The Sphere Needs Your Help
 

So many of us regard the Sphere as an important part of their poetic life - and it doesn't come free. There are regular operating and update costs. Alex does a tremendous job at maintaining the Sphere and providing it to the rest of us as a reliable service - but there's a cost involved - and he's not very comfortable with money raising. So let me ask for him. If you use the Sphere, and can afford it, this would be a good time to donate. Details here. And thanks.

Done! Thank you for the nudge, Michael.

Best,

Ed

I assume I donated - I entered all my details, plus amount, and clicked submit, and got sent to the Able Muse homepage without email confirmation. Would be happy to donate again if this didn't go through.

Cheers,
John

Update: the email just came through. :-)

Oh, the problem rears its head again. I cheerfully went to donate a small amount and couldn't. I only have UK cheques, the cashing of which would cost more than I could donate and I can't use the We-Pay thingy because I haven't got a credit card.

I do have a PayPal account, though, but, as ever, when I click on PayPal it takes me to We-Pay. I thought this might be different now but apparently not.

What happened last time was that I sent money to Jayne who passed it on to Alex. I hesitate to ask her again, so is there anyone else who can a) pay with a credit card and b) receive money via PayPal?

(It doesn't have to be a fellow-Brit; PayPal converts currencies.)
.

Annie, I have a PP account, but I have only sent funds by it. I'm such a fool on these things -- I don't know if there's something I need to click or flick or massage to be able to reverse the usual flow?

When I send money to people, I just send it to their email address and then it gets added to their account. Are you sending money to Alex anyway? If so, you could PM me your email address (the one you send from, the one that's "attached" to your PayPal account) and I'll have a go at sending a small donation for you to add to yours.

Yes. My deets coming to you anon. I'll send for us both, if the Muse so wills...

Well, it's left here and it's coming your way...

Thanks, Michael. I prefer to send by check, so will ask if Alex's address is still the same.

Thank you, Michael, for making this post! And thank you for your sponsorship, Terese, Michael F., John, Ed, and Michael C. And Anne, you may try the Paypal address of submission AT ablemuse DOT com.

Cheers,
...Alex

Thanks for the heads-up!

Done, and it was real easy too.

This is quite the school.


Thanks to all of you that make it happen,
Mike

Annie, ...and anyone else, ...I'm more than happy to be the go-between again if it makes things easier for members.

And Michael,
Thanks for alerting everyone to this need!

The Sphere is a wonderful community to belong to, with enormous benefits to be had in terms of advice, friendship etc, so appreciative donations are greatly welcomed. I'm just off to make mine now, as I couldn't bear to be without this place!

Jayne

I too have winged some $$ Alex's way. Thanks for the reminder, Michael, and as always many thanks to Alex himself for all the hocus-pocus behind-the-scenes stuff that makes this forum even exist to begin with.

Thanks, Alex - Michael F and I have combined our resources and achieved a joint contribution. Onwards and upwards!

I think this is a fantastic forum. So I was happy to send in some $$ as well. Thanks to all the contributors, and special thanks to all the moderators who keep things ticking along.

Cheers,
John

Yes, this really is a fruitful place. I will be doing the same.

Thanks again everyone: Jim, John, Ann & Michael F (glad you found a way together), Andrew, Jayne (with more thanks for the double duty of facilitator), Mike, and Terese ... and thanks to everyone else in process or whom I might have missed!

Cheers,
...Alex

Done!

Charlotte

Thanks for your support, Charlotte!

...Alex

I used Jayne as my go-between for the process last year, so given her kind offer above I'll be doing the same again. Well worth it.

Jayne, I'll pm you for details. Cheers Alex, this place has changed my inner life over the past 18 months.

En route. mmm

Mission accomplished, Alex. The 1st transaction you received from me was my donation, the 2nd one (today) was in my name but it's from Mark.

Eratosphere is indeed life-changing for many of us!
From two happy bunnies :D

Jayne and Mark

This was bumped-up yesterday - Jayne mentioned this in a thread that has now completely disappeared. All the newer posts have also gone...

Because I couldn't donate Tuesday, because of the Great Hack — kudos as Jayne has written elsewhere to Alex for his outstanding efforts — I'm sending my donation today to this, The Sphere/AbleMuse, the most worthy cause I know of. I've always thought Giving Tuesday as being jive, but in this instance it makes me feel… I don't know, filled with the spirit of giving. Maybe not that; but good, better, as if I've done something I should do.

Yup. I've donated again, what with the hack. Thank you Eratosphere.

Cheers,
John

I second that sentiment Rob. I, too, feel in the spirit. Thanks to Alex et al for making this a community of writers. I had meant to give a month ago but never did. Today I will. Silver linings. If there ever was a place where writers can go to feel at home in their own heads, it's here on the Sphere. It has been the addition to my interior I'd always hoped for.

When I was a young scoundrel and travelling there was a place in Paris of some renown, a mecca of sorts for writers, a bookstore on the left bank called, Shakespeare & Company. When I got there it was living off it's memories... but this place -- the Eratosphere -- is what I imagined that to be.
Eternal thanks again for getting things revived.

I likewise relate to that sentiment Rob expressed. Many thanks to Alex, without whose vigilance behind the sphere to thwart hackers and perseverance to beat their attacks, there would be no sphere. I just gladly donated also.

Cheers,
Erik

Cha-CHING!

Top-up donation from Fliss :-)

And thanks to Alex for all his hard work!

I sent a check. There is nothing like a hack to remind me of what life can be like without a community of like-minded people who share the things that give meaning to my life. It reminds me of the isolation I felt before I discovered this site.

Susan