New Membership Scheme.....Coming Soon!

[Justin]

I'm always open to constructive criticism and open and fair debate. Yes, you're absolutely right, the current overheads for this forum aren't really that high. I have future plans for the forum that will necessitate a great deal of investment and have to look towards this. The forum has indeed taken a more commercialised stand for this reason and others. That said, the main objectives of the forum remain the same. If members feel that they are contributing to my 'wage' and aren't happy with that then please don't pay your membership fee, you'll still be welcome.

I'd like nothing more than to be able to get a wage to enable me to run this forum full-time, giving it all my attention and pushing it onwards and upwards but that may never happen. In terms of the time spent working on the forum, yes you are correct, it does take a lot of commitment. I currently work full-time, 60+ hours a week. I then spend a fair chunk of my spare time on the forum at the expense of my own business which currently takes a back seat. I do have a family but they forget what I look like. Any other time is spent sleeping...very little. It's 2 years now since I started the forum and it gets busier all the time, yes, it is a big commitment.

I really don't want to have to keep coming on here and justifying why I'm raising revenue when members will always believe what they want to believe. The membership scheme will bring in revenue, of course it will but paid members will get a lot in return, random donations don't offer you any privilege so surely it's a step forward from that?

Please show me where I've exaggerated the running costs of the forum.

[gtd91]

i think youve summed it up perfectly right there and you have never over emphasized running costs, ive just seen other posts about it costing money to run the forum etc i just thought id let the others know an estimate of running costs.

I think the £10 idea is definately a good step forward, as it rewards you for your time and the loyal members for their contribution, i didnt mean to make my post so negative, sorry about that. Also business is business , and if it helps your wage at all, its definately been very well worked for! at the end of the day alot of people on the forum are here to help themselves aswell as others.

Thanks for the time put into this forum so far, without it i would never have started my own business, so i feel i owe it alot. i'll be in line to pay the £10 membership, plus change is always good right

[sarahjayne]

@gtd91 "All in all the costs of this website if already running a commercial website to sell Sub gear/products are next to nothing."
As far as I am aware Justin is a printer and sublimator and end user not a wholesaler of sub products. Therefore, the existence of this site doesn't actually benefit him personally in his daily business life.

[Paul]

Just to let some people know that last offer i took advantage off was from transfer paper and vinyl comany - yolo. I bougt some vinyl and please belive me i menaged to save MUCH more then £10. So justin idea is very good in my opinion. Only one thing that will change is that those offers will be visible to members. Not to wachers tha dont put anything to the forum. This is how i see it.

[mrs maggot]

we are back to that old debate again surely, where those that choose to join and become full members can see everything, like forsale and wanted, member to member etc, and those that dont join cant, that would make it better for all, and you are likely to get more comitment from members, its what some of the sign forums do, basic info is there for all, but in order to gain everything then you pay to join. a yearly membership fee of £10 is the way to go - BUT only if you are going to limit some of the sections of the site, as well as giving membership discounts.

[gtd91]

@sarahjane i guess i worded that badly, what i meant was, if someone has a website hosting plan already in action for their own website, then add-on domains are usually free i just meant there wouldn't really be a hosting cost

[John G]

a yearly membership fee of £10 is the way to go - BUT only if you are going to limit some of the sections of the site,

I thought that's what was suggested on Justin's original post but after re-reading, and looking at subsequent posts, I don't think this is what's planned - shame. I Look forward to hearing about the discounts available, and the way this scheme will work, but if its of little benefit to me then its pointless and back to being a donation.

[purpledragon]

Only one thing that will change is that those offers will be visible to members. Not to wachers tha dont put anything to the forum. This is how i see it.

Problem there paul is how will "watchers" know what the benifits of paying a membership are if they are not visable .
i think all this is getting blurred i seem to have opened a can of worms with my initial post so im claifying my position .
I have never disputed that the forum costs money to run or have i disputed the amount of hard work that goes into running the forum
Clarity is what i called for is justin running this as a buisness yes or no
i have tried to be devils advocate when i first posted on this subject a lot of replys had the tone of whats your problem i'll be buying membership then justin let a bit more info out and those very same peoople started to question if the membership idea was as they first thought.
My initial thoughts were do i want to pay £10 a year for the privallage of giving others the benifit of my experiance just so i can be rewarded with 10% discounts from suppliers i dont buy from but then justin let more info out, theres huge benifits in the pipeline. what are these benifits? its a bit unfair for a debate to be started on "trust me it'll be worth it" its only ever worth it if you are interested in whats offered.
do i want paying for my advice ? no not really its swings and round abouts there is the odd occasion i need some advice do i want to pay to give advice ? definatly not do i want to further someone elses buisness by being and online advice centre for free well to be honest if it costs me nothing i see no problem in it i then have free will to give or not give advice.
I think its worth remembering that its the members who make the forum what it is to alienate certain members will only spread discontent.
Justin says theres no plans to block non paying members at the moment... its the at the moment bit that worries me and i hope that was an unfortunate term of phrase i seem to remember in the past debates there were no plans for paid advertising "at the moment" and then further forward there were no plans for paid membership "at the moment".

[Andrew]

People need to read Justin's initial post again.

"New Membership Scheme.....Coming Soon!
I'm currently working on a new membership scheme for the forum."

No one yet knows the details but now he is being forced to respond without having worked it all out. Give him a break and the time needed to atleast give you the information required to pass judgement. It's already been stated no one is going to be forced to part with their money and if you do it's expected you will get far more back.

[mrs maggot]

purpledragon, i agree with what you are saying, if the forum is to survive into a profitable rescourse for all and an active forum, them surely some of the members who have put as much into it with time, posts etc as the admin & mod should also have their views taken on board. look at the uksign board http://www.uksignboards.com/index.php?nav_0=1 you will see they have resticted access sections - including forsale and wanted, and other useful tutorial sections which have been added by members at a cost in time to them, these are not open to any tom dick or harry - just other people who see the benefit of subscribing to a forum and becoming part of that forum