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Steve and Barb are fixin to hit the road to make it to Fred's meet in Oklahoma. There's a lot of hotels and diners between there. Not to mention road hazards...we're talkin, from Canada to Oklahoma.
And the trip goes on.
They've committed themselves to show up at the meets and meet the new Letterheads as well as revisit with the ones they've known for years. Their road trips looks kinda like the old Dennis the Menace cartoons. They end up hittin just about every square inch of property they can.
This really is a dream come true for them, to see the website they built, come alive with real faces and smiles and some of the coolest people that our country has to offer! Real live Signfolk, extraordinary artists and craftsman!
I've watched these two moderate this BullBoard and the website, putting in grueling hours after their regular daily jobs. They don't get paid for this, yet the demands and the crowd control they endure is mind boggling.
I think since they go out of their way sooo much for us, we should go the extra mile too, and send in the resident fee ASAP. They've got many miles to cover on this trip, as there are so many new people to stop and welcome to our community.
I know business is picking up for some of us and It would really be appreciated by our unselfish moderators to have all the help they can use while miles away from home! Steve's health has been an issue for quite awhile. I know he could breath better without the added stress of feeling like he's been working for nothing.
If you've already caught up the dues, disregard the above, but if you hate working for free, think about it a bit and let your conscience be your guide. If he's passing through, you can give it to him in cash, Barb is really great with the receipts when she gets back home hehehe! I know for a fact!
I've seen how devoted these two are to us, now let's be sure to return the favor!
Thanks!
[ February 27, 2002, 05:40 PM: Message edited by: Linda Silver Eagle ]
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Steve and Barb, We live right on the way , straight S. of Kansas City and just 3.5 hours from OKC. Our home is under complete remodeling now, but lunch or dinner is on me, if you feel like coming by. It is very little out of the way. Maybe 25 miles further, than the I-35 south out of KC, and a much nicer drive. Jack
-------------------- "Don't change horses in midstream, unless you spot one with longer legs" bronzeo oti Jack Davis 1410 Main St Joplin, MO 64801 www.imagemakerart.com jack@imagemakerart.com Posts: 1549 | From: Joplin, MO | Registered: Mar 2000
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Steve and Barb, Your Welcome here in Omaha, NE. I’m a hell of a cook! I live alone and have plenty of room, only one problem! with only one bed it might get a little crowed. Kidding aside, stop in for a bite if the timing right? I’m right off of I-29 an I-680 you can e-mail for address / phone
-------------------- Don Southard DS Signs and Design Omaha,NE 68142 Posts: 24 | From: Omaha,NE | Registered: Nov 2001
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quote: I've watched these two moderate this BullBoard and the website, putting in grueling hours after their regular daily jobs. They don't get paid for this, yet the demands and the crowd control they endure is mind boggling.
Thanks for the kind words Linda, but your quote above is misleading. I feel we need to use this opportunity to clear up some misconseptions Letterville users may have.
For the past 3-4 years, there is no regular job. Letterville is our sole source of income.
Maintaining the website, answering your e-mail and phone calls, creating new content, moderating the BB and making sure everything is always working, has developed into a 24 hour, 7 day a week commitment.
There was a year or two, when the website was first started that it was just a hobby, but as the website grew, it soon became apparent that we had to find some way to pay for Letterville's huge appetite for bandwidth and server space, not to mention programmer costs and our dwindling income. Our solution was to offer advertising opportunities to our suppliers and a voluntary Resident subscription plan to our users.
Letterville is not that much different from a live Letterhead/Pinhead Meet. Those attending the meet supply all the knowledge for free, but everyone chips in to cover the host's costs associated with the meet. The bigger and fancier the meet, the greater the costs. I'm certain there are still free meets, but they are becoming very rare.
As meet costs go up, there are some that feel our suppliers and/or big corporations should foot the bill. I'm not one of them. If we want to preserve the format and character of our live meets, we have to be willing to pay for it ourselves.
Get ready! I'm about to open the can of worms. There are 7138 sign shops that have registered in the Letterville Database. Out of that number 2590 have gone the extra step and registered to post on the Letterville BB. Yesterday, the BB alone was read 16,400 times.
Looking at thes numbers, many may be surprised to learn that there are less than 200 Residents. Dispite offering incentives, such as free downloads and monthly Resident draws, our efforts to attract new Residents have been disappointing. There is no emergency, but we clearly have a challenge here to overcome.
I want to thank Linda for making this post. It's important to us, that everyone understands Letterville is a business and not a charity. We appreciate your motives, but there's no need to hold benefits or sell anything to raise money to send to Letterville. All we ask is that more of you, who are sold on Letterville and feel you benefit from your time spent here, consider becoming Residents.
Thanks to all of you, Residents, Visitors and Merchants alike, for choosing Letterville to conduct your on-line meet. Hope to see you all at a live meet this year!
-------------------- Steve Shortreed 144 Hill St., E. Fergus, Ontario Canada N1M 1G9 519-787-2673
I am glad to be one of the 200 and hope to meet you at Fred's meet. You and Barb stay warm on the long trip. I will be making a couple of stops but will not be far behind you.
Debbie
Dreams are journeys that take one from familiar shores, Strenghtening the heart, Empowering the soul.
-------------------- Debbie Posts: 674 | From: USA | Registered: Feb 2001
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Thanks for explaining this, Steve. Being new around here, I didn't know how important it was to become a resident. Count me in, i will change that this week yet. Have a save trip. Lotti
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Having just sent out my dues I don't even hesitate to find $50.00 worth of value on this board. This is the best deal going! If one question gets answered, just one in a year and it saves you time and money from the school of hard knocks, then it is worth it.
Some people use the politics as an excuse not to become a member, but I bet they lurk here all the time. Some people figure why pay for it when I can get it for free!
Others are strapped and can't out right afford it. & that my friend is the only acceptable reason going.
Everything else is just an excuse!
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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Steve & Barb I for one have to say you guys are doing a great service to everyone of us in the sign business. I was amazed to read the stats on the amount of people that have registered, but totally stunned at the amount of people that haven't done their part in keeping this great forum going. Geeze people, 50 bucks now a days is not much money when you consider what this site does for all of us. It is less than the profit that you would make doing a welcome sign for a customer.
There isn't many times, as long as I have been coming to the Letterheads website that I have commented, but this is one that is worthy of saying "If you come to this site, pay up!!!" If you come to this site you are in the sign business or related in some way to this fine industry. We are very fortunate to have people like Steve and Barb that have gone the extra mile to create such a place for us to help one another. A place that we can vent our frustrations, gain knowledge, or get inspiration from the great artists out there. There are good suppliers that have gone the extra step and helped out by advertising, hopefully you have used some of the Manufacturers that have done that.
I guess in closing all I have to say, when a customer doesn't pay we call them dead beats, and even get on this site and tell everyone how we didn't get paid. Well to the 6,938 people that haven't paid their dues, do you want to be called a "dead beat" ???????? Help keep the site going, I for one would like to see Steve and Barb get paid their worth, and if they become rich, and the site improves even more than it already is, than so be it.....That is what business is all about, getting paid for a job well done.
Steve and Barb, you have gotten a lot of invitations to stay and have dinner, well if you are ever in wonderful West Virginia, stop by, the BBQ us always open , love to have great people stop by.
-------------------- Ed Cimaglio Hedgesville, WV Posts: 13 | From: Hedgesville, WV | Registered: May 2000
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Steve & Barb ARE doing everyone a great service!
Are you a Canadian VISITOR to Letterville?
Isn't this a great place?
Wouldn't ya like to help support this site by becoming a full-fledged RESIDENT?
ND GRAPHICS wants to make it easy for you by paying your Letterville Residency Tax of US$50!
Here's what we need you to do...
Call 1 888 NDGRAPH (1 888 634 7274) prior to March 27th, 2002.
Dial one for Customer Service. When your call is answered, say "I'M A LETTERHEAD" and order a minimum of CDN$995* worth of supplies from ND GRAPHICS. *Taxes extra.
Your order will ship F.O.B. the nearest ND GRAPHICS location.
Terms of payment are C.O.D. or Net 30 -- if you already have an ND GRAPHICS account in good standing.
As soon as your "I'm a letterhead" invoice is paid in full, ND GRAPHICS will gladly send Steve & Barb a cheque on your behalf.
This is a limited offer for CANADIAN LETTERVILLE VISITORS only, which cannot be combined with any other offers and is non-transferable. ND GRAPHICS reserves all rights.
Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions that might arise.
-------------------- Jon Aston MARKETING PARTNERS "Strategy, Marketing and Business Development" Tel 705-719-9209 Posts: 1724 | From: Barrie, ON, CANADA | Registered: Sep 2000
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Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6748 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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