Members Only Section on AzBilliards

[lodini]

I totally emphatize with you and understand your point of view.

Everything on the forum will remain the same as it is now -- FREE. However, a Members Only Section could be a perk for a PAID membership to AzBilliards, with additional benefits to be determined.

Those who do not want to pay for the membership can still enjoy the forum as it exists right now, with no change, other than the Members Only Section.

I would thinking that a very nominal monthly fee might be doable, like 5 bucks a month, but that is not for me to say. I am only posting up ideas.

JAM

Yeah, sorry about that, JAM... I think we were posting at the same time, so I didn't see your explanation until after I submitted my two cents

Just beware that the nominal fee won't prevent posters who want to rain on everyone's parade

 

[jgpool]

Your right.

A "members only" section is a feature on one of the other sites.

The benefits are not obvious to me.

To each their own.....

Your right, there would have to be a tangible cornerstone bene. Discounts and VChips are nice. What would be the advantage to isolating people who are willing to pay?

 

[PKM]

Although it sounds good in theory as an addition, you may be neglecting the fact that if the new forum is successful, many of the quality posters will hang out there at the expense of the main forum. That may not be good overall for the site unless it's bringing in enough revenue, which I doubt it would.

 

[JAM]

I guess that it could be worth it. If it was something that you don't like you wouldn't have to pay again. I keep buying lottery tickets and never win, so I guess spending money on something like that wouldn't hurt.

If some benefits were established, to include a Members Only Section, and other attractive features, would you be opposed to a 5-bucks-a-month cost, maybe a pay as you go?

Or, a yearly subscription with a discount of $10 if you pay for a full year, costing 50 bucks in total.

Again, I am in no way affililated with this website. I am just throwing these suggestions out as food for thought.

JAM

 

[Tom In Cincy]

IMO, I like the idea of a separate Members only Cafe setting.

But, IMO, Members Only would also mean No lurker (non-Member)could see what is being posted.

It has been working well for quite some time at OnePocket.org.

How much to pay? How about a nominal fee of $120 a year? ($10/month)
I wonder how may FREE current would ponyup that kind of change?

And, what kind of Moderator would you expect?

 

[Robertduke]

How about members only by invitation. After a sufficient number of "good" posts the person is invited to the nice quiet room. Any disruptions results in immediate removal of the invitation.

Don't know if I would like it but it might be worth a try.

Thats what I was thinking would be a great ideal just wait until my reps up tho

 

[JAM]

Your right, there would have to be a tangible cornerstone bene. Discounts and VChips are nice. What would be the advantage to isolating people who are willing to pay?

Maybe on the Members Only Section, there could be a monthly LIVE CHAT with a designated interviewee. It could be Jeanette Lee or a player like that who doesn't normally post on pool forums.

This would be one incentive to pay for the Members Only Section, in addition to 10-percent discounts, monthly raffles or prizes, end-of-the-year cool prize, more vChips, and expanded PM privileges, et cetera.

Oh, the website I know of that currently exists with a Members Only Section, only the paid members can have avatars. Non-paying members cannot have an avatar.

JAM

 

[Stones]

Here are few ideas to ponder as other benefits for the paid membership to AzBilliards.

10 percent off on all items advertised on AzBilliards.

Once a month, a contest can be held for the paid members for a pool-related item. It could be an AzBilliards shirt, a Hustlin USA Clothing baseball cap, an Accu-Stats DVD, an autographed cueball, whatever the webmaster thinks would be doable.

At least 50 vChips deposited per month. I'm getting sick of looking at that big fat goose egg underneath my name.

An end-of-the-year prize, to be determined, but a really cool one.

I also thought that a prospective benefit, valuable to most veteran posters, could be the PMs. There exists free PMs now, but paid members could have maybe expanded PM privileges, or in the alternative, maybe the paid members should have the PM privileges only. This is suggestion which I know may not be received positively by some, but remember, it's only a hypothetical suggestion.

Any thoughts?

JAM

How about one free PPV on The Action Report?

Stones

 

[Joe P.]

I think it would be cool. But if it did detract from the main forum I don't think it would be, I have alot of friends who just check stuff out and aren't members and don't post.

 

[JAM]

IMO, I like the idea of a separate Members only Cafe setting.

But, IMO, Members Only would also mean No lurker (non-Member)could see what is being posted.

I like that name -- MEMBERS ONLY CAFE. It has a nice ring to it!

It has been working well for quite some time at OnePocket.org.

How much to pay? How about a nominal fee of $120 a year? ($10/month)
I wonder how may FREE current would ponyup that kind of change?

$10 a month may be too much for some. I was thinking 5 bucks per month. We want to attract as many members as possible, so that the content in the Members Only Cafe will be flowing and ongoing.

And, what kind of Moderator would you expect?

Man, that's a toughie! It's so sad to think we need to have a moderator, but I can't imagine that unidentified trolls who like to flame are going to pay to flame. I may be wrong, though.

JAM

 

[JAM]

How about one free PPV on The Action Report?

Stones

There you go. Now you're talking. I am pretty sure the folks at The Action Report would go for this. They're all veteran AzBers.

JAM

 

[ribdoner]

I prefer to ignore the members or threads (unless I'm in the mood) that cause me angst than think of "features" which will cost me $.

This site would not have more than tripled in membership in less than 2yrs if it was ill.

 

[dogginda9]

I, for one, would not use the members only section.

 

[JAM]

I prefer to ignore the members or threads (unless I'm in the mood) that cause me angst than think of "features" which will cost me $.

This site would not have more than tripled in membership in less than 2yrs if it was ill.

The existing forum would remain the same, Ribdoner, with no change whatsoever.

However, there would be an addition of a Members Only Cafe section for paid members. The paid members, BTW, will probably post in both the FREE forum, the same way it exists now, as well as the members-only forum.

Since this site has more than tripled in membership in less than 2 years, the costs for running it may have also gone up, like changing servers in recent times. This would put a little jingle in the webmaster's pocket as well as providing some new and exciting benefits, prizes, contests, guest live chats, and other benefits to be determined.

Again, the existing forum will remain the same.

JAM

 

[JesPiddlin]

...If there were a paid membership to AzBilliards...

The day AZB charges for membership will be the day I finally start to get more work and other stuff done around here! I'll have a lot more spare time, since I won't be spending it in the forum. I love this place, but not THAT much! Anyway, for some folks, just affording a computer (which probably came from their grandkids) and internet access (which might also be paid for by the grandkids) might be all they can afford. If/when AZB ever starts to charge for membership, they'll probably lose a lot of good members. I know there are an awful lot of senior citizens on here and a lot of them live on limited incomes. Then, there are also the families who are doing all they can just to support the kids. Free forums are a nice way to get away from the stress. If they start charging, I'm sure AZB will build the membership back up, but they'll lose a lot of great people, first.

 

[JAM]

The day AZB charges for membership will be the day I finally start to get more housework and other stuff done around here! I'll have a lot more spare time, since I won't be spending it in the forum. I love this place, but not THAT much! Anyway, for some folks, just affording a computer (which probably came from their grandkids) and internet access (which might also be paid for by the grandkids) might be all they can afford. If/when AZB ever starts to charge for membership, they'll probably lose a lot of good members. I know there are an awful lot of senior citizens on here and a lot of them live on limited incomes. Then, there are also the families who are doing all they can just to support the kids. Free forums are a nice way to get away from the stress. If they start charging, I'm sure AZB will build the membership back up, but they'll lose a lot of great people, first.

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

 

[lodini]

Man, that's a toughie! It's so sad to think we need to have a moderator, but I can't imagine that unidentified trolls who like to flame are going to pay to flame. I may be wrong, though.

JAM

You may be surprised... I think if someone comes on to a place like this and gets their kicks out of starting drama, $5 isn't going to stop them Some of these people have a lot of time on their hands!

 

[!Smorgass Bored]

Only My SOCKS Still fit Me

I like that name -- MEMBERS ONLY CAFE. It has a nice ring to it!
JAM

I already have three jackets with that name..... MEMBERS ONLY
Doug
( but, they'll no longer close in the front )

 

[Roy Steffensen]

The activity will be less in both the Main Forum and the "Cafe", because the members of the "Cafe" will probably not post in both forums.

Then the Main Forum will turn into a ghost-forum and the only forum left will be the "Cafe", and then people would need to pay for it.

I don't like the idea at all.

 

[!Smorgass Bored]

Give Me Liberty Or Give Me A Dancing Hippo

Oh, the website I know of that currently exists with a Members Only Section, only the paid members can have avatars. Non-paying members cannot have an avatar.
JAM

I don't like that one little bit, nossir, not one little bit....
Doug
( pry my avatars from my cold dead hands )