Dave, Brudda,

I have only read 72 posts in this thread as of this writing but here's my gut feeling.

I, like most here, appreciate everything you do for hosting a forum where businesspeople can gain information to improve their businesses. This also applies to Cherie Derrick at DSSI. But I am having a problem with this site going subscription.

Its not that a dime, a quarter or dollar a day is too much, its the nature of the world wide web. We are accustomed to the free exchange of ideas and banter online. And lets face it, a lot of what goes down on these lists is chit-chat, not ground breaking technical or business inovation.

I for one would like you to adopt a model where you accept advertising instead of charging an annual fee. I think the rank and file would relate to that better.

There is/was a teriffic photo site I used to visit daily, the Rob Galbraith Forum. Most members were serious professionals, not wannabee flamers like on some photo sites. But it recently sold and is now a membership fee list. Will I subscribe? Probably not. It just doesn't seem right after so many years of visiting the free site. And maybe in the final analysis that's it really, changing midstream from free to fee. If you were just starting up perhaps the perception of a subscription fee would be different.

Just my 2 cents and we all know how much that is worth.....

If I may weigh in... I don't believe their intention ever was to just make us pay to use the forum. As in, leave things just like this and just start making us pay. I believe they have much grander things in mind, the logo's just being part of it. I think a "wait and see" attitude should be observed until we can see what they have in mind before jumping to too many conclusions. Heck, just hang out at the free forums (or stay here since he already said he was going to leave the forum portion free) and pay the 10 dollars when it's time to see if you want to pay for a years worth. No one ever said it's a year or nothing.

I'm pretty curious, so I'll pay 10 bucks to see what's what. If it doesn't appeal to me as a laser hobbiest, then I'll let it lapse.

PS... stock logos and art was one of the suggestions made in one of the other threads a while back. I for one would like to see them. Not just logos, but stock art like a greyscale winter wolf, horse, barn, creek...

PPS... he only offered to delete posts to those that didn't want them on the pay site, was never a threat, he even said he didn't want to.

THat's about it...

Shaddy

The web is an information highway Harvey, not an information tollway for the most part. I didn't just throw that statement in.

I for one would be glad to pay $99/year just to keep up with David and you, but how many Newbies, hobbyists, non-professionals will? Aren't they the core of an ever expanding client base you need to cultivate into the future? Newbies become pro in fairly quick order.

I know I'm probably missing something here as I've never hosted a public chat list web site, but couldn't you generate as much income off advertising as charging a subscription fee?

Let's think about that. Maybe I'm wrong. Let's guess that you have 1000 members who would pay you $100/year. $100,000. Maybe online advertising isn't quite that lucrative, I have no worldly idea how that works. Probably hits per day or some such esoteric thing. And then maybe there are additional charges you have planned for CDs, online training, special events that can't be accomodated on a free site subsidized by advertisement. Pure guess.

Its just my gut feeling that after 6-12 months your core will shrink slightly and then stabalize at around 80% of today's free membership. But you won't be adding many new members especially if they find another free forum, no matter how good or bad that forum is.

Pure speculation on my part.

If we retain 80% of our membership you can bet your donkey the rates will drop considerably. If not we will have perks that we never dreamed of or thought about at this point. Nope I think they would drop instead.

For those who do not believe that I would be very happy to split it with the other two moderators of this forum.

Philadelphia, PA (Really Bensalem)

Harvey's Tips Page When you finally understand it completely... it changes.

I wish you both well. You have a good thing going here. I was just interested in subscription versus advertisement as a way to keep it all afloat. Still not clear as to your decision but its none of my business really.

I have no problem with generating as much income as you can. You have the right and obligation to max that in any way you can for your partners.

btw, who's the third moderator?

What I attempted to say was that we are not looking to make any money off the site. Nearly all to be plowed back in.

Not aimed at you, but some other people cannot believe that. Their loss.

Philadelphia, PA (Really Bensalem)

Harvey's Tips Page When you finally understand it completely... it changes.

Michel,

If you followed the "My Apologies" thread, I admitted to making my announcement prematurely and apologized for the resulting turmoil.

I was hoping to place a web page, detailing the benefits of joing the pay site, along with the EBS offer, sometime this week.

I'm swamped with work and efforts to create the page, may take longer.

As to your ARA question; a list of benefits, no matter how long or juicy, played no role, in my decision not to join ARA. My decision was based on a single principle, which I've already mentioned.

Some would say that's throwing the baby out with the bath water and in some ways that's true.

I call it standing by a principle and I'm suggesting that's exactly what we'll see from some people in this situation.

Mike,

You're the type of person we're willing to pay for that type of web instruction.

The way it was explained to me, is all the people involved, call into a conference call center and are given a password (very much like we did for our first TeleSeminar).

While on the phone, in front of their computers, people ask questions and are given live instruction, showing how to accomplish a given procedure.

It's kind of like a Camtasia Studio Flash Tutorial, except live.

Third partner?

I could do that.

I thought Harvey mentioned three of you as being moderators/partners. No?

Hi David,

I know this is a totaly different subject....but........

I understand why you have decided to not join the ARA. Since you have brought the ARA thing up a couple of times now.....I have been curious...........How do you seperate attending shows from joining the ARA? To me, both are supportive of the association. I understand why you go to the shows, and why you like to go, I just don't understand how you can justify the one but not the other. To me they seem to be the same entity that gets the benefit (payment) for your participation.

What makes the action of joining different from the action of participation for you in this situation?

I have always wondered how and why you view them so differently.