Downtown Community Garden - Des Moines Iowa

Growing Together @ the corner of E 6th and Scott Street.

Drew Matthew Maifeld

WWW.GARDENDOWNTOWNDSM.NING.COM or WWW.GARDENDOWNTOWNDSM.COM?

Hi friends,

I created this garden site a year ago in hopes of fostering communication among garden members. Our website is a free service from NING.com which allows groups and individuals to create their own social network.

Early in the year I decided to start personally paying for a $5 per month upgrade that allowed our site web address to be www.gardendowntowndsm.com rather than www.gardendowntowndsm.ning.com.  I made this decision because I felt that it was an easier site for people to remember and share with their friends.  I also just plain felt that the "dot ning dot com" was confusing for people. This was something I noticed when verbally trying to give the web address to others.

Either address gets ours users to the EXACT same content.

Since that time there has been a concern expressed to me that this decision was made as an attempt to personally "privatize" the downtown garden site.  This concern was brought forth presumably from the listing I added here: http://www.gardendowntowndsm.com/opensocial/ningapps/show?appUrl=ht...

Here's my question: Does anyone have concerns using the .com version or me asking for contributions towards the monthly fee?


I'm confident that the website has done great things for us but the real benefit will be seen long into the future as a resource and a historical document for all the great things we've had going on here.

I hope whoever is participating will continue to consider the time they spend here worthwhile.

Drew Matthew Maifeld

Views: 0

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Drew Matthew MaifeldPermalink Reply by Drew Matthew Maifeld on July 11, 2010 at 10:57pm
Hi Donna, (and all others)

Actually - as of this moment I haven't done anything yet. Mostly because it has been a touchy subject and in my efforts to please all people, I believe we have lost some of the utility that the site was providing. ( Also I'm not sure that I noticed any name change or address change ??? )

The cost of the site will be around $200 dollars a year if or when I choose to keep it. My current plan is to continue to pay the cost and allow people who wish to contribute the opportunity to do so.

Although it took several months of thinking - your last message is prompting me to do what I think is best for the garden.

Ps Donna - I hope to see you sometime soon, it has been a few months. I would love to hear how things are going at Franklin.

Donna said:
Drew ... you went ahead a paid the fee, didn't you? I've been coming back here thinking the place would go away but it hasn't. And today I noticed the web address change. That's $60 a year?
DonnaPermalink Reply by Donna on July 14, 2010 at 9:23pm
The web address changed to www.gardendowntowndsm.com instead of www.gardendowntowndsm.ning.com.

You try to please all people? :P I am not familiar with that approach.

"Although it took several months of thinking - your last message is prompting me to do what I think is best for the garden."

Not entirely sure what I said ... maybe you could pm me? I have continually thought about and wrestled with the percentage approached you told me about.

I hope to see you guys too! Last time I saw both of you I had been up all night and I didn't really think my little boy would enjoy art projects. But I did appreciate the invite and opportunity to see you guys so I made the effort :) Plus I'd never been to Mar's Cafe.


Drew Matthew Maifeld said:
Hi Donna, (and all others)

Actually - as of this moment I haven't done anything yet. Mostly because it has been a touchy subject and in my efforts to please all people, I believe we have lost some of the utility that the site was providing. ( Also I'm not sure that I noticed any name change or address change ??? )

The cost of the site will be around $200 dollars a year if or when I choose to keep it. My current plan is to continue to pay the cost and allow people who wish to contribute the opportunity to do so.

Although it took several months of thinking - your last message is prompting me to do what I think is best for the garden.

Ps Donna - I hope to see you sometime soon, it has been a few months. I would love to hear how things are going at Franklin.

Donna said:
Drew ... you went ahead a paid the fee, didn't you? I've been coming back here thinking the place would go away but it hasn't. And today I noticed the web address change. That's $60 a year?

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

To Learn about donating to this site please view the following post under the Listings Tab: http://ow.ly/4kMuX

Notes

Introducting Candy Drost : 2011 Community Garden Coordinator

CANDY'S ROLE : CITY LIAISON

Candy is a long time community gardener (5+ years!) and she has 4 children who love to garden with her...

 

As community garden coordinator, Candy will -

  • Conduct the plot distribution at all City of Des Moines Community Gardens & manage that messy paperwork.
  • Communicate with Gardeners about their plot & enforce the rules if needed.
  • Help provide & coordinate city resources for our garden when…
Continue

Created by Drew Matthew Maifeld Apr 17, 2011 at 1:45pm. Last updated by Drew Matthew Maifeld Apr 17, 2011.

© 2012   Created by Drew Matthew Maifeld.   Powered by .

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

Sign in to chat!