I’m leaving this post here as a sticky in case anyone else would like to donate, however, I’ve moved the longer post behind a cut so that it won’t take up quite so much space on the front page. – Cecily
Update: You may also make donations using the chip-in widget in the sidebar. Thanks to Samhita M. for asking me to moderate her panel on online misogyny.
One of the unexpected drawbacks of leaving the corporate sector for public librarianship is the $16,000 per year pay cut I took in an attempt to save the last dregs of sanity that remained after my last corporate gig. I haven’t really missed the pay cut all that much, but where it really hits home is when it comes time to make plans for SXSW. Being a broke and somewhat resourceful sort, I’ve come up with a plan to help finance my trip to next year’s Interactive festival.
If you’re a Vancouver blogger, or if you’re just someone in Vancouver who would like some informal portraits, I’m available. My rates are very reasonable: for $50, you’ll get an hour with me and a set of natural-light portraits that you can freely use – I only ask that you link back to me should you decide to use the photos on your site, or in any other publications. Couples can book sessions for $100/hour.
Not looking for a photographer? How about a research consultant? I’m a librarian and I have a wealth of proprietary databases at my disposal — and the knowledge to make the most of search results. Do you need market research, competitive intelligence, or simply want someone to research an idea for a blog post? Hire me! The current going rate is $25/hour. If you’d like a formal report of the results, I can prepare that for an additional $25/hour, plus $10/page. I observe US/Canadian Dollar parity.
Lastly, if you want a less direct way of helping to finance my trip to Austin, you can help by purchasing a license to Spanning Sync, a Mac OS X preference pane that allows you to sync your Google Calendar with iCal. Why would you use Spanning Sync instead of Google CalDAV? Well, the folks at Spanning Sync have put together a blog post that details the many ways that their product is superior to Google’s. This is truly a case of getting what you pay for. I’ve been a Spanning Sync user for all of about 12 hours; in that 12 hours, the product has become indispensable for me. If you want to sync your calendar between Google Calendar, your iCal, and your iPhone/iPod touch, Spanning Sync is a great way to do it. The best part of the deal is if you register a copy of Spanning Sync using the code KT9E49, you’ll save $5 and I’ll make $5! I’m even willing to donate 30% of all money I make from referrals to charity. You’ll not only help me make the yearly nerd pilgrimage, you’ll get to help others in the process. I’ll choose a charity in the next few days and disclose the name on this blog.
30% of all funds raised will be donated to Out On Screen.
So there you have it. I don’t ordinarily ask for this kind of help in this space, but I’d like to think that in helping me, you’re also helping yourself look better, smarter, and to become more organized.
I can’t thank you enough.