David Tuller's new crowdfunding campaign (April 1, 2018)

The soft launch has started. The hard launch is on April 1st--that's when Berkeley formally announces all the campaigns. We're supposed to generate some interest by discretely sharing out links without posting it all over the universe yet. So here's mine:

https://crowdfund.berkeley.edu/project/9730/wall

Don't repost elsewhere until April 1st but feel free to donate in the meantime...and thanks!

 

Gives piggy bank experimental shake. Great value for money I think!

 

I've been saving up for this. It is an investment as the last year proves. Looking forward to follow Tuller for another year!

 

How about changing your title to 'David Tuller's new crowdfunding campaign (April 1, 2018)'?

Important to have your name on it so people read the thread, I reckon.

 

good idea. I can't see where to edit the title...

 

Doesn't this mean this thread should be members only to stop google search finding this?

 

That’s April Fools’ Day! Maybe it’s not the best day to launch a new campaign?

 

Go @dave30th! Delighted to contribute to your continuing awesomeness

 

Ha! The university picks the dates. It doesn't really matter if people see it or if others jump in. I'm just not going to post on Facebook or Virology Blog or Twitter until the first.

 

I was just messing with you!

 

well I had actually thought about that myself!

 

Only 30 days? Didn't we have longer last time? Why do they want the drama?!

Pretty good timing for me though - I was just thinking I've got some spare money and nothing that I need to buy. Some intrepid journalism seems a better purchase than stocking up on vacuum cleaner bags. Hope the fund raising goes well.

 

Donated ... thanks kindly for your continued efforts on our behalf. John

ps,
The 'State / Province / Region' for the UK seriously need updating on the donate page; no Yorkshire to be found .. "Gods own country tha knows."

 

If the Tiangong-1 space station crashes to earth on April 1, that would start Tuller's campaign literally with a bang.

PS: Just donated some loose change found in the sofa cushions.

 

@dave30th Yes, of course I will support your new crowdfunding campaign, with many thanks for your dogged efforts to debunk PACE and raise ME awareness in other parts of the world. Unfortunately, Canadians can only experience the excitement from a distance. News coverage about ME in Canada is abysmal.

Would you consider a trip to our beautiful "backwater"? An excellent opportunity would be the upcoming 1st Canadian Collaborative Team Conference in Montreal, Quebec, from May 3 - 5, 2018. Details here:

https://www.fourwav.es/view/647/info/

 

IIRC there was 11K over the goal raised last year, is the overage amount affecting the ask this year?

 

Seems every Monday morning there is another Tuller piece ready to make me smile. Worth every penny and more. Just wish I had more to give.

 

In terms of last year's overage of almost $12,000, yes, that helped me determine the ask. But the main reason is that $72,000, give or take, is really what I need to cover the 50% costs. When I started off asking for $60,000 last year, I knew I was under what I needed by a few thousand dollars but it turns out I really underestimated the cost of benefits--which, in the U.S., is largely health insurance. Had I only gotten $60,000, I'd be scrambling now to figure out how to pump another $10,000+ into the UC system to cover the months through June. Since I raised $72,000 last year, I figured it was not unrealistic to be able to get $75,000 this year.

One difference is that the Crowdrise platform reminded donors that the system took a cut and asked if they wanted to add more to cover that. When people get asked that, most don't mind adding to what they're giving, so the full amount they wanted to give goes for the cause they're donating to. The Berkeley platform doesn't seem to have that prompt. So in reality, if I raise $75,000, the total that goes to cover costs for me is that amount minus the 7.5% that Berkeley takes--5% is the standard gift fee for any donation to the university, and 2.5% is to process the crowdfunding etc. But that's ok. If I get within a few thousand, there's no problem finding a bit more working on other projects.

The truth is I'd do this as a full-time thing if I could bring in more money to cover it. I really am trying to spend half my work-time for other projects. But that's challenging because there are so many things that I need to investigate and write about for this project, and I continue to find it intellectually very stimulating and engaging--not to mention that it's important to do. Even though it sounds like I'm asking for a lot of money, San Francisco is expensive and it's hard to live on a half-time income. That's why it would be great if I could again get more than I'm asking for. Berkeley could put me at 60% or 71% or 82% and I could turn down some other work. But whatever. I'll keep doing it regardless.

My main concern is making sure I have health insurance through the state of California, because getting it through Obamacare would be very expensive for a 61-year-old, and I wouldn't be eligible for the subsidies. Plus the individual insurance from Obamacare is always going to be worse than insurance obtained as an employee of the University of California. It's all a big mess--not to mention that Trump is chipping away at Obamacare and it could disappear or just be unviable at some point in the not too distant future.

 

I understand, thanks for explaining
I was a bit hesitant to mention it because you have done amazing work on our behalf, i apologize if it was too forward