Yet, Another Poll Thread!

[JAM]

This is the first I have seen of this thread. Sorry, my better half is out of town and I am doing the whole Mr Mom thing this week.

I imagine your little ones (if they're still little) are getting ready for school. That's always a fun time of year!

This is something I have thought about and it has been suggested numerous times.

If we did this, then I would want the basic forums to always remain free. Subscribers would get additional benefits though. Benefits would be something like extra private message capability, discounts in the marketplace or possibly with other online marketplaces, access to a 'members only' area of the forums.

What other benefits would users find worth while?

When I initiated the thread, I was curious as to how others would feel about a "paid" forum. I like the idea of offering a "platinum membership," if you will, for those who may like this idea.

First and foremost, more vChippies for platinum members whenever they go vBroke! Being busted and disgusted, looking at the big fat goose egg under vCash, is a bummer!

I think the concept is viable if the perks and benefits are attractive. You mentioned some good ones, extra private message capability, discounts at the marketplace, and a Members Only area.

If this could become a reality, of course, the forum would remain free. I would like to hear suggestions from others, too, on anything they deem to be worthy of a paid membership. And the paid membership should be very low, maybe 5 bucks a month or something like that.

I know of one website which offers a "paid" membership on a voluntary basis, and the "paid" members get to have picture avatars, but the others cannot have picture avatars unless they are a member, and we all know how popular avatars are! (No, I am not suggesting to take away avatar privileges for the unpaid members, but just trying to think of possibilities.)

A monthly contest for paid members would be cool, like maybe a Hustlin USA Clothing T-shirt or baseball cap, a pool DVD, autographed Earl Strickland or Efren Reyes picture, et cetera. The sky is the limit, but it would be an incentive to join. If the advertising sponsors donate these items each month, it would give their brand name extra exposure.

Some promoters are in better shape financially than others, but a year-end SUPER PRIZE could be -- maybe -- free hotel rooms to the DCC, U.S. Open, or BCA. Some promoters and not all have rooms available that they give to their own sponsors and players as well. They may be willing to donate a free hotel room to AzBilliards platinum members for a year-end prize.

Anyway, these are a few that I can think of. Hopefully, others may chime in with their suggestions.

JAM

 

[JimS]

I can't think of any additional ideas right off hand but I like it and I think that a discount on equipment and a big year end giveaway for a room at DCC or the US Open would be a big incentive to ante up $5 a month.

 

[JoeyA]

......DEAL.....
Doug


Smorg : Oh, oh, Joey. He?s a big boy, he knows what he said. What did you say ? I make you laugh ?

Randy : It?s?

Smorg : What ?

Randy : Just? ya know, you?re, you?re funny.

Smorg : What do ya mean, funny ? Let me understand this cause, I don?t know maybe it?s me, I?m a little screwed up maybe, but I?m funny how ? I mean, funny like I?m a clown, I amuse you ? I make you laugh? I?m here to friggin? amuse you ? What do you mean funny, funny how ? How am I funny ?

Randy : You know, how you tell a story, what ?

Smorg : No, no, I don?t know? you said it. How do I know ? You said I?m funny. How the hell am I funny, what the hell is so funny about me ? Tell me ! Tell me what?s funny !

Randy : Get the hell outta here, Smorg !

Smorg : Ya goofball, I almost had him, I almost had him ! Ya stutterin? fool ya ! Joey, was he shakin? ?








.

You shook the jing right out of his pants pockets.
JoeyA

 

[JoeyA]

The World of AZ.

This is the first I have seen of this thread. Sorry, my better half is out of town and I am doing the whole Mr Mom thing this week.

This is something I have thought about and it has been suggested numerous times.

If we did this, then I would want the basic forums to always remain free. Subscribers would get additional benefits though. Benefits would be something like extra private message capability, discounts in the marketplace or possibly with other online marketplaces, access to a 'members only' area of the forums.

What other benefits would users find worth while?

Mike

-[---------------------------------------------------

Platinum members could have two membership ID/Screen names. The Plats could use the anonymous second membership to needle the needlers.

Seriously, the discounts sound nice. A free hotel stay is always good.

Not having to empty the PM's would be nice.

Also, having a complete record of the nice REP remarks would be nice.

What else? Oh yeah, it would be nice to be able to BAN a trouble maker for two days simply because you want to. (You might see your sales of the special membership go through the roof with this feature.)

The trouble makers would be buying the special membership just to get back at their adversaries but if you were Platinum they couldn't ban you, so you see the trouble makers would spend the extra money so that individual platinum members couldn't ban them.

OK...... special memberships come with special ID's (This is but another way that more memberships are sold- The snob appeal works for some. Not me but some, so I guess a special little platinum seal would be appropriate just to let the lttle people know where they stand. :
Personally, I don't like having anything different from the rest of the membership.

The other thing is I don't think Smorgass Bored should be sponsored for his platinum membership until John Schmidt gets a genuine sponsor. Aw, I'm just kidding Smorg, let your sugar daddy pay your way, after all you're used to it.

Alright, alright for those who read but don't understand what those little smiley faces mean- I'M JUST KIDDING and all is right in the world of AZ.

JoeyA

 

[ShootingArts]

absolutely right about star bellied sneaches

Joey,

You are absolutely right about star bellied sneaches and snob appeal. Another site only has a donation drive once a year and folks that donate get a line under their handle "OP contributor" or something similar. The turnout is great. I made a voluntary donation before the program started so no gold star for me, I is heartrended!

Mike's idea for extra benefits for paying members is great. I would suggest setting up where the fees could be paid quarterly or every six months at the least however. I hate monthly payments.

Hu

-[---------------------------------------------------

Platinum members could have two membership ID/Screen names. The Plats could use the anonymous second membership to needle the needlers.

Seriously, the discounts sound nice. A free hotel stay is always good.

Not having to empty the PM's would be nice.

Also, having a complete record of the nice REP remarks would be nice.

What else? Oh yeah, it would be nice to be able to BAN a trouble maker for two days simply because you want to. (You might see your sales of the special membership go through the roof with this feature.)

The trouble makers would be buying the special membership just to get back at their adversaries but if you were Platinum they couldn't ban you, so you see the trouble makers would spend the extra money so that individual platinum members couldn't ban them.

OK...... special memberships come with special ID's (This is but another way that more memberships are sold- The snob appeal works for some. Not me but some, so I guess a special little platinum seal would be appropriate just to let the lttle people know where they stand. :
Personally, I don't like having anything different from the rest of the membership.

The other thing is I don't think Smorgass Bored should be sponsored for his platinum membership until John Schmidt gets a genuine sponsor. Aw, I'm just kidding Smorg, let your sugar daddy pay your way, after all you're used to it.

Alright, alright for those who read but don't understand what those little smiley faces mean- I'M JUST KIDDING and all is right in the world of AZ.

JoeyA

 

[JAM]

I was thinking about this hypothetical AzBilliards membership last night, and a thought came to mind.

My mouse has been sticky lately, hasn't been smooth as silk. I tried to clean the bottom of the mouse and the mouse pad, but it is still sticky. I think I need a new mouse pad.

As such, I was thinking since we all meet here on AzBilliards via computer, most folks use a traditional mouse and mouse pad (unless you're on a laptop).

AZE has stated he can produce a lot of cool items. How about creating an AzBilliards mouse pad, with the AzBilliards logo on it, as well as AZE's logo on the bottom? In exchange, he would get recognition for his company for his name brand.

As a token of paid AzBilliards membership, a gift could be given away to all paid members of the official AzBilliards mouse pad.

Then there could be monthly raffles of various items from the sponsors, i.e., Hustlin USA Clothing T-shirt, an AzBilliards T-shirt, break cue, pool cue, pool DVDs, autographed photographs, and a year-end grand finale prize. The gifts could be provided by the sponsors who do advertise, and it would increase their brand-name recognition. Their name would be bantied about for an entire month, advertising the prize to the "platinum members" for AzBilliards.

Also, a Members Only forum area would be kind of neat.

These kinds of things would be incentives for paid membership to AzBilliards. Of course, the forum would remain free to all, but for the "platinum members," the above-referenced items would be incentives to become a paid member.

Just some ideas I was tossing around. What say you?

JAM

 

[Neil]

..............

 

[JAM]

Rather than start another poll thread, I would like to add a new caveat.

If a paid membership were offered with BENEFITS, monthly contests with prizes, a Members Only Forum, and other ideas described previously in this thread, and the paid membership was economical (5 bucks a month or thereabouts), what say you?

All in favor, post "aye." All opposed, post "nay."

Aye.

JAM

P.S. The forum will remain free. There will just be a new benefit of a paid membership available for all interested parties.

 

[jgpool]

Aye

Aye!!

 

[whitewolf]

This is the first I have seen of this thread. Sorry, my better half is out of town and I am doing the whole Mr Mom thing this week.

This is something I have thought about and it has been suggested numerous times.

If we did this, then I would want the basic forums to always remain free. Subscribers would get additional benefits though. Benefits would be something like extra private message capability, discounts in the marketplace or possibly with other online marketplaces, access to a 'members only' area of the forums.

What other benefits would users find worth while?

Mike

Everyone should go to CBS.com and see what it offered there and how pool forums could emulate that setup. I watch many shows that I missed for FREE. You just have to put up with advertisements.

Mike, why not make your forum like cable TV and charge your customers extra to be able to view pool videos?!!!!! And maybe charge a small fee for watching.

I don't know how expensive it would be to show the 2006 Mosconi Cup for instance. Maybe make a deal with Accustats. I think the wave of the future is watching TV from the internet anyway.

 

[frankwhite]

I was thinking about this hypothetical AzBilliards membership last night, and a thought came to mind.

My mouse has been sticky lately, hasn't been smooth as silk. I tried to clean the bottom of the mouse and the mouse pad, but it is still sticky. I think I need a new mouse pad.

As such, I was thinking since we all meet here on AzBilliards via computer, most folks use a traditional mouse and mouse pad (unless you're on a laptop).

AZE has stated he can produce a lot of cool items. How about creating an AzBilliards mouse pad, with the AzBilliards logo on it, as well as AZE's logo on the bottom? In exchange, he would get recognition for his company for his name brand.

As a token of paid AzBilliards membership, a gift could be given away to all paid members of the official AzBilliards mouse pad.

Then there could be monthly raffles of various items from the sponsors, i.e., Hustlin USA Clothing T-shirt, an AzBilliards T-shirt, break cue, pool cue, pool DVDs, autographed photographs, and a year-end grand finale prize. The gifts could be provided by the sponsors who do advertise, and it would increase their brand-name recognition. Their name would be bantied about for an entire month, advertising the prize to the "platinum members" for AzBilliards.

Also, a Members Only forum area would be kind of neat.

These kinds of things would be incentives for paid membership to AzBilliards. Of course, the forum would remain free to all, but for the "platinum members," the above-referenced items would be incentives to become a paid member.

Just some ideas I was tossing around. What say you?

JAM

I'm in Jenny..............

 

[!Smorgass Bored]

My Vote Is For Sale (both of them.... I'm in Florida)

Hmmmmmmm, well, is there going to be any FOOD involved ?
Doug
( or Poker )

 

[frankwhite]

Aye

Rather than start another poll thread, I would like to add a new caveat.

If a paid membership were offered with BENEFITS, monthly contests with prizes, a Members Only Forum, and other ideas described previously in this thread, and the paid membership was economical (5 bucks a month or thereabouts), what say you?

All in favor, post "aye." All opposed, post "nay."

Aye.

JAM

P.S. The forum will remain free. There will just be a new benefit of a paid membership available for all interested parties.

AYE Count me in Jenny.