2005 and beyond...

trap4

Still beating the subscriptions drum here:

I realise that part of the problem in introducing subscription to boards.ie might be in the demographic - ie. I presume a large percentage of members would not have credit cards. So, some kind of micropayment mechanism not requiring credit cards might be best if such a solution was possible.

I may not fully understand the economics involved but how about getting someone like - http://www.playprint.com - to run off a large batch of pre-paid 'callcards' especially for Boards.ie? Let's say Eur5 cards for 3 months access or Eur10 cards for 6 months access. It would be easy enough to integrate the security number database with vBulletin I'd imagine?

I'm sure with the huge number of members here it would be feasible to get at least one store in each major county town to stock the cards. Of course I I know nothing about the business relationship between the phone companies and retailers so sorry if it's a completely daft idea. Maybe vending machine operators would stock the cards - in colleges?

Just thinking out loud......

ecksor

We appreciate the suggestions and input, but I've never seen the idea of charging new signups seriously put forward or entertained by any of the admins and, speaking solely for myself although I suspect I'm not the only one that feels as I do, it's the sort of thing that would very likely make me walk away from boards.

That's not to say that the idea of it costing something to sign up isn't attractive. It is to me, but for a different reason, which is deterring the steady flood of spammers and muppets we're getting.

trap4

Ecksor, why would a charge make you walk away? As in every other walk of life I expect to pay for value received. A few weeks ago I knew absolutely nothing about Satellite TV. Then I read on the Satellite forum here that the Satellite system on offer from Lidl after Christmas was excellent value. So I bought it and learned how to install it (not easy) reading through the thorough and detailed advice and instructions I got for free here. I literally saved hundreds of Euro with my FREE membership of Boards.ie

And that's only one example of the many ways in which Boards has financially and otherwise helped me over the last few years. I received a huge amount of value and I do believe I and everyone else who does likewise should be prepared to pay for that.

Your second point above is very important and something I forgot to mention previously. Before we introduced paid subscriptions on our forums it had become a nightmare dealing with the 'muppets'. Many of our earliest and best members were walking away because of how low the signal to noise ration had become. Introducing a subscription completely transformed the site - the quality of discussion shot up and has created a virtuous cycle whereby new visitors can immediately appreciate the quality of discussion on offer and recognise that it's worth paying for despite the presence of numerous free competitors.

If Boards.ie fears a mass exodus on introduction of subs, because another free alternative might pop-up I would suggest that such an outcome is extremely unlikely. We feared it initially but then realised that our existing database of information, 'critical mass' and 'reputation/social equity' made the difference. I'm not going to abdicate to an alternative forum when this one has a huge information archive, enough members that I always get to my questions, and 'recognisable' characters whose personality and experience I am familiar with. Without intending to be confrontational here I would suggest that those who might walk away are those with least commitment to the community. I wonder for instance if you really would walk away yourself if it came down to it?


[By the way, our forums don't 'compete' with Boards.ie and I'm not going to point to them - I'm offering my feedback here because I value Boards.ie, believe in it and want to see it thrive.]

Peace

I read this on a US based forumn website... www.scubaboard.com

Its an add that only appears to unregistered users... check the screen shot i took....

steveland?

Peace wrote:

I read this on a US based forumn website... www.scubaboard.com

Its an add that only appears to unregistered users... check the screen shot i took....

I think they already decided there was definitly not going to be ads between the posts

halenger

Just in terms of uber-mods and the like. Clearly the first place to look for such people would be amongst the underworked current mods. Some of us have very little to though, though I'm sure some value that and would like no more work to do.

It's quite hard to remember often enough the sort of work the admin team actually does. Not to add to I pretty immense list I'm sure but I don't think I'd be the only one interested to know what you guys actually do. Such a thread could generate interest from certain users/mods/etc - "Oh that? Cool. I'd love to do that!" "I'm really interested in doing <x> would you like help with it" etc etc etc...

DeVore

Halenger, I'm going to write a blog about it soon enough. I've got www.Devore.ie (dont bother, nothing there at the moment) and I'm going to try and write about all the weird stuff that happens in the course of my daily life there.

Trap4, I'd be right there with Ecksor if we seriously went to pay-to-talk. I agree that it would be really handy for us to say "right, a 5-euro lifetime membership please" so that we could have a reliable way to block arseh*les.... but other then that, we do this for reasons that are non-financial. We can make this place fly without such charges and its kinda like a puzzle for us (well, me anyway) that we do this on OUR terms. I guess its the Tyler Durden in me

Besides, it would make my teeth hurt to prove those assh*les who said we'd eventually fnck everyone over for our own profit right. I know you dont see it like that, I know many wouldnt. We do though

Lots of people have done the pay-model you are talking about but very few have taken the road less travelled and I want to see where it leads

DeV.

uberwolf

DeVore wrote:

very few have taken the road less travelled and I want to see where it leads

It's almost as if you were a visionary...

GoneShootin

Jesus Christ reborn in the guise a geek.


All praise Dev and his Disciples

Skud

DeVore wrote:

What I meant by the eircom comment is that I dont want to get into biasing the forums. Ever. We get so many requests from suppilers in a specific area to "brand" the various forums (omg, the Tech ones get them all the time!!!) and they always get the same response. No. Never. We have done targetted advertising before which is ok, but I dont want any idea that anything said on our forums is unaccceptible because of a "sponsor". If that ever happens, I'll have failed from my primary goal that made me want to set up Boards in the first place.

Couldn't you use this in someway like get sponsorship for the forum but put it at the top like tha announcements and say "feature of the month," "featured product" or "featured site". Adds a dimesion of advertising without adding advertising.. People can view it if they want and is no bigger than the universal announcements. This also gives the option of having unique sites/products per forum and have it on monthly contracts so they'd have to renew it, which gives option of change (different scenery) or competition (more money).

po0k

Expect a cheque for a hundred or two euros to come floating into No.17 sometime over the summer, providing I get work somewhere.
It's long overdue.

Like trap4, the entertainment value etc. I gotten out of this place every year since I joined is well worth a few quid.

I will clear my outstanding debt before the end of the financial year.

Ruu_Old

donated 20 euro thru paypal id only waste it on dvds, i have hundreds of them anyway and my postman needs a break from delivering tons of parcels a day to my house, best of luck in 2005. I'll donate more in the coming weeks when i do my annual donating to others also.

Ruu_Old

i believe my 20 euro has been debited according to my statement, hope it helps