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New Poll - YOUR VOTE DOES COUNT


Would you pay a fee to use these message boards?  

123 members have voted

  1. 1. Would you pay a fee to use these message boards?

    • Yes, I love talking with others about my hobby.
      38
    • No, There are better resources out there for free.
      17
    • Maybe, Depending on the costs.
      48


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I like Bob's idea, and PK had made several valued points as well. I think for new members the first month should be free, and different price catergories for those who want a standard membership, and for those who want it known for their larger contributions, like "Gold Contributer". Just my .02.
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I'VE GOT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Nick giveth, Nick taketh away. We could be looking at a Buddy style board. Nick, I suggest we do either yearly, or biannual, fund raisers. Just like the incrediably liberal NPR does. What does it cost per year? Divide it into halfs or quarters and have a goal. Every quarter, we do a fund raiser. Could even have different levels. Also, post a link at the very top asking for donations. "If you like the board, please consider a donation". I have been to lots of other boards and freeware sites that do just that. What do you all think?

 

Also, if you all think the personal attacks should go, I have no problem zapping them. No questions asked. I realize there have been a lot of hot headed posting lately, and I have let it go in favor of open communication. I agree, however, that much pf it has little to do with the topic. I can move that stuff to the non forum, or just indescriminantly kill it.

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I have to say there are people like me that use the boards but if they became costly we would probably spend our income on ammo instead. I say this when it's -2deg and the snow is too deep to let me drive down the lane at the farm to go shooting but if the fee was kept SMALL and the avitars were cut.

I'd like to see the reinstatement of the easy posting as it's easyer to show a pic of something odd than describe it. But I would not be opposed to a fluff fee for anyone who felt like clogging the bandwith with non thompson related pics.

 

just my .02

BB

 

here's a thought, keep the board free but sell the avitars Nick, say $10 yearly; just a thought.

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I remember when I first visited this site about a year and a half ago, when I got interested in Thompsons and searched the web for any and all information that I could find. I was amazed at the knowledge that flowed freely on the old board. Many of you put up with my dumb questions, and helped me learn the answers that had previously escaped me. I must have visited a hundred times before I signed up to join. I still don't post often, because I just don't think that I have much to contribute yet.

 

I haven't ever had much money, and just sold my prized "C" drum to help pay for the $20,000 gunsmithing school that I am in. I can surely tell you that I would have never been able to pay to read these boards, and can't, even now. I hope to be a contributor here one day, as I aspire to be a 07 FFL and Class 2 SOT. Coming here freely and reading what everyone has to say, motivates me to get there. I am not full auto yet, but coming here freely keeps pulling me in that direction.

 

To make this a pay per view board would shut me and others like me down. Please at least keep the viewing free. I am not trying to play on heartsrings, here, but am just trying to represent the other side of the tracks. Where we dream of having the money to go Class 3.

 

Theo

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Nick,

I am not averse to a fee for the site as I feel it might help improve the quality of some of the postings in a funny sort of way.

$30 a year is $60 for me when one consideres the exchange rate. Why dont we try

it at say $15.00 for the first year and see how it goes, after all, some bucks are better than no bucks at all.

Another suggestion would be to ask members if they would like to make a donation annually, and have an acknowledgement along side thier name as "Sponser" or something like that.

(smiles and faces withheld on this post in the interest of cost saving)

Edited by Murray
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I don't mind paying a fee, but I would hate that the board could only be seen by paying members. Part of the excitement is hearing from new people. I doubt a passer-by would pay, unless he could sample the wares. I probably wouldn't be here now if that were not the case. It takes a little interaction before you fully get sucked in. Is it possible to allow a free trial membership and if you like it your can then join? I think that would keep us viable for many years.
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I'd be willing to make a small contribution if you give me an address. I'd like to see it remain a "pass the hat" option so that there will be as many people as possible contributing to the board. Putting a fee on it would only make it a small forum of die hards, instead of a wide open forum with many individuals.

 

I don't have pay pal, credit cards, or checking accounts, but I'd be willing to send you a small money order "contribution"...

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There are a lot of solutions out there I guess. This site costs Nick money. We all know that.

 

We all (or most of the users that voted) would be happy to pay a little bit to help keep the site open. This is obvious when the picture posting problem happened. I am guilty of posting a couple of pictures that I probably should not have. It was in fun, and I didn't think about the bandwith at the time. 75 people have taken this poll to date.

 

About 3.7 out of 10 said they would be happy to pay to talk about the hobby

About 5 out of 10 said they would pay depending on the cost

About 1.3 out of 10 said they would not pay

 

Since the majority of the poll takers said they would pay depending upon the cost, I suggest the following:

 

I think $10 per year would be fair based on the number of users and the cost of the bandwith. This should provide the paying user with an avitar, the ability to post on every forum, the ability to post multiple pictures, and so on.

I think that guests should be able to view the topic threads of each forum and a limitied FAQ, basically covering the facts about legal MG ownership and the semi-autos, thats it, and that only after registering a username and password first. No PK, Merle, Doug R info etc...

These guests should not be able to view the actual threads, just the topic info only.

Add a Thompson For Sale Board for paying users only.

 

Should we stay free? Probably. I think the board is great. Paying for it may become a have to. I would be happy to pay $10 per year, but more than that and I guess I could do without it. That seems to be the bottom line. I don't think our board will die with paya or get out ultimatum, but it will shrink like your weenie on a -30 day in the artic.

 

I bet none of this makes any sense, I am ill so forgive me. I am taking a lot of meds.

 

I guess what I am trying to say is this... If we are going to pay for something that has been free for 3 years, add some value to it. If we cant keep the board the way it is without paying, make the user cost the actual cost of the board expense per member and provide pictures, avitars, members only stuff.

 

John Jr

(I am sick, so bear with me)

 

 

 

 

 

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Nick,

 

I think there has been some good ideas (fund raisers, etc.) here for a solution to the fee question. Just for the record, I am not adverse to paying a fee to keep the board open if that's what it takes.

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Gentlemen,

 

Since I joined this site in November last year I have learned a lot about Thompsons and I have thoroughly enjoyed some of the discussions. I may even have been able to contribute a little.

 

Although I have no problem contributing to the site, I have to agree with what many have said before; making this a pay-site would probably scare off a great deal of newcomers.

 

I am fairly active on several message boards, gun-related and others. On those boards I have not encountered the same level of personal drittkasting (Norwegian saying, translates into "shit-throwing") as I have here. I come here to discuss Thompsons primarily, secondarily gun related issues. It should be possible to so without getting personal. Having made my contribution to the hat that was recently passed around, I think I am entitled to encourage the moderators to keep a stricter policy regarding personal insults and worse. Difference in opinions is a great thing - attacking people is a different matter. We do not need that.

 

Nick, thanks for taking the trouble of keeping this site going!

 

Regards,

 

Balder

 

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I too am willing to pay for this site. A membership fee works for me, as does a "fundraiser".

 

Sitting here thinking about this, I wonder if I would have paid to get into the site at first.

I don't think so. My imput would not have been missed, yet I would not have found PK,

deerslayer, and Tommygunner, contacts which have/will provide me with the necessary things to

make the purchase of the Kahr 27a1 I have now worthwile. Having read the site (everyday

sometimes twice a day, sorry Nick http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif ) for over a year or better I quickly found that it is worth

money to me.

 

I guess what I am getting at is, that we will loose some of the diversity/growth of the board

if we goto a straight pay4view setup. By diversity I mean those that know -v- those that don't.

The unknowning are the starters of the majority of the threads, IMHO. Without the questions, there can

be no answers, and no discussion.

 

What about sponsers? Possibly Kahr, Sarco, Numrich, Northridge, etc.. might be willing to put some cash

for banner displays? Course there is the added cost of the banner.

 

Also, how about making each page of messages, smaller. When they get to be 10-15 messages, you must

open the page to view the newest. Thereby downloading the pictures attached yet again. Maybe pages

of 5-8 messages would cut down on the repeat downloading of pictures.

 

Cheers,

 

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I don't mind ponying up some money to post and participate on the board. I have gotten a lot and I mean a lot of good useful info off this board in the past months since I found it and I'd like to keep getting that info for when I finally get that Thompson of my dreams and some help in the getting too. But if you make it a pay only board you will lose the newbies like me and it will turn into an "Ol' Thompson Folks Home" where the old members just rehash and fuss. If I had found this board and I'd had to pay to get to read posts or participate I wouldn't have joined. I think the "Pass the Hat" idea at certain times of the year as possibly the best, with a request at Registration to donate to the site by means of a Paypal Payment.

Just my .02

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Things are still up in the air, if there were a charge it would be about $5 - $6 a year.. hopefully it won't even have to come to that small amount.... working hard, so you don't have to http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif
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Nick,

I made a donation without hesitation, but after over a year on the board I can appreciate the value of the information available. No onlikes pop up ads, but non obnoxious banner ads might help as well as links to various companies. I believe Cheaper Than Dirt and others offer kick backs for purchases made through the links, it's not meant to turn the site into a commercial but if it generates revenue it may be worth considering.

 

Chris,

In my opinion zapping the topics that get too far from the subject without warning will reduce the potential for them to continue. It also reduces the bandwith useage that's burned up wastefully on bs.

 

For what it's worth that's my 2 cents

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In considering the best coarse of action in this matter, a "FREE" board, I'm sure, would be the first choice by the majority of board members. However, we all know "Nothing Is Free" and the expense of maintaining this board should not be born by Nick alone, since everyone benefits from it. I would, therefore, not be opposed to a member fee. I think this should be a yearly fee and not a monthly fee to keep down the paper work.

 

Two questions araise with regard to the fee:

 

1. How much to charge so as not to run anyone off and to attract new members? If you base the fee on the number of "Sponsors", I feel the fee will be too high. If you base the fee on the number of registered "Members", the fee would be low, but then not all of the people registered will pay the fee. I would assume all of the Sponsors would pay the fee and then assume half of the remaining registered members would pay. This could be a base number divided into the yearly cost.

 

2. How to get potential members to consider joining the board knowing there is a fee? To me this is simple. All potential members would have to register, as we do now, with all log-in information provided. In return, they would have a (3) month grace period before they would have to decide to pay the fee. Of course, the length of the grace period would have to be determined, but long enough to get them "Hooked". The only drawback would be those people who would re-register under another name to avoid the fee. I don't feel this would be a problem and by requiring all log-in information each time, this would be more difficult to do.

 

So, there are my thoughts. Let's get some decisions made as to how to sustain this great board and move on into the future.

 

Ron Wiseley

 

 

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Being one of the newest members, I don't feel as though my opinion would matter that much.

Having said that, yes I would contribute depending on cost. I know that there is a wealth of info on this board and that I have already picked up some valuable info from it.

 

Thanks to all...

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I'll probably get flamed for this, but frankly, I don't care. Moreover, I haven't placed a vote because I don't like the choices. Call me cheap, Scotch, or whatever... You asked for our opinions, so here's mine.

 

I've watched this thread develop with interest and several times I've come close to clicking "No, There are better resources out there for free" but there aren't. There are several excellent gunboards on the 'net, and while this is by far the best TSMG board, but I still wouldn't pay for access. I belong to close to dozen gunboards. Granted, a number of them require a user to register before access (either partial or total) is granted, but not one of which charges for access. If they did, I'd go elsewhere.

 

While I don't post here too often, I do lurk on a daily basis. I've learned a lot, have shared a little, and hopefully have imparted some of what I know to others as well. I have one TSMG, will keep it until I die (and may be buried with it), and will most assuredly never have the cash to buy a second or third TSMG. I like coming here to read others' input on the TSMG, bits of useless but fascinating TSMG trivia, and generally carry on about our favorite gun. I suppose if I had to make a choice between either paying to continue to do so here, or just sticking with my copy of "American Thunder" (which has waaaaay more info than I could ever use, especially since my TSMG is a West Hurley), I'd stick with "American Thunder."

 

Now, I know hosting a board like this (or any other for that matter) isn't free, or even cheap. Still, you made the decision to do so (and very generously, I might add.) I don't mind making a small contribution (shoot me an email with your address if you like, I'll see what I can scratch up for you), but I have no intention of paying for access to this or any other board. otherwise, I'd suggest selling banner ads (no pop-ups), selling sponsorships, or something similar. (Hellfire, I don't even mind wearing the label of "Newbie" or such if I don't pay up, like others have suggested. My post count (my "score"???) means far, far less to me than any the information and cameraderie I've gained here. In fact, if you'll humor a minor rant, the post count, as I see it, means nothing anyway, other than "I've posted more than you have." Having more "post time" than others doesn't automatically make them more knowledgeable than someone else, just more vocal.)

 

"Scotch" Bill in VA.

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Arthur,

I'm not sure it's an actual "hard" dozen or not...just my ballpark "guess-timate." Off the top of my head, I'm registered/post as "Bill in VA" here, subguns.com, sturmgewehr.com (don't do much posting there these days), MSA forums, Tuco's, P.38/PPK forums (don't post too much there either these days, mostly lurk) Jouster/CSP are those that spring to mind immediately. It's been evenlonger, but I also used to hang out/post/lurk under the same name at Big Jim's and at Mongo's, and even further back, on Vollmer's. Membership? I honestly couldn't tell you. My daily/"gospel" reads include here, subguns, Tuco's, and the MSA forums, in that order. IMHO, here and subguns are the two best on the 'net. The others I try to peek in on at least once a week.

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Mr. Grosse (sorry if I mispelled it) has been on the MG books site since before I was. I joined in April 01. The MG books forum started in Jan 01. I would say he is one of the first members.

 

Where does that leave Arthur (excluding the two times Arthur was banned from the first board)?

 

Jr

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There have been many very thoughtful suggestions and concerns expressed so far on this topic. There is obviously no simple answer, and one size will not fit all.

 

I agree that this board should not become a fee based service. I believe that will inhibit what I view as the goal of most boards - the free exchange of knowledge, ideas and opinions. But I also know nothing is free. My hope would be that sponsorship as has been recently created would make a significant dint in the costs of maintaining this board. Sale of goods is also a plus. Banner/link ads might be acceptable to me, but we need to remember that making these contacts and setting up the information/relationships will take even more time for those assisting with the creation and managment of this board. Any model that requires the tracking of when people join, post or otherwise use the services of this board will ultimately kill it. This kind of management is a lot more involved than most people realize.

 

I am willing to pay to have this board available, but I would like it to be voluntary if at all possible. There was an earlier reference to NPR and their funding model. The reality is that, like NPR, sponsorship will certainly see some people providing funds and many others choosing not to. Unless the board is in peril, so be it. I am willing to pony up enough to help cover some that cannot or will not pay, within reason.

 

Having said that, Nick and Chris, please feel free to automatically delete any and all flames, inappropriate references and pictures. Some of the squabbles among members were old a long time ago. The sniping and mud-slinging needs to STOP! We can have differing opinions and agree to disagree with courtesy and consideration. Delete quickly and without mercy. I would rather you err on that side than see/read what recently has been occurring more and more.

 

Roger

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