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

[Lovin' Bono]

Well, I'm also one of those major lurkers, but I'm also here everyday, reading, getting news, checking out all the GREAT pics...WAY TO GO PLEBA GIRLS!...and I'd be more than willing to dish out ten bucks to keep this place in business.

THANK YOU Joel and all the mods that keep this place rocking!

 

[Joshua_Tree_Hugger]

Well, I'm also one of those major lurkers, but I'm also here everyday, reading, getting news, checking out all the GREAT pics...WAY TO GO PLEBA GIRLS!...and I'd be more than willing to dish out ten bucks to keep this place in business.

THANK YOU Joel and all the mods that keep this place rocking!

Why lurk when you can post? I don't understand that

 

[Lovin' Bono]

Because most of the time I am lurking from work where I shouldn't be posting...not much time, but I sneak a peek here and there...and when I'm lurking from home, I'm chasing after a 3 yr. old and an almost 2 yr. old...so not much time to reply......

 

[Lemon Meringue]

What about people who have already donated more than $10?


(I changed my avatar just for you, Sharky) I want to be part of the solution, not the problem.

 

[pax]

Why lurk when you can post? I don't understand that

Everyone has his or her own reasons, I suppose. Lurkers are cool. They never make harassing posts.

 

[pax]

What about people who have already donated more than $10?

Yeah, that's a good question, too. I'm sure that for most people who have already donated, another ten bucks isn't a *huge* deal, but it does seem a bit unfair to folks who have already given (particularly if their donations have *well* exceeded ten dollars, and I know there are a few members who have been quite generous).

 

[SkeeK]

If I paid for a premium membership would I be able to use my old avatar?

 

[U2SavesTheWorld]

Yeah, that's a good question, too. I'm sure that for most people who have already donated, another ten bucks isn't a *huge* deal, but it does seem a bit unfair to folks who have already given (particularly if their donations have *well* exceeded ten dollars, and I know there are a few members who have been quite generous).

I was sort of wondering about that too. Dont' get me wrong, I really don't mind paying more, I'm just curious what the deal would be with people that already donated.

 

[Sicy]

As I understand it, people who have already donated (more than $10) will not have to pay for the first year.

 

[Elvis]

Yeah, that's a good question, too. I'm sure that for most people who have already donated, another ten bucks isn't a *huge* deal, but it does seem a bit unfair to folks who have already given (particularly if their donations have *well* exceeded ten dollars, and I know there are a few members who have been quite generous).

I'm undecided about this... I know there are a few people that have been OVERLY generous in their donations, and when I mentioned to them possibly giving them the premium acct w/o any additional donation most said that wasn't needed and that another $10 wasn't a big deal, and they'd actually donate more anyway. So... what to do? I'm not sure. I was thinking that if someone had donated recently, something above the yearly fee (to be announced), that if they requested that be put toward their fee - I'd do so - however, many of the donations, people have not included their forum name so I really have no idea who has made some of the donations.

 

[Elvis]

If I paid for a premium membership would I be able to use my old avatar?

I dont recall what it was.... but if it was something unacceptable b4... it still will be

 

[Tip Top Prince]

Some thoughts:

How does charging a premium for the minority of members so they have extra functions, save forum bandwidth if people can still read for free? It's not the one person who posted the thread, it's the hundreds who read it. Admittedly, there would be less replies in each thread (and less new threads), but it's the "regulars" who have the big sigs with pics, which increases the bandwidth of each thread and the same regulars who post most of the new threads, so in my estimation the bandwidth drain would not diminish significantly.

The majority of people on the internet do not use it for friendship and emotional bonding with people/things. It seems to me that the people who want to pay, are wanting their friends, not their U2. My opinions on this are already known. If you take the friendships to AIM/IM/etc, then you don't need to have documentation (threads) of every friendship based conversation which are read hundreds of times.

Going 100% pay would result in a small collection of 'friends' discussing whatever they want amongst themselves, with no reason for outsiders to join. It's my believe that this is almost the case already, so I would recommend going 100% pay. The extra benefit of this is that everyone is paying for what they get, and if the cost has to rise because the users are using higher than anticipated, then that's their choice. Use more, pay more. Use less, pay less.

If the only way I could be with my friends was to pay, then I'd pay. Fortunately for me, my friends are offline, so I don't have to worry about paying to be a member of a BBS.

 

[Elvis Presley]

my 2 cents

As a relativly new member of this forum I first want to say thanks for providing such a great service! It must be tough to run such a large board with so many members! I have been constantly trying to take notes and observe the way this board is run as I have started my own. Im not trying to plug my own board, sorry if it came across that way. Anyway, to the subject at hand, I am afraid that I wont be able to stick around other than to read if it goes to a fee. Sorry, as much as I have enjoyed my short stint here I can afford to have another bill to pay even though it would be a small one. Plus, while my board is nowhere near as nice as this, at least it is free and always will be. Thanks again!!

 

[Elvis]

Re: my 2 cents

Plus, while my board is nowhere near as nice as this, at least it is free and always will be. Thanks again!!

I once said the same thing. Actually, I said that many, many times.

I'm willing to continue the board as such if someone were to be able to host it (with needed resources), for free. So far no one has presented such an offer.

There are MANY U2 forums on the net, besides here and Zootopia (which we do dwarf). The thing is, they can't handle the traffic this site gets. Some people point out that while the membership here is about 12,000 -- that there are only around 500 super active members. This is a fact. Another fact is that we have/had over 500,000 monthly readers at times, this is my recent reason for making the forum for members only (you must now have an account, and be logged in to even read any of the forum).

No matter what I do, this place will continue to grow its membership. I'm not being egotistical... let me explain: Interference is vert highly ranked among the search engines in relevance to U2 for obvious reasons - size, age, content, links to the site, etc. - this will only continue and become more so. Also, there have been several times when I've just 'burned out' of working on the site or even paying attention - one time I didn't even look at it for 3 months, and when I returned the membership had trippled.

There are also other things involved with why the forum/site continue to grow, and what would be missing if the site vanished (closed):

The U2 Lyrics Archive - the most complete and accurate U2 lyrics, even U2.com copied their lyrics archive from us, and they still arent up-to-date.

NewMedia - free for all, U2 filesharing application that ties in with the forum and U2 chat (keep in mind this is filesharing - we dont serve the files - the only bandwidth being used by us for this is distributing the program)

Free U2 email accounts - U2email.com and U2mail.org, but run by myself provide free email accounts to almost 10,000 u2 fans! While I have a fortunate 'grandfathered' partnership with everyone.net - meaning they no longer offer such services that would allow anyone else to serve up thousands of free email accounts.

U2 Chat - takes VERY little bandwidth, but has been the largest ongoing place for U2 chatting.

Wire - the u2 mailing list, now hosted (sadly) on yahoogroups - to reduce my costs and bandwidth of maintaining an interactive mailing list (which at the size of Wire, can be very costly).

Most of the rest of the actual site, I closed for the time being seeing as though I did not have the time to keep it updated, and to reduce bandwidth costs and server resources. Multimedia files being served were eliminated when NewMedia was created - which was exactly its purpose: to reduce the costs of bandwidth for Interference.com as WELL AS other U2 webmasters and fans with FTP servers.

I COULD turn it all off today. I don't want to, but I could.

For the last six years, I've put my heart, time, and loads of money into creating the largest resource/community for U2 fans because before I did, I didn't feel that anything worthy of U2 and its fanbase existed. Propaganda is not only a poor excuse for a magazine, but a poor excuse to even be mislabeled as a 'fan club'. Wire was a contant flame war, and strictly email. And for the most part good U2 information was spread out over thousands of sites. I wanted to bring the together. Sites(and their webmasters) were absorbed by Interference, hosted at my expense, and worked together to create a better u2 fan 'unieverse'. Why do all this some people may (and have) asked? simple... there was no U2.com. A few sites that were folded into Interference... Wire, U2 Lyrics Archive, U2links.com, Zoonation.com, The Pop studio webcam archive & Expect Nothing, U2email.com, recently U2mail.org, as well as others. And yes, I admire ancient imperialistic civilizations, if you wanted to know, and the thought had crossed your mind .

At times Interference has had anywhere from 3 up to over 50 people working on some aspect of the 'site'. Everyone a fan, everyone doing out of the love for U2 and their music, and the fans. All volunteer work. I never asked for a dime until this past year when I made a call our for donations to help support the bandwidth, and yet as I've said before it was all out of my pocket or my employers pockets for the last 6 years, and during such time, there have actually been period of time where I have personally put in 40+ hour weeks, in addition to working - just to create and support this place.

While I never had a goal of meeting U2, nor did I actually ever desire to, (think I'm crazy if you want) the coolest thing ever was when I was invited to meet and hang with the band in the Universal studio in LA, to be in a closed rehearsel, and then when the guys mentioned Interference on a nationally syndicated radio interview. Being the only fan site to be mentioned and praised by name, publicly, topped it off.

I don't regret anything about Interference, it's gotten me jobs, been amazing to have on my resume, and I've got more surreal stories from the last 6 yrs that most people will have to tell after an entire lifetime...

So what do I/we do?
I don't see charging as a horrible solution... I mean... many people here pay for a magazine which they never get (SO pathetic), and spend about the same amount that I'm asking for JUST on ticketmaster fees (SO pathetic) when they've gotten tickets to see U2.
Did you know that the entire membership (not just forum) of Interference.com towers over the worldwide subscribers of Propaganda? They don't give the magazine away for free do they?

I hope someone actually takes the time to read this, I don't often make such long posts, nor divest so much.

Joel

 

[Like O2]

Re: Re: my 2 cents

I hope someone actually takes the time to read this, I don't often make such long posts, nor divest so much.

I read it all.

My .02....of course interference can't continue without someone coming up with the cash. Why not try a subscription fee and if it changes things in a bad way, you can always go back to a free site?

 

[Elvis]

Re: Re: Re: my 2 cents

I read it all.

My .02....of course interference can't continue without someone coming up with the cash. Why not try a subscription fee and if it changes things in a bad way, you can always go back to a free site?

Yep...
A subscription fee, like a magazine. People come here to read the content (lurk), the content is created by the most active members, most of which seem to be in favor of a fee based membership.

After I talked with rafmed (our all powerful U2 chat IRCop, hehe), I've decided that I will set a date of which a subscription will be required. I will announce the date, and $ amounts, as well as a method to make payment, sometime in the coming week.

If the # of lurkers goes down, bandwidth costs will be reduced, therefore offsetting a perhaps lower than currently needed amount of $ that will be generated by whatever % of our members actually decide that this place is worth a buck a month.

Joel

 

[Lovin' Bono]

Joel...thank you for keeping us posted on what your thoughts are. Will be waiting for the cost in the next week and ready to send off the needed cash.

THANK YOU AGAIN for ALL you do for us - the fans - worldwide!!!

 

[doctorwho]

Yeah, that's a good question, too. I'm sure that for most people who have already donated, another ten bucks isn't a *huge* deal, but it does seem a bit unfair to folks who have already given (particularly if their donations have *well* exceeded ten dollars, and I know there are a few members who have been quite generous).

As Bear and Wanderer will attest - due to our arguments on this topic just a few months ago - I more than support paying for this site to keep it going.

However, I have to agree with the above. I feel I have been fairly generous to this site. I will not discuss how much I've donated, but Joel certainly knows. And if I am asked to pay yet again, then even my patience and magnanimity will be tested - because it will seem that all of the donations I made before were moot. I just donated a good sum a few months ago, yet I have to give even more?

Even though another $10 isn't much at all, if my past donations meant little, will this $10 mean anything? Furthermore, maybe it's $10 now - but for how long? Maybe next year it'll jump to $30, then $100. I've seen this happen - for example, one product I use formerly cost only $19. Then it doubled in price to $39! I accepted this jump in price as I recognized that $19 was a bit low. But now I found it's up to $69! It quadrupled in price in under a year! I am now looking for an alternative product - and I think that's what will happen here. Joel asked for donations - they weren't enough. He'll ask for subscribers - will that be enough? If not, what then? How much more will we have to give?

Therefore, I think all those who gave at least $10 in the last round of donations, should get this first year free. If that can't happen because this site desperately needs more $$ from those who already gave, then I fear this is only postponing the inevitable. Sorry Joel.

 

[Elvis]

As Bear and Wanderer will attest - due to our arguments on this topic just a few months ago - I more than support paying for this site to keep it going.

However, I have to agree with the above. I feel I have been fairly generous to this site. I will not discuss how much I've donated, but Joel certainly knows. And if I am asked to pay yet again, then even my patience and magnanimity will be tested - because it will seem that all of the donations I made before were moot. I just donated a good sum a few months ago, yet I have to give even more?

Even though another $10 isn't much at all, if my past donations meant little, will this $10 mean anything? Furthermore, maybe it's $10 now - but for how long? Maybe next year it'll jump to $30, then $100. I've seen this happen - for example, one product I use formerly cost only $19. Then it doubled in price to $39! I accepted this jump in price as I recognized that $19 was a bit low. But now I found it's up to $69! It quadrupled in price in under a year! I am now looking for an alternative product - and I think that's what will happen here. Joel asked for donations - they weren't enough. He'll ask for subscribers - will that be enough? If not, what then? How much more will we have to give?

Therefore, I think all those who gave at least $10 in the last round of donations, should get this first year free. If that can't happen because this site desperately needs more $$ from those who already gave, then I fear this is only postponing the inevitable. Sorry Joel.

My thoughts are this....

I'm thinking of $12 per year (keep in mind paypal processing fees), and anyone that has previously donated $12 or more may request their first year 'subscription' to be drawn from that. As I stated in an earlier post... most people did not include their member name when donating, nor did they use the same email address as the one they use for the forum - tracking everyone down in reverse would take A LOT of time - but I am willing to confirm that people have donated upon such a request. Anyone that has donated via Amazon... you're out of luck, as Amazon is an anonymous system - unfortunately. (btw not many people have used amazon.. its like less than 10)

Also, all active mods will not be -required- to pay, but may do so if they wish to donate. I consider their time and efforts modding as a donation of its own.

As far as if subscribers not being enough... like I said, it's going to be a subscription based system, lurkers will not be pulling bandwidth as they wont be able to read most of the forum. Pay for use is the model.

Joel

 

[U2girl]

Well i'll be reading you then.

I only read a few first pages (and the last one) of this thread, so ... if someone doesn't pay (for whatever reason), they can only read but not post?

 

[martha]

Joel,

I read all of your posts.

I already donated.

I will subscribe anyway.

I will not pitch a fit about it.

Interference drives me crazy sometimes, but I enjoy it way too much to leave it.

I appreciate all you do for all of us.


And, one more time: To all of you who are fussing about what will become of this site: BYE! It was nice knowing you. No free lunch anymore.

 

[follower]

Anyone that has donated via Amazon... you're out of luck, as Amazon is an anonymous system - unfortunately. (btw not many people have used amazon.. its like less than 10)

*raises hand*

Me...No pay pal here.

Elvis, regardless of the small number that used Amazon I would like to ask you to keep that option, otherwise I, and I?m sure others among those 10, won?t be able to pay.

Obrigada.

edited: my good friend and nice mexican guy rafmed just pointed me out I?m wrong, I can use pay pal.

so forget it.

 

[pax]

Also, all active mods will not be -required- to pay, but may do so if they wish to donate. I consider their time and efforts modding as a donation of its own.

Joel

As for me, I will, in lieu of having to pay for myself, happily sponsor an active member or two who might not be able to pay. Especially if they find stills from the Police's "Don't Stand So Close to Me" video, which I still have not found.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

Especially if they find stills from the Police's "Don't Stand So Close to Me" video, which I still have not found.

even though i won't have to pay either, i promise you, i've been looking!!!!! stills, the video itself, anything! i saw the vid on vh1 classic this morning and thought of you. i promise you, at the very least, if i have to, i will buy whatever i need to do a video capture, hook my vcr up to my computer, and do it that way, as i have the police greatest hits on video. then, i will even make whatever stills you'd want me to.

 

[BAW]

I've read everything you have to say Joel and you make sense...do what you need to do. I've already donated but I have no problem with another $10 or $12. If anything, I can sponsor a few others who can't afford it with part of my earlier donation.

 

[hotpepper]

I love this forum so I'd happily pay for a $12/year subscription to continue reading and contributing.

 

[Elvis]

PLEASE READ.

ok... so...
I've been changing forum permissions around (aka... what you can access and what you cant)...

If you click LOG OUT in the top right of any page, you will be in 'unregistered' mode (lurker). Try going to the various forums, some you'll be able to read, some you wont.

This is an example of how things will be when we move to the free/premium membership model:

Free) those that have registered (free) will be able to do as 'unregistered/lurkers' can right now - strictly read 6 of the forums.

Premium) those that have paid for a Premium membership will have full access and posting rights to all forum features and public forums, as all members currently have.


Bad, Good ?

 

[bono_man2002]

seams alright to me

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

.

 

[Kristie]

sounds good