Subscribed/not Subscribed

YO ND... check me out.... silver subscribed effective today! I just wanted to do a 90 post test drive before commiting!

PS. in keeping with the auto racing tradition... rookie text should be yellow, voilent criminals in pink!

 

I'd complain about the pink.

 

The Rob Lay-away option...


My 3¢: There are three different types of users (well, really about 25, but to simplify): User #1 just likes to talk about cars/Ferraris and events, look at cool pictures of cars, etc . This user will be less likely to pay initially because what they get from the site is somewhat benign. User #2 uses the site as a social network, either just purely online, or like in Southern Cal, many friendships have been created through the site. User #3 gets a tremendous amount of technical advice from the site.

It certainly seems that the people in the latter two categories should pay up, because of the great benefit they are getting from the site - way more value than what Rob charges. But as people have said, usage/involvement in the site evolves over time. As a vintage 12-cylinder owner, it wasn't until I bought an easier-to-work-on 308 and extensively used the technical sections when I felt it was my duty to pay up. (Not that I didn't already appreciate the site and "plan" to pay, but it was easier to "not get around to it" when my use of site was at a more passive stage.)

So since people's appreciation of the site can be gradual and evolutionary, so I would advise against requiring posters to subscribe because you may lose potential long-term subscribers at the start.

Maybe a 10 post per-month limit on non-subcribers would work. That should be enough posts to satisfy the people who are new to the Ferrari thing and just getting their feet wet; a welcome environment. But it would be a way to get subscription $$ from the current mass of non-subscribing yahoos who do nothing but yammer endlessly about nonsense or their non-existent Enzos: by giving them a little taste of posting power, but then - wham! - taking it away from them after their 10th post, it would be like taking away drugs from an addict, they'd be sure to subscribe to get that 11th post in!!

And this has nothing to do with the original issue, but here's an idea to help better fund the site: Create a third level that is $100. I think a lot people – the people who have saved literally thousands of dollars by learning how to work on their car, or the proper way to go about getting the car serviced, the people who got inspired to do track days by the site, the people who have made real friends through the site – would pay that fee, if they could afford it. Figure out some little benefit for them so just so they get "something extra". Anyway, just a thought.

 

<- 'Noob' to this forum.
<- Not (*yet) an fcar owner.
<- Less than 100 posts.

<- Still ante'd up the measly 15 bucks. Actually, I ponied up for the 5-year plan.

Come on folks... captain of industry, average Joe, or student, 15 bucks is nothing.

I, too, vote to limit non-subcribers in some manner, moreso than the status quo. Folks that have thousands of posts but can't pay for the server space to host their thoughts and opinions...well... I think you know where I stand on this. 15 bucks, you cheap bastards!

-Tad

 

There needs to be a Platinum membership. At that level you should be allowed to post XXX pics and have no language filter. The threatening/insulting other users rules need not apply too.

 

Triple-X, photoshopped pictorial flame wars, Baby!



(but just viewable by other platinum members)

 

D'oh! You're right!

 

I'm feeling the love.

 

Why does this keep coming up? Do people keep worrying Rob is getting poor?

If you only want to talk to people who pay to be here, go to the subscribed sections.

 

If you only want to talk to people who pay to be here, go to the subscribed sections.

That's it in a nutshell!

 

There seems to be no shortage of baseless opinions here regarding the financial health of FerrariChat. Funny, I don't hear Rob commenting anywhere regarding his financial hardships maintaining the site. In fact, Rob has always been very tight-lipped regarding the financial health and welfare of the site, but folks seem to feel as though they know best as to whether or not he needs everyone's money. Never mind the fact that Rob has found no shortage of site sponsors and has sold paid banner advertisements that are displayed on every viewable page on Ferrarichat. I do not know what Rob has been charging sponsors, but since he's not standing on a streetcorner somewhere with his hat in his hands, I'd say he's doing well enough to keep things running quite smoothly. If he needed the extra money, he would add another sponsor to the already-long list.

But this isn't about money, is it.......oh, its about some people not liking what they read posted, and the need to change things lest some of our 'older', more-esteemed members come-across something posted from someone outside their personal demographic. How tragic - let me weep for you. Lets put up ANOTHER wall, and seal-off FerrariChat from the world - gotta keep out the riff-raff! Have some of you folks ever heard of the word "ELITISM"???

 

With just 6 posts in the last years I can sit at home and enjoy the FerrariChat also as a unsuscribed user, but listen, I enjoy each penny which I spend for the suscribtion!

 

Agree with 410SA about the increasing number of at best unhelpful and at worst belligerent posts. I see that the actual owners, technicians, brokers with real experience get embroilled in stupid threads and just walk away because it isn't worth engaging further. That is a shame. Is subscription the answer? I don't know but I don't have a better idea. Fchat is worth protecting as a resource because its' value to us is huge

 

+1