Raising funds
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A lot of it depends on how long the average lurkers stays at UG each visit. A bunch of short stays and they might not be willing to cough up any change. If they stay here a while each time and read a lot of posts, check out the classifieds, etc. they might decide it is worth something to them.
Slink-what about the chronic lurker who logs on several times a week each month? They would be the most likely candidates to pay for the privilege.
Slink-what about the chronic lurker who logs on several times a week each month? They would be the most likely candidates to pay for the privilege.
I'm kinda surprised those lurker numbers were as high as they were. Not that I didn't expect a high lurker count... but that they lurked under the same name for so long adn continue to login it seems daily or weekly (this week). They could have lurked with no login until the board was changed what.... 6 months ago?
That's why those numbers change things imo.... I think out of that thousand or two some can be squeezed (hate to use that term) for a membership fee if they're THAT active.
That's why those numbers change things imo.... I think out of that thousand or two some can be squeezed (hate to use that term) for a membership fee if they're THAT active.
Donating anonymously is a piece of cake. Go to the local post office and buy a money order, no id required, nor do you have to fill out anything. Then mail the blank money order directly to Bender.
The problem with turning this into a paysite is that the administration will be monumental. Imagine all the inquiries about method of payments, lost payments, bounced payments, cancelled payments, refunds...and more importantly a paysite leaves tracking issues that many do not want to incur. If you think Slinky has his hands full running this board as it stands, imagine his nightmare if it was converted to a paysite.
Maybe this could all be handled by a fulfillment company and he wouldn't have to handle any of that...not sure about that.
Suggestion: take a poll. See how many would continue their membership if it cost $xx.xx per month. You may find it has nothing to do with the money.
The problem with turning this into a paysite is that the administration will be monumental. Imagine all the inquiries about method of payments, lost payments, bounced payments, cancelled payments, refunds...and more importantly a paysite leaves tracking issues that many do not want to incur. If you think Slinky has his hands full running this board as it stands, imagine his nightmare if it was converted to a paysite.
Maybe this could all be handled by a fulfillment company and he wouldn't have to handle any of that...not sure about that.
Suggestion: take a poll. See how many would continue their membership if it cost $xx.xx per month. You may find it has nothing to do with the money.
wait a minute....
....the lurkers are the ones who books appointments with me, not the posters.
If lurkers book appointments with me, I can make money.
If I make enough money to have a surplus....I can pay for advertisement on UG.
Bottom line is...lurkers are lurkers in ANY site.
They don't pay in here and they will not pay in any other, period.
Lurkers are the ones genertring the amount of posts viewed, some 2 or 3 thousand...not the active members.
Lurkers are the ones that support the site with their visits every day, reading posts and getting hooked up in reading what the active posters says.
The bottom line is...without lurkers NONE of the sites will survive....are you guys forgetting about a dark period of UG, not long ago, when nobody came here, not even the active posters?
What happened them? UG was agonizing, close to death, because active posters and LURKERS did go away.
Without lurkers we will not have an audience and without audience why post or advertise?
....the lurkers are the ones who books appointments with me, not the posters.
If lurkers book appointments with me, I can make money.
If I make enough money to have a surplus....I can pay for advertisement on UG.
Bottom line is...lurkers are lurkers in ANY site.
They don't pay in here and they will not pay in any other, period.
Lurkers are the ones genertring the amount of posts viewed, some 2 or 3 thousand...not the active members.
Lurkers are the ones that support the site with their visits every day, reading posts and getting hooked up in reading what the active posters says.
The bottom line is...without lurkers NONE of the sites will survive....are you guys forgetting about a dark period of UG, not long ago, when nobody came here, not even the active posters?
What happened them? UG was agonizing, close to death, because active posters and LURKERS did go away.
Without lurkers we will not have an audience and without audience why post or advertise?
Ozzy said:
If lurkers are such big spenders then they can pop for a few bucks. They're the ones taking the most and giving the least. UG could absolutely survive without any lurkers.... would it hurt the advertisers in their pocket... probably. But someone has to pay for their bandwidth.
Why put my money in a place I cannot reach the guys who are my bread & butter and help me support my kids?
Sorry Ozzy, at this point I think the bandwidth cost should be splitted between you and the most prolific or the founders of this site.
Once you guys are really paying for YOUR site you can rule how others should pay.
I guarantee you that without lurkers you will not have much to pay out of your pocket....they will be a very low bandwidth cost, very affordable for all the guys who wants to turn UG private and elliminate US, the ones who are truly supporting UG until now.
You don't want UG to have a private (pay for access) review section or forum... because the only way that can work is if it's supply side free. And you and the rest here can't stand that there's a place you don't have access too. (its that entitlement thing again)
You don't want UG to charge lurkers for access. Even though they're the ones obviously getting the most and giving back the least. Freloaders as some would call them.
It's already been shown that membership here won't voluntarily support UG enough to keep it financially stable.
It's already been shown that most whores don't like the site or would rather steal from it than support it.
So where's the money supposed to come from? Shut the site down or make it completely a paid site.... which either management chooses will eliminate all your cherished lurkers and pretty much everyone else.
You don't want UG to charge lurkers for access. Even though they're the ones obviously getting the most and giving back the least. Freloaders as some would call them.
It's already been shown that membership here won't voluntarily support UG enough to keep it financially stable.
It's already been shown that most whores don't like the site or would rather steal from it than support it.
So where's the money supposed to come from? Shut the site down or make it completely a paid site.... which either management chooses will eliminate all your cherished lurkers and pretty much everyone else.
betty_snj said:
If the lurkers goes away...well I will not advertise here anymore...why should I?
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I think a stronger case could be made for raising revenue via a fee on excessive posters since they are the ones eating up bandwidth and the reading time of the moderator.
If we want to show-off we really should be required to pay for the privilege.
Many posts are merely for self-engrandizement, consider this one as an example. Perhaps 30 to 50 posts per month would be provided without cost and sponsors should be entitled to substantially more. Actual reviews would be exempt of course. Additionally, excessively long posts and those just coping a previous post with a one or two word comment should be surcharged.
With all this projected revenue, in addition to the first-class moderators what this place will need is a competent bursar.
Mr. User Name said:
Betty makes an excellent point as to lurkers not paying for this site..
I think a stronger case could be made for raising revenue via a fee on excessive posters since they are the ones eating up bandwidth and the reading time of the moderator.
I think a stronger case could be made for raising revenue via a fee on excessive posters since they are the ones eating up bandwidth and the reading time of the moderator.
It's not the actual posting that uses bandwidth... it's the amount of actual HITS (visits or views) the site gets. All that posting does is add to the database which does require maintenance from time to time but cost little in the scheme of things. If this place were loaded down with avatars and pictures from those posters.. that would be different. But it's not.
As for the mods work... That seems to be getting taken care of slowly. C9, used2beone, jackT, myself and others are helping with that. But charge those posters and most go away. The posters go away and UG goes away. You can't squeeze water from a rock.... and the prolific posters here are the rock of UG
Mr. User Name said:
If we want to show-off we really should be required to pay for the privilege.
Many posts are merely for self-engrandizement, consider this one as an example. Perhaps 30 to 50 posts per month would be provided without cost and sponsors should be entitled to substantially more. Actual reviews would be exempt of course. Additionally, excessively long posts and those just coping a previous post with a one or two word comment should be surcharged.
With all this projected revenue, in addition to the first-class moderators what this place will need is a competent bursar.
Many posts are merely for self-engrandizement, consider this one as an example. Perhaps 30 to 50 posts per month would be provided without cost and sponsors should be entitled to substantially more. Actual reviews would be exempt of course. Additionally, excessively long posts and those just coping a previous post with a one or two word comment should be surcharged.
With all this projected revenue, in addition to the first-class moderators what this place will need is a competent bursar.
What you think is "showing off" many consider informative, thought provoking discussion.
What about "information" or "interesting discussion"... you wanna put a surcharge for that too?
If you really want the mods to walk off the job lets make them now choose whats legit discussion and whats self-engrandizement on a post by post basis.
As I said above.. you have no idea how bandwidth works. The lurker reading this post just used the same amount I did in crafting it.
But if you had a valid point re: bandwidth, which you don't, how bout getting rid of the word association thread.
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