What would you do if the forum had a subscription fee (to post classifieds, etc)?

small fee is also likely to keep the rif-raf out. i'm down with it.

I second that - VB and everyone make this a great resource. well worth a few GNs.

I'm not sure how the small fee as a filter thing works.

People will still be able to register, still be able to post, they'll still be able to post new threads too.

All they'll not get is new thread rights in the classifieds section, ability to create groups, etc.

No-one will be excluded from joining or participating, but there would be a small barrier to posting classifieds or starting a group.

And me being a programmer, when I say why the hell not? I mean it. I mean... what's wrong with this? Find the faults... because if we can't find faults then I'll do it.

I'm not sure you'll bring in enough revenue. Do you have any more in-depth stats regarding active users? Like, how many log in every day?

Meh this fixed gear thing's going to be like so over this time next year. Can I pay in monthly installments until it becomes uncool?

Over 1,000 active logins each day.

I don't think £3 would cover it all, but I don't intend it to (maybe I'm being stupid) because we still have the google ad revenue from guests to make up the rest.

Edit I'd pay the full sum up front if you could boot out the fucker who's got Mouse as a username.

If a non-paying member/newbie wants to sell something, they'll find ways around it.. PMing people, hi-jacking other peoples classifieds .. it would still need policing..

Over 1,000 active logins each day.

I don't think £3 would cover it all, but I don't intend it to (maybe I'm being stupid) because we still have the google ad revenue from guests to make up the rest.

Sorry, poorly worded question. I meant, how many users log in every day - as in Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday... - what is the size of the core group of users who are likely to pay for a subscription fee?

It's been a long day :-/

vBulletin only tracks unique logins per day (1k per week day), and I can't tell how many of Tuesdays logins logged in on Monday.

The active thing on the front page, represents the last 3 months.

Beer-a-year strikes me as a bargain.

Hmm, that's a shame. Nothing like having data to crunch. Still, a dropoff of 90-95% sounds about right to me.

Can you tell us how many people have donated to date? Maybe having people be able to opt-in to a 6 month reminder would be a goer? Receiving an email/PM saying it has been 6 months since your last donation would probably spur me to donate another #3.

I'm not sure you'll bring in enough revenue. Do you have any more in-depth stats regarding active users? Like, how many log in every day?

In 3 hours nearly 100 have already said they'd be willing to pay £3 a year..

A few more have said they'd be willing to pay more than that and personally I'd still make donations from time to time. Not to mention the fact that this wouldn't stop us making t-shirts/stickers etc to add more income..

I'm pretty sure the forum would make more money in that system than by the current system of casual donations

for me is not just one thing, if not a "set of measures"

£4 for paying members, yes of course, and more if it's need it, but with some advantages, no publicity, free selling threads
non paying members, no publicity but paying for selling, maybe a small fee 25p will be enought
non members, publicity but no possibility to sell anything

this way the forum will keep growing up, people who just wnat to sell one off, just need to pay something small maybe 25p, and for the harcores sellers paying £4 a year will be a bargain

at the end everyboby happy

and by the way, everyone who has more tham 250 post or that check the forum 4 days a week, shuold buy the forum a beer. a moral thing this is

if we start paying for the right to sell i think there should be no comments in sales threads, all done by pm.

if i pay 25p to sell an item and it gets screwed by some derailers, or just some people undercutting or trying to sell their own shit over yours it would nark. always pisses me off.

more than happy to pay... but wonder if more appeals/emails for donations would bring in more cash, like PBS in the US? But cooler...

I reckon a sliding scale in classifieds would be a good idea - say, 3 quid for a few sales a year, more if you're selling a lot through here - after all, it's probably still cheaper than the ebay commission fees?

I'd also wonder how much your image hosting costs - people don't seem to skimp on image sizes for uploads, and that can take up a lot of data, partic. when people are refreshing threads (I have a humble photo blog and I served a hell of a lot of data (by my standards) just by putting up a photo essay that a couple of dozen people looked at).

Also, I don't think paying for PMs or classifieds would put most newbies off - after all, it's not like you don't have personal email accounts if you really must keep an archive of your personal correspondence.

£3 seems reasonable, and I suspect most will pay £5 without blinking. More is probably going to be too much though (as in it'll scare some off), unless you're selling a lot and the sliding scale kicks in.

Dale should have to pay £5.31

this is just like the car forum im in about old fords, you get a very restricted access untill you pay to get the lot, but like this forum its one of the best on the net of its sort, i had no pron paying 12 pounds a year for them and i dont have any prob doing the same for you as long as its sorts the wheat from the chaff

I don't want to pay a £3 fee, but I do want to either buy a t-shirt or sticker sheet or spoke card, that VB makes a profit on, and I am going to make a donation, right now.

I voted yes, and have just put my money where my mouth is.
V (VB), you were recently asking about whether we wanted to become a 'club', could the two things be combined and we'd pay a membership fee to the club (which would have additional benefits in the use of the forum?)

P.S Lady Stardust is not the only person who loves you

okay my tupppence worth, I've got no problem with paying the three quid, this forum has brought lots of good people into my life, who I'd like to stay in contact/friends with for a long time. and 3 squid a year is a small price to pay for that.
Personally I'd rather people just donated, and we had as has been suggested a little graphic which tells us how much is required, how much has been donated, and by whom.
I'm for sellers who sell a lot putting up some cash for the forum from which they profit.
I'm for fundraisers, and t-shirt sales and sticker sales.
I'm for the forum to continue in its present form for as long as possible, and if a flat rate £3 can help make that a reality then so be it...

another positive is that it will filter out most of the attention seeking bellends.

Registered/Nursery, as current = no PM, no thread starting, etc.
Regular, slightly less than current = no classifieds thread starting, no group creation, limited PMs, etc.
Donor = Everything and more... £3 per year (a beer a year).

Good scheme - doesn't limit growth.

I already pay several thousand a year on my porn subscriptions so another £3 should not stand out when the police seize my hard drive again.

I'll happily pay a tenner a year, more if you want.