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When it comes to working out how we spend our time each week, King Cricket is currently – for boring financial reasons – our lowest priority. We haven’t been writing the site these last 13 years to make our fortune. This is why some weeks we publish quite a bit and other weeks not so much.
That’s rubbish. We love writing here and we’d very much like to be able to devote a little more time to it – even just an extra morning a month. Maybe you’d like us to devote more time to it too?
If you were willing to chip in a (very) small sum each month, we could…
- Write more articles
- Do longer, more in-depth pieces
- Do requests
What we don’t know is whether or not you’d be willing.
Here’s a survey. And here’s a link to the survey because it probably won’t show up in the email.
Please answer honestly because if this doesn’t seem like it’s worth doing, we won’t bother.
Patreon is a platform where readers can help fund websites like this on a monthly basis. We currently use it to chip in a couple of quid for each episode of Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon’s podcast, The Final Word. You can listen to the podcast whether you do this or not, but by contributing we’re hopefully helping them remain independent and maybe devote more time to it.
The same applies here. If we ran a Patreon campaign, the whole of King Cricket would remain accessible to everyone. (We did consider offering a bit of ‘premium’ content, but decided that wasn’t very ‘on brand’.)
So what would be the incentive for becoming a ‘patron’?
For the lower amounts, probably just a thank you and the knowledge that you’re helping sustain an independent website. For a larger investment, we’d do requests.
If you’ve any other suggestions as to how we could offer patrons a bit of something without excluding non-patrons, we’d be very happy to hear your suggestions.
Zero-commented on, and yet perhaps the most pivotal of pieces in your blog. You have my survey reply, all the very best!
Haven’t seen any responses yet, but thanks either way.
This’d probably be the first website I’d actually support via Patreon.
Possibly just a statement of fact, but feels like a very lovely compliment.
Mine too. My fleeting perception of Patreon was as an Instagram-influencer-meets – sexcam subscription platform! Didn’t know it was mainstream enough for use by any content creator.
This is definitely something you should do. I spend a tenner on the train every day and I hate the train. So I’d definitely chip in a couple of quid a month.
Ha. Very generous.
This would be my 2nd Patreon after a nerdy computer rpg blog, you’ve provided me with enough laughs for a few bob for sure!
You’re probably not alone in the Venn diagram. Very kind.
Yes, I’m going with the laughs/makes the working day ever so slightly less intolerable angle. Happy to chip in an individually-modest-but-towards-a-collectively-(hopefully)-non-trivial amount!
That’s what the site was always meant to be and also exactly what we’re hoping for. We’d be hugely grateful.
Sure why not, happy to help keep this propped up.
You’re a credit to your demographic group.
What’s my demographic group in this example, out of interest?
You’d have to tell us. Whatever it is, you’re a credit to it.
I’ve self-credited myself in my demography as well. I have no idea what that sentence means.
Rest assured that your demographic feels great proud that you qualify for it.
I would definitely pay to support this.
We’re taken aback by the certainty. Most kind.
The problem, as I see it, is that you are describing this place as a website. Most websites struggle to make money. I recall that you are dead set against calling this place a blog. Quite right. Blogs hardly ever make any money at all.
You need to describe this place a blockchain. You need to describe contributions to the King Cricket blockchain as “investments”, not “funding”. Those investments might make the contributors fantastically rich like the Winklevoss twins. Unlikely, admittedly, but who knows how far your ICO (Initial Cricket Offering) might go?
Joking apart, I’ve chimed in with a yes on the survey and/but will e-mail you with some (sensible) exam questions about this, KC. I have one or two ideas, only one or two of which might be mad.
All ideas and positive vibes greatly received.
If said ICO is handled properly we can all come out of it King Cricket Coin [₭₵₾] millionaires, subsidizing rival mercenary twenty-over tourneys in our tax havens du jour, ultimately securing controlling interests in all present boards of cricket control. Perhaps Allen Stanford can consult, if he’s feeling up to it.
Best not to discuss it further in a public forum.
Presumably if we went down this route we would sponsor test cricket… Or possibly arrange less cricket to have more ‘events’.
Count me in.
Ever so good of you.
And I thought putting my marriage at risk by clicking on all the adverts for Eastern European brides on the site was enough.
Halfway through the article I moment of dread that the time had come that you would be abandoning your KC persona, or going big budget mainstream a la Wayne’s World.
I’m happy to do my bit to prevent this.
What a gent.
I’m not clicking on anything until you’ve promised to fix Cricket Top Trumps.
Just kidding, I’ll chuck a couple of bob in the hat.
We were waiting for that to get a mention. We were beginning to think it might not happen.
Very kind.
In other news, a ridiculous game is taking place. The Haddin XII (twelve) vs the Hick XII.
So many question, so little time.
Some answers. Elite drafting!
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/australia-ashes-practice-warm-up-player-draft-hick-haddin-paine-head-cummins-smith/2019-07-21
Yes, was puzzled by what is basically Australia v Australia.
I suspect they do not rate the quality of opposition a county side would put up by way of warm-up matches. Cue 201 runs for 17 wickets down on day one.
Elite batting practice.
Dunno if this’ll work, but it’s worth a shot:
Reader, it did not work.
https://media2.giphy.com/media/TdwziQPhbNAzK/giphy.gif
Super kind and appropriately expressed. Maybe you’ll suggest “working embeds in the comments section” as a potential reward.
Survey completed – I’m in if there are more animals being conspicuously indifferent to cricket.
Very kind, although your wishes are greatly dependent on the wider readership.
Yes. This is the best thing on the internet, because both it and the comments match my outlook and sense of humour.
But I have long appreciated that one person puts immeasurably more effort into it than the rest. And as well as Ged, KC puts a lot of effort in as well. So contributing isn’t the least we can do (sentence edited for correctness).
I assume that in this new commercial era we will get a “MAKE ARTICLE NOW” button, that will wake you up at whatever time of day and demand that you do as told. Much like a young child in that regard.
Many thanks for the years when you never asked for what was definitely deserved throughout.
Her name was eggmonroe…she’s older.
We can absolutely add that function. It may come at eye-watering cost though.
In other news, you’re a kindly gent.
The “MAKE ARTICLE NOW” feature or the UK:R style spam generator?
I’d happily chip in a couple of quid a month. I can only pay in dollars though.
Been a longtime reader and impressively infrequent commenter, being able to give back a bit sounds lovely.
Your 12th comment, according to the site. (Only just noticed this feature.)
Very kind. Hoping there’s a few other lurkers out there.
Also would chip in. I chip in for the Guerilla Cricket guys and this is a similarly enjoyable service to the cricketing community.
You’re a decent sort, you know.
It’ll be an honour. Any titles going in the Kingdom? Grants of land? That sort of thing?
If a chap were to give occasional (slightly) larger amounts would the coffers be in better nick than nailed-on regular (very) small sums, given Patreon fees, foreign exchange etc?
Oh, and will you accept (ahem) Aussie dollars, or would that be a violation of everything you stand for?
Super kind. We’ll take anything up to and possibly even including Monopoly money.
Regular sums would be best planning-wise and as far as we’re aware, fees are a percentage, in which case it wouldn’t much matter. (We could be wrong.)
We would like to give away something intangible and stupid and unique to generous patrons; some sort of status within the realm. Not sure.
Maybe we could hand out knight and damehoods and you can add that to your username. Anyone who tries to stick a Sir in there without permission has their comment deleted.
This does not feel good.
Well there’s an easy and avoidable way to avoid it.
I completed the survey very soon after it was posted but I didn’t reply here, assuming that just completing the survey would be enough. But there’s a veritable flood of comments here, so in the spirit of things, I would happily support this endeavour. To the tune of several quid a month!
You’re one of the great human beings. One of the very greatest.
Never commented before but I’ll happily bash in a few quid a month for the all the work toilet breaks I’ve spent reading this site. On another note, related to my suggestion thingy, anyone know if the Ireland Test highlights can be found anywhere on UK telly? I find your occasional updates on such things and Now TV deals etc. v. handy Your Highness, though fear of impertinence prevents me from anything approaching a Request.
Hurray for people who’ve never commented before. The lurkers are the heart of this site.
Ireland Test highlights are 7pm on Channel 5. Should have said. The Channel 5 player thing usually works if you want to catch up with last night’s.
Hello KC. Survey done. I don’t really know what a patreon is, and I know I don’t come here much anymore, but this place has given me much happiness over the years and has been part of me finding a whole community and more.
Cheers Miriam. Some triumphs are bigger than others.
I have only commented a couple of times but have been lurking much longer. I would bung a couple of quid a month your way, not least because now, if a certain umpire appears on screen, my sister and I will invariably shout “you bottleless get, Dharmasena, you dickhead” and inform each other that we cannot spake. Without King Cricket this would not have happened and my life would be poorer for it.
That entire story gladdens our heart.
I’ve never supported anybody internet-wise before, so this would be a first, but, yes, I’m in, as long as you will accept Euro post-Brexit, otherwise I’m out.
Looking forward to a big day for the Irish tomorrow.
The Kingdom has no borders.
You’re one of the greats, Chuck.