Important: Free, Fee, or Gone --- Feedback!

[guaca]

from a not so often poster

these havent been around much but I see no problem with the rates that you suggest..even coming from a Canuck - I would still think its reasonable - actually more than reasonable.

 

[pax]

Here's a reason why mandatory fees wouldn't work (and a bit of a question, too, I suppose): alters. They're not just for deathbear anymore; plenty of members have a few different s/ns, some of which are public and some of which are not. Would you have to pay by human being or by screen name? Would it cost more to have alters?

It makes sense to have a voluntary, premium fee for this reason, I think. Could you pay once and maintain a couple of different screen names?

 

[Savannah]

It's from the end of "Promenade" off of Unforgettable Fire.


*edited cuz I have to admit I didn't get it at first either

Thank you, I never noticed that. Spiral Staircase, I will try your links.

 

[U2SavesTheWorld]

Here's a reason why mandatory fees wouldn't work (and a bit of a question, too, I suppose): alters. They're not just for deathbear anymore; plenty of members have a few different s/ns, some of which are public and some of which are not. Would you have to pay by human being or by screen name? Would it cost more to have alters?

It makes sense to have a voluntary, premium fee for this reason, I think. Could you pay once and maintain a couple of different screen names?

Oooooooooooooh good question!

*takes seat in the front row and waits for the answer...*

 

[U2Lynne]

Here's a reason why mandatory fees wouldn't work (and a bit of a question, too, I suppose): alters. They're not just for deathbear anymore; plenty of members have a few different s/ns, some of which are public and some of which are not.

Just out of curiousity, why would you want to have alternate screen names? Do you talk to yourself on the boards or what?

As for what they should do about it, I would think it should be pay per person, because you only cruise the boards using one screen name at a time, right?

 

[oktobergirl]

Can't believe I just read 13 pages of this stuff!

I agree Premium is the way to go.

Reason: If you charge a MANDATORY membership for EVERYONE with a required fee, you will NOT ever get any new members. Members that cannot see what the board is like will NOT pay in advance! Whether you realize it or not, new blood is what keeps Interference alive- in the long run.


I'd pay for a yearly membership , no problem.

But if I was new, I NEVER would sign up if there was a fee. I'd cruise right on over to Zootopia.

BTW, I don't know why you are all bashing Zootopia. A forum is only as good as their members. If this board closes, many people will end up there and Zootopia would improve right then and there just by the sheer numbers and opinions that migrate over there...

 

[Bonochick]

Just out of curiousity, why would you want to have alternate screen names? Do you talk to yourself on the boards or what?

I don't need different screennames to do that, do I, BC?

 

[Bonochick]

I don't need different screennames to do that, do I, BC?

Of course you don't, girl!

 

[u2loopy]

 

[elevatedmole]

Re: Can't believe I just read 13 pages of this stuff!

I agree Premium is the way to go.

Reason: If you charge a MANDATORY membership for EVERYONE with a required fee, you will NOT ever get any new members. Members that cannot see what the board is like will NOT pay in advance! Whether you realize it or not, new blood is what keeps Interference alive- in the long run.


I'd pay for a yearly membership , no problem.

But if I was new, I NEVER would sign up if there was a fee. I'd cruise right on over to Zootopia.

BTW, I don't know why you are all bashing Zootopia. A forum is only as good as their members. If this board closes, many people will end up there and Zootopia would improve right then and there just by the sheer numbers and opinions that migrate over there...

I agree.

About Zootopia bashing.. that's true. Zootopia, unfortunately, is more in the public eye, so to speak, than Interference. If someone who hates U2 wants to invade a U2 message board, their first stop will be U2.com -- and right on to Zootopia. It takes a bit more time to find Interference. As a result, there's trolls and such on Zootopia. I personally stay away from it, but I've heard the mods there are practically nonexistant, and because of that, there is a lot of disorganization, etc. I personally dislike Zootopia for its board format. I know, snobby, but the board software on Zootopia is VERY confusing and annoying to use. It's also a very large board with a lot of forums, and not very many members.

Anywaaay..

I think part of the reason Interferencers dislike Zootopia is because a few months ago there was some Zootopians who badmouthed Interference (on Zootopia), and as a result, it's kind of a "us versus them" feeling going on.

 

[Joshua_Tree_Hugger]

Joel, it's probably been suggested but surely there are ways to streamline the costs for the time being anyway:

- I scanned through the members list recently and there are so many registered members with 0 posts! Out of 11,000 members the forum would suffer no loss if streamlined to under 1000

- Off-topic boards should be shut down, keeping only necessary U2-related boards

- Rubbish and repititive posts can result in expulsion warnings to members


It won't solve the problem but I'd imagine it'll at least cut down on expenses.

 

[U2SavesTheWorld]

Joel, it's probably been suggested but surely there are ways to streamline the costs for the time being anyway:

- I scanned through the members list recently and there are so many registered members with 0 posts! Out of 11,000 members the forum would suffer no loss if streamlined to under 1000

- Off-topic boards should be shut down, keeping only necessary U2-related boards

- Rubbish and repititive posts can result in expulsion warnings to members


It won't solve the problem but I'd imagine it'll at least cut down on expenses.

I thought the mods and admins answered this already.

I should just stay out of this thread.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

- I scanned through the members list recently and there are so many registered members with 0 posts! Out of 11,000 members the forum would suffer no loss if streamlined to under 1000

this wouldn't help save costs, really. if you look at some of their profiles, they've never even visited the board! sure, lurkers use up some bandwidth because they still look at the forum, but the users who have never been here don't use up a single byte of bandwidth.

although i must admit it's kind of annoying to see so amny people who no posts, who've never visited the forum. i kinda wish we had some bored administrator who would delete them but that would require a lot of spare time and a very bored admin, of which we don't have.

- Off-topic boards should be shut down, keeping only necessary U2-related boards

i don't see the point in this, really. sure, fym and ls, as well as io and zc aren't U2-related, and do use a lot of bandwidth, but it would get kinda boring around here just discussing U2, especially during lull periods. think about times when there's been no album, no tour, and not even a lot of rumours in the mill. the U2 forums don't get a lot of visits, and most of the people migrate to the off-topic forums here because there's always current events, always some other musician with a new album, etc.

- Rubbish and repititive posts can result in expulsion warnings to members

hmmm...well, when a user breaks the rules, (at least) one of the mods warns the person. sometimes it's not visible, as a lot of that is done through private messaging.

 

[Joshua_Tree_Hugger]

I thought the mods and admins answered this already.

I should just stay out of this thread.

Sorry I've just come back from a week in Spain and saw this thread for the first time!

Seven pages was a little too much to digest so I just skipped to the end.

 

[U2SavesTheWorld]

Sorry I've just come back from a week in Spain and saw this thread for the first time!

Seven pages was a little too much to digest so I just skipped to the end.

No, thats my fault.

I'm crabby.

 

[diamond]

It's from the end of "Promenade" off of Unforgettable Fire.


*edited cuz I have to admit I didn't get it at first either

Shit..
Thats what he was saying before "radio, radio"
Silly me.

DB9

 

[Desire4Bono]

On the subject of Zootopia, it gives me the headache to read its small print but I like it there. Someone mentioned 'freedoms' this board has that Zootopia doesn't, but the only ones I can think of is that you can't have a major potty mouth there and bashing of and joking on band members or each other is not so tolerated as it is here. They don't put up with fights, personal insults and heated political stuff, like country vs. country arguments. They don't allow spreading rumors and negative joking on the band or a band member either, no matter how harmless you may think that is, the band doesn't like it and u2.com doesn't accept it. You may say those things don't happen here, but I have seen it. Everyone has their own sense of judgement, and I think here sometimes popularity, personal feelings and alliances get in the way of things where over there, they stop it, no matter who did it or who said it. They don't put up with people making aliases just to insult a band member or a forum member or people joining up just to stir shit. Again, there may be a difference in values as to what constitutes stirring shit. Zootopia is the official site of the band and they do not permit trash talking about each other or the band. Some of the things considered funny and cool here are not over there, and I agree with them. I'd say they'd shut down the album bashing threads I see here but you know what? I have honestly never seen one there. I guess most of the people who do that are here

 

[Desire4Bono]

Oooooooooooooh good question!

*takes seat in the front row and waits for the answer...*

Me too. What about aliases? Will all aliases have to be admitted to and claimed or paid for as if they were an actual person?

In addition to that, I see paying for even one name as a loss of our privacy and anonymous status (for those who care and want to maintain that) because paying will force you to give your real name and account number, or even your home address if you mail it. Not that admin. are going to chase anyone down and hurt them, of course not LOL, it's just that some people would rather their true identity not be known. Paying WILL force you to 'be yourself' and one of my favorite things about the internet is that you don't have to be

 

[Elvis]

Me too. What about aliases? Will all aliases have to be admitted to and claimed or paid for as if they were an actual person?

In addition to that, I see paying for even one name as a loss of our privacy and anonymous status (for those who care and want to maintain that) because paying will force you to give your real name and account number, or even your home address if you mail it. Not that admin. are going to chase anyone down and hurt them, of course not LOL, it's just that some people would rather their true identity not be known. Paying WILL force you to 'be yourself' and one of my favorite things about the internet is that you don't have to be

Aliases/alters... I have yet to decide. Good point though....

As far as privacy... as a long time veteran of the 'net, and working on/in/with it.... I hate to inform you, but privacy is an illusion. While I would never use my knowledge to harass anyone, or ever give out such information (unless requested my the authorities), I will say that I am able to track people down. I HAVE had to find out who people REALLY are, due to abuse, and contact either their ISPs or their employers (in one extreme case where the ISP was the employer). As far as REAL privacy, the only such privacy you'll ever find is on a deserted island, alone, and unmapped, with no form of communication. If you don't believe me that I can dig up such information... just ask Sicy

It's kind of similar to... if you dont want your children exposed to porn on the net.... dont let them on the net! lol.

Sorry to scare you - just dishin' out more reality.

Joel

 

[U2SavesTheWorld]

Sorry to scare you - just dishin' out more reality.

Joel

Reality is good.



Interference vanishing is not.

 

[Desire4Bono]

*makes a note never to commit a crime spree and brag about it here

All those people who got turned into their employer, I hope they didn't get shitcanned, unless they deserved it of course

 

[pax]

I think you should be able to keep alters, if only because the vast majority of the alters around here are screaming funny.

 

[Kristie]

I agree with pax... and a lot of people with alters have one main name they do 95% of their posting/browsing with. Maybe limit the number of alters a person can have though.
I didn't sit here and do some deep thinking on that so I'm sure it has its flaws.

 

[Sicy]

All those people who got turned into their employer, I hope they didn't get shitcanned, unless they deserved it of course

I believe there was just one incidence.

 

[melon]

I hate to inform you, but privacy is an illusion.

It's true. I've been forced to do my own investigative work before...mostly on annoying W32/Klez worm e-mails that seem to emanate from one ISP. It's amazing what one can find out about a person simply on an IP address...

Melon

 

[Elvis]

It's true. I've been forced to do my own investigative work before...mostly on annoying W32/Klez worm e-mails that seem to emanate from one ISP. It's amazing what one can find out about a person simply on an IP address...

Melon

So true.....
all I need is an IP address... one clue... thats all that I need.
... and everyone uses IPs.


As far as alters....
I'd be willing to include alters ... either with a persons yearly/monthly fee, or as a small additional fee. for example (and this is only an example for now):

$12 annual fee for a single user
$1 annual fee for each additional 'alter', providing that alter is disclosed to myself as being connected to a fully paid account

Again.. these are ideas.... comments? suggestions?

Joel

 

[tawanda]

Elvis, maybe we should take a poll on how many would choose premium vs free...

 

[bono_man2002]

i read the first couple of pages..so this may have already have been answerd...anyway

are/when are these changes going to take place???

give us a few weeks and i'll donate $50-100

 

[AllIWantIs]

I would pay

I may be one of the members that does not post often, but I'm here just about every day.
Even though I don't post I would still pay the $10.00 yearly membership fee.

 

[follower]

I voted for the 3rd option, premium membership, the most reasonable IMO.

I have been regular here since the beginning of Feedback. Surely I would miss this place a lot if it was shut down. That?s the reason why I donated...and never regreted it.