Jahanshah Javid

...

ok

The coolest Iranian web site

         Without any hesitation or doubt , I  feel that "Iranian.com" is truly the best persian web site ever . Informative ,Entertaining , and socialy and politicaly progressive .

         It would be a shame to lose this wonderful journal due to financial duress .

.......

Donation button is available on the front page of the web site.

 I checked on the web site but was  unable to find an address to mail any donations.

fairest of them all

You are not only independent you are also fair. The fairest, most open minded, most generous, most encouraging, least jealous or arrogant editor I have ever known. You are only too self-deprecating. The way you apologize for being a journalist for the IRI sounds like you were some SS Nazi henchman or something!

Also not all grants in the US or around the world are government funded or government influenced I am sure there are some that are kosher. I think you should also have buttons like someone suggested for payments or donation from readers. Or better still, starting charging for the erotic pieces. Those could add to their literary value by having savaab value! I am sure their avid readers would not grudge you that!

Without iranian.com I would never have started writing. Which may have been a good thing since it cost me at least one marriage and many abandonments by friends and much lynching it the comment section! but for better or worse I owe my writing to you: my muse, my friend. Iranian.com feels more like home than anywhere I have ever lived and I thank you for it.

Hope everyone puts their money where their mouth is.

مخلص جهان شاه عزیز،

از تمام زحمت‌هایی‌ که برای تار نمای زیبات می‌کشی سپاس
گذارم. باید بگم که من الان شاید ۱۰ سالی‌ میشه که iranian.com رو روزانه
مرور می‌کنم و برای من یکی‌ از منابع اصلی‌ اخبار و اطلاعات در مورد ایران
و ایرانیان در سراسر جهان شده. حتی الان با وجود رخنما (فیسبوک) خیلی‌
بیشتر در جریان اخبار به شکل زنده هستم، اما هنوز هم روزی چند بار به
iranian.com مراجعه می‌کنم. چون که iranian.com عالم و هوای خودش رو داره.
به هر حال جهان شاه عزیز، امید وارم که همواره پیروز باشی‌ در راهی‌ که در
اون قدم ور میداری و آرزو می‌کنم که ۱۵۰ سال دیگه هم باشی‌ و این تارنمای
زیبای iranian.com هم باشه.

JJ I'm going to be critical!

Don't worry I'll be critical of myself.

Ten years ago when you made a similar appeal, sitting alone after a 12 hour overnight work secession in a dark Frankfurt rented apartment, I made a one-off large ( for an ordinary honest man) donation. I really like this guy I thought, he is doing something great not just for me but for all Iranians who somehow had become an orphaned diasporic community, one that at times seemed to suffer from the curse of Babel. IC is going to be big, and at the right time, when our people come to their senses it could play a big role to unite us and be a small remedy for everything that we somehow had thrown away as a nation (our youth, beautiful land, long warm summers that I don't get in UK, big family life, nations wealth etc.).

iranian.com has become somewhat an institution since then, good ideas have come out of it, and one or two headlines have even captured the News.

When you came to London, I was so eager to see you. I met other bloggers, I still keep in touch with some of the London iranian.comers and we have now become friends. So overall I owe you a great debt.

Six weeks ago, when perhaps due to a professional occupation of 'trying to think ahead' I tried to warn people about what is coming our way in 2010 I felt like a pillar I would get your support.

One or two days ago, I even suggested that we setup a paypal 'mohareb' fund make you its custodian as we trust you and use it towards a big ad in major News Papers and turn the campaign to stop the execution of these 500 people into a large well publicised campaign to the point that IRI would perhaps reconcile and say something like "we never intended to do mass killings" perhaps naive but isn't publicising this issue to stop the execution our aim after all? 

In my anger when I was ignored I think I even called iranian.com a political/humanitarian hamster wheel, where we do something to make us feel good but with one or two exceptions the impact is like preaching to the converted. I forgot about the entertainment value for those office workers, the humor, the long endless debates on religion and everything that keeps us together including  (for some) the big boobies articles that according to your statistics get the most hits! I let my dry politics get in the way of seeing things, and wanting something that if it had come true no one would ever read so do forgive me.

With your blog appeal, I feel bad and realize that I had let myself get carried away, so I'm going to put the money aside and buy "khar's pseudo name from him instead. LOL.

Do forgive me friend, I will not corner you again. As you had stated you have your hands full, you are in the red and obviously it is a tough job keeping your independence, and you should, you should it is very important, and I hope that your appeal to raise funds succeeds.

Do not let puritans like me ruin your iranian.com and keep up the good work.

khar, how much do you want to sell your pseudo name for?

Go ahead JJ. We are w/ you

Just in a couple of months of being a member, I find myself wonder in blogs/news more often than the news organizations I usually brows in.

So, Go ahead.  We are w/ you

PS, sending money via Post Office and bank Money orders are other ways of sending money anonymously.

Big Hole

jj, thanks for clarifying. I think you can do more to generate income, besides ad revenue. On your point about major effort & organization I agree it is a big undertaking, which is why you would need to ask for volunteers as well. There are many taleneted people in Ic reader community from all walks of life. They can be leveraged to form various teams with focus groups for different topics, projects and tasks to help enhance the content quality and initiative of the site. Not some massive project but 1-2 hours per week. Local volunteers can have real meetings and remotes do online via collab software or chat. This may include business help as well so you stop bleeding 20k when you are supposed to make money. You are already getting a lot of good ideas. Don't underestimate the fountain of good will, or desire to help, specially in service of Iranian causes.

OKtaby

additonal features / live radio?

The last thing many of us Iranians (at least those who can login to your site in free world) would want to see, is the sign "we are going out of
business due to financial difficulties". Your website has been an icon for free speech and a huge source for anyone that needs some information about Iranians. But all entities need to have a solid business plan that is reviewed and updated frequently. I have seen too many viable business models faded into oblivion due to lack of solid pro-forma financial statement, cash flow plan and solid balance sheet. Back in 2000-2002 era of dotcom crash, lots of great ideas were wiped out due to lack of financial foresight. It can happen to anyone, but it can be predicted, delayed and prevented.

I have no doubt your team has a business model that you have been operating accordingly. However, any business needs to introduce new products and features every so often to attract new influx of revenue to offset the cash outflow. Back in 2004-2006 you had that nice little red or perhaps yellow button. It looked like a communist slogan, and hence it was a very effective button, it should
have not been removed, because it was an effective reminder.

The best model for Internet products are “membership model” where loyal members pay a small fee for certain period of services. Membership has a proven record of a minimum 6-12 months longevity and retention and much more if new services are introduced. One feature to implement would be to have members authorize recurring small membership charges to their credit card. This will reduce your marketing efforts and they can stop the charges by a simple request. Perhaps a land address that one can send a money order without having to divulge his or her name would also be
attractive in addition to all the other suggestions. Please provide clear instruction for each option.

I also would like to suggest a strong marketing manager to hopefully be on commission to start and bring in grants and donations from the prominent Iranians, National Endowment for the Humanities and all the other ideas that a fundraising guru can think of. Have you considered an on-line 12-hours-a-day radio station, which can be managed remotely by certain number of your trusted members for political discussions, music and information and advertisement as well as syndicated programs?

You already have a well established brand name, a so called “goodwill”, now you and your team must implement new features to attract more viewers and
readers. Start a blog and ask current users for feedback, let everyone be part of your future success. There are lots of ideas out there that can be harnessed by simply asking friends for participation. Everyone admires your independence, let’s open all channels of brainstorming.
Best wishes, JD

If you build it, they'll come

Please provide a secure  online method and everybody will be delighted to contribute.

Thank you for the great free service you have provided to us all these years.

Subscription

Is a good idea. I like it better than fund raising. I personally do not want any sort of paper delivered but an online subscription  makes sense. Just allow an anonymous way for those who prefer it.

.

...

Would gladly do it

JJ aziz. I subscribe to the newspaper and I spend about 5 minutes/day reading it. I pay for the paper. And I visit your brainchild just about every day and I average better than 35/mi/day and I pay nothing. Where is the justice of this?

Now, you are providing me with a way of paying for your labor of love. And I will gladly do it. As some have suggested, some of us may want to contribute on a monthly or weekly basis. So, it would be good if you set up a PayPal so that we can just keep on sending you our dimes and nickles :)) and even some larger sums.

In the meantime, I admire you greatly for doing what you are doing. I am amazed that you do this work instead of chasing after the mighty dollar, like the rest of us. You most certainly have the talent to work for pay in the vast and varied field of journalism. But, you have chosen to give us this one of a kind community. For now, accept my thanks and be assured that I will contribute financially.

Bahram G

Subscription

Monda, we are thinking of offering people annual or semi-annual subscriptions on a voluntary basis. Will keep you posted.

Yek donya mamnoon for your mohabbat and support!

استثنا

مینو۶۶، شما بدید، قول میدم استثنا شما رو سانسور نکنم :)

Big hole

oktaby, the last online fundraising on iranian.com was about four years ago.

We have tried to rely only on advertising as well as revenue from events. But we lost about 20k from our last event because I decided to honor agreements made with the artists instead of canceling the show. I'm a terrible businessman :)

So yes, we are currently in a big hole. But we expect to have online donation drives at least twice a year. It is extremely difficult to generate enough funds from ads and events. It requires a major effort and organization and we cannot do it on our own.

Thank you for your support and understanding.

Count me in, any which way:

jj, it is unclear whether you are fundraising to cover some budget shortfall or asking for longer term help. Either is fine but clarifying it will help amount and type of donation. If the initial case, then you can do local fundraising (various types of events depending on the amount to be raised) or just online over an extended period. If it is sustained help you need, then it would help to engage the site readers for a list of improvements to be voted on with dollars. If you do have plans and projections then asking for invetments may not be a bad idea.

OKtaby

Dear JJ

I will be Happy to help.  Thanks for all the hard work.

P.S.  Happy New Year.

I will pitch in 100 One Hundred Billion Dollars!

Why make Trillions when you can make Billions?! 

Everything is sacred.

Gladly

Never mind everything else - Your Mamad Joke was worth 3 years of contributions.    You are doing a great service - open line of communication is the best thing that has ever happened for democracy in Iran. 

Never mind "AFTAB"...Make sure it'll be by "Paypal"

هیچ کس بی‌ دامن تر نیست،لیکن دیگران

پرده میپوشندو ما،در آفتاب افکنده ایم

Be happy to help

this is a unique site and needs to be supported.

Hopeful for a free and secualr Iran...for future generations of Iranians .....so that they can one day proudly proclaim their heritage .....everywhere.

baa sepaas

 ____________________

IRAN BEFORE ISLAM 

____________________

Best thing in life is PEACE of MIND & Shologhiye family/bacha

Its admirable to stay independent.  Taking money from a source especially a foreign government  makes people of conscious repulsed.  The idea almost makes you PHYSICALLY want to vomit.

However, I don't think that you ought to feel bad about working for AFTAB.  Why?

Had you not worked at all, you would have always regretted that the train stopped & passed and you didn't even sacrifice against the SHAH when so many others did!

To feel guilty or to be made to feel guilty about your time at AFTAB (somehow I want to say aftabe, anyways) is to also think that countless of our young soldiers died in vain during the IRAN/IRAQ war.  Or to think that nurses who continue to work in today's governemnt hospitals should feel guilty.

Like I said, you had a choice.  Had you done nothing- you would have blamed yourself for putting ME before COUNTRY when countless others your age died. 

Wishful thinking

I'd like to see the day we get billed per comment, per username; with different rates for different styles.

.

I expect a better picture in my mailbox than the kamar-band froosh from <?> bazar this time!  :)

We'll do so gladly!

-Fatollah

یعنی‌ هم بدیم، هم بشیم؟

به خدا منظورم اون نبود، میخاسم بگم ، حالا که پول میدیم لابد دیگه سانسور نمیشیم. درسته؟

Dear JJ, thanks for keeping this site's independence

Dear Jahanshah, you made a great decision to be independent of any government. With all the coverage that your site has about the events in Iran and its efforts in trying to publicize plight of "Moharebs" in Iran, people should consider contribution to IC also a contribution to human rights.

P.S, There is nothing to

P.S, There is nothing to forgive you for or for you to fell ashamed about!!!

It is so true. But I'm delightful that JJ mentioned that. Not because he is guilty of anything, but it is very important to acknowledge a sense of guilt... by all of us. This is a collective guilt we are dealing with which should be resolved collectively. Nothing personal.

I'll pitch in. Any money order/address options?

Everything is sacred.

جهانشاه عزیز

وقتشه که برای اون خنده ملیح ژوکوندی ات هم که باشه یه چند پنی بسلفیم.

بیا گل شدن را رعایت کنیم
ز پروانه ماندن حمایت کنیم

Ebi aka Haaji