DSR discussion boards:
The original Donor Sibling Registry (before we built the website,
www.donorsiblingregistry.com in 2003)- this is the board started in
September of 2000:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/DonorSiblingRegistry/
This second board was started in 2003 to help with the discussions
that did not pertain directly to searching and finding, but more
peripheral DI discussions:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/DSR_Discussion/
Site Upgrades that would affect Users:
1. Tally of total amount of people on the site- registrant PLUS number
of kids listed on posting.
2. Create and implement a ‘Medical Update’ Key, for each donor number.
A little icon next to the donor number where families could post, view
and update medical, genetic and updated donor profile information-
only viewable and editable by people posted to that particular donor.
3. Easier donor searching- by characteristics, partial donor numbers.
4. The ability to search for and through matches. What types of
matches and between who? i.e how many matches in each state? How many
matches between ‘only’ children? How many matches in Denmark?
5. Easier access to editing posts. All editing tabs should be
together. Should be an ‘Edit’ tab that’s visible.
6. Sperm bank rating system. Need to brainstorm on how to integrate
this into current system. Each bank rated with an icon on their
current page? New page on the DSR with all sperm banks ranked? Users
should be able to add notes to each sperm bank.
7. Average matches per donor?
8. People should be able to see the internal messages they have sent
to other members.
9. For unknown donor numbers: should have multiple choice fields (eye,
hair, college, city, etc) and search capabilities.
10. Pictures uploadable and viewable by matches only. (A maybe)
I am hoping that we can accomplish these items this Fall.
This letter is for all DSR members who have never paid the $40/year
membership fee, or have memberships that have expired.
Hi DSR Member,
Our records reflect that you have either been posted on the site for
a while, yet not ever supported the site by becoming a paying member
or that your once paid membership has expired. I’d like to invite you,
at this time, to become a supporting member of the DSR so that we can
continue to grow and provide this service to you as well as for the
many donor families that are joining and matching each month. This is
a huge undertaking for just one person. The fee was $25 for the first
nine months that I started charging (8/05-3/06), and then because of
the influx, I had to raise it. For the first 5 years I supported this
site with my own money- but it became apparent that without the help
of the members, there would be no DSR.
About half of the members joined before 8/1/05, so they are posted,
and have never paid a fee. Many people just pay once, then don’t pay
again until they get a match. So the amount of money coming in isn’t
what it may appear to be. They, like you, just don’t understand what a
huge undertaking this is.
Some of the expenses that the membership income helps to cover:
Operating and maintaining our complicated website/database, including
the services of a database specialist to keep the site up, running and
growing.
All duties of a non profit director of a worldwide organization,
including: doing (or hiring outside help for): all public relations,
media relations and interviews, industry relations, graphic design,
business management, accounting, grant writing, article writing,
educational materials writing, daily site maintenance, uploading and
troubleshooting, business to business relations, dealing with
researchers, speaking engagements, counseling members, and running a
website on a day to day basis. We also have office supplies and
equipment, bank fees, repairs and maintenance, computer equipment,
software, attorney and accountant fees, printing, postage, travel,
rent, insurance, telephone and internet fees and web hosting.
If not for our site, most likely you would not have had the chance to
connect with your matching donor families (if you have matched) or
have the chance to be in the position to be found. So as not to
jeopardize your current posting on the DSR, please consider becoming a
supporting member at the $40/year membership fee.
Thanks so much,
Wendy
