Paid Accounts

cstdenis · Posted: Sun Feb 29, 2004 7:15 pm Post subject:

People complain about the popups.
people complain about the approval panel.
People just complain

Would people be willing to pay like $5 a month for
no popups.
bypass approval panel
email address @fanart-central.net
no submission limit per day (as non-paying members will get)
subdomain (username.fanart-central.net)

maybe other features (open to suggestions for other things)

Like 25 members and the site would be paid for.
over 100 and the site could get a unlimited traffic and a faster server

Would people pay for bonus features or just complain more?
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kathyhime85 · Very bored Joined: 08 Feb 2004 Posts: 164

NOO EVERYTHING COSTS MONEY!

Wait, in order to be a member, r u saying that we should pay? Or are you saying that we could possibly pay to get features? B/c if I had to pay to sign up, i would have to quit fanart.

kathyhime85 · Very bored Joined: 08 Feb 2004 Posts: 164

ok, cool. I hate to pay for.... anything! i would rather have normal membership than pay for special features. Actually, thats just me, I hate to spend money.

cstdenis · Posted: Sun Feb 29, 2004 10:56 pm Post subject:

Yes, i mean a premium membership with additional features.
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layzcarter · I used to work here Joined: 31 Dec 1969 Posts: 3988

Since this is my fav site............ i might just sign up if there were the option Smile

I have to ask my husband first though..... rarg
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iamem0tionless · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2004 11:55 am Post subject:

I would if I had any money... From now on, if anyone complains about the approval panel, we can just point to this thread. Thank you Denis, I love you for this.

Lasher · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2004 12:07 pm Post subject:

Wow, when i was talking to you about this Denis the other night, i didn't think you'd get on top of it so early in the week.

Personally, as i told you before, i would be glad to make donations where possible. And paying for a monthly, advanced or premium membership, sure, why the hell not? ^_^

And if anyone complained about that sort of deal, i say we just smack them in the face and make sure the door hits them real hard on their way out <_< there would be no reason to complain under those conditions, none.

dragonsun5 · Very bored Joined: 31 Dec 1969 Posts: 147

I think its a really great idea to get the people who hate the approval panel...or who are just overall a complainer....

I would do it...only problem...im broke <_<

Besides...ive got patience and i don't really care when my pics get on the top 10 list...(when i actually post them)...

Personally i like the way the approval panel works....means more time for people to take a look at work for longer then two seconds when other pics that people spend like 5 seconds on get posted one after another Grr!

*remembers when her pic was passed down in like 3 minutes cause of some stupid guy's 10 pictures of the family guy)....

And the limit pic thing is a good thing to...unless u haven't posted in a while and want to post a few pics ::cough:: points to self ::cough:: Razz

im to lazy to hook up my scanner....

Anywayz....im just rambling....the paid account thing is great idea....

cyaz

dragon :ph34r:

Raymei · Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 9:32 am Post subject:

Paying members would still have to follow the rules, right, Denis? o.o

I'm sure a lot of people would be will to pay, the problem is could they. T.T;; most of the members on the site don't have a job. And furthermore, their parents probably won't give them a credit card/bank account number/Paypal usage.

It's a nice idea, though n.n;;; hopefully something will come through.
I'm will to make donations every so often when I can, but I really don't have a need for the features, and paying month is something I'm not sure I can commit to right now (bills...bills...BILLS!!!)

Lasher · Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 2:09 pm Post subject:

Yeah, true.

But there are are a few thousand users i think now, this place is just so freakin huge T_T I'm sure we'd find some who were willing.

Denis, if you think that might not work, you should try what AFF was (fanfic site, not art) the owner, ayla, has a donation system up through paypal and has one through amazon and such now. At the top of the site on all pages, is the links and info for it along with a message for people to donate when they could. That could always be a good thing.

Some people would be more than happy to donate a few bucks when they could. I already said i would, but it's hard sometimes because i do have a part time job, but it has some serious dry spells here and there. When sometimes, i'm so busy i work 7 days a week for a few weeks. It times like that then i could easily donate 20 bucks in one go.

That should be an option you might want to think on, because if the signing up for extra features doesn't work, you'd always have that for some back up and never the less, could help in some way.

BAMFManiac · Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 2:49 pm Post subject:

that donation system is a good idea, lasher. because, like raymei said, a lot of the site members don't have jobs or access to credit cards. the people who were able to pay monthly could do that, but others could just donate when they could. i work weekends, as well as babysitting, so i have a small cashflow, but i'd definitely be willing to make donations when i could (hehe i love this site). i guess it depends on how much money is really needed...
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anaconda · Newb Joined: 31 Dec 1969 Posts: 15

To me that sounds like a good idea, of coarse I'd probably have to pay my dad or mom to use thier credit card, but wow! that would be a good way for you to make more money! if 20 people out of the thousands now payed you'd get 100$! wow! if 30 pay then you'd get 150$! gaa! you'd be rich!, (are you married?! lol, j/k) ciao!

cstdenis · Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 12:38 am Post subject:

Based on other community based sites I dont think donations will work.

Sure a few regular members may donate $5 or $10 and thats nice, but what about next month?

Few people will actually donate, and those who do and existing regular members who will just do it once.

This site needs regular income.

The other advantage of paid accounts over donations is people get somthing outta their money.

It's gonna take more than 2 yes and some "Would If i had money" to keep the site alive.

btw, there are 7708 registered users on this site.....2 are willing to donate, thats not a good ratio.

like $5/month isn't that much is it?

People could pay other than monthly too (quarterly, annually, whatever)
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Raymei · Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 8:24 am Post subject:

Once I have a steady income coming in again, I think just to keep the site going I'd sign up. I'd probably donate a whole bunch anyway.

But I only just recently got a new job T.T;;; so I'm sorta stuck where I am (oh god...I think I'm going to get a late notice on my card...shiat....)

But what about this Denis: set up the paid account things....but maybe also set up donation systems? Just a thought.

Lasher · Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 10:01 am Post subject:

I'm not saying just the donation, i'm saying that should probably be something always open. AFF has far, FAR more members than FAC does, and it's not pictures of things, it's holding full on stories. I have three stories on there (think stephen king, anne rice, novel size if it where printed and in book form) and more to come up.

She relies heavily on donations. Advertising has been free on that site with no pop ups, and all she's done mostly is relied on donations.

I think we should go ahead with the paid accounts by all means, i'm just suggesting this, go for the paid accounts, offer them, but always make it avaliable for random donations.

And this is what i think on them exactly:

Padi Accounts : Extra controls, extra options, automatic pass through the approval panel (not having to wait for art to be approved basically) advanced fanfiction section with more options, and controls. Easier layout, set up or view of the site.

(i've seen site where, if your paying member, the site comes up completely different, on all of them, they look real nice, extremely easy to navigate etc etc, if their paying members, other wise, you get what your paying for)

Donation System: People, whether advanced members or not, can donate when ever they feel like it, on the amount they can put out. no advanced features would come with it. You'd just be helping the site when you could.

I don't think the site should just go by donation, i'm just saying it should be an option.

As for payments of accounts and all, it's hard for me to hand out 5 bucks at times in in a month. But other times, a few months down the road, i could pay probably a 6 month membership charge all at once.

If your saying that kind of thing can go, cool, if not, oh well.

fallenangel · Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 4:02 pm Post subject:

Paying less often than monthly is good. Most of it's not so much the "if I had money" thing, it's "if we could get it to you". Unless you want me to stick a five dollar bill in an envelope and mail it to you (or hell, you're kinda close, I could drive it up there...), a lot of us younger users don't have credit cards, paypal accounts, etc. I mean, I'm sure with a bit of convincing I could use my father's. I'm working on being able to take it over or open another under his or my mother's name for myself.

And I agree you should definitely have the donation option for those who don't want to subscribe but would be willing to donate. The benefit to paying monthly is if you decide you don't want to be a member anymore, you aren't really out anything because you only paid for that month.

Money's not a problem. Given a way to pay you, I'll do it. Oh! And have you thought anymore about the swag (aka merchandise). Even just a little FAC official one not counting the being able to upload your own art could bring in at least a little spare cash. Probably not much, for the same reason as paying membership, but I'm sure a lot of users would be interested in some Fanart Central merch.

If you need/want anymore info about that, lemme know n' I'll write somethin' up for ya or catch you on AIM or...something. That is, unless you'd prefer the bigger hassle of ordering a mass quantity printed and distributing them yourself, which may in the end mean more profit, but that's gambling on demand...and is a pain in the arse to ship. Know you got a lot going on, but since we're basically talking about fundraisers, I thought I'd bring it back up. (psst, everyone click my zazzle banner *cough*)
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kathyhime85 · Very bored Joined: 08 Feb 2004 Posts: 164

I'd love fac merch!

fallenangel · Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 4:46 pm Post subject:

I just gave him a huge thing of info, so maybe there will be some in the near future. And if he has/had his own plan...there may be something even better than what I talked about. Very Happy

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cstdenis · Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 7:38 pm Post subject:

Payment: I can take paypal or credit card. I could also setup a mailing address for cash, cheque, money order, whatever.

Donations: I'm kinda doubtful on the amount i'll get but i'll set one up (doesn't hurt anything)

Merchandise: If sombody is willing to donate some nice pics fo print on stuff I'll do it (Dont think the banners I already have are optmal for that). I can get a few bux per order on average on merchandise.
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Akito · Has No Life Joined: 31 Dec 1969 Posts: 510

I do love this site dearly, but I don't think I would be willing to pay for that, I'm sorry Denis, I'm filthy poor, I'm in debt, like 50 dollars, and that alone will take me a while! But yeah, I'm sorry to say that if you did start charging people you would loose lot's of members, I mean there's a lot of other sites like this online, they're bigger though, like DeviantArt.com/ for example, I'd much rather stay here though.