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ViaChicago Fundraising


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For some time now, VC has been ad-free, and we haven't had to ask you for any donations or subscription fees. While we've all enjoyed this state of affairs, unfortunately we've now reached a point where we are going to need some funds to keep the site up and running smoothly, and we'd like to do that without having to rely on any one person or group of people for funding. solace is currently exploring some new hosting/server options (he very graciously donates his tech-support time, we're so lucky there), and we'll let you know exact cost amounts as soon as they are available.

 

But rather than just ask for monetary donations, we're hoping to give you some bang for your buck, aside from the daily bang you get just from visiting VC. (We'll also be putting a dedicated "click here to donate" button at the top of the page, for those of you who prefer to donate banglessly.)

 

This is going to be a multi-step process. The first step, what we're asking you for today, is the donation of your talent. We're hoping to set up a storefront on zazzle.com to sell some VC-themed merchandise. Our hope is that this will allow for some continuing flow of funds, which may not fully pay for the site, but will at least offset costs to some extent into the future.

 

So, all you talented artists and designers out there, put on your creativity hats to develop and donate a design for a t-shirt or sticker or ( :w00t ) shoes for VC! Check out the zazzle.com specs page for info.

 

Once you've got a design ready (please limit yourself to one design), PM one of the mods, and let us know. Deadline for submission is April 30. There is no deadline: any designs will be accepted, at any time. Depending on how many designs come in, the mods reserve the right to choose our favorites, to hold a poll to see which we'll use, or maybe to roll them out over a few months time. Or if this goes really well, we'll ask for a second round of submissions at some point down the road.

 

[[[The next step of the process, which is going to take a little more administrative work, will be a raffle (or "draw" for you UK-based VCers), to be held probably in late spring/early summer. We're also hoping to be able to include some of the designs we get from some of you talented VCers as prizes in that raffle. More details will be posted as they get fine-tuned by the VC staff.]]]

 

For now, please PM any of the mods if you're interested. We're very excited to see what you all come up with. Let's show the world how deep the ViaChicago talent pool really is!

 

Thanks in advance for your support of ViaChicago,

Your Admin/Moderating Team

kidsmoke

solace

Narziss

Twisted Acres

Wendy

Welsh Rich

Mrs. Peel

Preferred B

Norbs...Dahooey!

ms yvon

gogo

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Just a thought regarding merchandise: I would KILL for a carlos monkey t-shirt. Pedro, whaddya think?

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I wonder what the copyright status of all this stuff we type on here is?

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Dan, that's a good question. A quick peek at the Zazzle forums seems to indicate that all it takes is one copyright-infringement report to the management, and they'll pull the design. So for something that we're not sure about (anyone have any idea who holds the rights to carlos' monkey-with-glasses pic?), we may have to err on the side of caution.

 

As far as quoting each other (and I'm guessing we'll get at least a few designs incorporating some choice words from past VC posts), obviously it would be best if anything like that was OK'd by the original speaker/writer of the words. We don't want anyone feeling like they're being teased/harassed by this project.

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We don't want anyone feeling like they're being teased/harassed by this project.

 

 

Now you are just sucking all the fun out of the room. I am not paying a red cent unless someone gets humiliated and pees their pants.

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Dan, that's a good question. A quick peek at the Zazzle forums seems to indicate that all it takes is one copyright-infringement report to the management, and they'll pull the design. So for something that we're not sure about (anyone have any idea who holds the rights to carlos' monkey-with-glasses pic?), we may have to err on the side of caution.

I've tried my damnedest to find an owner of the monkey/glasses pic. The worst that could happen is a cease and desist, I believe.

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Yeah, I'm not too terribly concerned about that one, particularly. Also, I'm guessing the worst that would happen would be just having the design pulled from Zazzle. I'd hate to see anyone put good work into a design that couldn't be used, though. Just use your best judgement. :)

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I would buy a shirt with the "highy messed up freaks" on the front and "Fixed it for you" on the back.

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yes!

Hey, crossing over from FB, you should totally get that Pylon album. It is mad awesome - can't BELIEVE I missed it back in the '80s.

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I'd buy a shirt that says "my friend say boo hiss to Nels Cline" on the front and "were tapers present?" on the back..

:lol Are folks formally submitting these ideas? Or bribing someone with design skills to do so? These t-shirts aren't going to make themselves, people!

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:lol Are folks formally submitting these ideas? Or bribing someone with design skills to do so? These t-shirts aren't going to make themselves, people!

Is there a procedure in place? If we have an idea does it go up for a vote? If we have a design does it come here first? Us art school-types need structure or were all just gonna get drunk.

 

Edit: Oh, just read the top of the page. Idiot. See. Art school. Its been ten years, but nothing's changed.

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Maudie laid it out in the original post. Of specific interest:

 

"Once you've got a design ready (please limit yourself to one design), PM one of the mods, and let us know. Deadline for submission is April 30. Depending on how many designs come in, the mods reserve the right to choose our favorites, to hold a poll to see which we'll use, or maybe to roll them out over a few months time. Or if this goes really well, we'll ask for a second round of submissions at some point down the road."

 

I think it might be okay to submit more than one. Or, again, bribe others.

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