What about "sub-renting" space on IW? I'd like to start a forum area, but really don't want to go through everything involved in starting one up. Would this be possible? I'm really into Yu-Gi-Oh and would like to have an area somewhere. I could definitely help you with the costs of the bandwidth if this is acceptable.

I can't be sure if this has already been suggested or not... since I'm at work and was just skimming over the thread instead of reading it very thoroughly... but how about this:

Instead of making the site require a fee just to access it, continue to have it be free, but for free memberships discontinue the pics in the signatures and the fun text effects, if that's possible. Only allow that stuff for paid members, which is optional, of course, and allow paid members all the fun benefits of pics and profiles and somehow make a noticable (sp?) difference between paid and nonpaid members... Still allowing everyone access to the site, but for the people who can afford memberships, allow some perks to encourage more people to sign up. You know, make 'em wanna and make it worth their money, while not doing anything that makes the site more expensive to maintain. Maybe even a newsletter or something.

Like you could have limited # of posts per day for nonpaid members... and their avatars could be good natured jokes that are 'bad' versions of the paid avatars... like gully dwarves and slimes and jellies and crosseyed donkey and midget orc woman with a limp... Nothing insulting, but still... Maybe even disable colored text for nonpaid members. Noticable differences to encourage people to pay and sign up to support the site and get all the perks they took for granted before.

Honestly I'm kinda clueless since this is the only forum I really read... which in itself says something about how good the forum is. But is any of this possible? And is it even a good idea at all?

And I never knew Xen was only 15... he seems much older. *cheers to xen*

[ 03-31-2003, 11:13 PM: Message edited by: 605 ]

<font color=plum>Unfortunately, <font color=white>605</font>, that would create a very noticeable "caste system" and was at the heart of the controversy I mentioned before. You mentioned that didn't know <font color=silver>Xen</font> was only 15 years old. That's because there are NO distinctions made between the members based on their age, social status, or any other demographic. Here at <font color=yellow>Ironworks</font>, EVERYBODY is equal. If we were to only allow "restricted access" to "non-paying members"...that would eliminate the very quality that has made <font color=yellow>Ironworks</font> so successful.

Last year, the suggestion was made to allow "contributing members" to have a special avatar. Just that minor "recognition factor" caused over 5 pages of very heated debate. While I didn't see anything wrong with something that minor (at the time), I've come to realize that those who opposed it are right. <font color=yellow>Ironworks</font> is a true "melting pot" where every single member is just as important as every other member. Our members include young teenagers, college students, married people, single parents, professional artists and at least one member who has a net worth of over 1,000,000. But unless a member chose to divulge which group they belong to, you would never know (I will tell you that I'm NOT the millionaire [img]graemlins/dropatear.gif[/img] ). That's what makes this forum the best one on the internet. [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] </font>

[ 03-31-2003, 11:37 PM: Message edited by: Cerek the Barbaric ]

I suggested this back in november: just not this clear

Ironworks membership $1.00 per month

or six month membership $5.00 (thats a free month every 6)

Visitors can look but not post free.

If only 500 people sent in $5.00 every
6 months thats $2,500.00 or 6 months of
Ironworks paid including $1,000.00 left
for Mr.TAX Man.
I,m sure that the kiddies could stick a
dollar bill in an envelope every now and
then to Buy a month worth of posts, heck
they spend more than that on a candy bar.

Ironworks is good clean fun for the old
and the young.
The Kiddies should get Mom and Dad to check
the site out and read the rules here to see
that this is worth the few Bucks every 6 months.

I hope this Idea Helps! It keeps the price down
and that should keep the membership up, with
11,000 members all we need is 5% of them to buy
the 6 month membership and Ziroc will be doing great
as far as the site anyway the car and house payment
may take a few more members.

Not yet. So far we need $200. We got a donation last night that got us $60. We haven't gotten any donations since yesterday.

We have 6 days left till the bills are due. And our property taxes are due soon. I will take the car in for fixing Friday. I just hope it's nothing major. We need a bit more this Month for those reasons, normally, it's less.

We are close! $200 left to go, and we're fine!
Thanks to all that have helped out!!!

<font color=plum>First of all, I would never call you stupid. ;)

Secondly, you are right that we don't need a "formal arrangement" for those wishing to donate. But it WOULD help to know exactly how much <font color=yellow>Ziroc</font> needs on a monthly basis and it would be nice to see a permanent "yardstick" showing us how close we are each month. This could also prevent him from ever having to make another post like this because then ALL the members could see "at a glance" how we were doing each month.

It's obvious that several members are willing to donate on a monthly basis, but as Dan mentioned, only TWO had done so this month (until he Posted this thread - I'm sure that's changed now). With a "yardstick" in place, everybody would have already known that donations were way down this month and could have started contributing earlier. Also, it might be useful for members who want to donate, but can't do it on a regular basis. If they saw we were "falling behind" one month, that might give them a chance to chip in - instead of thinking that it was automatically covered each month.</font>

Ziroc,

Let me be blunt. If you can give a ballpark number of how much it costs to keep the IW site up per month, I (and I'm sure others) will help. Are we talking $260 per month, as your post seems to indicate? Are we talking $500 per month? $1000? Some other number?

Once an idea of the needed goal is known, it's much easier to rally behind it. I'm willing to do my share, but frankly, I haven't (yet) this time, partly because I don't know how much of the load I'd be shouldering. It's not that I'm against helping, because I'm not; I just want more information.

I do sense that making this known might be a bit frustrating or personal. If that's the case, please feel free to email me at my profile address, and ask me to keep it under my hat. I will easily do that.

Please let me know. I'd love to help. Really. In fact, I'll go throw a ten-spot at it as a sign of good faith.

*B*
Minister, etc.

<font color=steelblue> I have to agree Bungleau here. While I have already gave my 20 bucks (wish it could be more, rent and all ;) ) It would be very nice to know the amount we are talking. I like Cereks "yardstick" idea. Kinda like a blood drive thermomitor. Annonomys would be appropriate for those who have donated or wished to. </font>

There is a problem with this - and that is that there plenty of us who cannot afford $1 a month, or whos parents would not allow it.

I don't mind people knowing a few personal details about my life, so here goes. I lost my job back in December last year, and I'm having trouble finding a new one. I am not entitled to benefits or welfare of any kind. I have NO income. $1 is a lot to someone who scrabbles about down the back of their couch trying to find enough small change to go out and buy a carton of milk. At the moment the internet is my lifeline - I would quite simply go insane without it, since I can't afford to go anywhere or do anything. I am in debt up to my eyeballs, and quite frankly life is a bit of a nightmare at the moment. Even when I find work I will probably spend months paying off debts, because friends and family have been good enough to pay my mortgage to stop me becoming homeless.

The internet is pretty much the only thing I can do for free, talk to people, get stuff of my chest. A compulsory subscription would not be possible for me to pay. When you have $1 to spare it's easy to think that it's not much money - but I get excited if I find 5p on the pavement. So please please do not go down the road of compulsory subscriptions! We have members here with good jobs who can maybe afford to donate monthly, but it should be optional. When I get a job, I will donate, but I can't afford it right now :(

(Oh and by the way, in case anyone thinks I've lost the plot cos they remember me talking about buying clothes in Cloudy's Cafe, and thinking I can't be that strapped for cash - the clothes are a birthday prezzie from my mum ;) )

I hate my parents right now, cos they wouldn't let me help.
Kil.....