...Important.... POLL.... Please have a look!

laughing_bear · Post by **laughing_bear** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 12:51 am

ok.... I am standing in line with sioux to be killed... however.... I repeat my suggestion from the " last" time.... 20 bucks per year subscription!.... T

The mambo jambo trouble to set that subscription service up is probably up to Daz anyways

.... but he'll manage.... <grin>....

Again.... quality? or quantity?.... ahem.... (personal remark!....)

IA=payed service....yes? ....no?....

sewa · Post by **sewa** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 12:59 am

Honestly, I think that IA should get support from Korg in the first place. After all, its all about their products....

Still, if the survival of this site depended on it, I wouldn't hesitate to donate.

sewa

dreamaiden · Post by **dreamaiden** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 1:02 am

I think it's very fair. It would help Sharp pay for the IA services...server, web hosting, etc.

I have a couple of personal conditions though. I don't think it's good or polite to have a money sign at the front door. We don't want to discourage people to come in. Maybe if we could give them 3 months to come in and really check the place out and see if they want to be here. Once they join with their $20, then they have access to the download section. They can pay their $20 at any time in the 3 months. It would also be nice to have a note at the front door saying that the $20 fee was voted on by the members to help support IA.

This 'has' been brought up several times before. The download section is quite extensive and I think anyone can afford $20 a year. Besides, they get us.

:):)

I think it's time to do it so I vote yes.

Thanks Bear,
Sioux

laughing_bear · Post by **laughing_bear** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 1:07 am

Good point... and I would like to add.... I do not think it is only about Korg.... it started of as such.... may be?.... however.... the spectrum is somewhat more than what the topic lists may suggest.... no?.... then again.... If Korg would have a vested interest.... I do not think that would help.... not longterm.... but that's Sharp's call....

My personal view:.... I know Sharp since a little while.... unfortunately we never meet in person so far, but that doesn't mean anything.... he is my friend... period... and..... he is an IDEALIST!.... I dare to say....

laughing_bear · Post by **laughing_bear** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 1:09 am

sioux wrote: Once they join with their $20, then they have access to the download section. They can pay their $20 at any time in the 3 months. It would also be nice to have a note at the front door saying that the $20 fee was voted on by the members to help support IA.

I'll leave the details of the constitution up to other people.... gladly...

Agreed!

Stephen · Post by **Stephen** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 1:26 am

Worth every penny!
I vote Yes also.
Cheers.
Stephen

RiotNrrd · Post by **RiotNrrd** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 2:15 am

No, I think IA should be free to everyone. And I think Sharp shouldn't be embarrassed to accept donations to help offset the cost of running the site. I mean, we're not talking charity here - the site costs money to operate and anyone who wants to increase their feeling of participation and belonging in this cooperative effort ought to be able to contribute a coupla bucks. Kinda like PBS (Public Broadcasting) here in the US - they spend several weeks a year on "membership drives" in order to keep PBS operating. But it's still free to everyone, whether they contribute or not. And I think IA ought to be that way too.

AlexLOMan · Post by **AlexLOMan** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 2:43 am

Although I like the general concept and would support it unwaveringly if it were instituted I see a few problems with it.

We pay a price for a pay service

-If the pay service is for looking at threads then the database would have to be hidden behind a forced login otherwise a google search would get you to any thread. This is how I found IA.
-If the pay service is only for posting then I fear that the majority of people would never post at all and only info search.
-Although this would greatly cut down on the rubbish threads It would also result in the loss of good info being posted and that is the very life blood of a BBS.
-If there were a grace period as Sioux suggested then I think a number of people would chance creating a new login name every 3 months to continue, reducing the effectiveness of the previous item and causing an expectation that the mods will deal with it, increasing their workload.
-I could imagine that some paying clients would garner expectations from this site having paid a fee and would generate friction from their whining, much more sinister that the occasional flame thread.
-I think it goes against the fundamental concept of this type of BBS.

I think paying a fee to access the download section could work but I would hazard a guess that is goes against the very ideals that Sharp and Daz had bringing this BBS to life also the expectations could run high among some causing grief for the mods.

I would fully support a voluntary fee. A charity drive thread could come around a couple of times a year to nudge people.

Alex

JohnnyAardvark · Post by **JohnnyAardvark** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 3:29 am

Hi All,

I am fairly new around here so I hope you do not mind me commenting.

I am with Riotnerd and Alex on this one. I think a compulsory membership fee could detract from what I believe ethos of the site to be. Generally I am anti-profit. I am quite for covering the costs as a group though. I do like the community spirit around here!

I am for the "donations and occasional prompting idea!" Also, maybe Sharp, Daz could do with some additional Admin and moderation help?

Triton Haven has a "Paypal Donate" image. OK I am sure these are rarely used but it may draw in a little. I think something like this would be a start.

I have also been thinking, over the last week or so, about another possible "money making" idea related to this site. I was going to email Sharp but I will bring it up here since it has become "open for discussion". I am also not sure how practical this is, so would need investigating.

How about a more formal "Tutorials Section"? My idea was to apply for sponsorship from the Software/Hardware vendors the tutorial was for.

e.g. If there is a "How to" for a Triton Tutorial (I am talking effort being put into these with Graphics, Audio demo's etc. Maybe even some tutorials donated by the companies themselves) then Korg, Steinberg, sonicfoundry etc. could make a small donation to IA. In return they get a graphic alongside their tutorial, linking back to their website. I think the selling point here is that IA provides a "captive audience", with a genuine interest in their products. Although less money would be generated this could be on a pay per click basis.

I am not suggesting posting advertisements all over the site, but just in the "tutorials section".

OK, Hope this isn't too farfetched... But an idea never the less.

All for now,

steve.

John01W · Post by **John01W** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 4:26 am

I certainly think it's more than worth it. Steve may be on to something........ How about possibly leaving the regular membership, and have higher membership features at a cost with sections dedicated to more samples or something. Nothing that would be too much work, or cost too much(anything hopefully). Maybe membership to a sample pool where those people contribute.

While I know that it's more than worth the price, do you think it might possibly slightly discourage new membersip for a subscripstion? You know how some people are, most of the time they will just exit. Leave it the same and just add something special for a higher price yearly subscription service.

unimon · Post by **unimon** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 7:03 am

Recurring subscriptions are difficult to sustain given the amout of free
stuff available out there. Magazines are having a difficult go of it now.
Also it is bound to turn away alot of users. Not a good thing for Korg either though it could make them step up to plate.

Jordan Rudess forum uses one time $50 fee for online conservatory.
Similar fee could be floated for certain downloads here.

sewa · Post by **sewa** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 7:55 am

RiotNrrd wrote:No, I think IA should be free to everyone. And I think Sharp shouldn't be embarrassed to accept donations to help offset the cost of running the site. I mean, we're not talking charity here

Sorry, I wasn't quite aware that the word donation was primarly used in the context of charity actions.

I ment voluntary contributions.

dreamaiden · Post by **dreamaiden** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 7:59 am

Hey, there's some great ideas here.

Sounds like the open door policy is the best way to go with some fee structure attached to the downloads then. I actually prefer the open door policy if there's another way and it sounds like there are several.

Good.

Sioux

cnegrad · Post by **cnegrad** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 1:09 pm

some fee structure attached to the downloads then.

This makes the most sense to me too.

Morbius · Post by **Morbius** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 2:49 pm

Personally, I'd vote for just keeping things the way they are.

There are more than enough of us 'regulars' around here, that each of us that can send Sharp $20 a year I would think should more than take care of the situation, don't you??

I'd fear that any sort of membership would turn people off right at the front door, and I for one would be MORE than willing to support our home away from home.

Whatever it takes, Sharp - you just say the word, and we'll cover you one way or the other!

Morbius

Korg Forums

...Important.... POLL.... Please have a look!

Would you join IA as a subscription service?

...Important.... POLL.... Please have a look!

subscriptions