01-09-2009, 10:32 PM

Actually the ad's don't annoy me... I'm pretty used to them.


I would happily be a premium member if I had a PayPal account... but you know, schweb, I do have a Swiss bank account, I can hook you up with some $$$.

01-09-2009, 10:55 PM

My take on the Premium Memberships.

Do remember, you do not have to pay. Nothing will change if you do not pay. You can still use Mac Forums the way you do at present. If you do contribute you will have a few new features, but the main reason I would pay the $25 is to help out the forums. The ads really do not bug me all that much either. To me it would be helping the place that helps so many Mac users all over the world keep the lights on and make even more improvements to the forums down the road.

01-10-2009, 06:15 AM

Enhanced functionality and no ads, fine if you want that, but how is it going to work with "a private forum"? Where will a preium member put new posts, in the private forum since he/she is a premium member or in the community forum since more people will read it? I do not quite get that.

01-10-2009, 07:22 AM

Well, both. It's actually a subsection of the forum, similar to "Anything Goes" or "Switcher Hangout" except it'll be for premium members.

01-10-2009, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by rogerinlondon

Enhanced functionality and no ads, fine if you want that, but how is it going to work with "a private forum"? Where will a preium member put new posts, in the private forum since he/she is a premium member or in the community forum since more people will read it? I do not quite get that.

Probably mostly in the community forums. The private forum is only one, single form...a lounge more than anything, not an entirely new set of forums.

01-10-2009, 04:49 PM

"...but the main reason I would pay the $25 is to help out the forums."

Agree exactly. it does cost money to purchase, set up and maintain servers and web sites. There was a hue and cry over the ads when they first appeared, so Premium Membership is a way to assist in maintaining these Forums.

Use them, every day, which equates to about 50¢ per week, or 7¢ per day ~ excellent value for money. Another forum site recently needed new equipment and had to ask members for donations to stay online. This is a far better option imho.

01-11-2009, 12:18 PM

has anyone else tried the ad-free "skin"

i'm loading m-f pages much, much faster now.

01-11-2009, 12:23 PM

I don't have a PayPal account, Can I simply pay by Amex or Visa ?

Cheers
McBie

01-11-2009, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by McBie

I don't have a PayPal account, Can I simply pay by Amex or Visa ?

Cheers
McBie

Yes you can.

01-11-2009, 04:46 PM

I will subscribe once have the means(I have a car payment staring me in the face).... I think a cool idea would be if you wanted to add certain features and you knew how much they would cost set up a donation goal and let the members help contribute. I think it would benefit the forums monetarily and help build a stronger community.

01-12-2009, 12:25 PM

Actually I do agree with this. But I do not the idea of a "Premium Member Badge". Because it creates an elitist group. And everyone then will know who has contributed and who has not. People should be paying their hard earned money to help the exist in the future. Not for a few perks. But if perks are required that's ok.

In short.

1. Could create 2 user groups. Payers and non payers. Well not officially but people could think like this.

2. Personally I'd want to help out the site. But I like donating or helping out anonymously. And I think some others would too. And I will not be helping out till this point is addressed in some way.

3. A payers only forum? Helps to create the point 1 scenario in my opinion.

Personally I think the perks associated with paying should be aimed at enhancing the user experience. Ie. No ads. Options to different forum skins. Larger storage capacity for the PM inbox here. And more. I can't think of any more though.

Well that's how I feel about this whole premium memberships here. And thanks for taking the effort to set something up here.

01-12-2009, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by the8thark

2. Personally I'd want to help out the site. But I like donating or helping out anonymously. And I think some others would too. And I will not be helping out till this point is addressed in some way.

If you'd like to become a premium member and have your badge reflect the existing member badge instead so you're more anonymous, that's something we can probably accomodate on an individual basis.

01-12-2009, 12:36 PM

perhaps the badge could be just a bit more understated - to keep in line with the thought process 8thark implies...

maybe just the same design with a different color, or same color/text that simply says "premium" instead of "member".

01-12-2009, 12:40 PM

Hmmm.... I think it's pretty understated as it is now. If it said "Premium" or something like that, it would stand out more IMO.

01-12-2009, 12:44 PM

I agree with eric.
But I think it should be member and premium member. Different colour text doesn't bother me. Cause when I first saw the M-F and the heart thing. I was like what is that?? But with Eric's idea, people would be thinking, hmm a premium member. How do I become one of those?

(and on a unrelated note, for all those on this site interested in man points. The red heart to me is very unmanly).