Shaddy,

The photographers forum I mentioned earlier has two forums. One is free. One is for "exclusive"(paying) members. Their term, not mine.

The free forum is dead. Questions go unanswered for days at a time - if answered at all.

People will go where they feel most welcome. They'll go where they get prompt responses to their questions.

Like any business or service, people will vote with their wallets. If they can have their needs met for free, wonderful! More power to them.

We make no guarantee that a person's bottom line will increase, as the result of being a forum member.

We can put money-making, time-saving advice in front of people, from now, to the end of time. If that advice is implemented, or not, is incumbent on the individual member and their level of ambition.

OK, but my suggestion was to keep one forum, and keep it free. At least that's what I meant. Then charge to access the other stuff and features. I love the idea of accessing tutorials and videos. And monetary (or maybe free membership) compensation for writing/making those might spur more people to make some. Which would grow your "library" and keep people coming around.

Anyway, just a concern/suggestion

I am sorry that you mis-read my quote of YOUR message... The 5% was NOT of the $75 but rather the % of messages that YOU said were beneficial to you.

"Reverend Jim, May I have more of the Kool Aid?"

Each person will have their own spreadsheet. THEY are the only ones that can determine what they have learned and of what value in time and/or $$ it has been to them.

I only showed what it would take for someone to "afford" a $75 annual membership... since that was one of the numbers being kicked around. If it was $50 or $60 or even $35.60 (that is ten cents per day for those of you in Rio Linda) the idea behind finding the funds to do something still follows form.

The exchange rate varies from state to state and person to person. Some find them worth their weight in signs and others try to microwave them and they become rubber offsets to raise materials closer to the laser....

Now, if you were to use a laser to "engrave" a persons name into it and then serve it up for breakfast with fresh cream cheese and smoked salmon (lox to the initiated), the value really rises. Add a slice of tomato and Vadalia onion and the sky is the limit! ;-) 

So, if I am understanding correctly, when/if the site goes pay, we could pay with food? Or foodstamps?

Lemme go toast some bagels

Chuck,

Yes, but in either case, they will need to be laserable.

Chuck,
Off topic but do they have good bagel stores in your neck of the woods and I don't mean Lenders.

Dee

Philadelphia, PA (Really Bensalem)

Pete,
Things are different in Chuckland. No, they do not tax 100% even though purportedly we are one of the highest taxed states in the nation ( depends on how you look at it. I think Wa. is MUCH worse).
However, in Chuckland it is easier on my mind to think of a tax deductible expense as free.

Chuck, Based on some of the news here last night, not only are they considering taxing 100% but they also want to take your house and land away and give it back to the native Hawaiians.....

Edited to add: In your case, Kona coffee may be used for payment.... exchange rate to be determined....

I guess the thing that Im not seeing clearly is the goal of this change. We don't know what you are intending to do by changing to pay....Without stated goals, it's hard to get behind any idea. What is your goal/motivation to go pay? Is it to improve the forum?........because most are real happy with the status quo. Is it for compensation? If so, the $75 per seat seems pretty high based on cost of running a server/software alone. It would be easier to get behind someone that had a vision of what they wanted laid out somewhat, not an ambiguous..."Hey, wait until this joint goes pay...It's gonna be great" attitude without any meat to chew on.

What do you think the membership of this forum is lacking in their experience here? Do you feel like people are just getting a free ride and should have to pay to exchange "their" ideas? You have provided the Media to exchange the ideas, but if you go pay, you will have some that shift back to the "other" free delphi forum. That forum has the same flavor and ease of use as this one. Granted you have to deal with pop-ups, but many will find that worth while as opposed to pay $75 annualy to share "their" ideas.

Unless you feel that "your" ideas are what draws the membership to this forum, I feel like you should spell out a reason for the change. Something that people can get behind and be interested in. I think you need to show people a "vision" of value added services that can't be found elsewhere....if you wish to succeed.

I haven't finished reading the entire thread, but I will pause to post a thought. Unlike the majority of the people here, I am not an owner. I manage the awards, engraving, and sublimation department for a larger sign company.

Therefore I cannot personally authorize the cost of membership, I would need to get it approved. The people I work for are notoriously cheap, so it's about 70/30 I could get them to go for it with the weight toward a big fat, "No." Or rather, "We don't feel that's a justifiable investment at this time."

Consequently in order to maintain a membership it would need to come direct from my pocket. I ended up buying my own personal membership to Dephi when we were over there. $75.00 a year isn't much as a business expense, but as a personal cost for an underpaid employee like me, it's up there.

So we'll see how convincing I can be when the time comes, but if when we go pay I drop off the face of the earth, you'll know why.

Sei