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[Kathy, Harley & Roxie]

Are these ad's doodlekisses recommended? In particular the breeders

 

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

I do try to support DK through my donations and shopping.  The ads - though perhaps a necessary evil - have ruined the "look" of DK.  I for one would be will to pay a set fee to belong and then get rid of the ads.

[Dori & Rua]

In the subdivision where I live and like many other people here, I am sure, we pay HOA fees.  We have no choice, we knew that moving into the subdivision, and if we don't pay, our name gets listed in the minutes that are posted on the website and they can be levied.  So, pretty much everyone pays.   The fees go to cover landscaping, maintenance/utilities of common entrances, management of the HOA, postage, accounting/legal, etc.  I get that.

 

Now, DK has not been a dues-based membership site before, and just like anything it costs to operate.  Domain name renewal fees, webhosting, site development, etc.  I would also think that there are some site management fees involved, or certain should be given the size of this site.  I know the "AdChoices" have been on the page (vertical column to the right), and we can Support Doodle Kisses through one-time or monthly deductions (I support that way).  I also know DK supports Doodle Rescue groups. 

 

I think because we have been asked to SUPPORT Doodle Kisses, I feel that perhaps what might help is for us to know the costs of operating this site.  My HOA sends an annual statement...what they collected in fees and what the expenses were and what cash is left.  I truly don't mind Supporting Doodle Kisses through a monthly auto-deduct, don't mind the AdChoices to the right, the Skimlinks, and have no problem with the Amazon link.  I have also directly support Doodle Rescue.

 

Perhaps if we knew the numbers (sorry folks, but I am an accountant) we could make informed choices.  For example, the goal is to generate X dollars to support DK and Doodle Rescue.  I would be interested in knowing what each of the 5 ad areas from the site generates.  By knowing what each type/section of ad generates for DK, we could say, we want to eliminate the "in your face ads" (the ones that have caused this uproar).  But to avoid them, DK needs to raise $XXX.   Then have a "Keep our Main Page Ad Free" drive. 

 

Just saying....

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Dori, you are definitely a business/numbers person.  I never even thought of your point of view before.  How interesting.

[ClarkP]

Dori,

We have asked for support so that this site can continue to provide the excellent experience that we currently provide.  We know many members enjoy the time they have here and are willing to support this great place.  That is fantastic and exactly what we strive for every day - to create the best possible place for owners of doodles to hang out and share their love of these incredible dogs.  But we aren't about to start providing statements... even to our accountant members.  ;-)  DK is not a huge money making endeavor but it is a private company.  I'll go so far as to say that DK's total yearly expenses are four figures and the total yearly gross income is also four figures.

Cheers!

Clark

[Dori & Rua]

Dear Clark,

 

Wasn't really expecting you would provide a statement as I realize you are a 'private company'.  I am also pretty sure (I owned a small technolgy business for almost 10 years) you would probably be better off working for a fast food company on a dollar-per-hour basis.  With that being said, the company I had, operated under an open-book management style, which promotes everyone thinking like an owner.  I have carried that philsophy with me as I worked for others' companies and I think that when people act like an owner, the benefits to the company are significant. I

 

DK means so much to each and everyone of us and we all truly appreciate the time, efforts, struggles and energy making this place so great that both you and Adina have put into it.  I think that you should be able to cover the expenses of operating the site, take a management/support fee that covers the amount of time and energy it takes to management this site, support Doodle Rescue and as F pointed out, you are also entitled to make a profit.  I also get that we are not 'Shareholders', but I do think we are all 'Stakeholders'!

 

Since you have gone so far as to say 4 figures, let's run a little "What if" scenario on this.  For example, let's say that you are creating a budget, and after you add up the direct costs of operating the site, added in a management/support fee for both of your time, determined you wanted to support Doodle Rescues to the tune of $2,500, and would like a profit (return on your investment), you needed DK to provide you with $9,999 in net revenue for the year.  Further assume, that based on last year's revenue, you were coming up $2,500 short of reaching that goal.  So, in comes the new ads.

 

What I was asking was let us (those who can), put our money where our mouth is.  I know you had a Support DK drive before.  That was before the ads so I am guessing that didn't help enough.  I certainly would do a one-time contribution to help achive the goal, continue with my monthly automatic support, and use the DK Amazon link and I am sure there are others out there that would do the same.  I have never purchased anything by clicking on one of the links.  That is not how I shop...even if I was looking for pet meds, for example, I would search DK or post a discussion first or go to a search engine (I do use Google) and start my search from there.  Odds are, I have already made my selection by the time the ads show up.

 

Also, like F, I think we are entitled to express our opinions.  Since DK is asking for Support, it is my opinion, that we should be given a choice of putting up or, if we can't reach a particular goal to keep the ads off the main discussion pages, shutting up!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Good points!!!

[ClarkP]

Hi Dori,
No one has said you are not entitled to express your opinions. We value your opinions and you ARE a stakeholder. That is why your opinions are here for all to see and respond to, unedited and unrestrained. No one has suppressed legitimate member opinion on this site... ever. Your opinions matter (as do all members opinions) and that is why we like to hear them. They guide us toward creating a better experience for everyone on Doodle Kisses.

What we would LIKE to be able to do is for contributing members to NOT see ads (and non-contributing members would see ads). Unfortunately technology and development costs have not allowed this as of yet. That way people could have a choice if they want to see ads or not. But unfortunately we aren't there yet. But this is a goal that we are working toward. If we set a specific financial goal and have a fund-raiser, it will be to get this technology in place.

MANY generous members on DK contribute way more than their individual "share" to this site. We quite frankly don't want to burden these super-givers more or ask for more from them. We genuinely appreciate the incredible support these members provide.

You said, "I think that you should be able to cover the expenses of operating the site, take a management/support fee that covers the amount of time and energy it takes to management this site, support Doodle Rescue and as F pointed out, you are also entitled to make a profit."
There has never been a point where we have been able to do this based on revenue the site generates. As you pointed out, working at a job that involves saying "Do you want fries with that?" would have paid more. :-) But earning vast sums of money was not our primary objective here so we are not disappointed in any way in how this works. We love doodles and we love the DK community. So we will continue to provide the very best site we know how. At the same time, we will continue to work toward raising the revenue to a sustainable level (one where all the things you suggest are being done).

Cheers!
Clark

[F, Calla & Luca]

I agree with much of what you say Dori. But I also understand that  Adina and Clark had the idea for DK, and have invested time, thought and energy in making it what it is. I think they are entitled to make a profit from it. And I don't think we have a right to know the numbers since we are not stockholders. I do most definitely think we are entitled to express our opinions, be listened to and be respected even when our opinions differ from theirs. So that is why I not only express my opinions but I don't participate in those things I don't approve of, like the ads. But I really don't appreciate when politely expressing my opinion is met with IMHO not so polite responses. At least you got a smiley face.

[ClarkP]

F,
We LOVE having you on DK. You seriously go above and beyond in the service you render free of charge to this community AND the financial support you provide. You are greatly respected by both Adina and myself. If you feel that any of my responses were not polite, I am sorry. That was not my intent or feelings toward you. As for smileys, I looked and there hasn't been a response from me to you where you didn't get a smiley out of me. So maybe you are talking about the other DK founder Adina... don't worry, I'm working on her communication skills. English is her second language you know. ;-)

[F, Calla & Luca]

Thank you, I do appreciate your apology. I LOVE being on DK. As I hope you know I am so very grateful that you and Adina founded this site. There were in fact smileys, but sometimes they get overlooked when they seem incongruous.  I would never talk about the other founder who has the best people skills around. She does, far, far better than most of us, communicate in English  perfectly. Please do not work on her communication skills : )  I have long admired her way of smoothing the waters, explaining things and perhaps bringing out the best in all of us.

[Barbie]

Wow, I must have built-in auto-focus tunnel vision. As crazy as this may sound, I never noticed any ads before reading this thread. My eyes just robotically go right to the DK stuff and skip anything else around it. I didn’t even see the Amazon icon up top until just now, only because you made me look up, lol.

[Julie and Maggie]

Frankly, my dear, I don't....

I pay no attention to any of the ads, nor have any opinion of the merit of any of them. If DK makes some necessary money from them then hooray. If what they advertise catches my interest I may read it more carefully, and if not I'm oblivious. Couldn't even tell you what the ads are on the page as I write this comment. We should just let it be.