Since a number of people have asked if we could do this "automatic thingy," and since things are tight all the way around, we decided to do it.
It won't change anything about SOTT... it's still free, but it makes it more convenient for those who can only give a little each month to help out.
The link is on the right column of the SOTT page "Subscribe" and for convenience, here it is:
http://signs-of-the-times.org/signs/signs_subscribe.php
Subscribe to Signs of the Times
Since 2002, Signs of the Times has been your stalwart companion in the world of Machiavellian politics, weather changes, and sordid propaganda campaigns. Never wavering in our quest to bring you the truth, we have also been unsellable. Though we have been offered more than 30 pieces of silver on many occasions, the Signs of the Times has never displayed paid advertisements or sold out to ANY sponsor. Times are changing; it seems the world is becoming a darker and scarier place each moment. The wilderness is creeping up all around the world and night is falling. The economic problems of today are growing steadily worse with each passing minute, and for a group of people working 8 hours a day to bring the news free and accessible to all, sometimes it seems like the walls are closing in.
Rather than bow to advertisers to support ourselves, which would mean longer download times and less readability for you, our reader, Signs of the Times is making a new option available: an automatic donation via subscription service for those of you who are still afloat in the stormy seas. Many of our readers have written to say that they can't give a lot, but they would like to give a little regularly and could we please take "payments." We say a resounding "yes" because it is the faithful ordinary reader who is the backbone of our society and for whom we are determined to remain free of any outside influence. In order that Signs of the Times will remain free for all, we ask those of you who can to consider supporting our work on a regular basis even if that support is small.
Consider the fact that you can spend 1/4 of a dollar a day and 3/4 on Sunday for a news paper adding up to $9 a month. But not every paper carries every story and so you may need to buy 2-3 papers to get a real picture of the world. You may get a copy of USA Today, the Washington Post, and maybe a local paper, that could add up to over $20 a month, if you do it daily. Signs of the Times is unlike any other news site, we condense, carry or link to every variety of story relevant on the day of publishing; we offer downloadable and printable versions, free of paid advertisements, a Signs email version, and most of all, we give it to you 100% FREE. We don't hold back, and we don't flip flop on anything. Ever.
Yes, we will remain free, but if we can't find support, we won't "remain" for very long. We don't ever see ourselves putting paid advertisements on the site, if it comes to that, we will simply close up shop. Signs of the Times is established across 2 dedicated servers, has a 6 person full time staff (4 writers, 2 IT/Designers), and is located in a remote location without DSL, so you can imagine simply accessing the internet costs over $300 per month. There is no free lunch in the universe, we are all fond of saying that, but do we really understand it? The Signs of the Times is free to access, but it is not free to make. The servers and internet costs alone top $600 PER MONTH and that's not including the occasional computer failure and the requisite replacement parts. On top of that, minimal support for the Team is all we ask: nobody is making a salary.
The Signs has survived this far because of benevolent donations by our QFG members, and certain readers of the Signs that have been our saviours on a number of occasions, and the volunteer hours of its writers and editors.
We know that the PTB are squeezing everyone, but with this convenient new service, even the smallest commitment from you, our reader, can be multiplied over time to be significant support for all of us here. We ask those that can give, to give.
5 or 10
It won't change anything about SOTT... it's still free, but it makes it more convenient for those who can only give a little each month to help out.
The link is on the right column of the SOTT page "Subscribe" and for convenience, here it is:
http://signs-of-the-times.org/signs/signs_subscribe.php
Subscribe to Signs of the Times
Since 2002, Signs of the Times has been your stalwart companion in the world of Machiavellian politics, weather changes, and sordid propaganda campaigns. Never wavering in our quest to bring you the truth, we have also been unsellable. Though we have been offered more than 30 pieces of silver on many occasions, the Signs of the Times has never displayed paid advertisements or sold out to ANY sponsor. Times are changing; it seems the world is becoming a darker and scarier place each moment. The wilderness is creeping up all around the world and night is falling. The economic problems of today are growing steadily worse with each passing minute, and for a group of people working 8 hours a day to bring the news free and accessible to all, sometimes it seems like the walls are closing in.
Rather than bow to advertisers to support ourselves, which would mean longer download times and less readability for you, our reader, Signs of the Times is making a new option available: an automatic donation via subscription service for those of you who are still afloat in the stormy seas. Many of our readers have written to say that they can't give a lot, but they would like to give a little regularly and could we please take "payments." We say a resounding "yes" because it is the faithful ordinary reader who is the backbone of our society and for whom we are determined to remain free of any outside influence. In order that Signs of the Times will remain free for all, we ask those of you who can to consider supporting our work on a regular basis even if that support is small.
Consider the fact that you can spend 1/4 of a dollar a day and 3/4 on Sunday for a news paper adding up to $9 a month. But not every paper carries every story and so you may need to buy 2-3 papers to get a real picture of the world. You may get a copy of USA Today, the Washington Post, and maybe a local paper, that could add up to over $20 a month, if you do it daily. Signs of the Times is unlike any other news site, we condense, carry or link to every variety of story relevant on the day of publishing; we offer downloadable and printable versions, free of paid advertisements, a Signs email version, and most of all, we give it to you 100% FREE. We don't hold back, and we don't flip flop on anything. Ever.
Yes, we will remain free, but if we can't find support, we won't "remain" for very long. We don't ever see ourselves putting paid advertisements on the site, if it comes to that, we will simply close up shop. Signs of the Times is established across 2 dedicated servers, has a 6 person full time staff (4 writers, 2 IT/Designers), and is located in a remote location without DSL, so you can imagine simply accessing the internet costs over $300 per month. There is no free lunch in the universe, we are all fond of saying that, but do we really understand it? The Signs of the Times is free to access, but it is not free to make. The servers and internet costs alone top $600 PER MONTH and that's not including the occasional computer failure and the requisite replacement parts. On top of that, minimal support for the Team is all we ask: nobody is making a salary.
The Signs has survived this far because of benevolent donations by our QFG members, and certain readers of the Signs that have been our saviours on a number of occasions, and the volunteer hours of its writers and editors.
We know that the PTB are squeezing everyone, but with this convenient new service, even the smallest commitment from you, our reader, can be multiplied over time to be significant support for all of us here. We ask those that can give, to give.
5 or 10