the second paragraph has both "allows" and "gives";
it looks like Dan wasn't sure of which word to use. I'm not sure either.)
(apart from the above, I do like the wording. I think mail every three
months may be too frequent [not even public radio fundraises four times
a year], but I suppose that's fodder for another discussion.)
(thanks for volunteering [or for being volunteered, if that's the case]
to draft this text, Dan!)
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russ
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response 6 of 21:
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Jul 27 12:30 UTC 2002 |
Don't feed the troll.
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aruba
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response 7 of 21:
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Jul 27 13:32 UTC 2002 |
Wizard in Training was last updated in April, 1998. I still send copies to
people who request them, but carson is correct that it should probably be
updated. I don't have time right now, but if anyone else would like to take
on that task, let me know.
Dave's nitpick isn't quite correct, since a small portion of Grex's income
comes from T-Shirt sales and the auction. It would be correct to say that
Grex is "almost entirely funded by its members", or "almost entirely funded
by donations".
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davel
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response 8 of 21:
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Jul 27 15:12 UTC 2002 |
Re 7: you're right of course. <sigh>
Re 6: were you addressing me, or polytarp?
Re 4: I just love how consistent you are in practicing what you preach.
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keesan
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response 9 of 21:
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Jul 30 16:19 UTC 2002 |
The auction is based on donations, too, and the T-shirts cost more than
generic ones because $5 of their cost is donated to grex. So what part of
grex is not funded by donations?
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aruba
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response 10 of 21:
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Jul 30 17:10 UTC 2002 |
Well, T-shirts, and also we occasionally sell off old equipment. As I said,
it's certainly true that the vast majority of Grex's funding is from
donations, but I wouldn't want to claim it was 100% and then have to answer
a challeng about it.
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dpc
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response 11 of 21:
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Jul 30 20:12 UTC 2002 |
In the third paragraph, second line, "deductable" should be
"deductible." Otherwise it looks fine. Nice work, Dan!
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keesan
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response 12 of 21:
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Jul 31 12:14 UTC 2002 |
Was the old equipment also donated in the first place?
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aruba
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response 13 of 21:
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Jul 31 14:57 UTC 2002 |
Mostly, yes.
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i
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response 14 of 21:
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Aug 18 11:25 UTC 2002 |
I think we also take lesser donations - it's fine if someone wants to
give $30/year (or whatever). Should we note that?
I'd hedge a bit on the tax deduction - that depends on whether someone
itemizes, exceeds certain limits, is a U.S. tax payer at all, etc.
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bhelliom
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response 15 of 21:
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Aug 19 13:22 UTC 2002 |
Well, that is the caxe with any non-profit and charitable
organization. All mention that contriobutions to their organization
are tax deductible without making note of that particular information.
most that make regular contributions to such groups will know this.
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keesan
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response 16 of 21:
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Aug 31 13:50 UTC 2002 |
For anyone with their own business who uses grex for email, it is a business
expense (meaning you also save the 15% that would have gone for social
security tax).
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tod
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response 17 of 21:
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Sep 3 18:59 UTC 2002 |
Can an individual claim a donation to a non-profit if they are using the
expense as a business operations expense(rather than a personal capital
expense)?
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gelinas
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response 18 of 21:
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Sep 4 03:11 UTC 2002 |
BTW, the "gentle reminder" was gentle enough the first time, and not too much
worse the second, but the third three minutes after the second was . . .
ungentle.
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aruba
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response 19 of 21:
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Sep 4 03:43 UTC 2002 |
?
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gelinas
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response 20 of 21:
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Sep 14 07:31 UTC 2002 |
Consider:
} Received: from localhost (aruba@localhost) by grex.cyberspace.org
(8.6.13/8.6.12) with SMTP id WAA28420; Tue, 3 Sep 2002 22:35:40 -0400
} Date: Tue, 03 Sep 2002 22:35:39 EDT
} From: Mark A Conger <aruba@cyberspace.org>
} To: Joseph L Gelinas <gelinas@grex.cyberspace.org>,
} Subject: Your Grex membership expires on 9/15
} Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.96.1020903223441.27378D-100000@grex.cyberspace.org>
and
} Received: from localhost (aruba@localhost) by grex.cyberspace.org
(8.6.13/8.6.12) with SMTP id WAA28859; Tue, 3 Sep 2002 22:38:28 -0400
} Date: Tue, 03 Sep 2002 22:38:27 EDT
} From: Mark A Conger <aruba@cyberspace.org>
} To: Joseph L Gelinas <gelinas@grex.cyberspace.org>,
} Subject: Your Grex membership expires on 9/15
} Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.96.1020903223726.28614A-100000@grex.cyberspace.org>
Probably just a hiccough in your mail program. :)
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aruba
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response 21 of 21:
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Sep 14 19:05 UTC 2002 |
Messages are not automated, so I probably forgot that I had sent you one and
so I sent you another. Sorry for being ungentle.
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