Option of paying for access

Hey Hey,

I know that I've addressed this before but I'm going to readdress... just not so adamantly this time..

People have brought up the option of putting the single Gold Dot in use... people don't like having APs affect them... People want a private area for discussions and JupM is a business so they've got no problem with money coming in...

So how about an optional paid membership?

Sell a yearly subscription, or a life time membership... that type of thing would be up to the suits at JupM to hammer out.... something not overly expensive.. reasonable... yet profitable.. and offer benefits... Premium Membership... a single gold dot making you impervious to the AP system... no skiddie or no one looking to spam would pay because it would mean they'd be on file with their paypal, CC or however JupM accepted payments.. so it wouldn't affect that.. Most likely it would appeal to some of the seniors feed up with the AP system... and have so many greenies that they are already impervious... Leave the custom titles with their requirements as a site benfit.. but add Premium member/Paying member to the line below the custom/standard title... Create a paid members only forum where anything is free to be discussed.... Give paying members back their antionline.com email address or add a small additional fee to have an AO email address.... and create custom clothing on the cafepress store for premium members... AntiOnline: Premium Member or something along those lines... or give them the option of requesting an AO shirt with their name on it... They submit the graphic of their name.... JupM adds it to cafepress.. the person orders it... and the shirt is removed and awaits the next person...

It works two-fold... It gives JupM several ways of making money (Subscription/Membership, Custom Clothing, Email Addresses)... and it gives members a way of getting out of the hassle that is the AP system...
It also leaves those who are against paying the option of sticking around for the same site... just extra benefits for those willing to pay...

Anyways... just an idea I had.

Peace,
HT

JP did something similar when he asked for donations. those who contributed got a special mark or something next to their names.... dont know if i could find the thread. but in relation to the question, im all for it.. cept JupMedia is the only obsticle here


CTO

while we are at it, why don't we set up a system to where we can just "buy" antipoints. i would like 3,000,001 please. how much would that cost me...

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Originally posted here by CybertecOne
JP did something similar when he asked for donations. those who contributed got a special mark or something next to their names.... dont know if i could find the thread. but in relation to the question, im all for it.. cept JupMedia is the only obsticle here


CTO

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i believe you are thinking of the "helped bail JP out."

If they pay for this and get the "Gold Dot", thus making them impervious of the AP system, can they still assign APs? If one is opting out, wouldn't it be completely?

IMHO if they opt out of the antipoint system it should be totaly. I know the gold dot memebers can make assingments but they dont count for points. I personaly would be one of the first in line for such an option. I would be more than willing to pay a REASONABLE amount to get away from the hassle and have a place to get away from some of B.S. that goes on in the regular forums.

yeah, retire the AP-system, and let's have spome decent on-topic discussions again.

Pay attention to the forensics forum :D

and uhm..to stay on topic with this thread..
I personally wouldn't pay to exclude myself from antipoints, or the system. They just don't mean that much to me. The idea has potential, but I just can't see clearly defined benefits as a paying member.

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Originally posted here by hogfly
Pay attention to the forensics forum :D

and uhm..to stay on topic with this thread..
I personally wouldn't pay to exclude myself from antipoints, or the system. They just don't mean that much to me. The idea has potential, but I just can't see clearly defined benefits as a paying member.

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Hey Hey,

It was a cluttered partial thought so I threw it up on here.. I welcome better ideas for benefits.... let's take a suggestionm build on it and make it great.

I agree that if you opt out of the AP system... it should be opped out of completely... a two way process..

However I've been thinking lately and I think mods should have the option to opt out o fthe AP system (without having to pay)... A nice little purple dot with pink polka dots which signifies moderator :P

Anyways through out more benefit ideas...

JupM... any comments?

Peace,
HT

Apparently I'm the only one...but what the hell... I definitely like the idea, but I believe there should be something in the middle or have these as two completely seperate ideas. Props to HTregz tho. I mean I would be more than willing to pay (a reasonable amount) for 'membership' but I'm finally able to actually have an effect on someone when I greenie or neg them and I would be reluctant to give that up. I *like* being able to take part in negging some irritating member off the boards. I *like* making a really good post go (partially) shiny when I greenie it. I *like* being able to contribute to closing a thread. (the latter would be the lesser of all things b/c I could still report it....) So perhaps a gold dot for premium (paying) members (where the dot only signifies that someone is a paying member) and then the option to be removed entirely from the antipoint system. And perhaps that option could be limited to seniors with 11 dotz or something. Maybe it would be less confusing to have like a gold dot for paying members that have been removed from the AP system and another color for the others. (I like black...heh, then I would look scary) :lildevil: Opinions?

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Originally posted here by HTRegz


It was a cluttered partial thought so I threw it up on here.. I welcome better ideas for benefits.... let's take a suggestionm build on it and make it great.



Anyways through out more benefit ideas...

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HT, I didn't mean to imply that I had a better idea for any benefits. To explain a little more..I personally don't see a reason to pay for something that I haven't gotten much out of. Granted I have been idle for a long time now(one of the reasons I have been lurking is due to lack of stimulation from the forums) but that is picking up. Maybe in a month I will have a better idea of what some benefits could be, but right now I don't.

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However I've been thinking lately and I think mods should have the option to opt out o fthe AP system (without having to pay)... A nice little purple dot with pink polka dots which signifies moderator :P

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Nice idea! I'd opt out in a heartbeat.

btw for those who didn't catch it, my post was sarcastic. I was merely poking fun at the idea of getting rid of aps, for a cost.. so i figured if you could get rid of them for a cost, you could get a **** load of them for a cost...

Greetings:

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Originally posted here by CybertecOne
JP did something similar when he asked for donations. those who contributed got a special mark or something next to their names.... dont know if i could find the thread. but in relation to the question, im all for it.. cept JupMedia is the only obsticle here

CTO

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Ah, you're forgetting. Those were donations to a CHARITY, not to me or the website. We were raising money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

I never charged anyone for access, nor have I ever taken donations from users. It wasn't a viable business model then, and with the current userbase, it sure as HELL isn't a viable one now, IMHO.

Things I'd rather spend my money on:

Food
Rent
Gas
Clothes
Water
Electricity
Bills
Newspaper
Magazine
Book
Girlfriend
Gifts

Well if you don't get the gist... I'd rather spend money on anything than pay for access to this site and/or being invulnerable to APs.. the idea is completely lame and this would only push users further away... they already have an AO store... they have ads up the ass... and more revenue is always good but I'm sure there is another way to get it than having users pay for this site...

TT; - you sound like you missed the part about it being optional... Your post still applies, but it's not like you'll be forced to pay (according to my understanding of HTregz's intentions). Sounds more like there will be other site benefits...the "fees" or whatever could go toward hiring someone to implement a bunch of extra site benefits for paying members or something. I dunno - it's late and I just want to go to sleep but those are my thoughts.

Sorry, but i find a great deal of irony in this thread. for years members have wanted the Ap system Canned. it has come up and down over the forums many times over the years (some are for and some are against) but it seems to be that this may be the only idea that goes through, cept you have to pay hehe.

So basically, members who wanted to get rid of the AP system, now can but it will cost ya :thumbsup: ::1pacman

Im still up for it, though i fear that the immunity against AP's would, for some members, be abused as they can be no retribution. not that the majority of memebers that fork out the money are going to do those things. :)


CTO

how bout we don't get rid of the AP system at all, as its one of the cool original things about AntiOnline that we still have. Plus its original in itself, and its fun.. it makes this site a bit more interesting for those who don't have IT jobs, etc.. Ill be honest, i like coming to the, checking my ap status, looking at recent posts to see if people have praised/flamed me, etc.

I don't think it should even be a on a pay basis, i mean thats just retarded. Like i said before, if you all can pay to not have the AP system effect you, then i should be able to pay for millions of points. Example: You are a paying member, but a real wanker. Oops can't neg you cause you pay. O but you can be banned still right? Well, they better write up a hell of a contract is all i have to say if they actually consider this.

It's somewhat original. UnixPunx has PunkPoints.

Now, I am now taking cash for AntiOnline and getting you all a gold dot. The opening cost is $25.00 and you can send that all to me, and I'll take it and run like hell.

I don't like this idea, for several reasons, but the one reason it most likely won't happen: the AO store. That was a hot topic up until it came into existence ... we built it, and no one came. I think ;TT's comment is highly relevant -- when we asked why no one was buying anything from the store, everyone told sob stories about how broke they are. Why should I expect anything different this time?

Given the (small) number of users I anticipate would take advantage of this, I don't believe it will be worthwhile to implement. I also don't believe the overall effect of having non-AP users on the site would be entirely beneficial.

- h