| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
OPENSTEP
The One
Joined: May 25, 2003
Posts: 4752
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
|
 Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 2:25 pm Post subject: Upcoming changes to donation system |
|
Over the next week Patrick and I will be experimenting with some different rearrangements of the donation solicitations for NeoOffice. Over the years, many people have donated both in money and time to help support NeoOffice and keep this project alive. Less than half of one percent of users actually contribute, however. These people have done so much and really deserve the thanks of every user. As the project has grown, we've been incurring more costs and donations have not kept up with these cost increases. We need the other 99% of users to begin to help.
We'll be moving the donation system into the primary download page to encourage people to donate at least a couple dollars before they download. There will be a way to click through; people are not going to be required to pay to download. There are people who can't afford to donate and it's important for us to maintain access for them. We're also hoping to construct a system that will track donors so no one feels like they're being nagged.
The New Features program hasn't really been too successful, so we're trying something different. We're open to suggestions 
ed |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
pluby
The Architect
Joined: Jun 16, 2003
Posts: 11949
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:12 am Post subject: Re: Upcoming changes to donation system |
|
| OPENSTEP wrote: | | ...We're also hoping to construct a system that will track donors so no one feels like they're being nagged. |
We've now implemented this portion (we still need to add the plea for a couple of dollars to the download page). It's hacky but here's how it works:
1. User makes donation through PayPal using one of our donate buttons
2. After completing the donation payment, user presses PayPal's "return to merchant" button.
3. PayPal sends user's browser to our thank you page. That page sets a cookie that says to disable donation screen during patch checking for either the next year or until a new version of NeoOffice is released.
4. After this, when the patch checking page is loaded in the user's browser by NeoOffice and the user has the latest patch, they will get a "you do not need to install any patches" page instead of the donation page.
Note that since we do not store any personal information in this cookie, it will not work in the following cases:
- You have set your browser preferences to clear all cookies when you quit your browser
- You use a different browser or a different user account on your machine or you use a different machine
Patrick |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
pluby
The Architect
Joined: Jun 16, 2003
Posts: 11949
|
| Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 10:35 am Post subject: Re: Upcoming changes to donation system |
|
| OPENSTEP wrote: | | We'll be moving the donation system into the primary download page to encourage people to donate at least a couple dollars before they download.... |
FYI. The download page now has this in place.
Patrick |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
pluby
The Architect
Joined: Jun 16, 2003
Posts: 11949
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 12:35 am Post subject: |
|
FYI. To simplify the second donation plea page, I have eliminated the second skip donation button and now the second page will contain the donation plea plus the download links at the bottom of the page.
Patrick |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
xioix
Blue Pill
Joined: Nov 09, 2006
Posts: 1
|
| Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 12:16 pm Post subject: alternate payment method |
|
| Have you investigated Kagi as a payment method. I have used them many times to contribute or purchase and have had no problem with loss of privacy. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
pluby
The Architect
Joined: Jun 16, 2003
Posts: 11949
|
| Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 1:42 pm Post subject: Re: alternate payment method |
|
| xioix wrote: | | Have you investigated Kagi as a payment method. I have used them many times to contribute or purchase and have had no problem with loss of privacy. |
I have looked at it briefly and Kagi doesn't really seem all that different from PayPal so, in theory, we could eventually add support for Kagi.
The only issue is that implementing support for Kagi into our existing donations system (which we use for our Early Access Program) would definitely require programming work. Unfortunately, since our time for at least the next few months is already committed to implementing these new features, we are not likely to look at adding a second donation processor in 2007.
Patrick |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
JCG
Captain
Joined: Mar 31, 2005
Posts: 69
|
| Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:08 am Post subject: |
|
| Are you continuing the Early Access Program? I haven't donated in a while, so I was considering making a donation the next time you have an Early Access release. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
pluby
The Architect
Joined: Jun 16, 2003
Posts: 11949
|
| Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:26 am Post subject: |
|
Yes. Probably in early 2008 when we have the QuickTime movie support and Ed's grammar checker.
BTW, all donations since the end of the last EAP are counted towards the next EAP. So, if you made a donation today or last month, it counts toward the EAP donation minimum. We enhanced our EAP system before the last EAP so that all past and current donations are credited to you.
Patrick |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
