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Sock It To ME: a community public art project to raise awareness and funds.

creekfeet

Sockfeet
Messages
553
Location
Eastern High Sierra
Ok, so, I immediately thought of McGregor Socks because they used to have a factory in downtown Toronto. I don't think it's in operation any longer but it is a company that operates in Canadian, the US and globally.

If you go to the below link and pull down the menu under "corporate" they have a page for "charitable" but nothing there -- it is clearly waiting for us!

http://www.mcgregorsocks.com/corporate_info_mcgregor.html

I love how quickly Creek Feet can create a document that looks like 30 people had 20 meetings and created 10 drafts!

I would be very happy to make an in person pitch, following a phone pitch, since McGregor head office is in Toronto if we decide to go that way. I used to pitch films a lot and was pretty good at the pitch. I don't know if that's still the case, though. Early days, I know, don't worry, I'm not phoning anyone on my own volition.

still excited though!

Brilliant! I like how quickly Koan can find the perfect sponsor.

Of course, we will all have to take each step as and when we can, and hand things off to healthy people whenever possible.
 

MEKoan

Senior Member
Messages
2,630
What I was thinking is we launch the project publically and open the call for socks on May 12th...NOT display then.. NOT ENOUGH TIME. We're going to be scrambling getting a website by that time and getting all the ducks in a row to even make this possible.

Me too, exactly that! See first post this page.

We are on the same sock!
 

creekfeet

Sockfeet
Messages
553
Location
Eastern High Sierra
Ah, okay. I'll stop putting carts before horses. That's a great idea. So first goal is May 12: website up and looking good, point people in place to receive socks, ready to call for socks to be sent in, and that's probably the point at which we launch the FB page too?
 

MEKoan

Senior Member
Messages
2,630
Totally off topic: Are you an otter, Creekfeet? I love otters!

You're a brilliant wee otter!

ETA Oh, maybe we can FB earlier since it's so easy, can be linked into community easily and it's a good way to send out the call for socks.
 

talkingfox

Senior Member
Messages
230
Location
Olympia, wa
yup great idea. I think the way that creek has worded stuff would stand as is :)

I'm personally sooooo grateful for creek's facility...I myself am about as sharp as a sack of wet mice this week :tongue:
 

creekfeet

Sockfeet
Messages
553
Location
Eastern High Sierra
Totally off topic: Are you an otter, Creekfeet? I love otters!

You're a brilliant wee otter!

ETA Oh, maybe we can FB earlier since it's so easy, can be linked into community easily and it's a good way to send out the call for socks.

I'm so adverse to water since getting sick, I can hardly say am an otter, but perhaps I have an inner wee otter energizing me from time to time. And sillying me up when I get too serious.

My younger offspring and I were just talking about the timing of the FB page vs. the website and I could see that going either way. Would having a FB page be leaking it and reducing the May 12 splash effect? Would it help us get powerful publicists behind us? There's some danger its existence pre-website would cause people to start trying to send socks prematurely. We could target certain people with media contacts and inform them before May 12 without having an FB page. Or would it be much easier to make contacts and build pre-launch support using FB? Swimming in circles on this one, so discuss!
 

MEKoan

Senior Member
Messages
2,630
I said, "awww" when I read "a stack of wet mice" and I read it over and over again while pondering what an interesting expression it was and imagining how wet mice might be stacked. :tongue:

Of course, a sack of wet mice makes soooo much more sense :tear:

Koan = One befuddled wet mouse.
 

creekfeet

Sockfeet
Messages
553
Location
Eastern High Sierra
yup great idea. I think the way that creek has worded stuff would stand as is :)

I'm personally sooooo grateful for creek's facility...I myself am about as sharp as a sack of wet mice this week :tongue:

And I'm personally soooo grateful to talkingfox for an idea to run with. I was needing this so bad!

I'm worried about what happens to wet mice in the presence of a fox.

But I've hit the wet mouse sack stage for today so I'm logging the heck off of here before I can type another wo
 

talkingfox

Senior Member
Messages
230
Location
Olympia, wa
FB may BE the may 12th launch for all we know...depends on what the denizens of geekland tell me tonite. Let's just hang tough for a moment and see what sort of time frame we're looking at. I'll post it as soon as I have it :)

Oh as far as content teej was wondering if we could include the CFS info card that they've been working on?

EDIT: The resident geek tells me there is NO WAY he can have the info ready tonite. He needs to do a bit of research as far as hosting and whatnot. And there is no possible way that with all the features that are needed that we're gonna be able to cheese this out for free with wordpress or anything.
 

Dreambirdie

work in progress
Messages
5,569
Location
N. California
What I was thinking is we launch the project publically and open the call for socks on May 12th...NOT display then.. NOT ENOUGH TIME. We're going to be scrambling getting a website by that time and getting all the ducks in a row to even make this possible.

Whew! Thanks! This is MUCH more reasonable a goal... especially from a bunch of PWC's.
 

creekfeet

Sockfeet
Messages
553
Location
Eastern High Sierra
Oh, yes yes yes to the CFS info card for content. That will be marvelous.

And you think just the write up I've already done to explain what the sock project is?

I wouldn't expect to get big info back from geekland tonight already.

Okay, so we'll look for donations to pay for web hosting, or else someone who wants to donate hosting on their server thingummy, yeah?

My daughter wants to create the FB page when the time comes. She asked to do that when I first told her what we were thinking of and I said not yet. Would that be okay?

I can't believe I'm still typing. I'll look at this post tomorrow and it will make no sense whatsoever, right?
 

talkingfox

Senior Member
Messages
230
Location
Olympia, wa
ok,so much for no website info tonite...here goes:

Need: Hosting w/Store, (Zazzle & CafePress have everything but the socks and lapel pins)
WordPress or other blog software - to handle things like notices, news items, etc

Dreamhost: $1.95 / month +
Unique IP Address: $3.95 / month
SSL Secure Certificate (requires Unique IP): $15.00 / year (you will need this for your store - no one wants to enter their shopping info in a non-secure page.)
Total per year (must be paid annually): $85.80
Includes "unlimited" data transfer and storage (not really any such thing, but it is bound to be somewhere in the 10TB transfer per month, 1TB storage range), MySQL, PHP, WordPress, ZenCart (shopping cart/catalog software which is set up to use PayPal as the preferred payment method), 24/7 email support, backups, daily access stats, free domain registration, DNS hosting, email (including web-based email access), email discussion groups, bulletin board software, wiki, poll software, etc.

Home Page: ME/CFS Overview/Project Description, email addy & po box @ bottom - Static page (like http://www.evardsson.com/) while most everything else (except the store) would be in the WordPress blog software (like http://www.evardsson.com/blog/).

Send Socks - WordPress Page
Sock Submission Guidelines (size, materials, durability &c) - WordPress Sub-Page (with next item) with custom form/db actions
Sock Submission Form
People Making Socks for People Needing Socks Made - WordPress Page
List people needing socks with their preferred motifs, colors &c - WordPress Sub-Page (with next 3 items) with custom form/db actions
List people volunteering to make socks for others with their preferred media, possibly samples
Form to request someone makes socks for you
Form to offer to make socks for someone else

See Socks
Photos - WordPress Page with custom db actions
Randomized or links to photos of individual socks & garlands on display in various places
(eventually searchable sock photos by name) - custom db-driven app
Socks on Tour - could be WP page or WP category
Schedule of upcoming displays - WP plugin "Events Calendar"

Sock News - WordPress
Sock Stories, Press Clips &c

Socking It Away: Donations and Fundraising - WordPress page
Explanation of where donations go
Donate button << PayPal has a "Donate" button option - but to use the word "Donate" you have to sign up as a non-profit and show your incorporation papers, 503(C) tax documents, etc. You can, however, use a button which says anything else ("Support the cause", "Buy me a beer", whatever)

Sock Hops - WordPress Page
Attend one: list of upcoming hops - see Events Calendar (could do custom code to display here as well)
Host one: Fundraiser Event Template - custom form/db app
Stocking Stuffers - WordPress Page
List thanking major supporters, foundation grants, corporate donations &c - custom db app

ME/CFS Community Information - WordPress Page
Links to good sites for info and services
“further info” Link to email sockit2mecfs@gmail.com <mailto:sockit2mecfs@gmail.com>

Sock Shop - hosted store: will require that you have a method of doing order fulfillment - a warehouse, a dropship agreement with another company, etc
Sales of sock lapel pins, t-shirts, mugs and of course socks. - most of these items can be created in Zazzle, however, they do not (yet) carry socks, so that pretty much trashes the quick-and-easy way. :(

Sjan Evardsson
www.evardsson.com
sjan@evardsson.com
 

OverTheHills

Senior Member
Messages
465
Location
New Zealand
Congratulations everybody on this thread, especially Creekfeet. :Sign Good Job:

You can count on a used but clean hiking sock from NZ from me (hopefully the international aspect will give it some points) which i will decorate with shell beads and a photograph of pre-ME trekking me.

If there any activists (well you know what I mean, slow motion activists) from WELLINGTON NZ lurking, please get in touch. ME groups in NZ seem inactive to the point of coma, and I really want to feel something is happening here.

(sorry to moan I'm having a high-frustration day today)

OTH
 

talkingfox

Senior Member
Messages
230
Location
Olympia, wa
Sjan says he'll go over the whole thing in more detail this weekend and put together a statement of work and time estimate.

Also, we are willing to pay for hosting the site for the first year :)
 

creekfeet

Sockfeet
Messages
553
Location
Eastern High Sierra
Wow. This is coming together and really going to happen, isn't it?!

OverTheHills, I look forward to seeing your beautiful-sounding hiking (or former-hiking) sock and I hope you'll find some more Wellingtonians. Not much happening where I am, either---except insofar as where I am is here at PR!

Talkingfox that is fabulous! And that makes you the first Stocking Stuffers who must receive honors and accolades on the donor-thanking page.

Somebody please tell me to go to sleep?
 

talkingfox

Senior Member
Messages
230
Location
Olympia, wa
Knitting patterns for wee socks

ok 3 different sizes of dolly socks that I think with a simple small gold safetypin and a loop of blue ribbon would make great lapel socks :)

Knitters!!! we need you! I was thinking sample 2 of the following patterns.

Flat dolly sock patterns

I'm also volunteering my time to make christmas stocking style sock blanks. I'm thinking in a sturdy cotton or cotton blend that will take dye or fabric paint easily. simple to make a bunch very quickly as well :) All I need is a size from y'all and I'll draw up a template and get to work.
 

jace

Off the fence
Messages
856
Location
England
I'm a bit ropey at the moment, my pens have run out and my drawing pad is empty. However, I have made this rather bad illustration/detail of my button up tape idea, with a pen that was far too fat, to make in clearer.

edit: I have removed that link, and am working on a better, clearer, modified version: end edit

The suggested finished sizings are <15" x 10" sock, <2.5" x 18" tape, or whatever you all agree on.
Tape has button of 1" 5%, on left, buttonhole or loop on right. These would need to be made strong.
The tape ends are turned and hemmed to provide a/ space for section of lolly (popsicle) stick or similar and b/ strength for button etc. The firm ends will make the whole thing more stable and strong.

The tape could be bound with braid which would be an easy way to make the loop. I would be happy to provide copy for the "how to do it" (or whatever it will be called) section. When I've got some new supplies. Actually, I know someone who would do it better than me, web ready. Serious.

I found the little socks in my drawing rather poignant.
 

creekfeet

Sockfeet
Messages
553
Location
Eastern High Sierra
Argh, my intertubes dumped and I lost the long reply I had typed out. So, let's see. I'll be brief as I can and do things in multiple short posts.

First of all, hooray for everyone!

Website: Bravo to Sjan. (And how do you pronounce that wonderful name?)

The website post makes beautiful sense to my more-rested brain. Looks like the toughest thing we'll have to resolve is order fulfillment for non-Zazzle-able shop items.

Well, there's also the question of receiving donations. Just saying "Support the Cause" sounds okay, but if we did incorporate as a nonprofit then donations, including in-kind donations of for example website construction, would be tax deductible. On the other hand, tons of paperwork. But! I have a friend who is a great advisor on whether or not to incorporate and if so how to do it, so I'll pick her brain. I'll be seeing her next week. It could be easier to become a project within an already-incorporated organization---perhaps PR itself when it incorporates---or it could seem more open to all if it is it's own entity.

Er, speaking of funds, does the "statement of work and time estimate" mean there will be a charge for the website work? If so we need to get busy fundraising! Or is that so he's got an idea of the time commitment for his own scheduling purposes, or for in-kind donation tax document purposes, or? Forgive my rather slow brain.
 

creekfeet

Sockfeet
Messages
553
Location
Eastern High Sierra
Lapel pins:

I like the idea of the smallest socks for this. Tinybear Moona's socks. So, you thinking a pair of socks slightly vee'd so they're fanned apart at the bottom, on a gold safety pin with a tiny blue ribbon bow? Pairs of white ones will read best as "socks" I think. So cute!

Edit: dee dee dee... you did say sample 2 which is Tinybear Moona's. Is my brain that resistant to numbers? Likely. So yeah, perfect size!

Speaking of knitting: my daughter suggests that sharing sock patterns on knitting sites would help publicize the project. I think she said there's one called knitterly? Anyhow, she thought people there would love the XMRV sock pattern if Sjan is willing to share it. Maybe we can rope in some volunteer knitters from there, too!

Edit: Sock blanks: another brilliant idea!