[SoCoSA/discuss] www.meetup.com

[Eric Eisenhart]

On Tue, Jan 13, 2009 at 12:29:40PM -0800, Jim Oser wrote:
> www.meetup.com
> 
> Maybe SoCoSA should consider using this free service too.

Free?

Free for everybody but group organizers:
http://www.meetup.com/help/organize/#org_cost

Right now, SoCoSA has roughly $0.  (okay, it might be as much as $5)  A
couple of the organizers have covered the domain registration, roll of
tickets, pens and paper out of pocket.  An annual budget of maybe $20...

In other words, it looks to me like meetup.com group registration cost is
roughly equal to our annual budget for a month or two of their service...
It's juuust high enough that I think we'd be inclined to do some kind of
money collection instead of just covering it out of pocket...

So...

Should we try to collect money?  A donation basket?  Charge $1 to come in? 
Optional $2 charge per meeting?

Is meetup worth $12/month to us?  A lot of what they provide we already have
with our own website and the email lists, which cost us nothing (well, some
more volunteer time...) and aren't locked into the interests of an outside
company...
-- 
Eric Eisenhart <freiheit at SoCoSA.org>
SoCoSA Founder and President
IRC: freiheit on irc.socosa.org
AIM/yahoo: falschfreiheit
Jabber/GTalk: freiheit at gmail.com