Paid Supporter

[freeform]

Great idea. I'm glad to finally be able to give back to this community in some kind of (semi) physical form.

 

I've got a bit of an issue with the icon that appears under the name. I feel like the loud, garish American wearing shorts, pulled-up white socks and sandals, a bright hawaiian shirt over which hangs a stupidly big camera. I sometimes see characters like this in my local pub - and everyone stares! (it's not just Americans - the Spanish stick out too... and the Italians - jeeze they're loud!)

 

So yeah - now that I've demonstrated my xenophobic bigotry, is there any way that that big, brash, bling-bling, icon could be toned down to something simpler? I don't mean to be a pain in the ass. It's not that vital. It's just that girls only want boyfriends who have subtle icons.

[Yoda]

I second that. You should email Yogani that idea too, once the label has been toned down a bit. Maybe change it to Sponsor of theTaobums.com! But without any bolding, color, etc. Something like that.

[sean]

Thanks for the support guys! Hehheh, yeah I guess I half-assed the icon at like 3 in the morning. Anyone else want to take a stab at it? Freeform you're a Photoshop guy aren't you?

 

Otherwise I'll just tweak up a new one after work.

 

Thanks again.

[freeform]

Anyone else want to take a stab at it? Freeform you're a Photoshop guy aren't you?

 

Yeah I'll have a go - maybe we could have a range of them to choose from?

[freeform]

I've made a couple of very simple ones - can I upload them to this post? I guess not. I might put them up in the gallery section. Oh and I'll happily send the illustrator file to anyone that wants to edit/play arround with it.

 

[edit]

 

oke here are the links to the icons in the gallery section:

 

one

 

two

Edited July 27, 2006 by freeform

[sean]

Those look great freeform, I'll go with one of those when I get off work. Which wording do you like better "supporter" or "sponsor"? Also, could you put a thick flashing rainbow border around those icons?

[affenbrot]

being no native speaker I'm probably not qualified....

but doesn't "paid supporter" mean someone who get's paid to support s.th.?

Let's me think e.g. of Japan trying to outvote the International Whaling Commission to

lift the current moratorium on commercial whaling with the help of vote-buying or "paid supporters" ...

[sean]

Ok this time it's only 2am, am I getting warmer?

[freeform]

Ok this time it's only 2am, am I getting warmer?

 

Actually I quite like this one. It's not overly brash - but definately noticeable - also goes with the rest of the colour scheme. I also like the word 'sponsor' better - Affenbrot, you've got a point!

 

So does having the sponsor status give us any special skills?

 

 

oh yeah - before I forget... how did Lezlie make an animated avatar? (I promise if I make one, it'll be subtle )

Edited July 27, 2006 by freeform

[sean]

So does having the sponsor status give us any special skills?

Hmmm.... it should come with some special skillzzz shouldn't it? Alright, how about an upgrade to 300 storable private messages (from 100 normally) and the ability to remove the "edited by" line from your posts if you want. (countdown to Cam becoming a paid sponsor and promptly abusing this latter promotion).

 

oh yeah - before I forget... how did Lezlie make an animated avatar? (I promise if I make one, it'll be subtle )

ImageReady. It's part of photoshop, at the bottom of your toolbar click "Edit in ImageReady" and you can make multiple frames, etc.

 

Sean

[freeform]

Hmmm.... it should come with some special skillzzz shouldn't it? Alright, how about an upgrade to 300 storable private messages (from 100 normally) and the ability to remove the "edited by" line from your posts if you want. (countdown to Cam becoming a paid sponsor and promptly abusing this latter promotion).

 

sounds great! I wasn't being too serious about the skills - so dont worry about it if it's too much hassle - but I'll take what I can get

 

ImageReady. It's part of photoshop, at the bottom of your toolbar click "Edit in ImageReady" and you can make multiple frames, etc.

 

sweet!

 

thanks!

 

never knew that!

 

watch out everyone!

[Yoda]

If I were the webmaster, I'd make it one notch smaller. Supporting taobums is a nice thing to do but it shouldn't be a mandatory or big deal type thing so the button should follow that vibe imo. It still catches my eye more than I think it should optimally. No biggie though. Good color and font, etc.

[Trunk]

It still catches my eye more than I think it should optimally. No biggie though. Good color and font, etc.

I think that its important that this site not be a drain on Sean's resources. Sure, he might hold up for a while, but this sort of thing eventually wears. I think that it should be a goal to not cost Sean any money ($0), and perhaps even make enough to take he & Lezlie out to dinner once in a while. (I doubt that it'll ever actually make $$$, but hey, that'd be cool.) And maintanence-wise, there should be assistants so that he can take administrative vacations. Otherwise, eventually he'll burn out on it (as much as he loves us all & digs this & everything). All, imo.

 

So, I figure that the "sponsor" thing should be big enough to get noticed - but not like a billboard or anything.

 

Hey Sean, should a person be able to click the "sponsor" button below a person's avatar/name, and go to a "sign me up for payin' $" page? Seems like that'd be handy.

 

Trunk

Edited July 29, 2006 by Trunk

[Yoda]

True in general, but I think we are keeping Sean adequately amused in this case. I even think that he's gaining energy from it on the whole.

 

So this is sort of a side issue. But on that front... obviously let's throw some money at him. I'm surprised that there aren't more people making donations which makes me think that there is an energy kink still on the table for us to work out on this sponsor thing. I gave money despite the sponsor tag. This could be my own personal neurosis or something but having the sponsor button doesn't turn me on. Plus, not having a sponsor button might make people feel cheap or poor so it could be a bit of a pickle. No huge deal. My theory is that there are lots of people here who would be happy to sponsor taobums but don't want the button.

 

You haven't sponsored... Am I right--are you button phobic?

[Lozen]

I'm gonna be a sponsor after I finish signing up for these community college classes!

[Cameron]

I consider Sean a good friend so he asks for a measly $25 I give it. As far as the sponsor titel it's not something I particularly care for but it doesn't bother me.

[Yoda]

It doesn't bother me either, but I'm just wondering if there's a way to make it more appealing so Sean can get more R&D $.

[Cameron]

I vote yoda for manager of taobums marketing.

 

Cam

[sean]

My reasoning with the button was that it would encourage people to donate but it seems not very popular. What if it was more subtle. Just black text saying "Sponsor".

 

Yoda, director of TTB marketing, wanna start a poll? And maybe ask what perks would encourage donation? How about access to an "insider's forum".

 

On a barely related note, I can't wait to unleash this new TTB skin I've been working on. *rubbing paws together*

[Cameron]

I say you just have fun with it man. Put up a dollar sign at the bottom that says "help me to help you" ala Jerry Mcguire. Or just do whatever.

 

Cam

[freeform]

Just tell them that their wildest dreams will come true if they sponsor you.

[sunshine]

How about something like a superman-sign... a little S with a background... could mean anything like

 

sponsor

superman

or

sunshine

[sean]

How about a mystic knot. Blue. Subtle. Sexy. Whaddya think?

[Yoda]

I like it. Maybe even make the $25 the "suggested donation" and give them their knot of mystic awareness for whatever price they can afford. Or maybe let the donor choose the symbol.... like a defender of the realm with a gnarly Tibetan wrathful deity standing on top of bodies sporting an AK-47, chaingun, or whatever. Taobum heraldry symbols.

[sunshine]

Blue indeed it is... but sexy?