Members Only Section on AzBilliards

Smorgass Bored said:
How do YOU know what's going on ? It's JAM's idea.
Doug
( I don't trust any woman that I've never laid my eyes on....... or my hands ) :)
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I didn't say I knew what's going on. I'm just saying that if there was a donating members rank that there doesn't HAVE to be forums along with it.
And it's not Jams idea, it's Jams thread, the idea is years and years old, and Mike has had the idea in his head for years too.

You can tell everyone in here is from the pool hall.... 90% of the people think everything is some conspiracy against them.
 
I like the "classless" society of AZB, where everyone has the same opportunity to comment or not on every post. I don't like the idea of creating an "elitist" section that has access to things or people that others do not, for a price. Either charge everyone for membership or don't charge anyone. I think it's fine the way it is, unless someone's going broke providing it.
 
AZE said:
You can tell everyone in here is from the pool hall.... 90% of the people think everything is some conspiracy against them.
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Are you talking about me???? Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean there isn't really someone out to get me.
 
punter said:
Are you talking about me???? Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean there isn't really someone out to get me.
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^^ We were ALL talking about you. :cool:
 
Roy Steffensen said:
I don't like the idea at all.
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The idea though seems to be innocent it has unintended consequences-division, descrimination,intolerance to dissention.

British legacy of `divide and conquer/Rule` is widely imitated by British Commonwealth countries and USA.
:cool:
 
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AZE said:
Do you guys not get the fact that if there was a paid option it doesn't even necissarily mean that there would be private forums? And maybe if there were private forums there wouldn't be any general talk forums?

I think a pay-for-benefit program is a great idea... first, the people who want the benefits could get them (it's not realistic to add some benefits on for free, as they wouldn't do anything bust cost Mike money), and second it helps support AZBilliards.com
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I believe this would be a great idea. Pay a little to gain special discounts for being a member. I think AZB should offer a little discount deal, like that.

The members-only place to post is what I have been responding about. If you'll go back a little ways to the very first post of this thread, JAM asked for feedback on his idea.....

JAM said:
"What are the possibilities and benefits to a Members Only Section? It could be designated as a place for some posters who do not feel comfortable posting on the very populated "free" public forum. I am just interested to hear from others about this concept. Any ideas?"
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I have been responding to that idea and what it was changing to. I cannot speak for anyone else's responses. I believe JAM's idea is one of those well-intended ideas that goes bad, before anyone sees what's happened. Nobody's fault. It just happens. That's what I've been responding to.

As for your idea, I do feel there is nothing wrong with having a membership for discount deals that would benefit AZB for having the free forum available to the members. A lot of folks buy discount coupon books to spend at different places around town. I think a lot of folks might "buy the opportunity" if it were placed in front of them.

As I stated before, if AZB wants to charge for forums, they should charge for the whole thing, not just part of it. That keeps the playing field level and "open". I know I am not the only one who would be unhappy, if AZB fell apart, or became a gossip hall.
 
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And Scantily Clad Women

Well, I know that I speak for myself when I say that I'm all FOR Early Bird Specials and 2 for 1 coupons.
Doug
( and Happy Hour )


*Scantily Clad: adjective: inadequately clothed.
 
Finally! I couldn't agree more. I can't faakin believe what I've been reading. JAM comes off as a white supremest half the time anyways, but the notion of intentionally designing a 2-tier class on an internet Forum? The haves and have-nots? on a FORUM?? WTF are you thinking??

It is, quite possibly, the worst idea ever floated on here --- and there's been some doozies.

So for $50-100/yr (or $5-1000, doesn't matter) I get to chat with a pro?? Ummm, there is a Pro Section already. And unlike PGA Players, Pro pool players are VERY accessible.

I get more v-dollars? Um, how many ways can you spell "worthless"?

I get a 10% discount off the retail price of generic pool-related merchandise that I've NEVER ordered through AZ? Wow, now all I have to do is purchase $500 worth of crap to break even....every year. That's alot of chalk....

I get more PMs? WTF? So the Private Elitist Group can continue their already private conversations with even more privacy?? Can't I just PM them my email for free???

Quarterly drawing for a T-shirt? Why not just pick my own and pay the $18.00 - $30.00 for it? When I want it. In the style that I want.

And it is an absolute fact that you CAN NOT segregate a Community - whether physical or virtual - without having a major impact on the original group. So the least intelligent response from JAM was the idea that "the original AZ will be exactly the same". That is an utter impossibility.

I can see it now:

Want to purchase a Szamboti for $1000? Join the Fake Snobs Club!

How to get out from here? Keith tells you how - inside the Fake Snobs Club.

The secret to breaking? Join the Fake Snobs Club to learn how.

Want the best pool merchandise not available anywhere else? Join the FAKE SNOBS CLUB for all the latest and greatest merchandise.

(A brief membership questionairre is required. Please be prepared to provide details related to your RACE, RELIGION, ETHNICITY & INCOME. The white membership board will review your application and notify you if you've been selected to give us your money)


Let them eat cake......

-von




Secaucus Fats said:
I think the whole idea of a member's only section stinks of snobbery and elitism and I would not participate in such a scheme even if it were free, and even if I were invited to.
Fats
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If Mike needs to make more money from this site, consider this: charge a$5 listing fee to post an item for sale in the "Wanted/For Sale" forum. Period. No other fees for anything. I think most, if not all, of the folks selling cues, etc. would pay a nominal fee for the access.
 
rayjay said:
If Mike needs to make more money from this site, consider this: charge a$5 listing fee to post an item for sale in the "Wanted/For Sale" forum. Period. No other fees for anything. I think most, if not all, of the folks selling cues, etc. would pay a nominal fee for the access.
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I agree. I don't think anyone would have a problem with that. It's still a lot cheaper than eBay. It's even cheaper than almost all the newspapers, these days!
 
I am not necessarily an advocate of a ?members only? section. I have tried them other places and did not stay long. So I am not sure it would work. However, there are some advantages to some systems.

First it need not cost anything, though I could understand a nominal fee.

Second there are obnoxious people who disrupt threads and may, through their comments, drive people away and or make them hesitant to post.

A system which encouraged people to post, and to post appropriately, might make for a better board.

A member only board might attract more of the professionals from the pool world to post because they would be aware of the idea that they would not be harshly treated. I know of at least one highly professional pool person who subscribes but never posts because he knows he will be torn apart as soon as he posts anything. I suspect, by their absence, that there are many others. Therefore, it would be good if a way could be found to encourage more of the pros to post and members only section might be the way to accomplish that. I am sure that we could all learn a great deal when the topics were restricted to pool related matters only.

Third a ?by invitation? members only section is more like an honor that suggests that people who log on are not disruptive. I suspect that members would be among the better posters and would answer questions and assist on the open board because that is the kind of people there are in life.

Fourth a members only section, by invitation only, would encourage people to be more respectful in their posts and would encourage more people to post so as to be invited. The only criteria need be that one is polite and contributes constructive comments. Such a member by invitation would quickly ban obnoxious posters, first for a short period then for some lengthier time period.

I suppose the same thing could be accomplished on the open board but then moderators would have to be more involved and arbitray. In the past I have seen this lead to a moderator revolt and the destruction of a board. Th open free wheeling nature of the open board is fun, but often hurtful to many people we would like to see post.

So the idea has some useful points associated with it. The inclusion of many hurtful posts in this thread is some evidence that some sort of adjustment could be of benefit to the board.
 
Cuaba said:
I've the background & the money to be a member of the local country club, but I prefer to hang out at the local pool room.

Why? Because the characters at the pool room are far more enjoyable than the snobs at the country club that wouldn't let these characters in.
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i couldnt agree more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


a invitation only forum for people with 1000 posts would be good, you can usually tell if someone is a nut case by the time they hit 1000, and an exemption for people like Billy, Grady and other people who have contributed alot to pool. i might even use my real name there, and for those of you who know me thank you all for being stand up and respecting my privacy. I really respect that and am the same way. thanks again.
 
I look at AZBilliards as one big community where everything is accessible to everyone that plays by the rules. When you start breaking the community into groups it's kind a like moving to the suburbs where you don't get to see all of your friends as often. I like it the way it is.

Just my opinion.

Regards, Roger
 
JAM said:
Maybe you missed my previous posts in the thread.

The existing forum will remain the exact same -- FREE.

There will be one new addition for PAID members which is a MEMBERS-ONLY SECTION, with some additional benefits to be determined.

Again, the current forum as we know it will remain the exact same. I don't know how to clarify the difference of having a FREE forum with a PAID members-only section. The forum will not change, other than there will be one new section, called MEMBERS-ONLY, but the MEMBERS-ONLY section -- one of MANY on this forum -- is the only section that will be not availabe to the FREE members.

Those who want to enjoy reading AzBilliards for free will continue doing so, with the one exception of the MEMBERS-ONLY section, which is ONE section out of MANY that will not be free.

Everything else stays the same -- FREE.

JAM[/QU


Maybe along with "Members-Only" section and "Members" getting more benefits, the more money you spend on your membership the more benefits you get. If so, start mine off at $1000/month. If AZ is going to be a class based forum then I want to be King. (just kidding for the record, but this is what it sounds like)
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would seem like a nice section for cliques to start up more than they already do. personally have zero problem with paid membership, but can think back to other forums that did that and it created more problems than it fixed. The free sections end up with less topics created, and you end up with a us/them problem that in the forum I'm thinking about destroyed what was once one of the largest forums on the internet.

paying to help sponsor the site is great, paying to get special forums and chat rooms isn't.
 
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sorry i didnt take the time to read all 6 pages. i think a "members only" section is a bad idea. why? no lurkers? pple who dont post a lot cant read what the "members" are talking about? stikes me as eliteist. consider the sorce of this thread. jam has bombared this forum with negativity quite a bit lately. driven off several great posters, unless they changed their mind. when all of the personalities die down this is an awesome place to find pool knowledge, whether you have 5000 posts or 2. keep the forum open and free.

brian
 
While I don't necessarily agree with the concept, I don't think JAM should be berated for starting this thread. She was just throwing it out there as an idea, something for casual discussion. No harm intended!

In her defense, it does seem near impossible to get a casual, peaceful discussion going on this forum without people getting offended or worked up these days... Can't we all just get along? (Sorry, I had to say it:D )
 
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lodini said:
While I don't necessarily agree with the concept, I don't think JAM should be berated for starting this thread. She was just throwing it out there as an idea, something for casual discussion. No harm intended!

In her defense, it does seem near impossible to get a casual, peaceful discussion going on this forum without people getting offended or worked up these days... Can't we all just get along? (Sorry, I had to say it:D )
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I don't think anyone meant any harm to Jam as I read through the thread. The general concensus, I think, feels the same as I do in that a members only section would create a class system which probably would not benefit the forum as a whole.
 
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