Please turn on search (i read the FAQ)

[Cergorach]

It's worth a try isn't it?

Also, unless everyone agrees on it, there will never be a public search function because it's unfair for the people who donated? I don't want to push you into a corner, but you really need to think long and hard about this point, because you are creating a certain elitism...

 

[Piratecat]

I don't have any problems with only community supporters being able to search, and I don't see the need for a poll. I'm sorry that there are reposts and revisited threads as a result, but that's the tradeoff. If people aqre going to be good enough to support the site, they deserve to get something for it. The ability to search is one of those things.

 

[Morrus]

It's worth a try isn't it?

Also, unless everyone agrees on it, there will never be a public search function because it's unfair for the people who donated? I don't want to push you into a corner, but you really need to think long and hard about this point, because you are creating a certain elitism...

It's not something you can "convince" me of, because I don't regard myself as having the power to make the decision. I can't turn round and do that to one single person, let alone a whole bunch of people, any more than a shop owner can turn up at your house and say "Yeah, we're taking that TV back, but it's OK because Mrs Miggins down the road voted that we could when he held a little poll."

 

[Cergorach]

It's not something you can "convince" me of, because I don't regard myself as having the power to make the decision. I can't turn round and do that to one single person, let alone a whole bunch of people, any more than a shop owner can turn up at your house and say "Yeah, we're taking that TV back, but it's OK because Mrs Miggins down the road voted that we could when he held a little poll."

Erm... No offense Morrus, but who the heck has? If you say no one, then who created this situation, surely (s)he must have the 'power'.

I also read the following when i donated:

* You understand that this is a voluntary donation that grants you additional features, and that you are not required to pay anything to use the messageboards.
* You understand that you are still bound by the rules of this messageboard, and that breaking those rules will result in closed, deleted or edited messages or an outright ban (either temporary or permanent) as usual. The "But I paid!" defense will hold absolutely no water.
* The payment is a voluntary donation, and as such is non-refundable.
* This does not make you anything "special" or any more important than users who have not purchased an account. Absolutely no elitism will be tolerated.

Point three and four are of particular interest, the payment made is a donation only. No one can claim the actually paid for exclusive rights to certain functions. It might seem unfair to some that that 'had' to pay for the features to get them, point four comes then to mind, elitism...

Morrus, you can keep telling us that it's a community server, but final responsibility is still on your shoulders (Ack! You probably didn't want to hear that ;-). You have big ass server there that has enough power to handle the search function, it's a shame not to use it...

 

[Morrus]

It's quite simple. I said to people "if you donate you'll be able to use these features, wheras those who don't won't". That's the way I convinced people to donate the money that means we're even able to have this conversation now. Are you suggesting that now I have their money I turn round and say "Hah! Screw you, I was lying!"?

Secondly, I'll need contoinuing donations over time to keep the server going. So poeple need to be offered somehting in exchange for those donations. In this case, they get Search etc. Unless you have another miraculous money-making idea (or a massive donation, perhaps?) it's a situation we're all stuck with. It's this or no server.

 

[Psionicist]

You both have valid points, however I must agree that search is one of the most basic things that makes large communities like this one work. Cannot we trade the search for lots of new nifty things to the supporters? Like, all supporters can have avatars, signatures yadda yadda but the rest of us can't, as long as *all* members can use the search function?

I just want to read posts, post replies, create my own threads and search for answers before I ask the question.

Amen.

 

[Psionicist]

I have an incredibly good money-saving idea right here:

Take your server, plug it in to one of your friends broadband connections... and... Tah-dih-dah!

I would never pay for anything else than the DNS service (that is the domain name pointing to the right computer). I am running all my webbypages from an old P200 connected to the world from one of my friends house. He pays somewhere around $20 per month for unlimted bandwidth, 20mbits (enough for my and his needs), and I give him $5 / month for his help. That is much cheaper than most major hosts $200 / month

 

[Cergorach]

Originally posted by Morrus It's quite simple. I said to people "if you donate you'll be able to use these features, wheras those who don't won't". That's the way I convinced people to donate the money that means we're even able to have this conversation now. Are you suggesting that now I have their money I turn round and say "Hah! Screw you, I was lying!"?

I believe your exact words where: "By purchasing a Community Supporter member account, you get all of the above for a period of one year." There's nothing in there that says The rest of the world won't, but i know how you feel. I personally don't mind donating $25 a year to keep this site going, i really don't need a custom title (but it's still kewl ;-) to do that. I just have to remember and have to be in a reasonable financial situation (the first is much harder than the second for me).

Secondly, I'll need contoinuing donations over time to keep the server going. So poeple need to be offered somehting in exchange for those donations. In this case, they get Search etc. Unless you have another miraculous money-making idea (or a massive donation, perhaps?) it's a situation we're all stuck with. It's this or no server.

Massive donation? I wish i could, but i'm everything but rich. As i don't have a clue about the financial situation of EnWorld i'm only guessing. The greatest expense the last year was the server upgrade, theoretically the server doesn't need an upgrade ever. The community might get a bit larger, but nothing the server could not handle, the software is free and currently works fine, thus that shouldn't really pose a problem either. Then we have general harware failure, this shouldn't be a problem for the next three years (the corporate livespan of most computers), but if it doesn't brake it should go on for a long time. Then we have monthly costs for the internet connection, theoretically the advertisements should take care of that, but i have a feeling it isn't enough, thus then you need extra cash to pay for the connections. My solution would be, lets see whether the community can by it self generate the cash by donating, or otherwise if the bank account gets empty turn off some features and start asking for an entrance 'fee' again (like your doing now).

Btw, how much traffic (gigs) does Enworld generate (the site and the board together)?

 

[Furn_Darkside]

Erm... I know that, but the community supporters aren't the problem, people who post and don't look any further than their nose is long (something gets lost in the translation ;-) are the problem. It pollutes the forums, it pollutes the database, it annoys people, it makes people rude (how many times do you answer the exact same question pollitely), it's making me nuts (no nuts no glory!).

Salutations,

These forums would be dead if we didn't repeat discussions over and over. haha.

It is hardly pollution. It is the nature of the internet. People come and go. Opinions stay and some change.

And even if it annoys people, it does not give them right to be rude. (Something I need to remind myself of.. heh)

FD

 

[Furn_Darkside]

My solution would be, lets see whether the community can by it self generate the cash by donating, or otherwise if the bank account gets empty turn off some features and start asking for an entrance 'fee' again (like your doing now).

This was tried before- people could just donate money. Nothing was offered in return.

I guess it did not work then. (hey, don't blame me, I chipped in)

FD