cthree,

I still maintain that the site should be read only by non-subscribers and read/write by subscribers. Those potential members out there could still do keyword searches and see what a wealth of information exists at S2KI. They would have all the information at their disposal and if they wanted to ask questions and partake in the discussions then they would have to pay the extremely exorbitant fee of $20 per year. Good grief! Give me a break cthree! If they see the vast amount of information available and aren't motivated to join up then f*** em! IMHO you are being too darned nice. Although I really admire you for your stance given all the blood, sweat and tears you have put into this effort.

 

i must say that i agree totally with littleton. for those who dont wanna pay then they can view the site and see everything those who pay do. if they need to know the answer to a specific question, then thats when the benefit of being a member comes into play - we can just ask. those who dont pay will still be able to get the answer, they'll just have to work a little harder for it ie. do a search or something. maybe that way, they will come across more info and think "wait a minute, look at all i have for a measly $20"

littleton is right...if peope cant even pay a token, gesture payment of that much a year, then i think its not right for them to take advantage of you Cthree, knowing that they are getting all this for free while you are constantly paying out all the time.

Realistically, you (Cthree) arent asking the "members" to fund the site so you can sit back and makes tons of profits, all you are asking is for a little consideration and HELP in keeping this valuable commodity alive.

surely, it is up to us all to help out????

 

cthree

Last night I was visiting NSXPrime and one of the members paid a big complement to S2ki. I agreed with him then and do now...fantastic website! As such I am good to go re. making a donation at the $20.00/yr level or more. I feel that 'non-owners' should be able to post and that expecting a donation from them is asking alot. The essence of this website is informational exchange. Information comes from all posters, owners or just interested parties alike, in one form or another. Anything that would restrict the free flow of information to and from as many folks as possible should be avoided like the black plague.

Your attitude on this matter is commendable. Is that because you are from North County, SD?

Michael
San Juan Island
Vista, CA

 

$20 to post for a non-owner is a lot. If it was $20 just to post messages:

I would never have come back to this site...
I would never have found the great community here in Austin...
I would never have gotten a test drive...
I might not have bought an S2K (from the sheer annoyance of not being able to test drive it)...

BTW, that entire list happened in the past 24 days.

I'd propose something along the lines of limiting non-subscribers to:
2 posts/day
3 PM/day
No pics
No avatar
I'm not sure how feasible this would be with the software currently used for s2ki.

Also, we could try to have some merchandise that is only available to subscribers. (dollar values are just examples)
$10-Nets you a sticker
$20-means you can buy basic goodies such as a license plate bracket at near cost pricing
$50-means you can buy other goodies such as Hats or TShirts at near cost pricing

The idea being, if you want to donate $20 you can do so. If you don't want a whole bunch of stuff every year, you can just make your donation and leave it at that. If you want a license plate bracket you can get one for $5. This way, you are rewarded for your contribution, but the forum isn't penalized for trying to hand out goodies that no one really wants.

Thoughts?

 

I would definitely support this site. 20 bucks is equal to a magazine subscription. I would support a voluntary donation system as well. I liked the idea of a progress bar showing where the funds stand, and if we have met that particular month's needs.

Maybe there could be a live chat feature (I think there used to be one) for members who have donated.

 

I agree that the information on this site is definitely worth a $20/yr. subscription fee, but the biggest problem is not the money. Its human nature. Some generous souls will donate, subscribe, whatever. A big percentage will not; because of being cheap, or wanting to get something for nothing. I think the best solution is the one of a raffle type program. Then you will get both personality types.

 

.....and you don't think THAT'S worth 20 bucks???????

 

I think the most effective revenue producer would be Mybad's raffle idea. Some generous souls will contribute on a voluntary basis, but most will not.

 

I have to agree...I was recently thinking about buying an RC51, and the best RC51 forum is subscription-only for both reading and posting. I considered the subscription a small investment to learn everything I could about the bike pre-purchase. The upside is that the quality of information, and maturity of the membership, is much higher than average.

In fact, the 2 fee-based forums that I subscribe to are without a doubt the best...better info, a greater sense of community, and no BS to wade through. The volume of posts tends to be lower, which is fine if you're looking for info as opposed to an endless way to spend your free (and work) time.

 

I completely do! That is why I voted that I would support s2ki.com. IMHO, it's just a difference between being able to find out the quality of the board before you contribute and feeling like you have to buy your way into a club.