Date: Thursday, October 29, 1998 11:00 AM
Subject: Encina (website expenses)

Encina alumni,

First of all, this is NOT a request for money!

The Encina website is a non-profit website, whose webmasters are Encina alumni. 
It was never intended to be a money making venture, just a resource for alumni.

However, there are certain costs associated with running the Encina website. 
The cost to register the Encina encinahighschool domain is $35/year. 
The Class of 1973 paid the registration fee this year.

When the 73 reunion committee approved paying the registration fee, 
the thinking was that each year, we would ask the classes who had a 
reunion to contribute towards the registration fee. Since there were 
four reunions (68,73,78,88) this year that would have been $9/class, 
which I hope you would agree is a bargain.

Other costs include web authoring software (Frontpage) for some of 
the webmasters. Personally, I bought the 82-89 yearbooks and would 
like to buy even more while they are still available.

So far we have not asked any other classes for money.

Then I read about the Amazon.com Associates program and it occurred 
to me that this might be a way to subsidize the Encina website at no 
cost to any of the alumni.

Joining the Amazon.com Associates program would entail adding a link 
to Amazon.com to the Encina website. Any purchases made from alumni 
who followed the link from the Encina website to Amazon.com would 
result in the Encina website receiving a commission of 5% of the 
purchases. If alumni purchased $700 in this way, that would pay for 
the $35 registration fee.

Alumni would not incur any addition costs by purchasing from Amazon.com 
in this way. Amazon.com just makes less money. If you would like to read 
about the program see: 
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/subst/partners/associates/associates.html/002-9660295-3892455 

Alumni who wished to support the Encina website when buying from Amazon.com 
would simply go to the Encina website first, then follow the link to Amazon.com. 
The process would be entirely voluntary.

Any commissions in excess of the registration fee would be used for the benefit 
of the Encina website. Perhaps we could even afford a little newspaper or radio 
advertising.

I assure you that I am not doing this to make money for myself. If you calculated 
the number of hours I've spent working on the Encina website you would realize that 
there are better ways to make money.

But given that alumni are buying from Amazon.com anyway, why not transfer some 
money from Amazon.com to the Encina website at no cost to alumni but the trouble 
to follow a link from the Encina website.

I would like to hear what Encina alumni think about this idea. If you have strong 
feelings please let me know.

Cast your vote.

Harlan
Encina webmaster