Should a membership fee be implemented?

I think it should be free, although 5 bucks isn't bad. Maybe you could add a little donation panel to remind me to donate and an easy way to do so. Like where it says " Stubbe you haven't posted in a few weeks maybe you should offer some help or ask a question" except it would say "GIVE ME MONEY (if you have extra)

 

yea, I agree, A donation reminder post would be great. But If reasonable dues were required it could work, Altho I have seen some post where a member is on a tight budget. I would hate the board to loose members if dues were not paid on time.

 

:3gears: :3gears:

 

I say keep it free for chat but if you are selling stuff 5 bucks if its over 150.00 its 10 bucks or which ever works Good for the board in percent, now I know I shouldn't say this but its gonna Kill some of you cheap skates that think the depression is still on, and I have seen it here for many years o No: So make your Buick club and site strong build not only your car right but your club too if you know what I mean. :dollar: :dollar: :dollar: :dollar: :dollar: :dollar: :dollar: :dollar: :dollar: :dollar: :dollar: :dollar: :dollar: :dollar: :dollar: :dollar: :dollar: :dollar: :dollar: :

 

I love this ideal, hide "How much is the doggy in the window" Although it would reduce the amount of money the board gets for helping fund the site. By the way where do I send my money? Pay Pal?

Let me know.

 

Just think if everyone did spend $5 right now,with the current amount of members we have, that would give the board around $78,485.00

I say everyone should look through junk cars for the extra change if they can't afford it. I use to do that when I was younger.

 

Gotta throw my .02 in. I sent in a donation this year because I believe this site is an amazing resource. It's much better than any other car related forum I've been to and I've been going to them for almost 12 years now.

I would like to see it stay free for six months, then if a person chooses to stick around it would be a $5-10 fee. I see nothing wrong with that and it would raise plenty of money even if only a tenth of the members stuck around.

 

Hay Jarrod I still look for loose change when I am at the Bone Yard I have a small wood Treasure Chest in the Garage that says Buick Treasure on the front its all old money but its still Good, and one 10K Gold wedding band all wore out :grin: :TU:

 

keep it fee free
cost of ga$ is hard enough to swalllow

 

I've been around BBS systems for over 20 years and without exception:

Paid membership = no membership. Every. Single. Time. As has been pointed out, the GSCA tried this in 2002 and lost out big time. The best boards vote on ideas, have fair and even handed moderator policies, live by donations, and have a great team keeping things going.

Here's a simple idea that has worked for various BBS's int he past: a donation drive. Post up a couple stickies up in the Bench with the operating budget for the year and ASK folks to donate.

...it's a safe bet that you'd polish off the budget with donations in less than a month.

Don't mess with a winning formula...

 

i too also believe that a paid membership = no member .

 

i just recieved my light bill and had to use my spare change to pay that. I love this site and it is worth much more than 5$ a year but being on a fixed income I find it difficult. When I make some spare money i will send 5$ for myself, and 5$ for someone else that can't afford it. Thanks for a GREAT site!!!

Keith

 

$5 is just over a gallon and a half gas
with gas so high, and other things I have to keep what $$ I have for now

 

It really does come down to priorities. With all due respect to Leviathan there are many BBSs that are paid and thriving. Different market I know, but it's a fact.

Having said that, I have my own spending issues so I don't want to sound condescending by any means but if you want to pay for something you'll find a way. For example, a pack of cigarettes is around $5. As a former cigarette smoker I can tell you I've saved thousands of dollars over the years since I quit. Not to mention the health factors. Another area for me is a 12 pack of pop is around $4. Four of those a month (roughly) and I'm looking at $16 I could send the board. Even worse, the cigar I had just the day before yesterday was a $5 cigar. There's another five bucks that could have gone to the board. To make things worse, I spent almost $150 on saddlebags for my new bike a week ago on top of almost $200 on a used windshield and new brackets. The money I spent on Murphy in shipping on parts alone would have given the board a boost!

C'mon guys, if we're going to be serious about it there are MANY places we can get five or ten bucks to send in and we wouldn't miss it. Even those on limited incomes. I've been there too, I know how rough it is. Priorities are a tough thing to deal with but it's all about our needs vs. wants. I won't make any friends by saying this but if one truly wants to support something they'll sacrifice elsewhere to do it.

 

Jim gui_tarzan Thanks I can't believe someone thinks like me :gp:

 

The fact don't agree I'm afraid. There are lots of paid clubs like the BPG, but where are the paid discussion forums for those types of cars? Here's what some quick searching turns up...

www.corvetteforum.com - 155,953 members, 1554815 articles
www.ferrarichat.com - 44,053 members, 2,759,928 articles
www.benzworld.org - 102,715 members, 1508973 articles
www.mustangforums.com - 69271 members, 3333953 articles
www.mercedesforum.com - 22903 members, 76408 articles
www.z28.com - 20223 members, 250000+ articles
www.turbobuick.com - 18286 members, 80000+ articles
www.mx-6.com - 18837 members, 90000+ articles
www.camaroforums.com - 8237 members, 86012 articles
www.germanautoforums.com - 4067 members, 11560 articles
www.maliburacing.com - 4063 members, 114613 articles
www.amx-perience.com - 1495 members, 2,522 articles

All for free... I can't find any thriving sites with paid membership. Nothing even matches 25% of the membership numbers and postings for the free sites. The closest one I found is on Ferrarichat.com which has a paid area in addition to the free zones - and that has not been used is 75+ days and has less than 5% of their postings! All the above sites live off of donations, or banner ads. The *facts* show that the majority of forum sites on the web survive better as free knowledge bases.

Another fact that is far more important: in 2002, the top Buick board (The GSCA one) went pay and membership dried up. A couple months later when the free v8Buick.com was born and grew overnight with a lot of former GSCA members as the first sign ons. I really do not want to see the same mistake made at v8buick.com

Seriously, go pay and you'll hurt, cripple, or kill the site. Don't get me wrong here I agree with Jim that it is EASY to find the $5, but a membership fee has been proven to be a bad way to get it. There is a better way:

Put up a sticky in the bench, - a donation drive and watch the $$$ roll in. Remind folks and they are happy to find the $5 Jim is talking about, but if you force them to pay for it the cash and the membership suddenly dries up. Been there, seen that, joined v8buick.com after it happened...

 

didnt read through all the replys but i vote against the member fee, but rather have a 5 dollor option to get rid of the ads for x amount of months? and ofcource the regular donation..but make it more like a donation drive every month and maybe compare the cost of bandwidth that mont to the amount donated that month?

 

I'll say it again...
Merchandise.

 

could ask for donations of items to auction off for the needed money

 

There are enough members of this site that actually care about its operation that I dont believe imposing a fee is necessary at all. Just bringing up the subject of the cost of this site sends a flood of donations to the guy's that run it. It really says alot about what kind of people buick owners are.:TU: