paying for forum memberships
- So I am a former storm user and I switched over to the mytouch3g... Along with the switch I started using an android forum. Recently they started charging 5bucks a month for a "premium membership"... How does everyone feel about paying for premium memberships? I just kind of feel like people are getting hosed. The owner of the site is making all the money and he doesnt give any more info or help to anyone then any other member... Crap like this makes me want to unlock my storm and come back to CB.03-07-10 11:40 AMLike 0
- Well, I don't know about that specific site, but being an owner of a website and several forums myself, I see why someone would charge for premium membership - websites cost money. They just do. You need to pay for the domain and you need to pay for the server and the bandwith, if you're using vBulletin you need to pay for the software, and all of those expenses come out of the owner's pocket. Hence, the ads. Web masters try to use ads to have websites pay for them selves. The thing with premium memberships is that they often let you "buy" a no-ads version of the site.
Personally, my forum is private and very small and I have been covering the cost of it by myself for years now. My members don't have ads and they probably never will, but it's around 100 bucks coming out of my pocket every year. Now imagine that on a bigger scale and the reason why someone would offer "premium memberships" (even if the purchaser gains nothing, so it's sort of a donation) becomes clear.
I don't have a problem with that. There is a forum I visited often at one point in my life and I was happy to donate 5 bucks every 3 months for it. I would mind a forum I'm visiting becoming a "premium member only" but just this one more option being available is fine with me.03-07-10 11:51 AMLike 0 - There are some that are worth it in my opinion. I paid for a Blackberry site, 50 for life. You get apps that no one else has as well as several other benefits on the site I paid for. the nice thing is that the site is not ONLY member funded, the owner of the site also contributes and has used the members money to expand the site with servers, apps, etc.......either way you have to choose for yourself. i do feel that $5 per month is BS though03-07-10 11:53 AMLike 0
- I understand to help pay for the website, but too charge for things that were free or are free on other websites I think is Ridic. I dont think paying for the premium membership gets you a "no ad" website on this forum... I think someone is trying to make a quick buck off of its members...03-07-10 11:56 AMLike 0
- A car forum im on has a premium membership, like 10-20 a year or something. You get a larger signature, special colored username of your choice, access to special parts of the forum. I havent done it but I see the logic.03-07-10 12:02 PMLike 0
- See a trend here? 10-20 a year? 50 for life? not 5 bucks a month or 19.95 for 6 months... I would be paying double the price of the car forum...03-07-10 12:04 PMLike 0
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- There are some that are worth it in my opinion. I paid for a Blackberry site, 50 for life. You get apps that no one else has as well as several other benefits on the site I paid for. the nice thing is that the site is not ONLY member funded, the owner of the site also contributes and has used the members money to expand the site with servers, apps, etc.......either way you have to choose for yourself. i do feel that $5 per month is BS though03-07-10 12:24 PMLike 0
- Reed McLayRetired ModeratorSo I am a former storm user and I switched over to the mytouch3g... Along with the switch I started using an android forum. Recently they started charging 5bucks a month for a "premium membership"... How does everyone feel about paying for premium memberships? I just kind of feel like people are getting hosed. The owner of the site is making all the money and he doesnt give any more info or help to anyone then any other member... Crap like this makes me want to unlock my storm and come back to CB.
There are multiple pathways to forum success. Ours is free content and no premium members. We can do that becasue our forum is sponsored by a successful cell phone industry member.
They don't. All they have to offer is artificial rank and privileges.
Welcome back.
Edit: The question has come up, who is our sponsor?
The Crack Team | CrackBerry.com
Smartphone Experts, the good folks who bring us the shop.CrackBerry store and our Smartphone sister sites.03-07-10 12:24 PMLike 0 - Both phones are fun, but I guess the crowd over here is a lot better. Ill probably just keep using my mt3g and just start hanging out on these forums again, lol.03-07-10 02:39 PMLike 0
- Just a heads up. There is a free Android forum that is connected to CB via the Smartphone Experts network. Check it out. Same manner as CB, but for Android.
As far as charging goes. I'm a staff member of a forum myself, and we've never charged for premiums. We however did a donation drive and after that added Google ads, which pay and give us enough for future upgrades.
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com03-07-10 09:18 PMLike 0 - 03-07-10 09:32 PMLike 0
- Just a heads up. There is a free Android forum that is connected to CB via the Smartphone Experts network. Check it out. Same manner as CB, but for Android.
As far as charging goes. I'm a staff member of a forum myself, and we've never charged for premiums. We however did a donation drive and after that added Google ads, which pay and give us enough for future upgrades.
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com03-07-10 09:41 PMLike 0 - So its funny to me... that about a month after them starting to charge people for premium membership that they put something up on their site about "looking to hire a full time writer"!!! So the truth comes out!!! Thats why youre charging so damn much for the premium membership!!!!03-13-10 11:18 AMLike 0
- 03-13-10 07:42 PMLike 0
- Sometimes premium memberships on some forums are quite good. I was a member for a forum for several years that had to do with gaming and stuff. I paid 35 bucks for a 3 year membership that included lots of free applications, a private forum place, etc. It was worth it.
Forums cost money to run. And no one's forcing you buy a premium membership so I don't see why it would be bad. Just a little perk.03-13-10 07:59 PMLike 0 -
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Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com03-14-10 12:10 AMLike 0 - 03-14-10 03:17 AMLike 0
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