Meetup is raising its fee - what shall we do?

[Gabor Szabo]

Hi,

I've just received an email from Meetup that they are raising the semiannual fee I pay from $30 to $100.

Yes, more than 3 times.

The next payment is due on November 26.

There are 3 alternatives I can think of, and I'd like to get your thoughts about it.

1. Keep paying the higher fee.

2. Find an alternative system

3. Switch to the Open Source platform I have been developing.

1. Paying $60/year was acceptable for me but $200 is a bit steep. Members of this group could chip in the price or, better yet, you could invite me to run a Python or Rust course at your company. That would help me justify paying the higher fee to Meetup. (See https://szabgab.com/ )

2. There are a number of platforms, but I don't have experience with any of them and I don't know how much I could trust them?

3. Actually, I was already anticipating this, so I have been working on an Open Source platform to replace Meetup for the groups I organize, and maybe also for others. It is written in Rust using Rocket as the web framework and SurrealDB as the database.  I think I am quite close to letting me start to use it, but I'd love to get some help.

If you would like to help me with that, please let me know.

I'll send you the link to the code and we can discuss how you might be able to help me.

So what do you think?

regards

     Gabor

[Ram Rachum]

I'm willing to donate $20/year. 

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[Tal Einat]

Sounds like an expense the PSF could perhaps cover for us.

[Miki Tebeka]

https://www.meetup.com/pro/python-software-foundation-meetups/

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[Alon Levy]

Option #3 is interesting, I would be happy to see the code, and talk about it offthread.

[Shai Berger]

Alternative 4 (a somewhat-less-fun-for-Gabor variation on 3, I guess):

Hamakor, facing a similar issue with the Open Source in Israel meetup,
is thinking of moving its group to Discourse. Hamakor already has a
Discourse system in the air, and it only needed a little configuration
to support the needs of a Meetup group (the only missing feature, as
far as I can see, is the "network effect", where random people get
recommendations to join the group).

I think it should also be able to support more than one group.

[Ram Rachum]

My two cents: As much as I love open-source solutions, please keep in mind that if you use any system other than Meetup.com, you'd be alienating a lot of normies. Most people in the tech community who are not open-source activists are familiar with Meetup.com and could be weirded out by alternatives. It's important to keep PyWeb-IL accessible to more mainstream people.

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[Ram Rachum]

And also, if we ask the PSF for funding, I'll be happy to put my name on the request and hope that my Fellow status carries enough weight with it. 

[Abe Kohen]

I can't imagine why anyone in this community of interest would be opposed to moving off Meetup. Maybe that's just me. Guess I'm not a "normie."

With that said I am agnostic as to which option is selected and grateful to all who have contributed to running this group.

Best,
Abe Kohen

Tzfat

www.linkedin.com/in/abekohen

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[Gabor Szabo]

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies and the offer to help with the finances.

I sent an email to the administrator of the PSF Meetup group asking if we could be part of it and what that means in terms of finances and administration.

I have 3 groups (PyWeb-IL, Rust-in-Israel, Code-Mavens) and the old fee was for all 3. I also asked Meetup for clarification if the new price is for all 3 or for a single group.

The only information I could find is this: https://www.meetup.com/blog/new-organizer-pricing-key-improvements/

I'll let you know once I get responses.

Moving off Meetup will most likely have a huge impact on the membership - most people who are registered to the Meetup group

are not active and will not follow us. At least not immediately. Regardless of which system we are going to.

regards

    Gabor