Should Arrse charge a Membership Fee - Discus

[58_Pattern]

I would be only to happy pay an annual fee or a monthly DD to Arrse. It would stop all of the idiots from multi posting with countless screenames/logons.

I confess that I do enjoy Arrse and have and enjoyed banter & online discussion and exchanged PMs with decent folk.

The creators of Arrse obviously have a business plan & there are banner adverts which must generate income.

Whats the opinion of fellow Arrsers ?

What about if the money was split between Arrse site maintainence & Service Charities ?

Debate & show workings in the Margin

Rgds 58

 

[Gundulph]

I think you will find this will have been discussed in depth by the Owners - Good, Bad & Others... enough of us contribute either by donating or by advertising on the site...

 

[young_lofty]

I would quite happily pay a monthly or annual fee for arrse, after I have started using it more frequently I would like to see it kept free of the A- holes aswell. The only problem I see is that I use another forum that has a membership fee attatched, unfortunately that doesn't do a good job of weeding out the freaks of the world. Obviously it is not quite as simple to simply open a new email account and resubscribe, but it wont stop any persistent offenders. Then again, what will short of mass murder?

 

[annakey]

I would be only to happy pay an annual fee or a monthly DD to Arrse. It would stop all of the idiots from multi posting with countless screenames/logons.

I confess that I do enjoy Arrse and have and enjoyed banter & online discussion and exchanged PMs with decent folk.

The creators of Arrse obviously have a business plan & there are banner adverts which must generate income.

Whats the opinion of fellow Arrsers ?

What about if the money was split between Arrse site maintainence & Service Charities ?

Debate & show workings in the Margin

Rgds 58

No, and it might not have the effect you desire. Once ARRSE starts charging, some members may demand stuff for their money. A service contract will exist between members and management.

OK, there's a contract at present consisting of the sign-up agreement but I, for one, am happy to give the voluntary mods some slack. If some big row is taking place and a Mod say: "Look guys, I need to take the wife out for a slap up meal please tone it down till I return" I'd respect that and act accordingly. I bet most other members would too (you'd look a cnut if you didn't).*

But if you're paying for a service a natural response is to say to the mods: "No I won't tone it down. I pay for this. Go and hire some more mods from my cash or tell the wife you can't take her out tonight because paying customers need your services."

Do you want to make that transition?

* I've not seen that happen here, but have seen it on other lively forums.

 

[Sixty]

I would be only to happy pay an annual fee or a monthly DD to Arrse.

Well I do, after a fashion, hence my shiny collection of gongs over there <-- (rather more than I have in real life ). Not sure I would continue to do so if it was compulsory since it's in recognition of the fact that I enjoy the site and am quite happy for the COs to get my piffling fiver a month.

 

[_007_]

I'd pay for membership, but would expect to be able to post anything I wanted for the period of membership or my money back.

 

[5205Bradders]

I reckon arrse should charge an annual/monthly sub, so cnuty kn*bs can't post s**t - however I also reckon arrse is a good place for people looking to join the Army to ask questions or seek advice... so I reckon there could be a board where free users could post (ie Recruitment) but be restricted in posting in other boards.

 

[_007_]

Some sites have a contributers forum only accessable to those who pay a fee to the site and that seems to work OK.

 

[annakey]

I'd pay for membership, but would expect to be able to post anything I wanted for the period of membership or my money back.

Exactly. To have a compulsory paid membership agreement would change fundamentally the power relationship between members and management. I’d argue it would destroy the site, replacing ARRSE with Nu-ARRSE.

 

[_007_]

I'd pay for membership, but would expect to be able to post anything I wanted for the period of membership or my money back.

Exactly. To have a compulsory paid membership agreement would change fundamentally the power relationship between members and management. I’d argue it would destroy the site, replacing ARRSE with Nu-ARRSE.

agreed.

 

[5205Bradders]

Is that the opening speech to mark the beginning of your 'NO' campaign, LoL

 

[annakey]

Some sites have a contributers forum only accessable to those who pay a fee to the site and that seems to work OK.

I think that's a bad idea too. Who wants an electronic class system operating on the site? And when a member of the 'officer class' of paying members gets into a row on the general forums with a non-contributing member there'll always be the suspicion, however unfounded, that the officer can get away with more 'robust' debate compared to the non-payer because the mods won’t want to interrupt the gravy-train. Keep things simple. Have everyone muck in together. There’s enough class division in real life.

 

[_007_]

Some sites have a contributers forum only accessable to those who pay a fee to the site and that seems to work OK.

I think that's a bad idea too. Who wants an electronic class system operating on the site? And when a member of the 'officer class' of paying members gets into a row on the general forums with a non-contributing member there'll always be the suspicion, however unfounded, that the officer can get away with more 'robust' debate compared to the non-payer because the mods won’t want to interrupt the gravy-train. Keep things simple. Have everyone muck in together. There’s enough class division in real life.

But there is a "class" system on here, there are the "secret" forums only open to those invited. It's why I wouldn't donate to the running costs which help pay for the select few to have there own forums.

 

[Moodybitch]

No, cos I am skint

 

[Sixty]

But there is a "class" system on here, there are the "secret" forums only open to those invited. It's why I wouldn't donate to the running costs which help pay for the select few to have there own forums.

Could always ask Good CO for your own if it bothers you that much.

 

[the_butler]

Some sites have a contributers forum only accessable to those who pay a fee to the site and that seems to work OK.

I think that's a bad idea too. Who wants an electronic class system operating on the site? And when a member of the 'officer class' of paying members gets into a row on the general forums with a non-contributing member there'll always be the suspicion, however unfounded, that the officer can get away with more 'robust' debate compared to the non-payer because the mods won’t want to interrupt the gravy-train. Keep things simple. Have everyone muck in together. There’s enough class division in real life.

But there is a "class" system on here, there are the "secret" forums only open to those invited. It's why I wouldn't donate to the running costs which help pay for the select few to have there own forums.

Are you sure?

 

[annakey]

Some sites have a contributers forum only accessable to those who pay a fee to the site and that seems to work OK.

I think that's a bad idea too. Who wants an electronic class system operating on the site? And when a member of the 'officer class' of paying members gets into a row on the general forums with a non-contributing member there'll always be the suspicion, however unfounded, that the officer can get away with more 'robust' debate compared to the non-payer because the mods won’t want to interrupt the gravy-train. Keep things simple. Have everyone muck in together. There’s enough class division in real life.

But there is a "class" system on here, there are the "secret" forums only open to those invited. It's why I wouldn't donate to the running costs which help pay for the select few to have there own forums.

I agree that's bad sign, if it's happening. I assume you mean something other than the secret mod bunker which, I suspect, on a site of this size and political profile, is a necessary evil.

But there's a difference between a few secret forums for the boyz to muck about in, and an institutionalised officer class system of secret pay-only forums separated by hard cash from the unwashed hoi polloi.

But I agree it's the thin end of the wedge. Personally I hate secret forums on a community site. They make some people - Blakeys and Mrs Buckets - strut about thinking they're special and can get away with stuff others can't.

 

[CC_TA]

But there is a "class" system on here, there are the "secret" forums only open to those invited. It's why I wouldn't donate to the running costs which help pay for the select few to have there own forums.

Could always ask Good CO for your own if it bothers you that much.

If you were interesting - you might get an invite without having to pay.

CC_TA

 

[Sixty]

Some sites have a contributers forum only accessable to those who pay a fee to the site and that seems to work OK.

I think that's a bad idea too. Who wants an electronic class system operating on the site? And when a member of the 'officer class' of paying members gets into a row on the general forums with a non-contributing member there'll always be the suspicion, however unfounded, that the officer can get away with more 'robust' debate compared to the non-payer because the mods won’t want to interrupt the gravy-train. Keep things simple. Have everyone muck in together. There’s enough class division in real life.

But there is a "class" system on here, there are the "secret" forums only open to those invited. It's why I wouldn't donate to the running costs which help pay for the select few to have there own forums.

I agree that's bad sign, if it's happening. I assume you mean something other than the secret mod bunker which, I suspect, on a site of this size and political profile, is a necessary evil.

But there's a difference between a few secret forums for the boyz to muck about in, and an institutionalised officer class system of secret pay-only forums separated by hard cash from the unwashed hoi polloi.

But I agree it's the thin end of the wedge. Personally I hate secret forums on a community site. They make some people - Blakeys and Mrs Buckets - strut about thinking they're special and can get away with stuff others can't.

Oh, get a grip. They serve a purpose. Why would anyone who isn't doing a specific course at Shrivenham (for example) need access to a forum for those who are? Or someone who isn't 3 RTR need to have a peek at the forum for those who were?

There are very good reasons indeed as to why some forums are access controlled.

 

[Victorian_Major]

Some sites have a contributers forum only accessable to those who pay a fee to the site and that seems to work OK.

I like to think that we're opinion formers here on Arrse at times. Whilst I would support a tiered system where if you pay a nominal amount you get to post - I would want everybody on the net to be able to read what we've written. Otherwise lazy journos will go elsewhere. We'd also lose out power to shame, say, the Headley Court Nimbys, or the LoF.

So my vote is 5 quid pa to post on the Arm and Service threads, and on the Current Affairs thread too. Everyone else can post elsewhere and the threads are visible to all. That 5 pounds would be sunk by the way - if you behave like a tit - you've lost the cash.