Future of the Study
- Thread starter Bob Hubbard
- Start date
I've been meaning to post something along those lines myself, especially the past day or so, in response to Angel's comments about the Study. It's good to hear someone actually in that line of work express what I've been thinking :tup:.
Bob, I voted for Supporting member, but here is my plan.
1) Supporting members get to read as supporting members.
2) They get X posts to make a day. "X" is unknown at this moment. But I am thinking to one a day or they can keep up to 5 saved to log in and make a few posts after being gone a few days.
3) They CANNOT CREATE a new thread. If you want to create a new Thread you need to be a permanent member or even a specil paying member of the Study. I think Permanent Members could create a minimum number and the special paying ones could create as many as they wish, or you could even come up with a pay as you post plan. Kind of like Text messages in the old days.
4) The Special Study members (* referred to henceforth in this post as the Specials - with no derrogatory meaning, I just did not want post about the SS *) can create and post as they see fit as long as they follow the rules.
The Money would go to a good cause:
a) Supporting the work it takes to maintain this site and the Study
b) Possibly paying a moderator (* Supporting membership covered for a month of Moderation or maybe a gift card of some nominal value so you could go by a pizza. *)
c) If enough people contribute, Bob could by Pizza. :~D
While I support the "free" usage of membership, I also understand the "COST" of running a business and maintaining software licenses and upgrades. I also know it is taxing on the "staff" to deal with issues all the time. Which is why I mentioned the gift card idea as a reward to some who do the work in the Study.
This model / plan allows for those who want to be involved to decide how much it is worth to them to be involved. Being a supporting membership is the price of entry to get in and read and to make a minimum number of posts. You might even allow regular members the chance to read but not post (* if possible *). And yes I understand this woudl require lots of work to set up, but it could generate income for the site. The Specials would be able to post as they saw fit and the Life Time Members could create a few threads of their own, and if they had a desire to create more threads then they could pay for the priviledge of doing so.
Just my ideas off the top of my head.
1) Supporting members get to read as supporting members.
2) They get X posts to make a day. "X" is unknown at this moment. But I am thinking to one a day or they can keep up to 5 saved to log in and make a few posts after being gone a few days.
3) They CANNOT CREATE a new thread. If you want to create a new Thread you need to be a permanent member or even a specil paying member of the Study. I think Permanent Members could create a minimum number and the special paying ones could create as many as they wish, or you could even come up with a pay as you post plan. Kind of like Text messages in the old days.
4) The Special Study members (* referred to henceforth in this post as the Specials - with no derrogatory meaning, I just did not want post about the SS *) can create and post as they see fit as long as they follow the rules.
The Money would go to a good cause:
a) Supporting the work it takes to maintain this site and the Study
b) Possibly paying a moderator (* Supporting membership covered for a month of Moderation or maybe a gift card of some nominal value so you could go by a pizza. *)
c) If enough people contribute, Bob could by Pizza. :~D
While I support the "free" usage of membership, I also understand the "COST" of running a business and maintaining software licenses and upgrades. I also know it is taxing on the "staff" to deal with issues all the time. Which is why I mentioned the gift card idea as a reward to some who do the work in the Study.
This model / plan allows for those who want to be involved to decide how much it is worth to them to be involved. Being a supporting membership is the price of entry to get in and read and to make a minimum number of posts. You might even allow regular members the chance to read but not post (* if possible *). And yes I understand this woudl require lots of work to set up, but it could generate income for the site. The Specials would be able to post as they saw fit and the Life Time Members could create a few threads of their own, and if they had a desire to create more threads then they could pay for the priviledge of doing so.
Just my ideas off the top of my head.
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
Rich
I like what you said...except there is one thing I see here that is absolutely unacceptable is this bit
Pizzas, although good, are not healthy so I will support this ONLY if Bob signs an agreement..IN TRIPLICATE... stating he will buy an organic salad with the money....
And I still don't care about the study :uhyeah:
I like what you said...except there is one thing I see here that is absolutely unacceptable is this bit
Pizzas, although good, are not healthy so I will support this ONLY if Bob signs an agreement..IN TRIPLICATE... stating he will buy an organic salad with the money....
And I still don't care about the study :uhyeah:
What I say is generally what I say. But then, I'm careful to say what I mean, whether on line or in person. It confuses some people, who don't necessarily hear what I say, but what they think I meant...
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is from the horses mouth.
RandomPhantom700
Master of Arts
Here's the thing though; if Bob were to say "hey folks, can't afford to run the site free of charge anymore" or even "hey folks, I just dont feel like running the site free of charge anymore", I see no problem. Running any type of website costs dollars, and it's perfectly within the administrator's right to charge if they see fit.
However, Bob's not considering SM-only as a solution to being underfunded. He's considering it in response to the Study's.....uniquely partisan problem (i.e. certain participants' inability to act like they're above legal driving age.) I personally just don't see how putting a pay-to-play requirement would really address that particular issue. But like I said before, I'm not a forum admin., so I don't know all the ramifications.
RandomPhantom700
Master of Arts
Not in my eyes, it isn't; it's actually rather even-handed.
granfire
Sr. Grandmaster
eh, some people don hear what you say when you make it basically impossible to misunderstood. It's in their nature since they don't say what they mean.
Big Don
Sr. Grandmaster
While I agree with random, (twice today?! WTF?) A few people are going out of their way to condemn themselves...
RandomPhantom700
Master of Arts
:rofl: :lol:
Rich
I like what you said...except there is one thing I see here that is absolutely unacceptable is this bit
Pizzas, although good, are not healthy so I will support this ONLY if Bob signs an agreement..IN TRIPLICATE... stating he will buy an organic salad with the money....
And I still don't care about the study :uhyeah:
Have you had a Greek Pizza. Made with sun dried tomatos and purple onions and feta cheese and some mild/hot peppers. Yum Yum. And it can all be made organic including the whole grain wheat dough.
I am telling you it is possible I have eaten some before. :~D
OP
OP
We once considered switching to a fine system. Something like $1 per infraction, $25 remove suspension, etc.
We've thought about going pay only. We've bounced a lot of things around on monetizing the site more.
In the end, those routes usually do more long term harm than good (hence most of the site being free to all).
MT costs about $5,000 per year to run. (hosting, domains, advertising, software).
If I were to just charge for Study access, I'd have to go with $20-30 a month, because lets be honest, a basic SM averages out to $1.84 a month.
Read the bickering in here.....who the hell would want to deal with that constantly for $1.84 a month? (and the staff deals with it for free. I never can thank them enough for everything they do.)
I'd have to switch to 'rag squeezings' as my drink of choice and not this fine imported mead.
OP
OP
Aside: I was eating cheese pizza as I replied.
I found the study to be a good place for non MA discussions but what has been noticed by most (if not all) are the desires to make one's opinion be the only opinion on whatever subject and emotional outbursts when someone disagrees.
Wonders if something could be done to prevent anyone from posting 24 hours after the last post... to give time to "cool off"... which is what should be done if someone posts a reply that causes the reader to be upset. Just plain common sense and courtesy I think... not to the offending poster but to the readers.
Wonders if something could be done to prevent anyone from posting 24 hours after the last post... to give time to "cool off"... which is what should be done if someone posts a reply that causes the reader to be upset. Just plain common sense and courtesy I think... not to the offending poster but to the readers.
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
NO!!!!!
I shall not support it unless Bob uses ALL that extra money for organic salad...NO PIZZA!!!....it's just wrong I tells ya :uhyeah:
Aside: I was eating cheese pizza as I replied.
I will NEVER support it now :uhyeah:
