Lately there's been a lot of discussion about intellectual property, copyrights, digital distribution, and the online economy. I have a lot of opinions about these issues; someday I'll make a web page to present them in more detail, but the main thing I believe in is this: People are willing to compensate the creators of things they value, as long as it's easy to do so. I then realized that I, myself, have created things of value, on this very web site-- music polls, academic papers, photos, even my page of links-- that people might be willing to compensate me for in appreciation of my efforts. So, I figured, why not make it easy for them to do so?
The problem was, I can't afford to accept credit cards, and sending a check or money through snail mail is a hassle for both parties. What I really want is an online currency-- an old idea, but one that still hasn't really been implemented well. Meanwhile, along comes PayPal, which lets people pay each other with credit cards (or direct deposit and withdrawal from bank accounts) for free. Follow that link to sign up-- you and I each get $5 free!
Anyway, once you've signed up, you can pay me whatever you feel like this web site is worth to you-- a dollar? a nickel? a penny? Whatever works. (You can't make micro-transactions yet, so no halfpenny donations.) Unfortunately, their one-click payment system requires a "Premier" account, which charges a 30-cent fee on every transaction-- screw that! So you'll have to type in my email address (<dougo@ccs.neu.edu>) by hand in their "Email Money" form. So much for my "make it easy" plan, I know, but at least it's easier than stuffing an envelope!
So, let me know which parts of the site are valuable to you, and put your money where your mouth is! On the other hand, if it's been a big waste of time for you, let me know your address and I'll compensate you for your time-- just realize that I value your time quite a bit less than my own...
I'll keep this page updated with a current tally so you can see how well the experiment is working. Drop me a line if you're performing a similar experiment yourself, especially if you have suggestions for a better method of payment.
TOTAL DONATIONS: $3.36
TOTAL REFERRAL BONUSES: $10.00