Premium Membership Discussion.

[wareagle]

I think buy charging for certain essential things like attachments, you would lose usefullness abd there fore eventually your paying customers as well. All of the members that don't want to pay will just hog bandwith by looking and never posting anything useful. I think you should let non paying members post anything they would like but not be able to do the extra's like pm's and avitars, and huge signatures with pictures, and smileys. Just make it still very usefull so everyone will still post here but make the extra's that some poeple like a charge. I for one enjoy this site very much but if I couldn't post pics to help people out then I would just find a site I could for free. You will be losing ton's of contributers and after a while everyone will realize that another free site gives better info and will start going there. I could care less about the extra's, I just want the site where I can get the best info, which would inevitably be the free site b/c of the amount of people that post. What do you think would happen to yahoo if they started charging for a search that I could get for free on google or a million other places? They can't charge for the essentials like search, basic email, low quality video, but they can make money by charging for the extra's. By charging you will lose subscribers and therefore you will have less of a pull for selling advertisments. Charge for the extra's NOT the basics like posting pictures. It would not be bad if you lowered the file size but on most how-to's the small detail is what you are looking for, so lower file size but not so much that it loses usefullness.

[ekool]

<sigh>

We have already talked about attachments over and over, and my first post has been updated to relfect the fact that attachments will still be allowed.

[phillipyang]

Ekool, visit forums.somethingawful.com and check out how they do their own adverts on memberships and the special functions.


I am simply summarizing and adding some things that should be implemented. If you don't pay, you still get to read and post. Isn't that the point?

Keep the attachments basic (B) level
Search membership (M) level
Archives (M) level
Avatars (M)l
Free Carfax reports for members (with the membership $ we can sponsor carfax subscriptions) (M)
More detailed profiles
email addy's (M)
Custom Titles (M)

---- Platinum Upgrade-----
:::Additional (10, 15, 20) dollars on top of membership prices:::
No more banners
Ability to have more basic options located in vb (calendars, IM, bookmarks, sticky's etc)
and much more I couldn't think of at this moment

Also, we can purchase for others as well. If we like someone on this forum for their help and contribution, we can pool in money for ther upgrades in certain memberships. etc.

Not related to memberships. Advertisements can be purchased by members for a period of time.
3 days - 20 dollars
5 days - 30 dollars
1 week - 35 dollars
etc etc etc.

I know most of you would be thinking "OMG" why would I pay for something that was free before?! Ridiculous as it may sound, server costs, management, maintence, pruning users, weeding the junk, etc adds up.

If you look behind the bull___ and think. Its simply to make money and a lot of it. I know sites that charge 10 dollars for a membership and another 10 for a Platinum Upgrade. I don't think it will be that hard for anybody to ask for a little help in paying or supporting the owner.

[gtbigup01]

Originally Posted by ekool

My dollar range is probably something more like $20 to $30/year for what I've listed above.

I think that's reasonable. Maxima.org used to have a donating member status too. Only people that donated were allowed to use the search feature, and along with your Avatar came the words Supporting Member. Like you said it would be strictly voluntary, and existing membership will remain the same, so if someone disagrees with the idea they don't have to become a premium member and won't loose any of their current features.

You've got my support.

[terryu1]

Originally Posted by ekool

Thats a good idea...we could have a monthly giveaway and vote for the "Months most valuable member"

I dont think I like this idea. I would rather have something that I may actually have a shot at! LOL I say lock this thread and go for it!!! The horse has long since turned to glue and people are still trying to beat the tar out of it.

[ekool]

I'm going to go ahead and lock this thread, because I have a pretty clear picture in my mind of things that I want to offer already... Basic membership is not going to lose anything, in fact they are going to gain features.

Premium membership will have some extra benefits... join if you feel like it, if not, no big deal.