Would you prefer to pay a forum sub....

[RogerS]

..and have no adverts?

Really follows on from the thread re the sainsbury's ad.

 

[TrimTheKing]

I have voted yes because this forum has been invaluable to me in going from knowing nothing about woodwork to knowing slightly more than nothing in 2 years, so for that I am hugely grateful.

At the same time I haven't experienced this slowdown issue people have seen, so maybe I'm just better with computers than the rest of you :wink:

 

[mickthetree]

personally I'd be really happy to pay a sub for exactly the same reason as Trim gave above, but I think it would really put off getting new members and offering them the same opportunity that many of us have gained from having a free forum.

so YES I would be happy, but I think its the wrong thing to do for the good of the forum.

Are there any alternatives?

 

[StevieB]

Not exactly an unbiased poll is it Roger :wink: Personally I have not had a problem with the ads and tend to ignore them for the most part - they are largely irrelevant to me and I have experienced no slowdown issues because of them.

Define a reasonable cost for me though - given the number of active members here no subscription system is going to make alot of money, I would think far less than you get from advertising revenue. Add to the subscription the cost of actually collecting it, the collector, eg PayPal or similar, will want their cut and there are countless threads on here decrying online payment systems and credit card company rants.

I just do not see it being workable at a low cost given the size of the user base we have.

Steve.

 

[Paul Chapman]

The adverts haven't caused me any problems.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[wizer]

It would be down right silly for the forum to enforce a sub just to get rid of ads. They are hardly intrusive. I do agree with the others. I would support a sub, but for a different kind of benefit. Maybe a discount scheme with the main advertisers or for the arrangement of official, better and more regular Bashes.

 

[Chrisp]

What adverts are we talking about? am I just too into the thread to notice!
Chris.

 

[lurker]

I agreed with Wizer











(I can't believe I said that!)

 

[woodbloke]

I've got no issue with the ads...where's the JS one anyway? I don't seem to have seen it, am I missing somat valuable and intrinsically worthwhile? - Rob

 

[big soft moose]

I agreed with Wizer











(I can't believe I said that!)

I agree with Wizer and Lurker










neither can I

 

[big soft moose]

Also a sub scheme would just create work for charley and co as it would have to be administered , kept upto date etc - plus taking credit card or paypal payment for tiny ammounts would be barely worthwhile

and what about the minors amongst us who dont have paypal or credt cards

no imo the whole thing is a complete non starter.

 

[CHJ]

To me a the '"non subscription' status of the forum is one of it's main assets in encouraging new members to participate, the adverts are currently are not causing me browsing problems and for most people the various browsers or free add ons have means of blocking them it they do become obtrusive.
Charley is obviously, if not fully happy with the current renumeration, finding it the least obtrusive to manage and on that score I see no reason to pressure for any changes.

Should the day come when the server costings are no longer viable for Charley to shoulder I am sure that there are enough members behind the scenes who will put hands in pockets to help out.

 

[head clansman]

HI


why oh why cant people leave things alone as they are , advert s what bloody adverts , to see them you have to click on them if its annoys you don't do it. hc

 

[matt]

I'm quite happy for Sainsburys etc to pay for the forum. I don't see the ads (all blocked) so it's win win for me.

 

[RogerS]

HI


why oh why cant people leave things alone as they are , advert s what bloody adverts , to see them you have to click on them if its annoys you don't do it. hc

No you don't have to click on them....please see other thread re the Sainsbury's ad.

 

[lurker]

Come on Rog - give up :lol:


However if you want to start a campaign to "flame" JS count me in :twisted: :twisted:

 

[RogerS]

Yup..I get the message ! :lol:

 

[RobertMP]

I don't use an ad blocker. The JS ads caused no problems here and nor has any other.

 

[head clansman]

Hi

Matt wrote

I'm quite happy for Sainsburys etc to pay for the forum. I don't see the ads (all blocked) so it's win win for me.

(all blocked ) i also run my virus scan as well weekly . simple, no pop ups no annoyance . i don't see the add or any other either so why should we have to pay to stop what we don't get .hc

 

[Jenx]

Never noticed anything wrong with the speed of the site etc... oblivious to all that, totally

This is maybe just a small point, some may not 'get' the relevance..I don't know... but ...........
Next month, I'll have what I consider to be the absolute priviledge of going to meet 19 other fellas, both young and from the more 'experienced' end of life, some who will be accompanied by their good ladies too, whom I've not had the honour of meeting with before, and I can't wait.
This is going to happen because of the common bond and interest that prevails from this 'ere free forum, and wouldn't have happened if it was a 'pay for' site, cause as a typical tight Jock... I'd have gone elsewhere to 'play'.
I'm sure I'm not alone in that.. and this in itself provides a complete 'justification' for keeping such a forum free.

I'm not sure.. i 'think' its a PHPBB Board.. and these tend to be among the best available.

Should the time ever come that we had no choice other than to pay a bit, then fair enough and I'd accept that, having had the enjoyment of it whilst its free and not wishing to forgo that enjoyment in future.... but there's an awful lot of mileage in the old adage of 'if it ain't broke' etc... and from my keyboard place in the world... it wouldn't appear to be so.

Its just 'hunky - dory' the way it is :wink: