Warbird Information Exchange

<vent-on>

</vent-off>

I'm going to share something with everyone. And if I'm delusional tell me.
I started this site ~23 years ago to be a store-house of information to be available to all who sought it.
I didn't charge for it, I never will charge for it.
I spend 15-20 hours a week working on it (over and above my regular 55-60 hour work week)
and it comprises well north of 250,000 files.

Now the revenue of the site generated from adsense has dropped to around $120 a month, Amazon is around $11.
Direct advertisers (when there are any) bring in about $40.
Paypal and Patreon have about 12 subscribers total for about $50.
Operating costs are around $150 or so per month.

I love doing it and if I won the lottery I'd do it full time (which has been a dream for awhile).

Now here's the problem...

With in the next 4-5 years I need to work from home, this is due to medical issues within the family.
I need to pull an income from whatever I'm able to do from home.
If 10% of the registered members of WIX subscribed for $2 a month, this would be achievable. That's less than a magazine subscription.

What I want to ask you all is... is this unreasonable? Is it something to continue to work for? Do you feel that $2 a month is worthwhile to support this project or am I complete delusional?

Let me know your opinions.

_________________
Scott Rose
Editor-In-Chief/Webmaster
Warbirds Resource Group - Warbird Information Exchange - Warbird Registry

Be civil, be polite, be nice.... or be elsewhere.
-------------------------------------------------------
This site is brought to you with the support of members like you. If you find this site to be of value to you,
consider supporting this forum and the Warbirds Resource Group with a VOLUNTARY subscription
For as little as $2/month you can help ($2 x 12 = $24/year, less than most magazine subscriptions)
So If you like it here, and want to see it grow, consider helping out.



Thanks to everyone who has so generously supported the site. We really do appreciate it.

Follow us on Twitter! @WIXHQ

I'd be happy to subscribe for any reasonable number. I regularly give Wikipedia money because I use it so much in my work as an aviation historian, and for the same reason, I would subscribe to WIX. People should pay for whatever profits them.

I agree. One piece of advice: make it super easy for people to make a single donation in the spur of the moment (a simple form with a big DONATE NOW button that asks for the absolute minimum amount of information and makes it happen with absolute minimum number of clicks).

I'm in, it is an entirely reasonable price for a site I go to nearly daily, but I'm leery of automatic subscriptions and my credit card or paypal out there (not leery of you, just hackers etc and in general)

As long as cash is still good in the 'ole USA, I'm happy to mail cash and will do again- I still have your mailing address.

Thanks for what you do- Dave

I give $10 bucks a month to WIX, Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields and Wikipedia.
I'll bump it up to $20 for WIX, but I'm still waiting for my t-shirt Scott...

Phil

_________________
A man's got to know his limitations.

Scott......

With all the great time I spent here....

U are 100% right that I participate.

I am sorry for the delay in doing so.

But please rest assured......

Purchase details
Receipt number: 29xx365xx79xx34

Your hard work HAS made a difference in my life as to when and why I needed passionate internet friends on the same get away subject which is so close to my passionate hearth....

The question remains.....how do we push to the next generation?????

I cannot say enough thank you for the nice plygound you provided....

Sincerely

You know where I stand Scott. I might be able to do a bit more but I'm living on a fixed disability income so money is tight. (Understatement) The only other pay-site that I am a member of, and the only one of its kind that I am aware of, is RC ScaleBuilder. RCSB is set up so that it is free to browse but if you want to participate then it is $20 a year. Or you can purchase a lifetime membership for some fixed amount, although I can't recall what that amount is. Mike, the owner of the site, also grants lifetime memberships to a few folks who bring something special to the site or who assist in the running of the site in some way, etc. It is BY FAR the best RC Scale model related web site on the net. WIX is the only other site on the net that I donate to regularly quite simply because it provides something of value and has no comparable alternative in my opinion. I hope others feel the same way as I would be bummed if WIX were to cease to be available. If you have any interest in speaking to the proprietor of RCSB about his site I would be glad to put you in touch with him.

Thanks for all you do!

Scott,

$2 a month is very reasonable. I've been visiting this site almost daily, I believe since the early 2000s. The wealth of information, and pictures posted by you, and other members, are invaluable. I'd be very willing to donate to the cause. I used to be a member of other forums, and Paypal seemed the easiest to transfer funds.

This forum, the associated aircraft areas (Registry, Forgotten Props, etc.) and the vast knowledge of so many great people are why I frequent WIX more than any other website. Two dollars is very reasonable, not too much for anyone that checks in often. I sent a PayPal payment in January and plan to every year.
Thank you Scott for the opportunity to see and learn so much!

_________________
Always looking for P-51D parts.

Scott, for the amount I use your great website I have no problem making a donation. $2 a month is very reasonable. Set up a PayPal account and I'll send you a donation now.

I'm signed up for $50.00 per month so please tell me you're receiving it. It's been going your way for a good while now. If you need more send me a PM and whatever you need is yours. I also may have to hire you for a home job when your ready. Your computer savvy I believe. I still have to get you on board with my files and I'm now up to over 850,000 photos. Ugh!!!

We'll keep you up and going. You can count on it.

_________________
[Thread title is ridiculous btw]

I'm in. I just PayPal'ed you $100.

_________________
Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Lake Dallas, Republic of Texas

I think we're probably all onboard with that, Scott. I pay you $10/month towards keeping the site going and I'd gladly pay more, but you have $10/month set as the max from what I remember. Raise the rate. Down the road you can always adjust it up or down as required. We need to keep you and WIX going. You've created a quality site that we all enjoy.

_________________
Defending Stearmans on WIX since Jeff started badmouthing them back in 2005.

Just sent in a year's worth; should have done it long ago. Sorry to hear about the family issue.

_________________

All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

What he said. Keep your chin up.

_________________
Defending Stearmans on WIX since Jeff started badmouthing them back in 2005.