If i get:-

    * $500 in donations, i'm willing to put together a blog
  post outlining the specifics of what i did differently to
  what i would normally do , and will respond to all
  comments on the blog post
    * $1000 in donations, im willing to put together a 20
  to 30 minute audio outlining what i have learned
    * $2000 in donations i'll put together an actual video
  and upload to YouTube. (Im saying this one rather
  reluctantly. Im quite a shy fella) 

Huh! what is this ? some kind of a marriage proposal porn ?

Flagged.

My account is apparently too new for me to submit this, which I guess answers my question as to how to post it (on its own or as a reply):

http://www.novemberwest.com/blog/?p=136

Perhaps this will foster a little conversation here.

With all respect. I think you've slightly missed the point. There are A LOT of guys out there who can't get a 2nd date, even though they're a great catch.

My post is aimed at them.

Whatever problem you had posting, it wasn't because your account is too new. It's all too common to see submissions from accounts that are like ten seconds old.

I got a message saying something like "You are posting too fast. Please slow down." And my post did not show up. (I thought it was the most lovely rejection I've ever seen. And I write polite letters of that sort as part of my job.)

Perhaps my inference is incorrect. Or perhaps policy recently changed. <shrug>

Uh oh. That's what happens when the site suspects abuse. Accounts that have been hell-banned for bad behavior get that message, for example.

You are not hell-banned, because I can read and reply to your messages, but perhaps it's something similar. Have you had an account here before? Has somebody in your house had one? I'm not exactly sure how it works, but the site could have your IP address flagged or something.

Thanks for the heads up.

I do have another account, in good standing. I don't want this website associated with that account, so I created a second one. It isn't intended as "spam" at all. But I realize there are challenges in trying to keep the two things separate and not have this account look like spam. I've thought a lot about whether and how to develop this new site and keep it separate from other stuff I am doing and I don't really have any good answers. I imagine in the long run it will probably not remain separate. For now, I want it to blossom on its own.

I can understand people may not agree with my idea to raise finance for the wedding this way. I can totally understand and appreciate that, but i expected people to be a little more civil in their objection.

For the lady that wrote the blog post. Interestingly you make a very valid point and i agree completely that the man pursuing the woman is a failed paradigm.

As for the eloping suggestion. Believe you, me. I would love to do that. I have seriously considered it.

Unfortunately, i come from a very traditional culture, and so does she. It would be considered very taboo. I dont want to upset her or her family in any way.

I think there are ways to monetize this information but I think you are going about it all wrong. You don't want your families to disapprove or be upset but you seem oblivious to the way you are alienating the business community/your audience. Ask around. Find a more above-board means to make money off this. Win-win.

As for tradition and family: I generally feel they are allowed to set expectations if they are willing to help make it happen. If the expectation is that all the money comes out of your pocket, I don't feel they have any say. But I realize I come from a different culture.

FWIW: My family was upset when they learned of my elopement. My marriage lasted longer than either of my siblings. I think I did the right thing.

PS - Time is of the essence PPS - It would take me way too long and spin-off a whole new conversation to explain the dynamics of my culture and background.

And it would take me too long to explain why I disagree with a great many things about how things are currently handled and see no reason to go along with them -- which is why I started this blog: So I can pontificate at length, partly in hopes of helping others get a bit more free of such burdens.

Again: Best of luck.

I stated in my post that I am open to suggestions. Please help me if you have any win-win suggestions.

Unfortunately, the sum total of my suggestions are above: "Ask around" or "elope". I don't know the best way to go about making money off this. But it's clear from the comments here that this isn't going over well, so won't likely get you anything.

I've spent a lot of years trying to figure out how to monetize information. My answer: Ads and affiliate programs and good content. Can't say I'm making much yet. So perhaps I'm not a good person to take advice from in that regard.

Best of luck, with your marriage and your business.

Also, people like David DeAngelo and others sell eBooks, host seminars and have other commercial products on this kind of stuff.

I dont see what is wrong with it if it genuinely helps someone?

David DeAngelo (not his real name, btw) offers an unconditional money-back guarantee. But the way you've set this thing up, you couldn't possibly do the same.

I'm not saying you're doing anything wrong -- but as soon as I recognized the David DeAngelo (not his real name, btw) style of marketing, I was immediately turned off to anything else you had to say.

Perhaps you should just openly offer your commercial product as the commercial product it is -- like David DeAngelo (not his real name, btw) does...

Where's the reverse donation button?

Haha. Too funny. Touche!