I have been asked in the past how one can contribute to the DRiP Investing Resource Center, and have some answers below. First, an explanation as to why we are here in the first place.

History

With the end of the dot.bomb implosion came the end of many things that had previously been available without charge. One of the most useful of these was the discussion boards at The Motley Fool, where many of us gathered to learn about DRiPs from one another. Unfortunately, in late 2001 they made the decision to terminate free access to these boards. I felt that there should be a place for us to gather, so I started writing code that would allow this to continue. On 11 February 2002 the boards had been tested and were made available, shortly before The Motley Fool began charging.

About a year and nearly 10,000 messages later, things were going fine, but the people who had been hosting the site were apparently placing too many sites on their server, so simply displaying a message became a major task. Following testing, the site was moved on 14 March 2003.

Purpose

The reason this site exists is to serve those who wish to learn about Dividend Reinvestment Programs (DRiPs) as well as those who wish to help others in this regard. This is not a moneymaking venture for me, nor do I ever wish for that to happen.

As I want to ensure that this will not become a moneymaking venture, I will publish the cash amounts contributed and show when they will be used. If you see that there is enough money set aside for the next month or two, then I would recommend that you not make a monetary contribution at that time.

How to Contribute

• The best way anyone can contribute is to participate on the message boards. If you feel more confortable lurking, then you are certainly welcome to do that, as this the choice of many. However, conversation fosters ideas and discussion of those ideas. If you disagree respectfully, then you also contribute to the learning process (off-topic and disrespectful arguments waste bandwidth and turn people away). Even "stupid" or "simplistic" questions can inspire thought. If we are not learning and growing, then there is no need for the site.
• Tell others of the site and help them with sound, proper investing. The more people who come to the site, the more useful the site is. If newcomers decide to participate, then we get to learn from them.
• If an advertisement interests you, click on the link. If you wish to buy anything at all at Amazon.com, clicking on the ad at the bottom of the page will give me a small cut of whatever you might buy during your session. Advertising covers the costs of maintaining the website. Thanks for your support!

Most of all, thank you for coming to the website and using what is here.

Cheers -

George L Smyth