>For starters, message #879562

I still don't get it.

You mentioned a couple of base numbers, forgot some costs mentioned later in the thread, some costs others not mentioned like cost of bookkeeping, controlling costs for subscribers, inflated amount of subscribers, supporting online archives, manual handling of postal mishaps, customers not paying, phone calls and so on.

But Rainer decided it was worth the effort - the ides of a "FoxRockX" vfp magazine was mentioned at the german devcon. Such a magazine also gives some side (hard to express in $) benefits to him/the user group. There surely won't be huge windfall profits and if it is a total money or time drain it will stop if it cannot be turned around.

But as he was editor before he has some experience to base his moves on. Also (just using your base numbers I consider uuuhhhmmm, overly positive) given the effort of 40H at 100$, the assumed 40000$ "profit" should be realistically expressed in $/H, and it elevates it up to 183$. I am sure this is not totally out of your league if working for a client where your strong points fit his needs. Assuming the "profit" is only half of what you assumed (20000, consider the points you missed and return on capital), you are in the range of 142$/H.

On the other hand, your gross estimates are based on the numbers back then. Let's assume 25% were fed up with Eli, went into music or had opther reasons to cancel. That cuts out 35000$ of your assumed annual gross and gets you hourly compensation of 67$

Couple it with the risks inherent in any capitalist endeavour: probably some cost to acquire the subscriber base, bills to pay, perhaps do something twice if the result is not satisfactory - anything wrong with it ? The real question will be how much of an assumed workload of 100H can be delegated to others with a lower salary without inflating the H needed or damaging the project. These numbers are my estimates - I have not asked him about it.

I will try to refrain from mentioning that all this does not add up to a lot of Euros at today's exchange rates. Oops, failed on that account<bg>.

regards

thomas