Current Subscription Plan | Page 2 | FerrariChat

Current Subscription Plan

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by rob lay, Nov 4, 2003.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

?

Do you like the new subscription plan Rob is proposing?

  1. No - Still a bad idea to even have optional subscriptions.

  2. Yes - I like this whether I choose the optional subscription or not.

Multiple votes are allowed.
Results are only viewable after voting.
  1. vraa

    vraa F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed

    Oct 31, 2003
    3,495
    Texas
    Full Name:
    Mr. A
    I'm underage... :D
     
  2. jr328gtb

    jr328gtb Karting

    May 10, 2003
    96
    New Jersey
    Full Name:
    John Roberts
    fee is very reasonable...and i like that you have a choice...you can still participate without paying

    good job
     
  3. bobafett

    bobafett F1 Veteran

    Sep 28, 2002
    9,193
    To me it sounds fair, but I am amongst the group who feel payment is due regardless.

    --Dan
     
  4. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
    Staff Member Admin Miami 2018 Owner

    Dec 1, 2000
    59,407
    Southlake, TX
    Full Name:
    Rob Lay
    I'm wondering if there's an impression I'm "cleaning" up from the sponsors. I saw someone else make a hypothetical example I'm making $300 a month from each sponsor. I wish! I've had to raise my rates over the past 3 years to keep from diluting the sponsor's exposure as demand for sponsorship went up. It's not like I'm a magazine and have 80 pages of real estate. Even that way I'm not up near $300.

    I've lost money 3 years in a row, but it does look like I'll finally make a profit next year. Nothing more than several quarters an hour for my time, but very nice not to explain to Jennie about time and loosing money. The issue of just time will be much easier to deal with. :D

    Now on the opposite spectrum, don't feel sorry for me. I don't want donations or hand outs. I love Ferraris and I love being a part of this community and I love enabling this community for everyone else. I've met some great people around the world and I wouldn't be able to have Steve Earle's 2 time championship car otherwise.

    Only reason I would ever ask for a subscription is that I think you get back $15 a year or whatever in value and entertainment. I see that 20% or so of you don't think you receive $15 a year in value and entertainment. On top of that I allow maybe too liberally users to freely promote their businesses. So not only do I not get anything in return, but they also benefit for no cost.

    I don't want something for nothing, bottom line and I won't lie to you, especially since I was just notified that 6 years of dedication to Sprint is being rewarded by my applications going to India. I want to control my own destiny and I want to do something I love. If I had 20 sponsors, 1 title sponsor, and 1,000 users or so subscribing then I could meet my personal goals. By no means let my personal goals conflict with what you think is wrong, there's alternatives for you.

    As I've said before, I didn't get FerrariChat.com where it is today by making bad decisions. I listen to users and make decisions best for "our" community. This software change was a little challenging to some, but already a few days in a majority of users appreciate it. If everyone knew my plans and the big picture, you would understand maybe my short term decisions. I'll be doing FC for the next 50+ years and I will always try to make it the best for us.

    I can't expect to please everyone, but I'll try.
     
  5. Auraraptor

    Auraraptor F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Sep 25, 2002
    13,197
    MO
    Rob, how does one become a moderator? I would love to be one, and I visit the board enough. Heck I would still pay if I could become one! :)
     
  6. Ontogenetik

    Ontogenetik Karting

    Nov 2, 2003
    149
    >I want to control my own destiny and I want to do something I love.
    >
    >If everyone knew my plans and the big picture, you would understand maybe my short term decisions.


    The horizon `looks` lovely. Wishing you well.
     
  7. wazza

    wazza Formula Junior

    Oct 9, 2003
    614
    Rob,

    Count me in.

    I find this forum to valuable to be chased away by a few bucks.

    Thanks for all you're hard work.

    Wazza.


    ps. you have to create a "thumbs up" icon as now would be a good time to use it.
     
  8. 308GTS

    308GTS Formula 3

    Dec 27, 2001
    2,223
    TN
    If your mind is already made up then just charge the fee and don't ask for an input. I suggested donations to you and if you take that as an insult, I am sorry but it is a good idea. Personally don't ask for others opinions if you have already made up your mind on fees. Just charge the fee and be done with it since this is what you want to do. Like you said you have taken FChat to where it is. I feel the participants have made FChat what it is just as much as you made a site for us to visit. I just don't see how all of these other sites don't charge fees and this site needs to. It is all realative, Mustang chat is just as valueable to its participants as FChat is to us. So, I don't see how charging coincides with being valueable in chat room terms. There are so many other appealing avenues that you could take then to charge. I like FChat and don't want to see its down fall for no good reason. No one every said running a site wouldn't take work. To me the $$$ isn't the issue but the principle is. If profit was what you are looking for then starting a chat room IMHO wasn't the best source to make a profit.
    Anyway, for the record I appreciate what you have done Rob but I just think that you should approach this a different way. However it is your site (I consider it ours/everyone who participates) and you can ultimately do what ever you want with it even shut it down.
     
  9. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
    Staff Member Admin Miami 2018 Owner

    Dec 1, 2000
    59,407
    Southlake, TX
    Full Name:
    Rob Lay
    Why do I have to explain myself over and over again? Just like I've answered 800 emails in the past 3 days that could of been answered by taking 5 minutes to read the FAQ and look down through the entire forum (Link to update post count and register date). Urgh.

    Here's my first post in this thread...

    "Of course this isn't final..."
     
  10. sparta49

    sparta49 F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Mar 3, 2001
    7,802
    LA
    Full Name:
    Frank

    Rob can and should make a buck on this forum however it should come from advertisers. The advertisers would probably pay more if there was some criteria for joining the site for example Ferrari ownership.
     
  11. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
    Staff Member Admin Miami 2018 Owner

    Dec 1, 2000
    59,407
    Southlake, TX
    Full Name:
    Rob Lay
    Does an advertiser that sells Ferraris want to target only those that have one? Some of best users are true Ferrari enthusiasts that may not own one yet.
     
  12. 308GTS

    308GTS Formula 3

    Dec 27, 2001
    2,223
    TN
    Rob do what ever you want. Most of my questions/suggestions aren't answered and haven't been. Thanks for the helpful info. I appreciate it.
     
  13. jimpo1

    jimpo1 Two Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Jul 30, 2001
    24,510
    Dallas, TX
    Full Name:
    Jim E
    What part of:

    Unregistered Users (Free): View GFD and Tech Q&A only.

    Registered Users (Free): View and Post all sections.

    didn't you understand?

    Anyone that ever says 'it's not about the the $$$, it's about the principle' is full of crap. It's about the money. If you want something for nothing, you can have it. Rob said so in the initial post. You can view and post in all sections.
     
  14. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
    Staff Member Admin Miami 2018 Owner

    Dec 1, 2000
    59,407
    Southlake, TX
    Full Name:
    Rob Lay
    I'm getting sick of this and loosing a little faith in the human intellect. Can I just close this and we can talk about it in 6 months?
     
  15. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
    Staff Member Admin Miami 2018 Owner

    Dec 1, 2000
    59,407
    Southlake, TX
    Full Name:
    Rob Lay
    Also interesting to note that only 2 of the 12 that have voted "No" so far are long time active users. I think that says a bunch. That's maybe why levels are so important, so new users aren't scared away.

    Just blows my mind how 12 can vote No when it's still free for them if they want. Who cares about some additional minor functionality. For all purposes it really is a donation, but you can't really call it that being a "for profit" business.
     
  16. jimpo1

    jimpo1 Two Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Jul 30, 2001
    24,510
    Dallas, TX
    Full Name:
    Jim E
    Rob, never underestimate the power of human stupidity! :D
     
  17. bobafett

    bobafett F1 Veteran

    Sep 28, 2002
    9,193
    Rob,

    I say stick with the plan you have in mind, and be done with it. When it comes time, I think we'll see more stick around than anticipated, and to those who don't, good bye (though, as you say, it's still free).

    --Dan
     

Share This Page