I need to raise $$$ for bandwidth and ....

[Ferratus]

We can just get a meaningless banner, and/or a pay per click, and have people look at it once in a while. 7000 people will easily get some $$$ along the way.

[Larry_OHF]

That was a great idea to pay for a personal avatar, such as a real picture of that user or a picture that they have picked out for themselves. I don't think that would constitute paying for higher ranks...because it would not be a rank...it would be a personlized image of oneself. I'd pay $10.00 right now if Ziroc could place that picture Wolfgir helped me with onto my account (The Modding Mage). Another idea would be to pay for a certain series...like, I would pay to have a Star Wars Avatar, as opposed to a Lord of the Rings Avatar, or Harry Potter Avatar. You get what I am saying? The people that cannot afford it gets a free avatar from Ziroc that changes as thier post count rises. But then let's say I wanna buy a special avatar...not rank...then, I would get a Darth Maul Avatar instead of the defaulted one...uhhh Drizzt Avatar. You follow me? That would not be ranking myself above another, it would be having the power to personalize my account.

Uh, whats a Bandwith?

[Galadria]

Larry, that is exactly what I mean. It would actually discourage spamming, if your avatar would never change. I would gladly pay to have the game portrait of Imoen(BGII) or Viconia as my avatar. Cloudy, do see my point, I understand what you are saying, but Z has a problem and I am trying to get a way to encourage people to pay, and there is nothing like visible little things like that to encourage them. As Napoleon said when someone asked him why the Grand Armee had so many orders, titles, etc, "It is by such baubles that men are led."

[Aelia Jusa]

Originally posted by Lord Shield: a sponsored cross-dressing marathon by IW members Go, Neb, Go!

ROFL!! [img]graemlins/troutslap.gif[/img]

I agree with Cloudy, having special membership would be unfair to people who can't afford to pay, or are too young still. A banner wouldn't be any trouble at all - I've often wondered why we didn't have one; pop-ups no way, but a banner is nothing. Although I agree with you about the casino banner, Ziroc. I used to always click on the banners on the IW website when that was my bookmark, but never when they were casino ones.

[Lord of Alcohol]

I have donated in the past to IW. Right now I'm struggling to make my bills in a big way.There are some who could not be a "Full" member due to being young or being broke. If IW EVER has an "Elite" class due to paying a certain amount for extra privelages I will never visit this site again. There should not be ANY elite class on IW. NEVER!!!!!!!
I once signed up for an online game called Gemstone. When I found out there was a two-tiered system of the haves and the have-nots I IMMEDIATLY cancelled before even generating a character. Its a load of shit.

[Epona]

Well I'm dead against having something special for those who can afford to pay. I'm poor, I live with that fact every f*cking day, I don't need to be reminded of it every time I come here - I come here to escape, don't need to be reminded here that I have no f*cking money.

I wouldn't mind a banner and I'd click on it to get Z. money for bandwidth, but popups are shitty.

[Epona]

Originally posted by Lord of Alcohol: I have donated in the past to IW. Right now I'm struggling to make my bills in a big way.There are some who could not be a "Full" member due to being young or being broke. If IW EVER has an "Elite" class due to paying a certain amount for extra privelages I will never visit this site again. There should not be ANY elite class on IW. NEVER!!!!!!! I once signed up for an online game called Gemstone. When I found out there was a two-tiered system of the haves and the have-nots I IMMEDIATLY cancelled before even generating a character. Its a load of shit.

Hey, you beat me to it (just [img]tongue.gif[/img] ) but my sentiments exactly.

[Cloudbringer]

Originally posted by Larry_OHF: That was a great idea to pay for a personal avatar, such as a real picture of that user or a picture that they have picked out for themselves. I don't think that would constitute paying for higher ranks...because it would not be a rank...it would be a personlized image of oneself. I'd pay $10.00 right now if Ziroc could place that picture Wolfgir helped me with onto my account (The Modding Mage). Another idea would be to pay for a certain series...like, I would pay to have a Star Wars Avatar, as opposed to a Lord of the Rings Avatar, or Harry Potter Avatar. You get what I am saying? The people that cannot afford it gets a free avatar from Ziroc that changes as thier post count rises. But then let's say I wanna buy a special avatar...not rank...then, I would get a Darth Maul Avatar instead of the defaulted one...uhhh Drizzt Avatar. You follow me? That would not be ranking myself above another, it would be having the power to personalize my account.

Larry, that STILL means those with MONEY and ability to PAY get SPECIAL things that are EASILY VISIBLE and those without the money or ability to pay go without.... pretty easy to tell how THEY will feel, don't you think? I find that to be conducive to members being jealous of those with the ability to pay and it would be exclusioanry when you have a large part of the membership who CANNOT do it! What do we tell those kids who don't "have the power to personalize" their accounts and start whining to Z that they want the same thing? And is Z supposed to do that work setting 'custom avatars'up for everyone who dontates? That has the potential to be a lot of people if it catches on.

Let me get this straight... is anyone saying that you think that 'privilege' is why people would donate? I'd like to think some of us just want better service and a more stable IW and not perks... [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I've seen the 'custom title' thing before and it may not be exactly the same as a custom avatar but it has the same effect. On the boards where I have seen the 'custom titles' the members can have ANY avatar they want and it is NOT linked to their rank so it's ok. BUT the titles are bestowed by administration and people routinely whine and cajole and beg for different ones than they have OR beg and whine just to HAVE one because they feel so left out when only pals of the admin have them. THAT is what I think the younger members who can't pay would end up doing as well as new ones who just see that SOME people have the privilege and others don't.

I would much rather have the ads if it comes down to us needing more money than is donated.

PS: Galadria I do understand and if we were all more or less 'equal' in that we could all CHOOSE whether or not to do it, I'd be fine with it, but we aren't. Suppose your kids came home from school one day and said only kids whose moms could sculpt a portrait bust of Napoleon in marble or granite would be allowed to have lockers and the rest had to carry their packs around all day and leave them on the floor in the hallway during gym class while the privileged ones could lock their belongings up? Silly example (LOL I'm tired!) but similar feelings generated.. the HAVES versus the Have NOTS and it makes me very uncomfortable on a website... life is like that for alot of us already, why have our favorite PLAY and RELAX place turned into a place where some have anxiety over their inability to help out monetarily or to reap the benefits? Do keep in mind that some kids were very willing to help but had no means of paying or sustaining long term donations. But they support IW by word of mouth and inviting friends, being friendly and interesting and cheery in posting! There are MANY ways to contribute to the betterment of the site in addition to paying.. why give special perks only to those who PAY? Again, nothing at ALL against you or anyone who liked the idea. [img]smile.gif[/img] In other circumstances it's not a bad idea at all.

[ 05-07-2002, 10:33 PM: Message edited by: Cloudbringer ]

[Epona]

THANK YOU CLOUDY! You said what I was thinking but more ably and without the profanity.

I HATE the idea of privileged ranks. Go on, screw me, I have no money. Make it obvious, so people will think I'm a tight-assed bitch when they see I don't have a special rank.