Changes to site subscriptions

[gcogger]

A seller will spend far more than $10 in fees on eBay......I think #4 should be in effect....at least for a seller. I can see letting buyers slide.

I'm not convinced that #4 will generate much, if any, revenue as I think most people these days would just go elsewhere rather than pay a measly $5 to sell on a forum!

I appear to be in the minority, though

 

[Brian Beezley]

3 is a really awesome feature. Maybe it needs to be better advertised as a perk.

I think it's pretty cool too. Not sure exactly how to advertise it though!

Side-by-side small images, left without EXIF, right with EXIF.

Brian

 

[LilSebastian]

This direction makes me very pleased Amin. Rather than try to bring more traffic, you are enabling the smaller but highly engaged members decide to share the responsibility of keeping this unique community going in the new world of limited ad revenue. Cost is what you pay, but value is what you get for the money and I believe there are many here who get way more value than even $10 per year.

Adding subscriber features over time can also entice those who don’t adopt early on, but your proposed differentiators are enough for me.

Thanks for being such a benevolent overlord of mu-43!

 

[LV426]

I am not sure if this would be a viable option: I suggest making this (terrific) site/forum subscription only access.

If everyone that uses this site pays $5 (or $10) annually would that keep revenue where it needs to be?
I know some will leave and not return, but I think a subscription only site would create a more solid social platform. I think every photographer that can afford a camera can afford $5 annually.

You could allow visitors to see the site but unable to post or respond to posts without being a member – except for Buy & Sell purchasing. This would allow non-subscribing visitors to research details of gear and other users m43 experiences, and seeing the benefits of the MU-43 site
It may even reduce the amount of m43 haters and trolls that only look to bash the system or users (because they can't get good results from it) haha.

This would eliminate the need for #4, I would prefer no ads (#5), but if you need them to stay afloat so be it.

 

[ijm5012]

I'm not convinced that #4 will generate much, if any, revenue as I think most people these days would just go elsewhere rather than pay a measly $5 to sell on a forum!

I appear to be in the minority, though

What other forum would you go to to sell m43 gear? DPR buy & sell is a disaster (the software of that site is terrible IMO). FredMiranda is active, but requires you to pay to sell. eBay charges a 10% fee which ends up being much more than $10.

If you want to sell m43 equipment, this is likely the best place on the web to do so, as you have a pretty large user-base dedicated to the system. Paying $10 even if you sell one item all year is worth it IMO when you compare it against FM.com, eBay, etc.

 

[Amin]

I am not sure if this would be a viable option: I suggest making this (terrific) site/forum subscription only access.

I appreciate the suggestion, but I will never do that. For one thing, I think it would kill the site. Regardless of whether I am right about that, I've given my word that I would never do it, so I will never do it.

 

[foxtail1]

I'm very happy to increase my annual subscription from $5 to $10, if I can figure out how to do it. Amin, would I do that through Paypal or here?

 

[Amin]

Paying $10 even if you sell one item all year is worth it IMO when you compare it against FM.com, eBay, etc.

It would be $5, not $10, if the goal is to sell some stuff (for up to a month). A lot cheaper than FM or Ebay.

It would also give me some motivation to make the Buy & Sell more fully featured, a la FM.

 

[Amin]

I'm very happy to increase my annual subscription from $5 to $10, if I can figure out how to do it. Amin, would I do that through Paypal or here?

Thanks so much, Kristi! The way to do it is:

1) Cancel any existing recurring payment to asabet@gmail or vsabet@gmail in your PayPal account:

Log in to your PayPal account

2) Start a new subscription:

https://www.mu-43.com/account/upgrades

I don't think it would add the time left on the previous sub to the new one. You could always cancel the current one now and re-sub when you notice that the existing sub has expired.

Thanks again for asking!

 

[protapic]

Like others have said, $10/year is a bargain and no brainer.

This direction makes me very pleased Amin. Rather than try to bring more traffic, you are enabling the smaller but highly engaged members decide to share the responsibility of keeping this unique community going in the new world of limited ad revenue. Cost is what you pay, but value is what you get for the money and I believe there are many here who get way more value than even $10 per year.

 

[bluzcity]

I wish there was a site designation on the paypal record. I subscribe on more than one forum and can't tell which site is which payment.

 

[Amin]

I wish there was a site designation on the paypal record.

I wish there was too. I occasionally get an email asking "Why did I just send you money?", and I never know what site it is for. I'll see if I can find a way to do that.

 

[Bytesmiths]

I was about to send you $100 for a lifetime subscription, until I saw, "Does not expire unless the site ceases to exist or is under different ownership."

Things like lifetime subscription benefits typically go in the "liabilities" section of the chart of accounts (along with debt and equity/stock ownership), and are passed on to new owners, who negotiate accordingly — assuming they look at your financial statements before buying.

I have a lifetime subscription to Mother Earth News that I paid $400 for, back in the 80's. I have to remind them now and then, but they have honoured that subscription through about a dozen ownership changes and re-organizations.

So I'd strongly encourage you to create a liability account/classification for lifetime subscriptions, and treat members who go the extra dollar accordingly.

I also believe the US Court system has ruled that "lifetime" refers to the lifetime of the subscriber, not to the lifetime of ownership! (Companies offering "lifetime" warranties were scamming consumers by "flipping" the ownership through dummy shell corporations, claiming that negated the lifetime warranty, not that you would ever do that… )

 

[bahamot]

I wish there was too. I occasionally get an email asking "Why did I just send you money?", and I never know what site it is for. I'll see if I can find a way to do that.

Quite clear on my PayPal email notification.

Edit:
But on second thought, this is the only forum I subscribe and set automatic payment

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[mike3996]

Good stuff. I personally am not going to sub but I wish I had some subscriber perk ideas to share :/

 

[Amin]

`

Mine showed "Virginia Sabet" with the appropriate eMail address.

Quite clear on my PayPal email notification.

I think what he meant is that it doesn't say the specific site name. Payments to Virginia (my wife) or to me could be for any one of my sites. Some members have subbed on more than one site.

 

[Christop82]

I do wish the subscription would cover your other forums. I don't see you be able to compete with FM buy/sell with such limited gear selection. I don't guess it's possible to link the buy/sell thread across each forum? Where a listing in one would appear in the others. Possible ?

 

[davidzvi]

Does #3 cost that much? Sure for a subscriber it's nice not to have to add the data. But for everyone else it's great to see the data. Just wondering.

 

[davidzvi]

I do wish the subscription would cover your other forums. I don't see you be able to compete with FM buy/sell with such limited gear selection. I don't guess it's possible to link the buy/sell thread across each forum? Where a listing in one would appear in the others. Possible ?

Over the years I've hit about 50/50 on here vs FM when selling my m4/3 gear.

 

[Christop82]

Over the years I've hit about 50/50 on here vs FM when selling my m4/3 gear.

This past year I haven't had any luck here selling. May be partly due to the declining resale of m43 gear.