TO Protege members

[FLIPDADY]

Is there any way I can get an active list of members. Maybe Scooter can help me out here. It seems that a lot of people are just coming by the dealership and throwing the TO Protege club discount around like it\'s nothing. Just b/c they post stuff doesn\'t mean they get a discount.

Does TO Protege have a minimum requirement (posts, meets, etc..)for members to be eligible for the discount?

[Junior]

they should currently be using official toprotege.com membership cards.

If they don;t have a membership card, they ARE NOT entititled for the discount. I will give you a smaple of the membership card so you know what to look for. dod you have an email? I\'ll scan it in and send you the card.

[TheProfessor]

Are these cards new? I was able to use the TOP discount at Scarboro Mazda last summer and did not have to show a card.

[Junior]

Originally posted by PSIVIC


Are these cards new? I was able to use the TOP discount at Scarboro Mazda last summer and did not have to show a card.

yes they were introduced last June.. but our sponsors were not informed of them until we had enough time to distribute to all of our active members.

They are NOW being used and enforced. We have asked most of affiliates that are offering the discount to please verify that the person has a membership card and can show it, before honouring the discount.

[Scooter]

ditto to what Junior said. No Membership Card = No Discount.

[FLIPDADY]

joe.montano@mazdaoftoronto.com

[thekid]

Joe, I got your PM over at TOP... I\'ve posted up the details, and yes please be vigilant about enforcing the requirment for a membership card.

[FLIPDADY]

Originally posted by thekid


Joe, I got your PM over at TOP... I\'ve posted up the details, and yes please be vigilant about enforcing the requirment for a membership card.
Thanks Brian, looking forward to doing business with you guys!

[majic]

we should have something similar on TM3 .. do post whores qualify? lol.. paid membership? how do you enforce it?

[mit-gee-mui]

i\'m not picking on you, but i doubt the paid membership thing will fly by the \"higher authorities\" in this club....

here, we\'re all about the family atmosphere, right? we made nil/minimal profits from mom2005, and unless we undergo major restructuring, i don\'t think we will start to ask people to pay us a \"fee\" in order to be part of the club...

for those who don\'t know, we DO accept paypal donations though....;)


as for people who qualify for discounts, Xenon has a list of people that he\'s given to various places. i just don\'t know how updated it is....:sarc

[TheProfessor]

The card idea is great.....I\'m sure most members wouldn\'t mind shelling out a few dollars in order to save much more on Mazda parts and service.

[thekid]

The concept at TOP is pretty simple, a $10 donation gets you a membership card. The fees are used to help subsidize events held by TOP, pay for forum software (we recently purchased vBulletin), domain name, forum hosting, etc.

In the grand scheme of things $10/year is pretty minimal for such a valuable resource as TOP or this board. It\'s a small way of showing your appreciation for this sort of thing. And for vendors it shows them that the club is organized and the real deal. It also gives vendors a way of ensuring that people aren\'t just walking in off the street and throwing the name around.

[FLIPDADY]

Had to do the same thing with TCC.

Same $10 a year fee and a card with your forum handle on it.

[bubba1983]

vitalmotion does the exact same thing..., not sure on their fee, you get a card too, but you get access to their members only section on their forum...invites to members only events and so on....im down with the idea...shows some more organizations...and wittles out the crowd to who want to be realli involved in the club!

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by mit-gee-mui

i\'m not picking on you, but i doubt the paid membership thing will fly by the \"higher authorities\" in this club....

are these the same \"higher authorities\" that rarely post on this forum? gotta give props to TM3 for starting/owning this forum but his involvement since has been nil.


Originally posted by mit-gee-mui

here, we\'re all about the family atmosphere, right? we made nil/minimal profits from mom2005, and unless we undergo major restructuring, i don\'t think we will start to ask people to pay us a \"fee\" in order to be part of the club...

who\'s WE? are you another \"ghost\" admin.


Originally posted by mit-gee-mui

as for people who qualify for discounts, Xenon has a list of people that he\'s given to various places. i just don\'t know how updated it is....:sarc

the criteria for initially qualifying for the discounts were probably on par with paying for a membership card ....(i.e. attendance taken at meets to qualify).

[mit-gee-mui]

Originally posted by MajesticBlueN



Originally posted by mit-gee-mui

i\'m not picking on you, but i doubt the paid membership thing will fly by the \"higher authorities\" in this club....

are these the same \"higher authorities\" that rarely post on this forum? gotta give props to TM3 for starting/owning this forum but his involvement since has been nil.


Please don\'t flame me... I cannot speak for TM3, but Xenon used to post every day, several times a day. Right now, he is busy (vacation), but things are being taken care of. If you look at the earlier posts, many of them were started by Xenon. Back when the club was small, and he wasn\'t so busy, he would answer practically every post. But now, it is very difficult to keep up with everything that goes on in the forums. I think I can safely say that he is the main reason why the member count is so high without having a lot of angry faces pointing in my direction. He is the one that started selling the decals, and ordering apparel like hats, touques, t-shirts and various other things. Also, sometimes, there just is no need to post. I am not going to be revealing too much personal information on a public board, but sometimes, when things get busy and complicated, the club gets pushed down the list of priorities.




Originally posted by mit-gee-mui

here, we\'re all about the family atmosphere, right? we made nil/minimal profits from mom2005, and unless we undergo major restructuring, i don\'t think we will start to ask people to pay us a \"fee\" in order to be part of the club...

who\'s WE? are you another \"ghost\" admin.


no, i am not a \"ghost\" admin.
what i meant by \"we\" was the club as a whole.




Originally posted by mit-gee-mui

as for people who qualify for discounts, Xenon has a list of people that he\'s given to various places. i just don\'t know how updated it is....:sarc

the criteria for initially qualifying for the discounts were probably on par with paying for a membership card ....(i.e. attendance taken at meets to qualify).


yeah, the list consisted of people who satisfied the minimum number of posts and meets attended i.e. active members.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by mit-gee-mui

I think I can safely say that he is the main reason why the member count is so high without having a lot of angry faces pointing in my direction.

http://forums.maxima.org/images/smilies/spit.gif http://forums.maxima.org/images/smilies/rofl.gif

more like cross-promotion within Mazda3Forums and Google (http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=mazda3+forum+toronto&btnG=Google+Se arch&meta=)

[majic]

Originally posted by mit-gee-mui

Please don\'t flame me... I cannot speak for TM3, but Xenon used to post every day, several times a day.



that\'s the problem.. i strongly think that modes/admins who aren\'t on here on regular basis, shouldn\'t be in those positions.. i understand a week or 2 weeks off or an emergency .. fine.. designate someone else


Originally posted by mit-gee-mui
Right now, he is busy (vacation), but things are being taken care of.

what, are you his personal assistant? as far as i know, he\'s doing school.. and working at OD.. see his car in the parking lot there all the time.. :sarc


Originally posted by mit-gee-mui
If you look at the earlier posts, many of them were started by Xenon. Back when the club was small, and he wasn\'t so busy, he would answer practically every post. But now, it is very difficult to keep up with everything that goes on in the forums.


that was then .. this is now.. broli used to be a post whore.. now he\'s just a whore ;) j/k broli.. heh..

it\'s difficult if you come on here once a week or a month


Originally posted by mit-gee-mui
I think I can safely say that he is the main reason why the member count is so high without having a lot of angry faces pointing in my direction. He is the one that started selling the decals, and ordering apparel like hats, touques, t-shirts and various other things.


ok.. i agree.. he started the ball rolling but I, like others probably googled for toronto mazda3 forum (http://www.google.com/search?q=toronto+mazda3+forum&sourceid=mozilla-search&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8) and found this place we can call home *tear*


Originally posted by mit-gee-mui
Also, sometimes, there just is no need to post. I am not going to be revealing too much personal information on a public board, but sometimes, when things get busy and complicated, the club gets pushed down the list of priorities.


and that\'s when (for the benefit of others) you step down or designate others to take over..


Originally posted by mit-gee-mui

as for people who qualify for discounts, Xenon has a list of people that he\'s given to various places. i just don\'t know how updated it is....:sarc

probably as current as LAST January.. :sarc

[midnightfxgt]

Nail on the head majic......

Yes stuff does get in the way, personal or otherwise. But like Magic said, we dont have a lot of support. We have a guy BEGGING to be banned, and members begging to have him banned, and that doesnt even happen, and thats been going on for MONTHS.

Not sure how you know Lawrence, but it is obviously on a personal level. Next time your talking to him, just tell him to come online :P.

I dont think he does a bad job, just that he is fighting an uphill battle, and not being here a lot doesnt help.

-John

[S.F.W.]

Well perhaps this is the time to organize an executive comittee? But we could run into a similar problem as we did with MOM. Many people talked a good game, but few actually delivered. That was very frustrating. That said, I think if this club wants to continue to grow, and be sucessful, we need a group of individuals who are willing to invest time, energy and ideas.

[mit-gee-mui]

as I am biassed, I got offended when you guys said he was doing nothing... Right now, he is not able to sign on since he is not even in Canada. As you can see, he DID sign on around the 15th to check up on all the new logo designs, so he IS still around.

without revealing too much or causing any more arguments, I\'ll let him say more if he wishes to do so... I\'ve already said way more than I should have. I just posted cause I was just trying to help him out, but obviously I\'ve caused a big UNnecessary uproar... and I am sorry for that... i am also sorry for threadjacking... I would rather have any sort of information come from him and not me.



(I\'m not sure about midnightfxgt, but majic, i\'ve seen you at the meets, and I KNOW you don\'t remember me... i got to know this club through him, and i\'ve been here much longer than you... i\'m not trying to run this club, nor will i. i\'m just voicing my opinion (and getting flamed each time i do :().


you mentioned banning... i\'m pretty sure this was mentioned before, but even if you ban someone from the site, all they have to do is sign up with another username if they are persistent enough. if you ban a computer, they could simply switch computers and continue to do that. so i don\'t THINK it can be completely stopped.

[Broli]

Originally posted by majic
broli used to be a post whore.. now he\'s just a whore ;) j/k broli.. heh..


Hey

all i can say is
its not how u get ur name in the papers, its the fact that its there that counts!
;)

but on track,
ok, well the idea of a membership card is a good one,
so is the idea of an executive committee

[Zaku_4]

hmm

paying to be part of a club? lol meh, i think the only time ive used a club discount was when i went to get my wind deflector things lol. other than that, meh.

some people, like me, just want to pe passively part of this club =p meaning not needing to go to meetings, yet enjoying the wealth of information and entertainment this board provides =D

good day!

[majic]

Originally posted by Zaku_4

some people, like me, just want to pe passively part of this club =p meaning not needing to go to meetings, yet enjoying the wealth of information and entertainment this board provides =D



you mean leeching .. reminds me of welfare..

[midnightfxgt]

Originally posted by mit-gee-mui


as I am biassed, I got offended when you guys said he was doing nothing... Right now, he is not able to sign on since he is not even in Canada. As you can see, he DID sign on around the 15th to check up on all the new logo designs, so he IS still around.

Still around sure. Enough to fill his mod role effectively? Like you said you are biased. Not sure if your friends, or whatever, but you must admit he is not around even NEAR what he used to be. I am not saying for him to go away, but if he needs help he should get it. Things run better. I personally run a very new club, and WE (A group of 3 or 4) have been doing a great job. 12-14 cars turnout at Importfest and 4 taking home trophies. Point is, to be successful you need consistancy.


Originally posted by mit-gee-mui without revealing too much or causing any more arguments, I\'ll let him say more if he wishes to do so... I\'ve already said way more than I should have. I just posted cause I was just trying to help him out, but obviously I\'ve caused a big UNnecessary uproar... and I am sorry for that... i am also sorry for threadjacking... I would rather have any sort of information come from him and not me.

This is not a UNnesseccary uproar. People do not feel like the admins/mods are performing their role. it has been going on for some time. A club is all about members, and if they arent happy (A group of people, compared to one or two) there may be something to look at. also, not sure what you \"revealed\" really? The fact Xenon is not around? We knew that. the fact he is in Florida? Knew that too.


Originally posted by mit-gee-mui
(I\'m not sure about midnightfxgt, but majic, i\'ve seen you at the meets, and I KNOW you don\'t remember me... i got to know this club through him, and i\'ve been here much longer than you... i\'m not trying to run this club, nor will i. i\'m just voicing my opinion (and getting flamed each time i do :().

I have been to a few meets, and MOM last year. I will also be at MOM next year for sure. With a new job, a GF, modding the car some weekends, hitting the cottage, and running a car club... I am busy. You bet! That is why I dont run this club, nor try to. I know when I simply can\'t do something. I dont know what the point is about Majic remembering you, or you being here longer... he contributes more to the forum and club than you (hell, I am honest, more than me as well). Also, no one is flaming you... AT ALL. We are simply posting about a difference in opinions. No one has attacked you.



Originally posted by mit-gee-muiyou mentioned banning... i\'m pretty sure this was mentioned before, but even if you ban someone from the site, all they have to do is sign up with another username if they are persistent enough. if you ban a computer, they could simply switch computers and continue to do that. so i don\'t THINK it can be completely stopped.

RIGHT. If you ban the username, they need a new one. If you ban by IP they have to be a little more sneaky. Should they post again, you can ban that IP, and remove the old one, and so on and so on. But guess what? You need a mod/admin who is around to do so! Your right, it can\'t be completely stopped. So is your attitude, \"why bother then\"?


Don\'t take this personally. Its just how I perceive the club. Nothing more, nothing less.

-John

[TheProfessor]

Originally posted by Zaku_4


hmm

paying to be part of a club? lol meh, i think the only time ive used a club discount was when i went to get my wind deflector things lol. other than that, meh.

some people, like me, just want to pe passively part of this club =p meaning not needing to go to meetings, yet enjoying the wealth of information and entertainment this board provides =D

good day!

The way I see it, only those members who wish to be included on the \'Active Members\' list need pay the annual fee. That way, those who pay get on the list, get the card, and therefore get the deals. Those who don\'t can still visit and contribute to the site. Ultimately we cannot stop someone from visiting the site (I know it\'s possible, but I mean that it is not the \'right\' thing to do). To allow just any joe schmoe to get club discount though is a different story IMO.

In response to the statement above about how \"people feel the mods are not performing their role\", I do not totally agree. Our mods are quite limited in what they can do behind the scenes, and as such, it is really the admin who is not performing. As has been previously stated, we need an admin(s) who is an active member of this board.

[mit-gee-mui]

but you must admit he is not around even NEAR what he used to be.

true. i can\'t speak for him, but perhaps he figures that warren, jeff, bluntman and flipspeed are moderators, so that should be good enough. right now, i don\'t know. yes, they do have limits in what they can do (i.e. lock/sticky threads), but they have been doing a good job so far in maintaining everything, don\'t you think?
i guess he is more concerned about bigger things like new decals and overlooking the smaller things like what goes on in individual threads nowadays.
in all honesty, i don\'t even know if he\'s going to read any of this. if he does, he\'ll probably get angry at me, cause it seems like everyone\'s pointing fingers at me. i know it\'s not that way, but it feels like it.
i know this isn\'t good, but many times these last few months, i ended up signing on to this site when we were together and showing him certain threads. no, i didn\'t bring up issues like excessive posting or or banning or anything, but many times he would tell me that he hasn\'t been on the site in ages, nor has he seen certain things.
i wish i could tell you why he\'s not asking for help or stepping down and/or aside, but i don\'t know. i don\'t have the answers. not by a long shot. as you stated, you are the type of person who will admit it when you need help, but most people don\'t and won\'t. he\'s probably like that too. like, would you give up your title that easily without a lot of thought? he has thought about it though, i guess just not as much as he should have.




With a new job, a GF, modding the car some weekends, hitting the cottage, and running a car club... I am busy. You bet! That is why I dont run this club, nor try to.

exactly! i\'m not going to point fingers, but chances are, those who are fully qualified to run the club are not able to devote the time and energy that they should.



I dont know what the point is about Majic remembering you, or you being here longer...

only reason why i mentioned that is because the \"personal assistant\" thing really REALLY bothered me, cause that is NOT what i am. if you\'ve been to most of the meets (mini/official) and certain events, you will probably recognize me. it\'s just my handle that throws most people off.



he contributes more to the forum and club than you (hell, I am honest, more than me as well).

perhaps, perhaps not, but i\'m not going to sit around and compare. there is no point to that. i think certain people can agree though, that the way in which he does certain things are not always agreeable. i won\'t go further on this, or else he will jump all over me again.



No one has attacked you.

then how come i feel as if you guys are dissecting every single word i have to say!?!?!



If you ban the username, they need a new one. If you ban by IP they have to be a little more sneaky. Should they post again, you can ban that IP, and remove the old one, and so on and so on. But guess what? You need a mod/admin who is around to do so! Your right, it can\'t be completely stopped. So is your attitude, \"why bother then\"?

no, not at all.



Don\'t take this personally.

problem is, i have. :( i used to have so much pride in this club. everywhere i went, i would tell everyone how amazing it is. whenever i saw a car with stickers on the road, i would get all excited and stuff, but now, i don\'t know what to say. initially, this club was great. then slowly, there were kinks. that is bound to happen to any club. no, again i\'m not saying why bother, but i am starting to harbour a bit of resentment towards you guys. i even lost quite a bit of sleep last night, thinking about this stuff.:(

[majic]

Originally posted by mit-gee-mui


I dont know what the point is about Majic remembering you, or you being here longer...

only reason why i mentioned that is because the \"personal assistant\" thing really REALLY bothered me, cause that is NOT what i am. if you\'ve been to most of the meets (mini/official) and certain events, you will probably recognize me. it\'s just my handle that throws most people off.


you\'re right, i have NO clue who you are, not sure if i ever met you.. maybe you are a nice guy/girl.. and ok so the personal assistant was just a jab at ya.. b/c it seems like you are xenon\'s spokes person.. he has 10 fingers and can type, if he has no time now, well that shows you his so called \'dedication\' to the club.. what happened to the Tshirts? toques? decals? well if he is TRULY working on them, give us an update because as far as i am concerned he\'s just dicking around in \"Xenon | In Warm Florida (ip)\" or before his trip \'busy with school\'.. it takes a man, or a woman :) to admit you are NO longer capable of running the show.. i guess the best people to take over or help out would be the mods or area reps.. has he done it? i don\'t know, but i _DO_ know that if this forum/team/community is to go anywhere, he needs to put his pride aside and ask for help or get his ass in gear and step up.. FYI, a while back i offered help and got denied.. oh well


Originally posted by mit-gee-mui


he contributes more to the forum and club than you (hell, I am honest, more than me as well).

perhaps, perhaps not, but i\'m not going to sit around and compare. there is no point to that. i think certain people can agree though, that the way in which he does certain things are not always agreeable. i won\'t go further on this, or else he will jump all over me again.


it\'s just a difference of opinion, i don\'t like how you back him up here so i jump in and tell you. i\'ve heard it all from all those whom i asked (nicely or not) to use the search engine or just to open their eyes. it gets tiresome, but i am TRYING to keep some control over the duplicate/erroneous/unncessary threads .. sometimes i just get to them faster.. meh.. my main reason for being here is to educate and \'protect\' those who don\'t know better.. and meanwhile i learn a lot from other members and some research..


Originally posted by mit-gee-mui

No one has attacked you.

then how come i feel as if you guys are dissecting every single word i have to say!?!?!


LOL.. you just \'dissected\' John\'s post.. (a pot calling a tea kettle black) ;)


Originally posted by mit-gee-mui

Don\'t take this personally.

problem is, i have. :( i used to have so much pride in this club. everywhere i went, i would tell everyone how amazing it is. whenever i saw a car with stickers on the road, i would get all excited and stuff, but now, i don\'t know what to say. initially, this club was great. then slowly, there were kinks. that is bound to happen to any club. no, again i\'m not saying why bother, but i am starting to harbour a bit of resentment towards you guys. i even lost quite a bit of sleep last night, thinking about this stuff.:(

wow.. it is the interweb man.. if THIS hurts your feelings then you really need to open that door from your basaement and get out.. sure, some people piss me off but come on it\'s an online \'chat\' if you may.. these people have NO true idea of what i am like in real life and once i press \"submit\" it\'s over; this is only one side of me they see.. i go home and relax, read a book, play a game, watch a movie, go out.. anyway.. peace out and get some :zzz

[Zaku_4]

Originally posted by PSIVIC



Originally posted by Zaku_4


hmm

paying to be part of a club? lol meh, i think the only time ive used a club discount was when i went to get my wind deflector things lol. other than that, meh.

some people, like me, just want to pe passively part of this club =p meaning not needing to go to meetings, yet enjoying the wealth of information and entertainment this board provides =D

good day!

The way I see it, only those members who wish to be included on the \'Active Members\' list need pay the annual fee. That way, those who pay get on the list, get the card, and therefore get the deals. Those who don\'t can still visit and contribute to the site. Ultimately we cannot stop someone from visiting the site (I know it\'s possible, but I mean that it is not the \'right\' thing to do). To allow just any joe schmoe to get club discount though is a different story IMO.



yeah, this makes more sense then what i said. this is what i mean!


Originally posted by majic

you mean leeching .. reminds me of welfare..



no, not leeching. the only thing i ever \"benefited\" from on this site is the information, which is public and accessible to everyoneee (one of the reasons its online). i would say leechers take advantage of a certain situation, which i have not :D . but to be absolutely fair and honest, i think i got a club discount for the rainguards, and i assume your very old group buy would also be considered a \"club only\" kind of thing. so yeah other than those 2 times, i havent used my discount :hoho

[Zaku_4]

whoops,

hit the quote button again.

my cursor is to fat :D

[Junior]

If you have EVER EVER EVER benefitted from this club via a \"how to\", a good laugh on a bad day at work/school, paticipated in a GB, recieved a discount on products/services from vendors, bought or sold a product via this board or found new ideas for your car.....

a membership donation is not a bad thing at all. It\'s also helps make events more interesting than just standing around a parking lot for every single meet.

[FLIPDADY]

Originally posted by Junior


If you have EVER EVER EVER benefitted from this club via a \"how to\", a good laugh on a bad day at work/school, paticipated in a GB, recieved a discount on products/services from vendors, bought or sold a product via this board or found new ideas for your car.....

a membership donation is not a bad thing at all. It\'s also helps make events more interesting than just standing around a parking lot for every single meet.
Well put Junior.

It also prevents people who don\'t participate in any club related activites from getting in on the discounts and group buys that affiliates offer.

[SourcE]

I totally agree with Junior and Joe. $10 or whatever is nothing compared to the potential savings you could make in a GB, discount with vendor or just for the knowledge base amassed here. Membership cards ain\'t free, so it only makes sense you should pay something. Maybe something like the Blockbuster cards, a piece of laminated paper with details etc.

Also housekeeping wise, the membership should probably be annual.

Just my 1.25 Algerian Dinars worth....:p

[S.F.W.]

my only concern with a a membership fee, is how it is used. I want to ensure my money is going to making this club better, and not just to help pay the collectors bills.

[Broli]

i really like the membership car idea!

the money should go into a tm3 bank account
controled by a tm3 treasurer

it should go towards paying club related bills

but i think it should happen
it will make the club better!!!

[ricecookerp5]

Originally posted by Zaku_4


hmm

paying to be part of a club? lol meh, i think the only time ive used a club discount was when i went to get my wind deflector things lol. other than that, meh.

some people, like me, just want to pe passively part of this club =p meaning not needing to go to meetings, yet enjoying the wealth of information and entertainment this board provides =D

good day!

well ,only donating members get cards. and other are still members and still welcome to club events.

[thekid]

Originally posted by Zaku_4



Originally posted by PSIVIC



Originally posted by Zaku_4


hmm

paying to be part of a club? lol meh, i think the only time ive used a club discount was when i went to get my wind deflector things lol. other than that, meh.

some people, like me, just want to pe passively part of this club =p meaning not needing to go to meetings, yet enjoying the wealth of information and entertainment this board provides =D

good day!

The way I see it, only those members who wish to be included on the \'Active Members\' list need pay the annual fee. That way, those who pay get on the list, get the card, and therefore get the deals. Those who don\'t can still visit and contribute to the site. Ultimately we cannot stop someone from visiting the site (I know it\'s possible, but I mean that it is not the \'right\' thing to do). To allow just any joe schmoe to get club discount though is a different story IMO.



yeah, this makes more sense then what i said. this is what i mean!


Originally posted by majic

you mean leeching .. reminds me of welfare..



no, not leeching. the only thing i ever \"benefited\" from on this site is the information, which is public and accessible to everyoneee (one of the reasons its online). i would say leechers take advantage of a certain situation, which i have not :D . but to be absolutely fair and honest, i think i got a club discount for the rainguards, and i assume your very old group buy would also be considered a \"club only\" kind of thing. so yeah other than those 2 times, i havent used my discount :hoho

so you don\'t think a $10 donation is worth it for the information you\'ve gotten from this public site, which has benefited you, do you think the site is run without costs, do you not think it could be improved even more with a small donation from each of the people that gains something from the site?

It\'s about giving back to a community that has given something to you, and the fact that you\'ve read these boards and gained a wealth of knowledge from them, tells me the community has given something to you.