How should we pay for CR???

[Casper]

Okay, this is all hypothetical. I'm curious. We have a few things we really need to get for CR. These things include, but are not limited to:

 

banners, posters, t-shirts for car shows

possible print advertisement

server upgrades

possible faster bandwidth

paycheck for linux admin and programmer (me!)

 

Okay, so I'm joking about the last one. Kinda. But the other stuff we really do need. How would you prefer us to pay for them? And no, out of our pockets isn't an option.

[AngryBMW]

Okay, this is all hypothetical. I'm curious. We have a few things we really need to get for CR. These things include, but are not limited to:

 

banners, posters, t-shirts for car shows

possible print advertisement

server upgrades

possible faster bandwidth

paycheck for linux admin and programmer (me!)

 

Okay, so I'm joking about the last one. Kinda. But the other stuff we really do need. How would you prefer us to pay for them? And no, out of our pockets isn't an option.

 

Donations seemed to work out last time...but they are sketchy. I honestly think we should have some sort of yearly dues...what's 10 bucks a year for full CR access? I would have no problem paying it, and I think that everyone else would agree.

 

This would also thin out our population...we would get rid of some of the tools that are only here to cause problems, and we would have a steady income.

 

Ben, you get shit. Just like Anthony. This is a non-profit kind of thing

-Marc

[verse]

I think a small fee $5 a year would work. There are like 3000 members on CR, I know a lot would disappear, but if only a third came back that's $5000 and that sounds like enough to run the site. Fundraisers would be fun too to hang out at car washes and whatnot.

[Lustalbert]

5 bucks a year souds good to me. Canning some of the shit heads is bonus also.

[SpaceGhost]

If you make a fee, you will have almost no new members and 20-30 old members that will use this board like e-mail. It will be very boring and dead. Donations are the way to go. How much money do we need to raise? I think it would be better to offer special privileges to certain sections if you are a donating member..

[SpaceGhost]

I guess what I am getting at is; Why would you do all this work on this board just to really limit who can and cannot read it? I think some of the fun of this board is to read what the idiots post and then read the comments from other members on how weird they are. As much as I hate "Dollar Bills" posts, and tell him to quit posting, I find them entertaining.

[Alex1647545498]

Whatever works for me.

[Casper]

If you make a fee, you will have almost no new members and 20-30 old members that will use this board like e-mail. It will be very boring and dead. Donations are the way to go. How much money do we need to raise? I think it would be better to offer special privileges to certain sections if you are a donating member..

 

 

Good idea. What do you guys want for $5/yr? How about a yourname@columbusracing.com email address? A select few already have these. This could be the senior member deal. You pay $5/yr. You get senior member status, and an email address. I can also hook you up with server storage and hosting. Say, 100MB of storage? This would allow everyone to host their pics on this server.

 

I've also been toying with the idea of a monthly newsletter of sorts. This would probably be emailed, and included in the $5/yr deal.

 

Would could have tiers as well. Maybe:

 

$5/yr - newsletter, senior status, & email address

$10/yr - everything above plus 100MB storage

$20/yr - everything above plus a kiss from anthony

[AngryBMW]

Good idea. What do you guys want for $5/yr? How about a yourname@columbusracing.com email address? A select few already have these. This could be the senior member deal. You pay $5/yr. You get senior member status, and an email address. I can also hook you up with server storage and hosting. Say, 100MB of storage? This would allow everyone to host their pics on this server.

 

I've also been toying with the idea of a monthly newsletter of sorts. This would probably be emailed, and included in the $5/yr deal.

 

Would could have tiers as well. Maybe:

 

$5/yr - newsletter, senior status, & email address

$10/yr - everything above plus 100MB storage

$20/yr - everything above plus a kiss from anthony

 

Winnar.

-Marc

[SpaceGhost]

I don't think an e-amil address is so hot, that might just be me, but the storage is huge I think to store pics for your cars and what not. Senior member status is overrated also now that I am one, the topic gets posted in once a week if we are lucky. I don't need a kiss from Ant......

 

I think you have an excellent Idea with the storage at 10 maybe even 20 a year. 100MB X a lot of people will take up space and bandwidth quickly especially if they hot link to other boards with the content.

[Skinner]

I would also have no problems with paying $5 or $10 a year for access here. One we should do is have it be a option not everyone is going to want to pay when the first sign up. If we go to a yearly subscrition it should still be free to sign in but with very limited access and once you pay you get full access.

 

Also for members that pay there will have to be a different or modified policy on banning them since they pay they are paying for the right to be here. So we if the do something that is ban worthy it there may need to be a differnet recourse for that.

[SpaceGhost]

Fine them to get back to good status....

[Casper]

I would also have no problems with paying $5 or $10 a year for access here. One we should do is have it be a option not everyone is going to want to pay when the first sign up. If we go to a yearly subscrition it should still be free to sign in but with very limited access and once you pay you get full access.

 

Also for members that pay there will have to be a different or modified policy on banning them since they pay they are paying for the right to be here. So we if the do something that is ban worthy it there may need to be a differnet recourse for that.

 

 

Paying would definitely be an option. But I will make it worth your wild to pay. I realize most of the people on here just read the bullshit and laugh. They don't want to pay. No biggy. I understand. However I also realize there are a lot of members on here who would be willing to pay, especially to have the server space, hosting, email, etc.

 

As for people hotlinking to other sites, that's easy. I'll ban it. I can kill hotlinking VERY easily.

 

I like the modified policy as well. This is a must. Maybe set it up so paying members get more strikes/chances. However, if a paying member does get banned, they will NOT get their money back. I'm not going to deal with pro-rating $10. That's just stupid.

 

Maybe we can throw in a free sticker for certain member levels as well. Maybe other stuff as we get them made. Also we can have specials only offered to paying members. We can issue ID cards to paying members for use at businesses that offer discounts to CR members.

 

Keep throwing out ideas guys. This looks like a real possibility. We need to start planning for the future. I know Anthony and I have thrown alot of money and time into this board, and it only needs more.

[Akula]

Girls of CR calendar.....

 

I would pay $5 for the networking alone. You guys, though you föck around alot, have provided me with invaluable information and contacts for all sorts of things. The tiered approach works too, that way you can still interract at various levels.

[Casper]

Girls of CR calendar.....

 

I would pay $5 for the networking alone. You guys, though you föck around alot, have provided me with invaluable information and contacts for all sorts of things. The tiered approach works too, that way you can still interract at various levels.

 

 

There is no fucking way I'll be the photographer for that! And there's no fucking way I'll buy one! That's some sick shit right there... Haha!

[SpaceGhost]

Girls of CR calendar.....

 

ROTFLMAO

[Casper]

Vendors: I say advertising vendors must do one or more of the following:

 

good discount for paying CR members

donations of product to CR for car shows

pay a special "vendor fee" (higher then regular members)

[Mensan]

If I can only use webspace to display pics on CR, I will not pay for space. The webspace was the only option I would pay for.

[AngryBMW]

If I can only use webspace to display pics on CR, I will not pay for space. The webspace was the only option I would pay for.

 

That's all it would take to get rid of you? Man, dont fit the stereotype!

-Marc

[Orion]

why does everyone on this board think exclusivity is a bad thing?

 

dues would eliminate some of our less desirable posters, big loss there.

[Casper]

If I can only use webspace to display pics on CR, I will not pay for space. The webspace was the only option I would pay for.

 

Would you be willing to pay more for being able to hotlink?

[lemosley01]

$5/yr - newsletter, senior status, & email address

$10/yr - everything above plus 100MB storage

$20/yr - everything above plus a kiss from anthony

 

+1, although I'll have to take a pass on the kiss. Sorry Anthony, you have a little too much hair for me.

 

Oh, and the car wash thing. I don't think we would make too much money on that. I've seen most of us, and while we aren't FUGLY, I suspect most of us aren't receiving calls to pose in Men's Fitness or FHM...

 

Now if we got a topless car wash with hot women...I'm in, as long as my wife doesn't find out and someone hides my face in the pictures!

 

Ben, one thing to consider is that the overhead of who has donated and when their time is up and due for another donation might become a little cumbersome.

[Mensan]

Would you be willing to pay more for being able to hotlink?

 

Probably.

[Casper]

why does everyone on this board think exclusivity is a bad thing?

 

dues would eliminate some of our less desirable posters, big loss there.

 

 

This is my thinking as well. Part of the fees would be used to advertise CR. Yes, advertise. Why should we just be a small clique of people? I've talked to a few other boards as well. They'll advertise our board if we advertise theirs. Fair trade. Also, I've toyed with the idea of making flyers and posting them around OSU, Columbus State, etc. Some of the high school kids on here could pass out flyers at school too. I could make up a PDF of the flyer, so anyone could print it out and hand out randomly. If you see a nice car, or meet a car guy/gal, give them a flyer.

 

I like the idea of free access, but it should be limited. No for sale forums for free access. This would stop the idiots that sign up just to sell their shit. I was thinking The Passing Lane, The Parking Lot, The Classroom, Meetings and Events, FAQ, and Ask Shao would be free. Everything else, plus more, would be for paying members only.

 

I forgot to mention, with the webhosting space paying members can create webpages. So for example, if your username is fucktard, you could create your own webpage at http://www.columbusracing.com/fucktard. Obviously there would be guidelines for the webpage, and you would have to follow the same rules as on the board. However, you could create your webpage and post it on other boards. Your pics will show up. This isn't hotlinking.

 

The email address that comes with paid membership is an IMAP email address. What does this mean to you? Well it fucking rocks compared to POP3. All email is stored on the server. You can access it from any email client (Outlook, Outlook Express, Mac Mail, etc...) just like POP3. However, if you check it from multiple places, the mail is allows current. Example: if you check your email from work and delete the new messages, they are deleted at home too. If you read an email at work, it shows up as read at home. It's really easy and basic, but its very helpful as well. Also you will be able to check your email from the web. We already have SquirrelMail running.

 

The newsletter would have a special deal each month only available to paying members. For example: one month we might have $10 oil changes or 20% off somewhere, or whatever. It will only be good with the newsletter. A coupon (coopin) if you will. As well, the newsletter will contain articles and write ups by our members who wish to do so. It might not be about CR or racing. It might be one of Jesse's ramblings about DLP televisions. Who knows... but it will be educational and have a special members only discount.

[Casper]

Ben, one thing to consider is that the overhead of who has donated and when their time is up and due for another donation might become a little cumbersome.

 

 

Actually, it won't be too bad. I've already started playing around with a PHP frontend to a MySQL backend. I'd keep track of it. It wouldn't take more then an hour or two a week. Its not a big deal.