Keeping My Camera Club Free

From the very beginning, MyCameraClub was designed to be free, and hopefully it can stay that way forever. It's all about giving back to the photography community that we all enjoy so much.

But, of course, there are expenses. The largest is storage and bandwidth for the many, many photos a single club can generate. So to offset the costs, MyCameraClub participates in several different affiliate programs.

What’s an affiliate program? That’s when we provide links on MyCameraClub to products or services sold on other websites (such as Amazon or B&H). When someone clicks an Amazon link, for example, they are taken to Amazon.com. Then, if they make a purchase at Amazon, MyCameraClub receives a small referral fee for the sale.

Everyone wins. You, the buyer, pays the same amount as if you purchased directly. But, by using MyCameraClub affiliate links, we get the credit for the referral. It really is the easiest way to support the site, especially if you were going to buy that item anyway.

But what if? Now, I can hear people asking, "So what happens if the affiliate system doesn't pay the bills and you have to start charging? Where does that leave me?"

Good question. Especially since this same thing has probably happened to all of us at some point. You just get comfortable with a free website, then all of a sudden you get held hostage by the company. No one likes that.

And that is why I'm making this pledge now: This will never happen at MyCameraClub. If (and hopefully it never comes to this) MyCameraClub has to start charging, any and all active, existing clubs will be grand-fathered in and keep their free status in perpetuity. (Keep in mind I said "active" club. If someone creates a club, but then abandons it or never really utilizes it, the free offer won't apply to them.)

Thank you for keeping My Camera Club Free.

Patrick McDonald
Founder and Developer of MyCameraClub.com