Do you use Google? - DPChallenge Forums

Carl Zeiss 50mm ZE f/1.4 Planar T for Canon

08/09/2006 05:00:31 AM · #1

I found this on a video and film forum I belong to and thought I'd pass it on here because it seems very great.

"From now on, instead of going directly to google.com for your searches, will you please use//www.isara.com instead? Isara.com also has Google search but, by going to Isara, your visits (web traffic) help fund important charity projects. For free!!

Seriously.

Isara recently renovated a Red Cross building in Thailand and created a small library in Nepal. And it was all possible because people made Isara their homepage or used it for all their Google searches.

//www.isara.com/images/hh/thailand/red-cross_ba1.jpg

//www.isara.com/images/hh/nepal/library_1-3.jpg

Now delete your Google bookmark and replace it with Isara or, better yet, make it your homepage. Oh, and Isara also has Amazon, so if you ever shop Amazon please use our Amazon "Guilt-free Shopping" instead of going directly to Amazon. It's the same product and price, but we get a small commission which goes directly to our charity projects.

Watch these videos and please tell all your friends how easy it is for them to make a difference too.

//www.isara.com/content/view/249/138/
//www.isara.com/content/view/253/138/"

Pretty cool huh?

-JL

Message edited by muckpond - changed large images to links.

yanko

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

08/09/2006 05:11:20 AM · #2

Sounds like a good cause. Ok, I'll do it. Btw, I find it amusing that in the photo of the restored building even the sky looks better. :P

08/09/2006 07:23:41 AM · #3

Hello everyone at dpchallenge. I'm the founder and webmaster of Isara. Just looked at our stats and noticed web traffic originating from this forum. It's always a nice surprise when someone helps spread the word. Thanks Joey. You're not only an amazing photographer, but generous too. You've helped a lot. :) The strange thing is, a moment before seeing this thread, I posted a thread on Isara about your website.

Yanko - I know what you mean. The weather before and during the restoration was really bad. But after the project was completed the skies were beautiful. There's some more photos on the website.

Red Cross Renovation

As Joey already mentioned, Isara is a web portal that's trying to make a difference. We don't solicit donations, everyone involved is a volunteer, and 100% of all ad revenue goes to our own charity projects. People who visit the site can see how their visits are helping others. Register (free) and you can customize the homepage by creating links to your favorite sites (dpchallenge.com), add an RSS feed, weather, photo gallery, etc.

You can help by making a small change in your surfing habits. Just delete your Google, Yahoo Mail, Hotmail, or any other bookmark you visit a lot, and replace it with Isara.com . If you register you can setup bookmarks to all your favorite sites. But registration is not required to make a difference. :)

Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions. Thanks again for this thread. It really means a lot.
PK Gillock
Nong Khai, Thailand

Message edited by author 2006-08-09 09:25:31.

08/09/2006 09:45:20 PM · #4

Originally posted by Isara:

Rock on :-)

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

08/10/2006 01:10:50 PM · #5

bump

CalliopeKel

Canon EOS-5D

08/12/2006 12:56:58 AM · #6

Hmm Joey the Humanitarian. Going to check it out now!

whiteroom

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

08/12/2006 03:51:48 AM · #7

good cause, i'll check it out.

sher

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

08/12/2006 04:52:49 AM · #8

bookmarked! i'll definitely be using it...great cause! you guys rock :)

08/12/2006 07:42:39 AM · #9

CalliopeKel, goodman, and sher9204 - Thanks a lot! I really appreciate the support. Let me know if you have suggestions on how to make the site better for our visitors.

Every Friday we volunteer teach at a small school that Isara helped build. Yesterday I took a few photos for websites that have helped spread the word about Isara. dpchallenge has sent Isara a lot of traffic and for that I'm thankful. So, what better way to say thanks than to have cute little kids hold up a sign. Enjoy!

Thank you Joey and to everyone who has responded to this thread. You're making a difference.

PK

Message edited by author 2006-08-12 07:54:35.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

08/13/2006 09:34:10 PM · #10

No comments about the photo? :(

ButterflySis

Canon EOS-50D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

08/13/2006 09:37:24 PM · #11

.

Message edited by author 2006-08-13 21:38:21.

Bebe

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

08/13/2006 09:47:50 PM · #12

OK so far ... I'm a cynic, an admirer of Joey Lawrence, and I like to think a humanitarian. Isara - how do you make money, and what percentage goes to projects?

Rebecca

Nikon D80

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5- 5.6G ED DX

08/13/2006 09:52:46 PM · #13

Originally posted by Bebe:

OK so far ... I'm a cynic, an admirer of Joey Lawrence, and I like to think a humanitarian. Isara - how do you make money, and what percentage goes to projects?

This explains a little bit. I'm sure there are more in depth explanations they could give if asked.

Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro for Canon

08/13/2006 10:26:28 PM · #14

bebe - First, thanks for asking. Normally people just don't believe it and then go on their way. But if more people would just take a moment to ask a question then we're both better off.

We all know how the web works. The more visitors a site gets the more money it can make from advertising. Same as radio and tv. Isara is just like any other website portal, it makes money from web traffic and advertising. But we then use 100% of all revenue (all of it!) to create our OWN charity projects.

We don't solicit donations and we're all volunteers. I am located in Thailand and we have Isara volunteers in Nepal, Vietnam, and the US, creating projects there. Our goal is to get enough people using Isara (daily) to create projects in South America and Africa.

Other websites do some great things from web traffic too. The Hunger Site is a good example. But we don't want to beg for clicks. Google and Yahoo didn't need to beg. We want to be the first non-profit portal that visitors actually goto because they can use the site. That's how we'll really be able to make a difference. By providing a good service to our visitors and then turning that into good charity projects.

This photo was taken yesterday at an awards ceremony Isara had for students who wrote essays about "Why you should wear a helmet?" We gave away more than 150 helmets to the schools that participated (bringing the total to more than 1,000 helmets donated). The kids did a great job. And that's me with the dirty shoes. :)

I know people don't believe it. It's difficult to believe anything now a days. But this is the real deal. Just use the site and you WILL be helping Isara help the less fortunate. We document everything so visitors can see what they're doing. We even like it when members give us suggestions on new projects to create.

If you have any more questions just let me know. Thanks.
pk

karmabreeze - Sorry, just saw your post. Thanks. Now that we're getting more visitors, I probably need to place a link on Isara's homepage that explains the site better.

Message edited by author 2006-08-13 22:38:26.

Jutilda

Canon EOS-7D

08/13/2006 10:57:13 PM · #15

I try to take things for what they are and I'll go for it. I'm going to post this to see if your logo shows up under my signature.

Even if only part of the money were to go to charity, it's better than none.

No, I cut and pasted the html directions from the site and the logo doesn't show up. I'm probably doing something wrong. OH well.

Message edited by author 2006-08-13 22:58:09.

crayon

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH1

08/13/2006 11:16:03 PM · #16

wow cool.
Joey your "dark" photos don't relaly reflect the "good side" of you :p

justin_hewlett

Canon EOS-1000D Rebel XS

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

08/14/2006 12:58:56 AM · #17

Originally posted by Jutilda:

Try using forum code. [img=" "] [/img] and [url=" "] [/url] should work.

08/15/2006 10:37:44 PM · #18

Jatilda - Thanks a lot. I appreciate the support. Rest assured, 100% of every penny goes to our projects. None of us get paid for this. My rent only costs $100/mo (which I pay using savings or graphic design jobs) and the school where I volunteer loans me a moped to use. All the other coordinators in Thailand, Nepal, and Vietnam volunteer their time to help their own countries.

Crayon - Thanks. :)

Let me know if any of you have any more questions about our projects or suggestions on how to improve the site.

08/17/2006 01:03:21 AM · #19

Surprised no mods have commented on the cute kids saying thank you. Figured that would make dpchallenge feel real good. Maybe I should have added puppies. Children and puppies works every time. LOL

Thanks to all of you who have visited the site. Our traffic and membership has doubled in the past week because of people helping spread the word.

pk