Important: Please Read! Changes Are Coming!

[Dragon Snack]

Congrats on the success of ENWorld! The site is running and loading faster, it's not frustrating to use anymore. Thank you!

However, looking at my post count (effectively the tangible value ENWorld has to me), I have to tell you the cost/benefit just doesn't make it worth being a subscriber for me.

Taking away signatures so you can (effectively) ransom them for money to finance something else that should also make you money just doesn't sit right with me. If the new projects have value, charge for them. If they have more value when offered for free, they should be bringing in new people who will want to become subscribers because they are so good.

You know, after completely reading this thread, I remembered another reason I haven't posted much.

And since it appears the decisions have already been made...

So long - and thanks for all the fish!

 

[Morrus]

OK, folks, I've been poking round the admin panel, and it appears that gradiated sigs are indeed feasible. This sounds like a good compromise to me so - with thanks to you all for the feedback - that's the direction in which we're going to proceed.

Now it's time for me to get back to planning the other Paragon features! I'll have more info on that later.

 

[Fifth Element]

Good on ya, Morrus.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

Very cool, Russ... thanks!
Looking forward to whatever's on the way now.

 

[Piratecat]

Lan-"why hasn't this thread been stickied? "-efan

Because most people ignore stickied threads!

 

[Truth Seeker]

That's true...I do.

Because most people ignore stickied threads!

 

[Belen]

Because most people ignore stickied threads!

Truth. I almost avoided this one too.

 

[PaulofCthulhu]

Declare your venture a NOT FOR PROFIT initiative.

This is not as easy as you may think in the UK. Having sought advice on this subject, certain requirements for "Social Enterprises" (which this may be seen as generally falling under) can be difficult to achieve. Not-for-profits, not so straight forward.

My own long term plans are: Educational Charity - but the requirements for that are even more difficult to achieve.

I removed my .sig a long time ago, so personally I don't mind. Though it looks like graduated ones are being drafted in instead.

 

[FoxWander]

Because most people ignore stickied threads!

How about a stickied post with a link to this post then? That would've helped me- when I noticed that the forums had been re-structured I knew there had to be a post or announcement about it. When I saw this post title on the main forum page I figure this might be it and then I wondered why a thread entitled "Important: Please read!" from Morrus wasn't a sticky post.

Anyway, a stickied post that points to this would be a best of both worlds kinda thing- because some of us DO pay attention to sticky posts. (I figure they're stuck at the top because they're important, so that's where I look for important messages like, "guess what- we're changing the forums around" or "hey- check out our experimental new layout and gives us feedback" kinda stuff. I don't expect that kinda stuff amongst all the other random post-of-the-moment.)

The sticky, pointer post could be locked out so people can't post in it and wind up splittng the topic.

 

[frankthedm]

Fourth, "It's my site and I say so," is not a justifiable approach to community leadership. I don't come here to visit with Morrus and the staff and shop at the ENWorld store front and so forth. I come here for the community. The community has formed around a valuable web site, but that web site should not take the community for granted. $3 a month subscription charges do not generate the hundreds of posts and users that make this site worthwhile. When I first started using the Internet, many sites actually cost their owners money to maintain, but the site was deemed an end unto itself. Obviously, not everyone is free to engage in such charity. Nonetheless, I don't like being viewed as a revenue stream. If I am to be expected to contribute financially to a website, I expect my voice to be appreciated by the people administrating it. I read a half dozen or more web sites regularly, and I'm not going to give them each $3 a month just to do whatever they feel like doing. The forums are the lifeblood, and charging for this or that feature is really distracting from that central purpose. I don't really want a lot of awesome features, I just want a message board that works and a long-term, stable community to invest my time with.

"You must spread some Experience Points around before giving it to pawsplay again."