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December 19, 2011

I’ve been swithering over having a donation button for a while now – in theory I like having money for food and all, but it seemed… I dunno? …grabby? Plus this has been such a terrible year for updates due to all the health issues that suddenly cropped up, it didn’t seem terribly fair to ask for money. But on balance I’ve decided I could really do with some funds to put towards some manner of heater.

The comic’s always going to remain free to read online for as long as I can afford the hosting, so no one should feel obliged to chuck money my way. I really just appreciate having people reading and commenting. You guys are the best. :)

Finally, I keep forgetting to post this because I’m an awful person, but an old friend of mine did some fanart for my birthday (nearly a month ago, I suck) and it is super neat. Thanks, Craig. :D


Well, so far she doesn’t seem very cooperative. I’m also pretty sure this won’t change.
She will probably turn him away with the excuse that Danil isn’t there officially. And that can only mean that Lethe still means something to her.
Yes, thats what my clairvoyant skills tell me. Maaaybe I’ll look into the crystal ball … just to get sure.


Her next line ‘And I shall deny you!’ *Whips out family album

As for the subject of said button Bear with me on this.

Heater = happy+less sick author = more updates = fans happy = word spread = more donations = happier, even less sick author = More updaters helping = even happier, more plentiful fans. cycle starts looping. Button no longer relevant.
…Some Time Later…
Books reach international stock markets and beat out gold and oil as a stock item and as a viable means of assesing one’s ecomnomic GDP (like how many McDonalds burgers they could buy, an actual measure)


RE Donation button: A street musician will always have a hat out, even if they have money. It is a way of showing solidarity with those that don’t. There really is an etiquette to these things so don’t feel bad about it and don’t let false pride get in your way. You are actually helping your fellow artists by keeping your audience, and theirs, reminded that there are expenses to this activity and they are hopefully less likely to take you and your fellow artists for granted.

I hope that you get enough for a portable heater plus enough to offset some Con expenses ;)


A proper PS: I just had some further thoughts and you should make a custom button as a permanent part of your site. Call it a ‘Tip Jar’ rather than a ‘Donate Button’ as that would be more accurate. If you still feel strange about it, you can always redistribute anything surplus to your requirements to other web artists. You would be amazed at the number of people that are willing to show support of your work in this way and it’s much more accurate than web-analytics ;)


While “Tip Jar” may sound nice for native speakers, it is probably irritating for foreigners. “Donate Button” on the other hand is familiar all over the world.


The point is that it needs to be there permanently, non?

However, for native Anglo speakers, the word ‘Donate’ has some unfortunate connotations, much of it having to do with puritan work-ethic issues. One donates to charities, par example.

The concept of tip-jar is well known in the French-speaking world and even Brits know of the concept. The Germans may be a bit slower to catch on but they’re bright folks, especially since many web comic sites are putting up tip-jars.


If history had been a little different, and the Imperial Roman Legion had gone ahead and conquored the Northern Territories (instead of building a wall and retiring to their hot baths) there would probably be hot running water all over Scotland, even in starving artist’s garrets. But noooo! The Scots had to be obstinate! Allow their country to be invaded by an army of trouser-wearing, non-wrestling heathens? Hah! Hah!


…and thatÂ´s why we prefer Scots over Italian Sissies. :D


It was the cold that stopped them. The rocky and frozen North wasn’t regarded as much of a prize. Not cost-effective, you might say.
Also, it would have meant leaving their hot baths. =(


At least now we can just buy a heater. That’s almost as good as a hot bath, and there are no damned Romans involved or required!


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