Posted by socialdeviantjeff on January 23, 2004, at 1:54:19
In reply to Re: I wouldn't mind fewer boards... » shar, posted by Dinah on January 22, 2004, at 22:01:16
/BEGIN rant.exe
I personally disagree with making Babble a pay site. I don't know everything about this site and I don't presume to. In my opinion the issue of paying would change the dynamic of the community and not for the better. It woud not be consistent with the original intent of Babble, IMO.
I envision several issues. One being the exclusionary factor. Several people who could benefit from or be a benefit to the site would be turned away by a billing page. Some may not have bank accounts. Others may not have financial resources available to pay; for instance, people on a fixed income. The majority simply may not be willing to pay for lack of guaranteed answers, or on the basis of privacy.
Also, the feeling of entitlement that come with paying for something (warranties and disclaimers aside) could become a problem. If somebody is PCB'd, blocked or not feeling supported, one could fill an administrators Email box pretty quickly. There would also be the additional burden of tracking the money. This could lead to more time and energy to administrating the site, not to mention the possible need for additional software, staff and equipment.
These opinions are extreme, however I feel that these hypothetical tangents merit exploration.
Speaking for myself, I would not be able to continue due to lack of resources. I see posting here as a priviledge and try to conduct myself accordingly. My opinions could be way off base on this topic but I need to assert my feelings.
Everyone here is wonderfully supportive and I greatly appreciate Dr. Bob's facilitation of this community.
One thing I can think of is maybe advertising for donations more prominently. Maybe using pay-per-click ads on the site and/or an affiliate program like Amazon would help.
Thanks for letting me go on. And on. /END rant.exe
poster:socialdeviantjeff
thread:303994
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20040112/msgs/304491.html