$50,000.00 to $100,000.00 for an FT Community Director
 

In a recent thread Randy posted:

I would be happy to donate $100.00 a year to this cause. FT is worth way more than that to me each year. Are their 600 to 999 other folks who are so inclined?

How about setting up a pledge system that provides certain privileges to folks who pledged certain amounts. Maybe a private (read only) http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif "Randy's Hottest Travel Tips" forum for folks who pledged a minimum of $50-75 per year? The Community Director could be charged with keeping the Hot Tips current. You could have another level, maybe $150.00 a year, which would allow private interaction among FT supporters, kind of like the Opera. You could even tie the Director's salary directly to the donations pledged for subsequent years--decent motiviation for the director to improve the site and keep things fairly balanced and under control.

The possibilities here are are endless and such programs would not be particulary challenging to implement. The only real challenge would be to make certain that you selected an individual who was very rational and very close to you philosophically--a person who could remain totally fair and objective at all times, even under fire.

Given the right person, I can see this working.

I have offered to provide office space in India and recruit and retain a person there as FT Community Manager if Randy or anyone here is interested. I understand the whole controversy with outsourcing and doing it "offshore", but it would be amongst the most financially feasible things to do and we could find someone for a fraction of the cost we would have to fund for such a position domestically.

[This message has been edited by GUWonder (edited Feb 05, 2004).]

I can seen your point, GUWonder, and it is a good one, but I honestly think that this particular effort could only work if the director was located in The House of Miles and had frequent opportunities to interact personally with Randy so that he/she would learn to think and react like Randy. This plan can only succeed if there is total objectivitiy and really seamless interaction, communication and eventually thinking processes between Randy and this employee.

I agree with much of what you say. We want to keep FT as a reflection of the Best of Randy. Perhaps, a structure whereby the FT Community Director is in the House of Miles while said person's support/moderators are offshore. It would mean that the direction would come direct from the House of Miles and there is more bang for the buck. Remote management is less of an issue with such a structure, and I am sure that we can find a way that works.

I would absolutely be willing to spend an amount every year for any kind of a flyertalk.com membership.

The idea of providing extra-service is great. But I would also pay for just the membership without any extras.

I think it's a bad idea to have this person know who contributed how much to his salary.

For the position to be successful, everyone's gotta be treated the same - this idea decreases that possibility.

I strongly support this idea. I would call it the FlyerTalk Patron Program, and think it should be have several tiers. However, I also think that only Randy and his staff should know which tier each voluntary contributor belongs to. There is no need to have this tier information be public, else we will start another useless discussion regaring status - and I will of course jump right on it... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

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Gaucho100K

Although Randy has been opposed to it, a fee based verification system as proposed by JRF with a reasonable charge would drum up a great deal of money. For each one of you that would gladly donate $100, there would be hundreds of FT'ers that would contribute $5.

In addition, it would weed out all of these phony posters and also eliminate many of the trolling troublemakers that we have had to deal with.

I think our current FT Benevolent Dictator (term used in the most amiable way http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif ) should pay himself $75,000 (however raised!) and cut out the 'middle man'.

As I have a feeling the buck will always stop on his desk anyway. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

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~ Glen ~ sipping bubbly from a UA 747-400 exit row 15 near you SOON!

I STRONGLY disagree with any system that requires people to pay to participate. It seems to me that the whole point here is to get as much community/info as possible.

If asked to be a FT 'Patron' at some annual level, it would be my honor to participate.

I think it would have to be clear, though, that such a donation is just that: a donation and conveys no ownership, or sense of ownership to the donor. I can just hear the 'hey, I'm a patron and I think X should happen' now...

Having said that, I think the concept of silver, gold and platinum patrons miiiiight just have some appeal to this particular crowd....

Randy is already on record as opposed to any fee based system at this time.

As for "Donations", this will lead to MANY more problems than it will solve.

There are too many members here who would NOT be able to resist the temtation to attempt to influence decisions by touting: "I donate a portion of your salary".

If Randy is to make this work, it MUST be financed by him and the person MUST be an outsider.

Just a thought that isn't going anywhere...

Randy could set up a non-profit operating foundation (501c3 so our contributions -- and Randy's -- could be tax deductible). That foundation could be charged with running Flyertalk and bearing the costs associated with it.

This would obviously be complicated on Randy's end because of the joint costs incurred by Flyertalk and his other web properties. But even the accounting costs could be borne by the non-profit.

If Randy didn't think Flyertalk could ever turn a profit, he could turn ownership over to the c3 in exchange for an immediate deduction (and remain Chairman of the Board and select the other initial directors). If he wanted to retain ownership the c3 could simply run the website while Randy retained ownership.

In either case Randy's ongoing costs could be charitable deductions (though they're currently presumably deductible as ordinary business expenses).

This structure could make contributions viable because they would all be deductible... and the revenue from contributions wouldn't be taxed... and there might be tax advantages for Randy... (but I know nothing of his personal tax situation or corporate structures so don't know whether this in fact would be bneficial.)

I don't expect replies on this or for anyone to run with it. I just offer it out there for what it's worth.

I agree. I see too much opportunity for temptation that some people could, or would, not resist.

I have emailed Randy a list with many ideas on how to generate revenue, perhaps it's just because I'm a business owner but I don't think discussing financial matters and ideas like this belongs out in the open. Some ideas require member support, and some generate revenue from completely new channels not seen before on FT.

Keep in mind though, that to generate $100k would require 1000 members to pay $100, and I seriously doubt that many members would do that. Also keep in mind that whatever plan is thought of, it has to have guarantees for years to come, perhaps the first year might see 1000 people, but who can be sure the same will happen next year? You can hardly tell someone that they won't be paid because of that.

ScottC, I should know better than to question your statements, buuuuut:

How can Ford guarantee its workers that they will sell enough cars next year to continue to employ them?

How can my employer promise me that we will retain enough industry participants to sustain my salary?

Answer: they cannot, but they CAN show me that they are delivering a product that is marketable enough to provide revenue sufficient to keep me around.

You and I DO agree that there are several business models that could be employed to sustain full time support...should Randy determine that same is necessary...