Third Party: If So, Then What?

[pawsplay]

What will not getting enough support be?

A) A wake up call to embrace a more modest vision.
B) A chance for someone else to subsidize the site, assuming it's for sale or adoption.

Take your pick. Morrus has basically said this isn't as fun a pet as it used to be and he would like to be compensated for the presumably satisfying yet taxing responsibility of maintaining the site. If, hypothetically, he didn't feel that way, things would go on much as they always have.

 

[ggroy]

*** slightly offtopic ****

Just dug up an interesting ancient thread/poll from January 2002, on what 3PP d20 companies to watch for during the coming year of 2002.

http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/1117-who-d20-system-publisher-watch.html

A lot of the 3PP companies mentioned in that ancient thread, I have never heard of before. (I wasn't gaming at all back in 2002).

Gives a completely different perspective of 3PPs, compared to today's lack thereof.

 

[FireLance]

A) A wake up call to embrace a more modest vision.
B) A chance for someone else to subsidize the site, assuming it's for sale or adoption.

Take your pick. Morrus has basically said this isn't as fun a pet as it used to be and he would like to be compensated for the presumably satisfying yet taxing responsibility of maintaining the site. If, hypothetically, he didn't feel that way, things would go on much as they always have.

To be fair to Morrus, I think this is more an issue of responsibility than fun. He's going to get married soon, and he feels (quite reasonably, IMO) that he ought to be contributing more equally with respect to finances. This means that if he can't turn ENWorld into a viable business, he will give it up.

 

[drothgery]

But, with all the smashing success that 4E is, it does seem odd that throngs of adoring 4E fans don't seem to provide the financial support that was demonstrated on several occasions in years past. Something seems different now.

Morrus is trying to get a large number of people to sign up for $3/mo, indefinite subscriptions, rather than to conduct a one-time fundraising drive like he's done in the past. And he's trying to do this in the midst of a very poor economy in the primary markets for D&D. It's further complicated because many of those who would sign up for such thing already have long-term CS accounts that won't expire for years (frex, mine's good until 2011).

 

[Jack99]

Hey, its pretty cool to see non-4E gaming suddenly get equal billing here!!!!!



But, with all the smashing success that 4E is, it does seem odd that throngs of adoring 4E fans don't seem to provide the financial support that was demonstrated on several occasions in years past. Something seems different now.

A) A wake up call to embrace a more modest vision.
B) A chance for someone else to subsidize the site, assuming it's for sale or adoption.

Take your pick. Morrus has basically said this isn't as fun a pet as it used to be and he would like to be compensated for the presumably satisfying yet taxing responsibility of maintaining the site. If, hypothetically, he didn't feel that way, things would go on much as they always have.

Yes Bryon - it's not that the people have changed, that 4e is not successful or any of the other fun tales that you try to spin.

Maybe it's because other places have improved vastly, while ENworld hasn't moved much. I still think it's the best place, but I fear that the constant attacks 4e and 4e fans were under for almost a year drove a lot of them away.

 

[catastrophic]

You seem to be relatively new here but the proof appears to be in the numbers. All I know is what dominates the news and threads as compared to wha used to do so, alongside the turn out of the recent appeal to the community. It's apparently not footing the bill. Of course, I see an opportunity for you to step up, so feel free to walk the walk along with the talk.

On the contrary, I was considering becoming a comunity supporter, but I decided not to because I don't like the way the mods operate. Am I supposed to support the comunity no matter how the comunity acts? I'm supposed to 'step up' so you and your buddies can go on and on and on about how 4e killed your dog and ruined your forum?

Why should I support a community which is so enthusiastic about damaging itself? I'm not going to pay to get lectured in red text because I have an improper opinion. That's not 'stepping up', that's bending over.

People join comunities like this because they feel welcome. They contribute financially because they feel positive about their experiece. If enworld is having a problem with it's comunity supporters, then it should look at the experience people are getting, and the perception people take away from their visit.

That said, I think enworld's problems have more to do with the ongoing expenses relating to the server and the forum software. This effects all sorts of things. For instance, there have been a lot of crashes and downtime, and even if that's in the past, I think that has limited the turnover of new members, the type that might not already be a comunity contributor. It might be that what enworld needs is a dedicated tech to run and fine tune the place and cut back features if need be.

 

[Maxboy]

On the contrary, I was considering becoming a community supporter, but I decided not to because I don't like the way the mods operate. Am I supposed to support the community no matter how the community acts? I'm supposed to 'step up' so you and your buddies can go on and on and on about how 4e killed your dog and ruined your forum?.

Agree 100%

There are people in this thread, that make it a big turn off even coming to the site anymore.

 

[BryonD]

Yes Bryon - it's not that the people have changed, that 4e is not successful or any of the other fun tales that you try to spin.

shrug.

yeah yeah, "no it isn't no it isn't no it isn't" is such a strong rebuttal. Whatever should I do?

For the record (yet again) 4E is successful.
But not all successes are created equal.

Are you honestly claiming that the same people are here as used to be? That is just absurd.

 

[BryonD]

Morrus is trying to get a large number of people to sign up for $3/mo, indefinite subscriptions, rather than to conduct a one-time fundraising drive like he's done in the past. And he's trying to do this in the midst of a very poor economy in the primary markets for D&D. It's further complicated because many of those who would sign up for such thing already have long-term CS accounts that won't expire for years (frex, mine's good until 2011).

I understand that. Do you think he should punt this approach and make another "one time" drive? Would that work?

 

[jaerdaph]

I'm betting the OP stopped reading this thread about half way down page three...