Post by Kaine Chandler on Nov 12, 2013 0:44:23 GMT -8
*Webmonkey Note*
In the interest of spamming the boards less with Announcements I'm linking all of the other "How To Pay The Rent" posts here:
Please read all of this before you join any discussions. Many questions and concerns have been addressed in this admittedly rather long document. If you just want the bare bones, look for the highlighted bits.
Voting Topic: How to Pay the Rent
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is this TDLR?
Many people have many questions and concerns about this issue. Money is a sensitive issue for many people. I’m trying to address as many concerns as possible up front to help keep this a calm process. If your questions or concerns are not addressed here, please feel free to talk to your STs, Kaine or Tai (NOTR reps). Please try to avoid any wild speculation, and make sure you understand the options before you vote.
Why is this important?
Well, whether we stay at the BGC or move to a different location with rental/associated costs, we have, as a group, financial obligations that must be met. Until such time that EC has a permanent and free location, this will be the case, so wherever we are, if rent is due, we have to find a way to pay it.
Why are we voting right now?
Since moving into the BGC, we’ve always paid rent with voluntary donations. However, over the years, those donations have been steadily declining from a time when we had a comfortable cushion, through lean times where we barely scraped by, and now into a time when we are bringing in less than half of our rent in donations.
Additionally, those few volunteers who have been helping to extract donations have become disheartened and worn out from having to basically panhandle to get the rent paid. It’s really demoralizing, and no one should have to do it
If this continues without some kind of change, we will not have enough money to pay our rent by January or February of 2014. These are some of the coldest months, and it would be difficult to return to playing outdoors at this time of year.
In order to prevent us from being in panic mode at Holiday season, and should it so be chosen, in order to make sure we don’t run out of money, we need to implement a plan Dec 1. Staff and NOTR need a little bit of time to make the framework of whichever option is chosen functional, so we need a vote in mid-late November.
Why are we voting at all?
It is important that a majority of the community supports whichever option is selected, as it is you who plays in the space (or not) and you who pays the donations (or not). Staff and NOTR do not want to make unilateral decisions without the consent of the EC community. So please take the time to understand this issue and vote on it.
What if I don’t like any of the options?
Sadly, this will be most of us. These aren’t “fun” options. We are stuck in the reality that as long as we are playing in a place that requires rent, we have to pay it, which means we have to raise money. Try to think about the community as a whole, as well as your place in it, and choose the option you believe is healthiest for the game.
What if someone finds a better option later on?
Awesome. As with all things EC, each solution is the best solution until a better solution comes along. When it becomes apparent that a better solution is gaining widespread approval among staff and players, there should be another vote.
What if we move out of the BGC?
Well, that would be a little sad, because they are a kid’s charity organization and have come to rely on our help with the Haunted House, as well as our regular rent checks to provide the community services that they do. BUT, on a practical note, remember that unless we find a rent free play space, we will continue to face the issue of how to pay the bills. So, anyone is welcome to search for another venue. If one is found, players should be given the opportunity to check it out, hear all the details and then vote. But that is NOT what this vote is about.
Isn’t EC founded on the principle of free to play? Why should we pay anything?
While this is a lovely ideal, the economic reality doesn’t line up. The only way that it can be perfectly free is if all the things we use are free. This includes the venue we play at, the website we use, the paper, notebooks, computers, stamps, cardstock, etc that we use. It adds up. And it’s NICE that a few people have been willing shoulder the load so that the majority can continue to “play for free”, but it ISN’T free. Someone is paying for it. So before you get upset that its “unfair” to ask anyone to pay for this game, remember you already are, and ask yourself if it’s any more fair to ask others to pay for you.
If you really value “free-to-play”, think of what that means: no venue, no website, providing your own index cards, character sheets, books, etc., and no computers for STs at game. Yes, that was old SBC, and even young EC, but we’ve moved so far beyond that now. No one is asking for a profit. Heck, we’re not even asking you to pay for ALL the costs of running the game, just the largest one: rent.
In the interest of spamming the boards less with Announcements I'm linking all of the other "How To Pay The Rent" posts here:
- How to Pay the Rent. Voting Options
- How to Pay the Rent. Discussion
- How to Pay the Rent. How We Will Vote (by proxy or in person)
Please read all of this before you join any discussions. Many questions and concerns have been addressed in this admittedly rather long document. If you just want the bare bones, look for the highlighted bits.
Voting Topic: How to Pay the Rent
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is this TDLR?
Many people have many questions and concerns about this issue. Money is a sensitive issue for many people. I’m trying to address as many concerns as possible up front to help keep this a calm process. If your questions or concerns are not addressed here, please feel free to talk to your STs, Kaine or Tai (NOTR reps). Please try to avoid any wild speculation, and make sure you understand the options before you vote.
Why is this important?
Well, whether we stay at the BGC or move to a different location with rental/associated costs, we have, as a group, financial obligations that must be met. Until such time that EC has a permanent and free location, this will be the case, so wherever we are, if rent is due, we have to find a way to pay it.
Why are we voting right now?
Since moving into the BGC, we’ve always paid rent with voluntary donations. However, over the years, those donations have been steadily declining from a time when we had a comfortable cushion, through lean times where we barely scraped by, and now into a time when we are bringing in less than half of our rent in donations.
Additionally, those few volunteers who have been helping to extract donations have become disheartened and worn out from having to basically panhandle to get the rent paid. It’s really demoralizing, and no one should have to do it
If this continues without some kind of change, we will not have enough money to pay our rent by January or February of 2014. These are some of the coldest months, and it would be difficult to return to playing outdoors at this time of year.
In order to prevent us from being in panic mode at Holiday season, and should it so be chosen, in order to make sure we don’t run out of money, we need to implement a plan Dec 1. Staff and NOTR need a little bit of time to make the framework of whichever option is chosen functional, so we need a vote in mid-late November.
Why are we voting at all?
It is important that a majority of the community supports whichever option is selected, as it is you who plays in the space (or not) and you who pays the donations (or not). Staff and NOTR do not want to make unilateral decisions without the consent of the EC community. So please take the time to understand this issue and vote on it.
What if I don’t like any of the options?
Sadly, this will be most of us. These aren’t “fun” options. We are stuck in the reality that as long as we are playing in a place that requires rent, we have to pay it, which means we have to raise money. Try to think about the community as a whole, as well as your place in it, and choose the option you believe is healthiest for the game.
What if someone finds a better option later on?
Awesome. As with all things EC, each solution is the best solution until a better solution comes along. When it becomes apparent that a better solution is gaining widespread approval among staff and players, there should be another vote.
What if we move out of the BGC?
Well, that would be a little sad, because they are a kid’s charity organization and have come to rely on our help with the Haunted House, as well as our regular rent checks to provide the community services that they do. BUT, on a practical note, remember that unless we find a rent free play space, we will continue to face the issue of how to pay the bills. So, anyone is welcome to search for another venue. If one is found, players should be given the opportunity to check it out, hear all the details and then vote. But that is NOT what this vote is about.
Isn’t EC founded on the principle of free to play? Why should we pay anything?
While this is a lovely ideal, the economic reality doesn’t line up. The only way that it can be perfectly free is if all the things we use are free. This includes the venue we play at, the website we use, the paper, notebooks, computers, stamps, cardstock, etc that we use. It adds up. And it’s NICE that a few people have been willing shoulder the load so that the majority can continue to “play for free”, but it ISN’T free. Someone is paying for it. So before you get upset that its “unfair” to ask anyone to pay for this game, remember you already are, and ask yourself if it’s any more fair to ask others to pay for you.
If you really value “free-to-play”, think of what that means: no venue, no website, providing your own index cards, character sheets, books, etc., and no computers for STs at game. Yes, that was old SBC, and even young EC, but we’ve moved so far beyond that now. No one is asking for a profit. Heck, we’re not even asking you to pay for ALL the costs of running the game, just the largest one: rent.