What are your thoughts on an ATS membership Fee?

I got the idea for this thread from a brand new member, something they said. What they said was irrelevant, but a spark jumped in my feeble mind, crossed with a few ATS beefs I have, and thus this thread is here for you to comment on.

I have three beefs to complain about:

1. The pic uploader.
2. The chat.
3. No online store.

I researched a bit about why ATS doesn't charge for membership. I found THIS.

That's from 2004. Times change, and so should ATS.

Sure, the owners are proud, and put a paypal link every now and then, when the bills were tight. They got through, obviously. I'm not asking them to beg for money, simply stipulate a modest fee for Premium access.

Premium is also a bad word. I would however, pay a yearly membership fee, not a monthly one (too many monthly bills as is), if it was reasonable.

I am also a member of another online social site, where you can "gift" a membership to another person. That rules out someone not being able to afford the modest fee for a yearly membership.

A membership fee would weed out a lot of trolls, they could use basic services, but serious members would be able to spot them, and that would filter out a lot of unwanted content.

Back to my beefs:

1. The pic uploader/mediacenter temporary fix has ZERO features. You can upload, PERIOD. Argh! I have uploaded duplicates by accident, and I have this huge wall of pics, no way to organize or delete them. Sure it's in BETA, but why for so long?

2. The chat solution is another temporary fix, implemented during the last ATS game. SO said it was costly, and I believe him, but there is no capability to create any rooms. That should be fixed by now. Security issues, eh? Somewhere in this post I will use the word "Embarrassing", but not yet. No Argh! on that feature, as I rarely chat.

3. The ATS gear store. Another member gave me a link to a place where I can buy ATS gear, (I want a t-shirt to wear to work), but it's in the UK. Argh! Overseas shipping? Really? Why can't we have a choice to buy local or for overseas members, to buy local? Make sense?

I do realize the owners of this site are a proud group, make enough on advertising to pay the bills, have seven servers to pay for, and yet I see semi-implemented fixes that only patch things up, on a temporary basis.

Why not fix things, the right way. Why not make ATS shine, and have a flawless site?

Money. It costs to make things run smooth.

Even if the membership fee was optional, at 10 USD per person, and 5000 members that'd be 50,000 in instant revenue, aside from what rolls in from advertising. That's yearly. I'd pay ten USD a year to be a "premium" member here. If it got my aforementioned beefs fixed right.

I suppose I'm done ranting, so what are your thoughts?

In today's economic climate? All I can say is.. good luck with that.

reply to post by Druid42


A membership for a forum? that doesn't sound like a good idea, this site is good as is (minus the small problems)

reply to post by Nobama


Awesome, with a few minor flaws. Yah, gotcha. You obviously don't have OCD.

here is one for you to ponder, cointelpro have a huge budget, the average online forum poster may not, would you like to hear bias opinions from those who can afford it or everyones opinion?

reply to post by Druid42

[color=dodgerblue]
I don't have OCD.

I have CDO.

It's like OCD but it's in alphabetical order, just as it should be (:

On topic: I don't know that people would pay for it.. I know I wouldn't.

Are you kidding?

I feel like I should be paid to post here lol...

Can I get a low income discount?

The other site that I won't mention had "premium" services, such as extra upload space, etc. Everyone could be a member, and participate, and "premium" was an OPTION. That's why I stated 5000 members, who'd want to go premium. I would be one of them, and I'd give ATS a bit of extra revenue. To fix the broken stuff. The right way.

So say only 2000 people join, that's still an optional 20,000. The guys who run the show know the numbers. Aye?

No paypal link required, no begging. All voluntary. Yeah, I'd skip a six pack of my Doghead Ale to join premium for a year.

They get some money.
Not from members,but from advertisers.
Haven't you noticed?

reply to post by daryllyn


Too funny. CDO.

Thanks for chiming in.

reply to post by Druid42


[color=dodgerblue]I agree with your complaints though.

I would definitely like to see some changes made.

reply to post by kdog1982


Yea, but how about a much needed infusion during bad economic times to fix the broken things? Member supported.

Have you never dropped changed into the Salvation Army's bell ringer's tripod thingy? I have. A little adds up.

reply to post by daryllyn


Ah, so complaints coincide, but you are willing to tolerate them if it's free?

Gotcha.

I wouldn't pay, couldn't afford to, so I'll say no to that!

reply to post by Druid42


[color=dodgerblue]I am a college student with very low income and two little boys.

So. Free? Yep. Free is good.

Are you talking about $10.00 per year or month?

I don't think ATS has revenue problems.

Should Facebook have a membership fee or are they doing fine?

Originally posted by Druid42
reply to post by kdog1982

 

Yea, but how about a much needed infusion during bad economic times to fix the broken things? Member supported.

Have you never dropped changed into the Salvation Army's bell ringer's tripod thingy? I have. A little adds up.

Yes,I contribute to charity.
This is not charity.
This is a member,consumer driven message board where advertisers are permitted to advertise in exchange for money for the privilege to do so.
Just look at the bottom of this page and click on advertisers or site statistics,and so on..

well you're after honest feedback, so i'll be honest. Do you realise how many conspiracy theories it would create, with ATS asking for membership fees? I can see it now:

"NOW I KNO WERE DA CIA GETS DA BLAK OPZ FUNDZ"

"ATS - it's like an ATM, except it takes money away"..

This place will get by, i don't see a need for memberships on this type of forum. Maybe a psych test before membership is granted, but other than that it's ok.

reply to post by daryllyn


So, wait, perhaps someone "gifts" you premium, then that's good, aye?

I understand your situation. You pay for internet, have a tight budget, so you take the internet as-is.

I've spent too many years programming to know it's fixable, and that ATS could run smoothly, with everything.