Yakko wrote:I don't think I could afford $20 a month for any online activity - thats a pretty hefty chunk of change to a great many folks.
I never suggested the fee, if any, should be $20 a month. And, again, I have no say in whether there will be a fee and, if so, what that fee will be. I merely stated my personal opinion based on my own personal point-of-view and financial circumstances.
Yakko wrote:I like voluntary contribution systems...
Me too, but I would "accept" a mandatory subscription fee IF I felt I was getting "good value" for my money. What "good value" means and, therefore, what I would actually be willing to pay, depends on the details of what service is being provided. With totally ideal circumstances, for me personally that could amount to a fairly significant number. But, on the other hand, if what's being offered for the service is minimal (like, for instance, the current "no rules" situation in MP), what I'd be willing to pay might also be zero!
Yakko wrote:I have no idea HOW to get my hands on euros, British pounds, Japanese yen or other international denominations of money.
Most any bank will "sell" you foreign currency... for a fee, of course! As well, you can "buy" foreign currency at most international airports, if there's one in your area. My experience, though, is that the banks charge less than the foreign exchange kiosks at the airport.
Yakko wrote: And I somehow expect that, even if you have the currencies on hand, there is more to it than sticking a bunch into an envelope and mailing it. You'd have to explain to someone what it was for and WHY you were mailing money around (doesn't international mail get opened and inspected?).
Does Customs get involved and if so how? I have never attempted to send any sort of mail internationally so I wouldn't even begin to know where to go other than ask the Post Office.
The laws and regulations depend on the country the money is leaving as well as the country where it is headed. Most countries don't get excited if the amount is small, but try and send thousands of dollars out of the country and you could find yourself in hot water.
In Canada and the US (the countries I'm familiar with) you can send around $60 (either cash or goods valued at that amount) out of the country and declare it as a "gift" and you won't be hassled on either end. Anything more than that may be subject to taxes (money) or import/export duties (goods).
Yakko wrote:
These questions keep me from doing lots of things - theres 2 or 3 shareware apps I'd love to actually pay for and get full license on, but because they are based outside the US I'm not easily able to do so. I'm sure it works the other way too when people outside the USA want to conduct small transactions with people here. I get the impression the whole system of international finance is designed with large companies and major transactions in mind, not person to person.
The main concern of governments regarding the moving of money into or out of the country is when it's done to avoid taxes, fund illegal activities, or launder the money. That always involves large sums of money. Governments aren't so concerned with us "little folks" sending small sums out of the country to buy a shareware program or some such thing.
As far as how to do it, if you don't use PayPal or have a credit card, you can buy an International Postal Money Order at any US post office in a number of currencies, including the euro. And, you can send it via the mail system (how convenient!) although I'd recommend NOT sending it without some sort of tracking number and/or signature required at the receiving end. You can get more info at your local Post Office, including what customs requirements there might be.
Hope that was helpful...
Regards,
Chris