Author Topic: Escape Artists Metacast  (Read 83726 times)

NoSillyHandle

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Reply #225 on: November 12, 2013, 02:51:56 PM
So I'm finally a true Escapodian! 1% of "tens of thousands" of listeners. That did it. I threw away my cardboard sign and took a shower. Time to contribute! Thank you for all the fun so far, but also thank you for doing a heartfelt, unapologetic, entertaining, and factual "pledge drive." Too many of us who are lucky enough to love our work have a problem asking people to pay us for it. This Metacast could serve as the standard of how to ask for donations. Bravo!



Carlos Ferreira

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Reply #226 on: November 20, 2013, 06:44:39 PM
Subscribed today, after about one year and a hald of listening. Having finished my PhD last August and being a couple of months away from starting my new job, I came to realise that I should only spend money on things that matter. Escape Pod is, for me, something that matters.



johnfrye3

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Reply #227 on: December 01, 2013, 06:05:39 AM
Subscribed today, after about one year and a hald of listening. Having finished my PhD last August and being a couple of months away from starting my new job, I came to realise that I should only spend money on things that matter. Escape Pod is, for me, something that matters.

Two and a half years listening, and still working on my PhD, but same story here.  That, plus the most recent EscapePod flash contest got me to write a story that has become my first professional publication.  Subscribed, and worth it.  I plan on listening to these stories for as long as I have ears, and maybe longer.



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Reply #228 on: December 05, 2013, 04:12:52 PM
Two and a half years listening, and still working on my PhD, but same story here.  That, plus the most recent EscapePod flash contest got me to write a story that has become my first professional publication.  Subscribed, and worth it.  I plan on listening to these stories for as long as I have ears, and maybe longer.

Link?



bkw

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Reply #229 on: December 06, 2013, 05:36:21 AM


(I now have a job. And I will make use of the new option. ESPECIALLY if there is a PayPal alternative --- HATE HATE HATE Paypal)

You can send donations in via Dwolla.com.  Our number is 812-527-2340

I can't get this ID# to work on Dwolla. Is it still valid?

Never mind, weird, now it worked.

In case anyone else encounters this, here's what happened:

I already have a dwolla account that I've been using to pay my rent for 2 years or so and also very occasionally for other things. So I'm very familiar with the site and the service and my account is active etc.

I took your ID# from above and tried to set up a recurring payment with it. But the recurring payment screen just rejected the ID#. I tried manually typing. I tried cut&paste. I tried leaving out the dashes. I tried entering the name instead of the numbers. Nothing worked.

So I thought maybe it just wouldn't let you set up a recurring transaction until after someone was already a contact by doing a regular one-time transaction with them.  The regular one-time send money screen not only accepted the ID# it also found your account by name, if I just type Escape, it shows "Escape Artists Inc.". That would seem to support the theory so I went to do a one-time payment, but then I apparently took too long writing a note into the details box, because when I hit submit, the session had timed out and all I got was a login page. So I logged back in, and just for the heck of it I tried to set up the recurring payment again, and this time it worked. ??? I have no idea. The previous attempted one-time payment definitely had not been submitted. No such transaction in the history or pending activity screens.

In the end I still went ahead and sent a one-time payment that represents $5/month for the last 2 years anyways even though the recurring payment of $5/month from now on was set up. So you will get a one-time and a recurring, but the one-time was done after the recurring.

So, the reason I say all this is, if anyone else has problems, I guess just keep retrying. Dwolla site is maybe just a tad glitchy and less than perfect. ;)

Anyways, thank you for using Dwolla! Yay Dwolla!



Moritz

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Reply #230 on: December 20, 2013, 02:12:02 PM
Remember when I posted that it seemed like Paypal didn't recognise my monthly sending so I gave up and pushed the button on your website where it would take the money from my credit card? Apparently, Paypal did take the money (though I am not sure from where... because I use it seldomly). In any case I have canceled the paypal one and consider the two or three extra months as one time donations, no harm done (my job just gave me money back for external seminars, so there you go)



Scattercat

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Reply #231 on: December 21, 2013, 01:21:57 AM
Does anyone know how the hell Paypal became the default standard?  It's like Waffle House somehow became the place that everyone goes for lunch, so much so that all other fast food restaurants got pushed out and now it's Waffle House or nothing. 



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Reply #232 on: December 21, 2013, 04:35:04 PM
How did OpenJDK become the default implementation of Java?
How did Xerox's point-and-click become the default UI standard?
How did mp3 become the default music compression?

It's just the way things happen. It's either the most popular implementation or the one that works the best.
In the case of OpenJDK and Xerox it was the one that worked best. In the case of PayPal and mp3 it was the most popular.

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wossName

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Reply #233 on: February 20, 2014, 07:49:53 AM
Hello,

is there any news on alternative subscription methods? I just started supporting another podcast through Patreon. The process was pretty painless and it can be used by non-US people.

I will eventually run out of PodDisc DVDs to buy, please hurry! ;)



Thunderscreech

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Reply #234 on: February 20, 2014, 01:42:36 PM
Any news on the super special squirrel bonus episode for people who subscribed to regularly donate $50 a month?  I did via Dwolla back well before the deadline but I'm not sure if there was supposed to be an email or something or if maybe it's just still in production.  Thanks!



Fenrix

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Reply #235 on: February 20, 2014, 03:55:43 PM

Any news on the super special squirrel bonus episode for people who subscribed to regularly donate $50 a month?  I did via Dwolla back well before the deadline but I'm not sure if there was supposed to be an email or something or if maybe it's just still in production.  Thanks!


PseudoPod and PodCastle have sent theirs out. Have you not received an e-mail about those?

Also: http://forum.escapeartists.net/index.php?board=196.0

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Thunderscreech

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Reply #236 on: February 20, 2014, 05:39:54 PM
Nope!  Are Dwolla subscribers being tracked?  Or are they just looking at the Paypal roster?  </theory>



DKT

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Reply #237 on: February 20, 2014, 06:21:06 PM
Nope!  Are Dwolla subscribers being tracked?  Or are they just looking at the Paypal roster?  </theory>

That's weird. Thanks for mentioning it - I'll bring it up with Paul pronto!


Thunderscreech

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Reply #238 on: March 08, 2014, 05:27:35 AM
Any update re Dwolla subscribers being tracked?



DKT

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Reply #239 on: March 11, 2014, 04:52:04 PM
Sorry, Thunderscreech, and thanks for popping up again. I'd thought it had been resolved. I understand you have the stories now, but if anyone else is not getting them, please let us know so we can correct this.


chemistryguy

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Reply #240 on: April 04, 2014, 02:44:07 PM
Sorry.  Been AWOL a bit.  Our bank changed, so our cards did as well and some payments to EA failed.  The card is renewed and we're back in business.


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Reply #241 on: April 21, 2014, 01:44:00 PM
Oh no, Alasdair used the "price of a cup of coffee" comparison in the most recent Pseudopod cast, the most overused and cliched method of asking for money!  Hopefully not to be repeated!



Alasdair5000

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Reply #242 on: April 21, 2014, 01:49:52 PM
Except it was 4 dollars, which in my experience was about the cost of a cup of coffee and is certainly around that on this side of the pond.

It's going to be repeated. At least once. And the point isn't the comparison. The point is what you can get for that amount that isn't a disposable and in some ways luxury snack item.



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Reply #243 on: April 21, 2014, 02:51:07 PM
Except it was 4 dollars, which in my experience was about the cost of a cup of coffee and is certainly around that on this side of the pond.

It's going to be repeated. At least once. And the point isn't the comparison. The point is what you can get for that amount that isn't a disposable and in some ways luxury snack item.

It's just that it's been used in every fundraiser since I can remember.  It's kind of a default element, doesn't really entice one to donate, and strikes me as kind of lazy because it's so commonly used.  Are people going to give up their cup of coffee to donate?  I seriously doubt it. They'll either donate or they won't, but I doubt that giving up that coffee is going to be part of it, at which point I'm not really sure why the comparison is relevant.  Also, one can find coffee for much cheaper than $4 if you're inclined to look for it.  Personally, when I fancy a coffee I get it from the company coffeemaker which is provided for free.  One of the best things about the original metacast calling for donations is that the cost of a cup of coffee was never ever mentioned.

I do think it's cool that the last few donation calls I've heard have recommended other things outside of the EA casts that are worth supporting.  That's a cool element.  It would be cool if the suggested recipient changes as Kickstarters for awesome things or other fundraising efforts go by. 

I'm a $5/month subscriber.  That's not changing one way or the other.  I generally listen to every episode to the end including the donation call, and just like the rest of the episode I believe it's worth giving feedback about.



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Reply #244 on: April 21, 2014, 03:03:32 PM
btw, on the general topic of spreading the word about the podcasts, I'm going to be doing a series of guest posts for the awesome SF Signal about fiction podcasts.  It will include some Best Of Lists, but will also included articles of Podcast Spotlights, each of which will focus on a single fiction podcast and talk about what sets that podcast apart, and some of my favorite episodes etc.

I've done my best to spread the word via Diabolical Plots but SF Signal has a much huger readership than DP does, so I'm very excited.  I'm hoping that these will send a ton of new listeners to the EA casts.



matweller

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Reply #245 on: April 21, 2014, 03:37:08 PM
Personally, I know we like subscriptions, but I say we do a one-time donation push using a "price of one shoe" model. Or maybe a 40-day Lenten model. Or $5 for each of the 15 weeks of summer -- buy your stories for the beach, get them for free the rest of the year!

All of this, of course, is just until I can rent a Kool-Aid man costume and start busting into people's houses and refusing to leave until they put $5 in my head.




Fenrix

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Reply #246 on: April 21, 2014, 04:26:09 PM
Personally, I know we like subscriptions, but I say we do a one-time donation push using a "price of one shoe" model. Or maybe a 40-day Lenten model. Or $5 for each of the 15 weeks of summer -- buy your stories for the beach, get them for free the rest of the year!

All of this, of course, is just until I can rent a Kool-Aid man costume and start busting into people's houses and refusing to leave until they put $5 in my head.



I'm good with the Kool-Aid man costume, but I think we should purchase it to get the true value. Or maybe make one that looks like a cross between the Kool-Aid Man and the Escape Pod baseball. Get people to wear it at conventions.

All cat stories start with this statement: “My mother, who was the first cat, told me this...”


DKT

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Reply #247 on: April 21, 2014, 04:51:11 PM
Personally, I know we like subscriptions, but I say we do a one-time donation push using a "price of one shoe" model. Or maybe a 40-day Lenten model. Or $5 for each of the 15 weeks of summer -- buy your stories for the beach, get them for free the rest of the year!

All of this, of course, is just until I can rent a Kool-Aid man costume and start busting into people's houses and refusing to leave until they put $5 in my head.



I'm good with the Kool-Aid man costume, but I think we should purchase it to get the true value. Or maybe make one that looks like a cross between the Kool-Aid Man and the Escape Pod baseball. Get people to wear it at conventions.

PLEASE SOMEONE SEND FENRIX TO THE NEXT CON IN THIS COSTUME NOW!!!!


Varda

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Reply #248 on: April 21, 2014, 05:18:09 PM
Personally, I know we like subscriptions, but I say we do a one-time donation push using a "price of one shoe" model. Or maybe a 40-day Lenten model. Or $5 for each of the 15 weeks of summer -- buy your stories for the beach, get them for free the rest of the year!

All of this, of course, is just until I can rent a Kool-Aid man costume and start busting into people's houses and refusing to leave until they put $5 in my head.



I'm good with the Kool-Aid man costume, but I think we should purchase it to get the true value. Or maybe make one that looks like a cross between the Kool-Aid Man and the Escape Pod baseball. Get people to wear it at conventions.

PLEASE SOMEONE SEND FENRIX TO THE NEXT CON IN THIS COSTUME NOW!!!!

YES!!! I shall take pictures. For, er, marketing purposes. Yeah, that's it. :D

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Fenrix

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Reply #249 on: April 21, 2014, 07:25:50 PM
Personally, I know we like subscriptions, but I say we do a one-time donation push using a "price of one shoe" model. Or maybe a 40-day Lenten model. Or $5 for each of the 15 weeks of summer -- buy your stories for the beach, get them for free the rest of the year!

All of this, of course, is just until I can rent a Kool-Aid man costume and start busting into people's houses and refusing to leave until they put $5 in my head.



I'm good with the Kool-Aid man costume, but I think we should purchase it to get the true value. Or maybe make one that looks like a cross between the Kool-Aid Man and the Escape Pod baseball. Get people to wear it at conventions.

PLEASE SOMEONE SEND FENRIX TO THE NEXT CON IN THIS COSTUME NOW!!!!

I would totally bust through a wall at the Parsec party at Dragon*Con.

(Not the ceremony, because that would be tacky, but maybe if it was pre-arranged...)
« Last Edit: April 21, 2014, 07:30:41 PM by Fenrix »

All cat stories start with this statement: “My mother, who was the first cat, told me this...”