Thanks to all of you so much! We have now achieved enough donations over the past two weeks to get the updated computer! I'll need to consolidate all of the contributions over the next few days after all the various WePay, PayPal and GoFundMe fees are taken out but we SHOULD be up and running barring any glitches (and at these kinds of prices, there had better NOT be any!) by the weekend! Again, thanks to all who contributed and/or spread the word!
yeah! congrats
ReplyDeleteTo the person who continues to be more concerned with MY business than his or her own:
ReplyDeleteWe spend all of our time scrambling to stay ahead on bills by selling stuff and making a little money working online. We haven't had any savings in a decade. We are NOT on welfare, we do NOT receive food stamps. I have managed to keep us afloat, if not comfortably, by working...with my computer.
When said computer was dying and even the concept of fixing it would be over a thousand dollars, we knew it couldn't be done. In the past few years, we have already sold most anything we had that was worth much. That includes cherished collectibles, my wife's jewelry and even my wedding ring which I had designed myself!!
So I looked at the concept of crowd-funding. Our attempt at Kickstarter for a book project last year failed miserably so I went with GoFundMe which is designed for more personal issues. I didn't beg for money. I politely asked people to support me so I could continue to support my family.
And they did. Within minutes of going up, I got a hundred dollar donation. Once a day I offered an update and the donations continued to come in, some small, some surprisingly large. I was also surprised at the number of big name folks in TV and comics who read my stuff and contributed, sometimes anonymously, large amounts to the funding.
No one was forced to help. I asked. They helped.
When we got within sight of the goal, suddenly we received a number of big donations, enough to push us over the top and more.
Then, having accomplished what I had set out to do, I took down the site and posted massive thanks to one and all who helped.
As far as your comment about taxes, yes, the money does get reported as do all of our annual donations, book sales and freelance earnings. Some is taxable, some is not, but it does all get reported.
I don't know what your problem is. It's not like I'm some rich guy begging for money. I'm poverty-level with health issues but I've managed to NOT declare bankruptcy or get funded by the government. I make my own way quite legally, if just barely. We rarely go to movies, even more rarely eat out, we go nowhere and do nothing because we're always here busily scrambling to stay ahead.
I asked for help and I got it. I am grateful and happy that I can now work steadily again (of which I've had 4 new transcription jobs this past week alone and still working on earlier problem transcriptions that had to be postponed due to the computer issues!)
I don't know or care who you are or why you've made me a target for your obvious bitterness and pettiness but my conscience is clear. Go bother somebody else.