New Chat Room!

[Fastd]

Phil,

 

All i am saying that it is odd apart of the site is limited to paying members when the rest is free. I do believe that even the members area is free but by invite only.

 

A chat room on a forum is a bad idea IMHO..why because ever sentence on live chat is one less post. and surely a forum thrives on its posts.

 

The whole purpose of the orginal post was to voice my opinion and also see if management had any comment. Newt has said his piece and it seems it is up to one person to answer this in a definative manor. i have quoted from elton from a sticky but until he says his bit we will have to see.

 

I said from sentence one that this would be controversial. its not a campaign of mine just a constructive criticism.

 

Dave

[*Ant*]

Is it mi-newt?

 

Come on folks, that was damn funny and more than a little clever............well I thought it was.

[Guest Jan V]

Come on folks, that was damn funny and more than a little clever............well I thought it was.

Yes, Ant, quite funny. I was so busy rolling on the floor laughing I couldn't get back to my keyboard.

[*Ant*]

Blimey, I have to work hard on these ya know!

[Guest Jan V]

Blimey, I have to work hard on these ya know!

I had heard that about you -

[Newt]

Is it mi-newt?

 

You shoulda said , " Is it m-eye-newt". I miss-pronounced it in my head as written and just decided you were a taco short of a full plate tonight.

 

Now that I see how to say it, it is certainly funny/clever.

 

Doncha love how you can kill a joke by over-talking it?

[Guest NickInTheNorth]

If you take a look in your 'My Controls' section, you'll see that I have (hopefully!) added three further subscription levels.

 

THERE IS NO NEED TO SUBSCRIBE TO ONE OF THESE IF YOU ARE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE FROM THE FORUMS, GALLERY AND BLOG SYSTEM.

Well Dave, maybe you should read the quote you put in. "WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE FROM THE FORUMS, GALLERY AND BLOG SYSTEM"

 

The live chat area would appear to be intended as extra functionality for those that want to use it, by way of a bonus for those that choose to give a little financial support for the site.

 

From your first post:

 

Surely everyone who takes the time to register on a forum wants to talk to or make their comments known to eevry other registered member on that forum

 

That is what the forums are for. The chat room is for chat, ramblings of a drunken mind etc. The forums record your thoughts for posterity. They are a resource than can be refered back to in the future, that surely is where your pearls of wisdom should be placed. The chat room surely is just like meeting your mates down the pub and chatting...

 

I think you are missing the point here. Its not that I wont pay....Its that others wont!

The others don't seem to be complaining!

 

There is no logical reason for this division, and surely if the chat room is such a brilliant addition I can only assume its full now, but then assuming I was a newcomer I would want to check out the live chat, but I cant cos I dont pay..so newcomer sticks to msn!

 

The logical reason I would imagine is to give a little extra to those that choose to contibute! As a newcomer you can check out the live chat, you just need to pay £2 per month to do so. The lack of a chat room doesn't seem to have stopped over 5000 people registering over the years!!

 

Surely if this is such a major step forward towards making AN the ultimate anglers source of info...

In my opinion AnglersNet is already the ultimate source of info on the web for anglers. The chat room is for CHAT, not to make AN the ultimate source of info.

...is stopping potential new paying members seeing what they can get.

 

All that you get for your money is a warm feeling inside for knowing that you have paid something towards your own pleasure. If Elton chooses to give extra facilities to those who choose to support the site then surely that is up to him?

 

If you had a shop selling a popular product would you stop customers who walk into that shop from the street from going to an area of that shop because they had not been in your before? its like saying that only 10% of the people coming into that shop can see a certain area.

Way back when I was involved in running a nightclub we had a VIP lounge (as did most others that I knew). You certainly didn't need to be very important to gain access, you simply had to pay a little extra. You heard the same music, you drank the same beer, ate the same food, even got to ogle the same staff. All you got for your money was somewhere a little less crowded to hang out. I think that is a closer metaphor than a shop that only allows certain people into part of it. (And I know some shops that only allow people into their inner sanctums by invite!)

 

...descriminating against new and potential members by limiting access to what could become a very active area of the forum as i am a great believer in live chat as oposed to forum discussions

 

No discrimination at all. Everyone can pay and access the chat room. Dave if you so love live chat why not pay your money...

 

I do believe that even the members area is free but by invite only.

 

????????

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[M.P]

I think what Dave is trying to say is, newcomers should be able to have a test drive before they decide whether they want to pay.

 

Maybe they could enter as a guest and take a backseat for a week, read but not write, or listen but not talk. After one week, they join if they like it, or get logged out if they don't pay/join.

 

Personally I'm not a member, but the option is there should i want it and i fully support Elton in making it a paying membership.

Edited December 9, 2005 by M.P

[Guest Finepix]

I think what Dave is trying to say is, newcomers should be able to have a test drive before they decide whether they want to pay.

 

Maybe they could enter as a guest and take a backseat for a week, read but not write, or listen but not talk. After one week, they join if they like it, or get logged out if they don't pay/join.

 

Personally I'm not a member, but the option is there should i want it and i fully support Elton in making it a paying membership.

 

You are a member, you have just decided (at the moment) to not contribute to the AN site.

 

'The subscription levels were added for those who want more storage and, also, for those who have said in the past that I should set up a system whereby they can contribute to the costs here.'

 

The fact that the chat site is part of this package is irrelevant (in my opinion).

 

[Elton]

In answer to the original question, three reasons:

 

1. I added the chat room recently and it cost me an extra $281.96 on top of the $300 that I'd just paid for the forum software.

 

2. I don't think chatrooms work when they are too busy. Just my opinion - could be wrong. Also, paid members have to use PayPal/NoChex and should, therefore, be over 18. Minors in chatrooms is something that is often covered by the press over here, and a potential minefield.

 

3. As mentioned before, my intention is to offer more than ever for free (which nobody can deny that this new board software does), whilst finding ways of adding more to those who wish to contribute something willingly. It's not as if I've suddenly started charging anyone for something that I had already been giving them for free.

 

Hope that covers it. Don't mind asking questions like that, which was genuine and asked in good spirit.

 

atb,

 

Elton