Should PH have a paid membership option?
Should PH have a paid membership option?
Author
Discussion

muckyman

Original Poster:

327 posts

221 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
quotequote all
Just throwing it out there for discussion (apologies if its been covered before)
Should PH have an option for paid membership?
I'm thinking it should, if only to avoid all the adverts that seem to be getting bigger and more obtrusive ie - paid up members see the forum advert free
Other potential benefits....
maybe a little membership pack with some smiley stickers to denote your status as a paid up member.
Access to 'members only' areas of the forums (although I've no clue what these may contain). First shot at Sunday Service spaces but with something in place to stop members just filling them up and then not attending (again, i've no initial ideas of what this mechanism would be)
A 'paid up members' parking area at Sunday Services (in the premium location of any given venue).
Discounted private adverts (for those who don't currently get free ones due to length of membership)
Discount in the 'shop'

Downsides?
Creates a 'two tier' membership
Potential loss of revenue to PH, dependant on margin generated from membership compared to what they earn from adverts

Personally, I would be happy to pay a membership in return for no commercial adverts when I log on, as well as a 'member' welcome pack etc.

I'm pretty sure the majority (if not all) will say 'no' for various legitimate reasons. Just throwing it out there to see what others think

Discuss....

Edited by muckyman on Tuesday 29th October 14:03

valiant

14,265 posts

190 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
quotequote all
No.

And it's quite easy to install Adblock to get rid of those pesky ads.

wolf1

3,100 posts

280 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
quotequote all
valiant said:
No.

And it's quite easy to install Adblock to get rid of those pesky ads.
+1

paulrussell

2,311 posts

191 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
quotequote all
No it shouldn't. I think if the site did have a paid membership option I'd leave, and I'm guessing a lot of other members would as well.

Krikkit

27,938 posts

211 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
quotequote all
No.

Also, the ads are the same size they ever were imo.

Dr Interceptor

8,183 posts

226 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
quotequote all
What ads? Adblock is obviously doing its job biggrin

surveyor

18,705 posts

214 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
quotequote all
No.

PoleDriver

29,601 posts

224 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
quotequote all
It would be a good idea if it could keep the 'school holiday trolls' and other hoi palloi out of the mainstream forums! smile

Mezzanine

10,580 posts

249 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
quotequote all
I would be happy to have a two-tiered system if it meant keeping all the trolls and pointless sniping that plenty of threads end up heading towards stopped.

Stuff like first dibs on Sunday Service spaces and member only events would be a nice idea too.


Pistom

6,422 posts

189 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
quotequote all
I'm all for paid membership as it tends to keep the dross out but it is the eclectic mix of individuals that makes PH such an interesting forum.

Ads are not intrusive, in fact they can be useful so no, please don't fix what isn't broken.

hairyben

8,516 posts

213 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
quotequote all
Dr Interceptor said:
What ads? Adblock is obviously doing its job biggrin
Thought I had adblock, but obviously somethings not right.

As it stands though (advertisers TAKE NOTE) the level of intrusiveness of the ads is not quite at the point I'm too bothered that they're there. Should they get bigger/annoyingly flashy/distracting then I'd find out why adblock isn't working.

The Vambo

7,740 posts

171 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
quotequote all
Nah, would end up as a cliquey, in joke, remember that time type place.






I wish I knew //M car model numbers..... wink

NotNormal

2,425 posts

244 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
quotequote all
muckyman said:
Discuss....
No, posts on PH are not exam questions rolleyes

chrisw666

22,655 posts

229 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
quotequote all
It should have a paid option but not to avoid adverts.

dave7692

683 posts

159 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
quotequote all
Slightly OT:

This thread is the first time I'd heard of an Ad Blocker.

Internet Life = Transformed haha

SteveSteveson

3,209 posts

193 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
quotequote all
No, and this is why:

Mezzanine said:
I would be happy to have a two-tiered system if it meant keeping all the trolls and pointless sniping that plenty of threads end up heading towards stopped.

Stuff like first dibs on Sunday Service spaces and member only events would be a nice idea too.
two-tiered membership and sillyness like that, treating paid members better etc, would mean people (Including me) would leave. Only ever been on 1 Sunday service, and will probably not go to any more, but the idea that someone who is able to afford the membership gets priority (whatever the cost £10 or £1000) would put me off. There is allot of people on here for whome £1k membership would be nothing, others who could not justify £10-£20 a year, and it would just drive a wedge between them.

soad

34,698 posts

206 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
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No.

Chris Stott

19,764 posts

227 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
quotequote all
Premium membership is an option on a couple of sites I'm a member of and it causes no issues.

mattdaniels

7,362 posts

312 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
quotequote all
Mezzanine said:
I would be happy to have a two-tiered system if it meant keeping all the trolls and pointless sniping that plenty of threads end up heading towards stopped.
It doesn't. Idiots and trolls have credit cards too.

AdBlocker + "if you dont like it dont read it".

SEOT.

northwest monkey

6,370 posts

219 months

Tuesday 29th October 2013
quotequote all
paulrussell said:
No it shouldn't. I think if the site did have a paid membership option I'd leave, and I'm guessing a lot of other members would as well.
Out of interest - why would you leave?

Not arguing - just genuinely interested.

FWIW, it wouldn't bother me if there was a "paid" option. I probably wouldn't, but I'd still come on here.