Support Liberty by Becoming a FED

July 25, 2010 by Michael Hampton
Filed under: Announcement

For the last four years, Porcupine 411 has been a lifeline for activists in Keene and elsewhere in New Hampshire, and hopefully will continue to do so in the future. You can help make this happen by becoming a FED.

No, that stands for Finance Engineering and Development.

Times change and technology advances, and I now have a very long list of proposed features that people would like to see added to Porcupine 411. Features like live video streaming, text messaging, GPS location of callers in distress and more sit on the back burner waiting to be realized, because what I don’t have is time. I have to spend much of my time working on projects unrelated to liberty in order to make ends meet in this economy, and that has taken away from the amount of time I can put into improving Porcupine 411.

Now you can help. By contributing $3 or more a month, you will become a FED and gain access to new features before they’re made publicly available, not to mention helping to fund the creation of those features in the first place. To learn more, view a list of proposed features, or set up your contribution, visit Finance Engineering and Development today.

Comments

19 Comments on Support Liberty by Becoming a FED

Seth on Sun, 25th Jul 2010 2:00 pm

I don’t yet live in New Hampshire, so pardon my ignorance, but is Porc 411 free right now, or do you charge for customers? If it is free right now, is there any chance of you making it a pay service, and then, possibly becoming a full time business owner of porc 411?

Michael Hampton on Sun, 25th Jul 2010 2:06 pm

The service is free for its users, both to call in and to receive messages. Its funding comes from my own pocket, from a few people who have set up their own 411 services in other parts of the country, and from people like the FEDs. This particular program is meant to defray the costs of developing new features.

I don’t like the idea of charging users; it would set the barrier to entry too high. Consider the first-time caller just moments ago who is coming up to Keene from Massachusetts and called in saying he would try to be at Social Sundays.

Paul on Sun, 25th Jul 2010 2:10 pm

I really don’t like the idea of it being a for-pay service either, and I don’t imagine full time work on it is necessary.

I’ve been a longtime donator to 411, and I encourage others to do the same. Let’s ensure this great service is well funded into the future.

Actually, Michael, would it make it simpler for me to cancel my paypal and re-sign up under this program?

Seth on Sun, 25th Jul 2010 3:35 pm

Only time will tell, but I suspect a membership with pay service would give you a run for your money both in quality and scope.

I’m not saying that as a slam to porc 411. I’ve never used it and I have heard lots of good things about it. I am just coming from the point of view that since it is a service, it would operate better with the pay model than the donation model.

Take for example Craigslist. Started off as free to post ads. It operated completely off of donations. Then it got really big and was also plagued with a lot of spam. So what did they do? They started charging a very small fee to post advertisements. It’s a better service now as a result.

Michael Hampton on Sun, 25th Jul 2010 3:39 pm

Now that’s interesting; I didn’t know Craigslist went to a pay model.

And anyway, even if I were to do that, the question would then become how to implement it. There’s no easy way to charge people that I can think of that wouldn’t compromise the service. Then you would have competition (there already is some of this).

Jay on Sun, 25th Jul 2010 3:40 pm

A button for a one-time contribution would be nice.

Michael Hampton on Sun, 25th Jul 2010 3:46 pm

A button for a one-time contribution would be nice.

Done. Thank you for your support of Porc 411!

Seth on Sun, 25th Jul 2010 4:39 pm

Yeah, I think they charge like $3 or $10 per ad or something. And it’s great because the ad only gets posted once. Before, you had people posting their ad dozens of times. Plus, people would post total garbage. Now only real offers are posted.

In the Porc 411 I don’t know how it would switch to a pay service. Perhaps it would be only members can get through to make calls. And membership would be like $5 per month or something.

Eventually, porc 411 will get to the point where an incident happens, and you’ve got like 50 people all calling in to make the same report. That is redundant and pulls resources away from others who also have a real call to make about something entirely different. Or you will have non liberty minded people calling in about stupid stuff, or whatever. I don’t know. What I do know is that if it were a real emergency hotline in lieu of 911, I would have no problem paying a monthly fee to subscribe to something if it made sure my call would get taken and not have resources pulled from me to go to free loaders.

Michael Hampton on Sun, 25th Jul 2010 4:41 pm

What I do know is that if it were a real emergency hotline in lieu of 911, I would have no problem paying a monthly fee to subscribe to something if it made sure my call would get taken and not have resources pulled from me to go to free loaders.

That’s one of the features on the table, actually.

Seth on Sun, 25th Jul 2010 5:20 pm

Ahh, my bad! Keep up the good work. I’m sure I’ll sign up once I get to New Hampshire.

Michael Hampton on Sun, 25th Jul 2010 5:22 pm

What’s taking you so long, Seth? This is where all the anarchist FUN is!

Jay on Sun, 25th Jul 2010 5:23 pm

> Yeah, I think they charge like $3 or $10 per ad or something.

http://www.craigslist.org/about/help/posting_fees

Michael Hampton on Sun, 25th Jul 2010 5:26 pm

Ah, I see. Craigslist is charging for posts in a few specific categories. The way they’ve set that up definitely would help cut out some of the crap while supporting the business. I’m not sure I can translate that model.

Seth on Sun, 25th Jul 2010 5:43 pm

I was under the impression they started charging for everything. Shows how much I know! 0 for 2 today!

I should be arriving in New Hampshire in Spring of 2011. That is the goal, anyways. I can’t wait to get out of California. I’m already in New Hampshire mentally!

Michael Hampton on Sun, 25th Jul 2010 5:45 pm

And besides, I don’t think even charging for access will prevent people from pocket dialing.

FREE.FEDtheKINGofKEENE on Sun, 25th Jul 2010 7:00 pm

I have subscribed to porc411 for some time now. Get lots of good results. Lots of good news & tips. Helps me know what to do, and not do. Who’s doing what where, what’s happening, etc. I get to witness bad traffic stops in real-time. All this & more. I barely survive on Social Security Disability. Now, you wanna exclude me because I’m dirt-poor, & just can’t pay any$$$???…Guess it should be FEE-KEENE. &theFEE State Project. ….. /// …..Seth sez: “What I do know is that if it were a real emergency hotline in lieu of 911, I would have no problem paying a monthly fee to subscribe to something if it made sure my call would get taken and not have resources pulled from me to go to free loaders.” WTF???…is that what you REALLY THINK, SETH, or did you just have your head up your asshole???…”FREELOADERS”???WTF???…….UNLESS I see a goddamn good explanation and apology here, you better not ever show your face in my town of KEENE, motherfucker. You wrote fighting words, asshole, and I only fight to the death. Yeah? So what you gonna do, ANARCHY-SHITHEAD???…call the COPS on me???…This time, what if I’m just spouting BS???…I think you’re too smart to do anything except explain and apologize to me. Remember, I’m a HOMELAND SECURITY S.A.I.C.O.M….Special Agent in Charge of >ME<…and I can sure as fuckshit take care of YOU, TOO, ASSethWIPE!…As usual, I thank you for the most excellent service you provide us all, with PORC411, Mr. Hampton. ~tKoK….p.s.: sorry about that asSETHwipe guy….

Michael Hampton on Mon, 26th Jul 2010 12:56 am

“King of Keene” brings up an important long-term issue with the private provision of security services to the general public.

That is, how do you deal with people who are unable to pay? The usual answer is that charity will take care of this. But a few of us here in Manchester are actually in the feasibility study phase of putting together a private emergency service which would perform some of the functions now performed by police. I’d like to have a more concrete answer as to how charity would provide such services to those who are unable to pay, and/or whether there are other voluntary methods of funding the service on behalf of those unable to pay.

Seth on Mon, 26th Jul 2010 1:08 am

How will we take care of those unable to pay for food? If private security is a priority for an individual they will put its expenses above others, such as cable television or beer. I have every reason to believe private security will become easily affordable to the masses, since it will not be focused on waging a war on drugs, or other insanities.

At first, it may be prohibitively expensive. Only the wealthier will be able to afford it, but like all things, prices tend to fall over time. I remember when only rich people had cell phones and CD players. Now it’s standard. So will be private security.

If you find establishing a private security would be exclusive at first, you shouldn’t let it stop you. Eventually, you will be able to provide to all.

George Wheelock, jr. on Tue, 27th Jul 2010 9:23 am

I would rather work to create a society where people do not commit so many crimes against others in the first place. And a society that realizes that the best things in life aren’t “things” at all. Now, money and such are seen as more important than people. The FBI for example, takes “intellectual property rights violations” far more seriously than they do HUMAN RIGHTS violations. That is so sad.

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