Geekzone subscriptions - yes, no, why?

Forums › Geekzone › Geekzone subscriptions - yes, no, why?

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

1923 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 138

#354471 21-Jul-2010 13:33

I think you have to accept that Ad-blockers are there... some chose to use them, some don't. Until people can see the cost/benefit of not having ads they won't subscribe...

It would be interesting to know how many extra subscribers have been generated from this thread, AND how many have enabled (or disabled) adblockers??

I agree with limiting signatures (ads by another name).

Personally the sub fee may look reasonable but one has to decide which sites to subscribe to as 'all' is not an option, and more than a few and it starts to build up.

Setting the fee lower..... Would halving the subscription fee more than double the subscriber base? Or would it encourage people into the more restricted spaces that you'd rather not have visit? Or alternately if you doubled the fee would you lose half the regular subscribers?

TQ13

14 posts

Geek

#354475 21-Jul-2010 13:48

A good discussion ! Prompted me to 1) Register 2) Subscribe 3) Post my first response.
I have followed Geekzone for a couple of years now and have enjoyed and benefited from so many of the discussions... Many thanks All !

Behodar

11096 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6075

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#354477 21-Jul-2010 13:50

oxnsox: It would be interesting to know how many extra subscribers have been generated from this thread, AND how many have enabled (or disabled) adblockers??

In my case it came from a "demo" a few months ago (if I recall correctly, the top x posters were given a free month). The increased speed alone was worth it and I subscribed as soon as the freebie ran out.

Edit: Wow, it was way back in October! How time flies!

paragonOfGeek

95 posts

Master Geek

#354496 21-Jul-2010 14:46

I use Chrome

I went and got AdBlock because of those frackin annoying key word adverts. The picture and banner adverts don't worry me too much. But having to dodge my mouse around annoying keyword adverts is just plain annoying.

Although when I turned off the AdBlock they all showed up...then a few seconds later they are all gone again, the rest of the banner and picture adverts are still there. I'm a bit confused by that, I only turned off the blocker no other settings were changed.

Support the Pirate Party -

Also :)

dman

956 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 33

#354498 21-Jul-2010 15:06

Behodar:
oxnsox: It would be interesting to know how many extra subscribers have been generated from this thread, AND how many have enabled (or disabled) adblockers??

In my case it came from a "demo" a few months ago (if I recall correctly, the top x posters were given a free month). The increased speed alone was worth it and I subscribed as soon as the freebie ran out.

Edit: Wow, it was way back in October! How time flies!

I'd highly highly recommend doing this, even extending it to everybody.

Reason why, dating sites is one of the few subscriber models out there which seem to work on the internet (arguably.... POF is an example of how you do not at all need subscribers to get very very rich). And a lot of them offer a "free" subscription, under certain conditions such as: only the first 6 months after you register is "free subscriber", or only on a particular week of the year (such as the anniversary of the site, when it applies to *everybody* who is registered).

It is a serious idea to consider. I fully bet you will get a lot more conversions to subscribers. Even if you take a very very very restricted version of this, such as:

a) the first time a person logs in ever with their account they see everything a subscriber would, the second and subsequent times it is all back to "normal" until they decide to subscribe.

b) have one day a year (such as GZ's birthday?) when everybody gets to be a subscriber for the day, if you promote this via an email to everybody I'm sure you will get lots and lots of people logging in just to see what it is like (and thus a certain percentage of them will be converting to become subscribers).

https://www.youtube.com/c/SoundSpeeding

MikeB4

MikeB4
18775 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 12766

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#354504 21-Jul-2010 15:25

I had never thought about subscribing or even considered the benefits .

What exactly are the benefits?

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

Mighty Ape

Shop now at Mighty Ape (affiliate link).

geekiegeek

2513 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 625
Inactive user

#354507 21-Jul-2010 15:37

I have used geekzone for a number of years now and am not a subscriber. I like others do not see the benifit. The ads dont bother me and I have never used an adblocker on any site.

I think you need to have something better on offer for subscribers - like only subscripbers can go to the geekzone meetups and only subscribers can enter comps etc. That way you are really looking after those who do subscribe and you have a big carrot for those who dont yet.

Xt1ncT

110 posts

Master Geek

#354510 21-Jul-2010 15:42

geekiegeek: I have used geekzone for a number of years now and am not a subscriber. I like others do not see the benifit. The ads dont bother me and I have never used an adblocker on any site.

I think you need to have something better on offer for subscribers - like only subscripbers can go to the geekzone meetups and only subscribers can enter comps etc. That way you are really looking after those who do subscribe and you have a big carrot for those who dont yet.

This pretty much sums up my thoughts.

It's kind of the same issue newspapers etc are having. They gave away contents at the start of the internet boom, and are now complaining that their revenue is reduced etc.

I know it's on a smaller scale, but once you give stuff away it's hard to warrant a charge for the same content. Personally I see no benefit at all to having no ads, no benefit at all to subscriber only forums - pretty lonely place I'd imagine - the ads really don't bother me, I quite often click them when I see something that tickles my fancy.

I know it's only $6 or $7 a month but IMO there isn't enough for me to warrant that $6 or $7.

I also don't know what if anything would tempt me to subscribe. Subscriber only comps? Maybe, depends on what the prize is and how many of them there are.

www.insurancemarketnz.co.nz
For all your Insurance Needs

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
80652 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 41042

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#354511 21-Jul-2010 15:42

paragonOfGeek: I went and got AdBlock because of those frackin annoying key word adverts. The picture and banner adverts don't worry me too much. But having to dodge my mouse around annoying keyword adverts is just plain annoying.

Although when I turned off the AdBlock they all showed up...then a few seconds later they are all gone again, the rest of the banner and picture adverts are still there. I'm a bit confused by that, I only turned off the blocker no other settings were changed.

Are you talking about those green underline in text that shows a little bubble when you hover the mouse over the line? Those only show if you are not logged in. We don't show those ads to anyone logged in.

Referral links: Quic Broadband (free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE) | Samsung | AliExpress | Wise | Sharesies

Support Geekzone by subscribing (browse ads-free), or making a one-off or recurring donation through PressPatron.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
80652 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 41042

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#354512 21-Jul-2010 15:45

geekiegeek: I have used geekzone for a number of years now and am not a subscriber. I like others do not see the benifit. The ads dont bother me and I have never used an adblocker on any site.

The idea of this topic is not to ask people to subscribe, but to understand if people even consider it. If you visit Geekzone and don't block the ads, that's great too!

geekiegeek: I think you need to have something better on offer for subscribers - like only subscripbers can go to the geekzone meetups and only subscribers can enter comps etc. That way you are really looking after those who do subscribe and you have a big carrot for those who dont yet.

Hard... We can't run promotions to subscribers only, because that would imply "you need to purchase something to enter" and then competitions get to another level of control...

Referral links: Quic Broadband (free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE) | Samsung | AliExpress | Wise | Sharesies

Support Geekzone by subscribing (browse ads-free), or making a one-off or recurring donation through PressPatron.

Lias

5655 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3978

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#354521 21-Jul-2010 16:01

I dont pay simply because I'm actively opposed to paying for ANY product, content or service on the internet, and I dont see sufficent value to override that.

I'm a geek, a gamer, a dad, a Quic user, and an IT Professional. I have a full rack home lab, size 15 feet, an epic beard and Asperger's. I'm a bit of a Cypherpunk, who believes information wants to be free and the Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it. If you use my Quic signup you can also use the code R570394EKGIZ8 for free setup. Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

Dyson

Shop now for Dyson appliances (affiliate link).

dman

956 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 33

#354549 21-Jul-2010 17:04

Xt1ncT: I know it's only $6 or $7 a month but IMO there isn't enough for me to warrant that $6 or $7.

I also don't know what if anything would tempt me to subscribe. Subscriber only comps? Maybe, depends on what the prize is and how many of them there are.

freitasm has already answered this point, but I'd like to still chip in my 2c....

Once it becomes restricted to only subscribers it essentially becomes a lottery (which brings in a whole heap of fun rules from the government as freitasm pointed out), which personally I'm against so I wouldn't do it. Even though I understand they work very well... just see how successful Lotto is in NZ! However from an intellectual (moral?) perspective I'm against what is effectively a form of gambling, as you are essentially throwing your money away. (donating however... that is very different and a worthy cause. So long as it is up front about this being a donation, not a lottery).

https://www.youtube.com/c/SoundSpeeding

SCM

459 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 48

#354584 21-Jul-2010 18:51

I don't mind the adds and don't block them.
Sometimes if one is of interest, I will follow it.
Now and again I will open a couple simply to help support the network.

n00dy

482 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 3

Lifetime subscriber

#354589 21-Jul-2010 19:11

No Brainer, I dont like adds.
I also feel that this site is a wealth of information and support, nothing in this world is free and I feel that a small contribution reflects my support and gratitude for a site of this nature

Phaedrus

74 posts

Master Geek

#354602 21-Jul-2010 20:07

Ordinarily I'd not get involved in a 'political' thread, which in a sense is what this is. However I think Mauricio is reasonably asking for some information that may assist him in continuing or improving GZ so I'll make an exception to my rule ;-)

I am getting on a bit and have over many years built up a bit of knowledge, nothing like some people here, but it's fairly broad and at a reasonable depth. Over these years many people have helped me gain this experience and have demonstrated to me the very valuable contribution they make to society when they've assisted people to do things, or more importantly to learn how to do things. For some time I've felt that I also could contribute something to various communities and help others as I have been helped. Thus, in general, I try to be a nett giver than taker of resource. Essentially this is my raison d'être for being here although I will from time to time ask for someone elses experience or input into something I'd like to know.

So to a large extent I consider that I contribute something more valuable than money - time and knowledge - to this and a number of other forums.

I have been around long enough to recall the days of BBS's, to be a user and contributer to the 'internet' when there was no public access and when the idea of advertising on what was seen as purely a knowledge forum was an anathema. It's perhaps a fairly academic view - sharing of knowledge - and I expect many people today would be puzzled as to the model that the internet was in those days but to me it was probably a better experience in many ways than it is now. Certainly the level of noise was much less and if you searched for something it usually returned the sort of answer you were looking for, rather than someone merely advertising a commercial product

.

Additionally I am a 'puller' of information and do not take well to it being 'pushed' on to me. If I wish to purchase a widget for performing a task I'll research what's available and make a decision based on what I find. Frankly adverts piss me off, they cost me money (bandwidth, time), they annoy my eyes+brain and because I am what I am I will never purchase anything on a whim so there's simply no point in being pissed off and out of pocket when I get no benefit, so yes I use adblock.

Furthermore I'm going to say that I am faintly annoyed when it's implied that I'm some sort of pariah because I use adblock. I'm here to contribute to the general body of knowledge, and/or to assist someone in solving a problem etc, just as the internet used to be. If a person chooses to offer a 'free' forum whereby people can ask for and receive advice, be interested or amused by it, or otherwise entertained then so be it. That's a choice made by that person or persons. If they choose to make some money or otherwise offset costs by including adverts then so bet it. But if I choose to avoid being pissed off by something that I don't need then, also, so be it. In other words if there was no way to contribute to GZ without being assaulted by advertising then I probably wouldn't be here. I feel as if I should apologise but I'm not going to because that would suggest that I'm guilty of something. A particular business model has been chosen by Mauricio and it's entirely within his hands to change that to suit, including making subscription compulsory for example.

With regard to subscribing; if a site owner offers a 'free' forum and/or a 'paid' forum then that's fine too - it's their site. But to me unless there's a really compelling reason - in my case - then I'm not going to pay additional money (I'm already paying for bandwidth) to contribute. If I were a nett consumer of resource then I think I'd feel differently (at least I'd feel guilty!) but I don't view my interaction that way**. Mind you perhaps others think my occasional post is complete rubbish in which case I'll just shut up and slink of with the proverbial tail between legs...

As an aside I don't watch a television machine as a rule but if I do I find the advertisment interludes useful to do other things - or I mute/turn off, much as adblock does. I throw out 'inserts' in newspapers and magazines, and I will only seek out useful articles if I read the aforesaid newspapers/magazines.

So I guess to me I'd view GZ here as a network of people sharing a common neighbourhood. Much as I wouldn't ask for money if I helped a neighbour do a job on their property, I wouldn't ask for it here. Likewise while I may offer to pay a neighbour for helping me, I don't really expect them to take me up on that offer and nor would I expect them to be badgering me to purchase their goods or services everytime I talked to them, it's poor form.

Of course there's many other views I'm sure. I present mine not for debate thanks, but because it was asked for. If you think I'm a grumpy old b'stard you're probably right. If you think I don't appreciate Mauricio's contribution to the many people that pass by here then you're completely wrong.

P.

*It interests me the number of people that appear to be here simply for free advice, who are always asking and never giving...

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8