Poll , Would you contribute to the running of T.P

Are you willing to contribute ?

  • No

    Votes: 14 13.6%
  • Yes , More than happy

    Votes: 76 73.8%
  • Not sure if I should

    Votes: 8 7.8%
  • Why , It's allways been free

    Votes: 5 4.9%

  • Total voters
    103
  • Poll closed .
Messages
3,818
Name
Allen
Edit My Images
Yes
As things are about to move on ( Hopefully ) with TP , I was curious to know if members who for decades have had the free use of TP , Would you be willing to donate some cash to help with the future running costs ?
 
Yes and a double Yes if the current management are still there or there abouts.
 
He's a radical idea,
Paywall for hot topics.
There are a lot of people posting in these area's that hardly, if ever, post an image.
Or indeed stray outside this and OoF area's
 
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Forked-tongue Mod speaks wise thoughts I suspect
 
He's a radical idea,
Paywall for hot topics.
There are a lot of people posting in these area's that hardly, if ever, post an image.
Or indeed stray outside this and OoF area's

I'd pay to see those miscreants sent packing
 
contribute not subscribe
 
He's a radical idea,
Paywall for hot topics.
There are a lot of people posting in these area's that hardly, if ever, post an image.
Or indeed stray outside this and OoF area's
That's a terrible idea. Random, unhinged people who wander in off the street to post their deranged ramblings are the very lifeblood of Hot Topics! If you charge, you just get the sort of people who bang on about inheritance tax at the golf club.

Why not paywall:

(1) All mirrorless vs dSLR threads.
(2) All discussions about protective UV filters.
(3) Film vs digital debates that extend beyond 30 pages.
(4) Technical discussions about the best 10 stop ND filter to blur a waterfall.
(5) Anything about football.
 
(5) Anything about football.
Agreed

I'd get well rid of the Hot top lot be fun to see who would go or stay if those get dumped.
Its pretty obvious Dave, I keep an eye on who posted "Elsewhere" when HT was shut for the 12 days of Christmas.
( very few is the answer ;) )
 
That's a terrible idea. Random, unhinged people who wander in off the street to post their deranged ramblings are the very lifeblood of Hot Topics! If you charge, you just get the sort of people who bang on about inheritance tax at the golf club.

Why not paywall:

(1) All mirrorless vs dSLR threads.
(2) All discussions about protective UV filters.
(3) Film vs digital debates that extend beyond 30 pages.
(4) Technical discussions about the best 10 stop ND filter to blur a waterfall.
(5) Anything about football.


(6) Buying from E-Infinity and Panamoz.
 
I already pay small amounts for full membership of other forums (photography and others) of £10 to £15 a year, and if it was at this sort of level I would contribute without needing to think about it. It may be worth saying that these forums e.g Luminous Landscape, tend to offer more than just a forum.

I think you still need public unpaid forums to draw people in, but maybe some forums could be for subscribers only. e.g. Classified and Hot topics. Again this is a model found on other paid for forums, where community/chatter/off topic pages and classified are for paid subscribers only.
 
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I voted yes.

Without knowing how much it costs (financially) to keep the forum going, it's all but impossible to know what sort of contribution would be needed from each contributor.
 
Paywalled forums are usually staggeringly dull. Chatting to the usual suspects soon wears very thin. Restricting discussion in this way isn't just worse for those who are shut out, but also for the paying subscribers.
 
I would imagine that you're jumping the gun a little here as there are negotiations going on behind the scenes - and we might need to find out how those are progressing before all volunteering to throw our money in a pot.

I personally wouldn't like to see any kind of paywall as it screams 'them' and 'us'.

If donations were needed for the forums survival, should the negotiations deem it necessary - then I would certainly agree to seeing a donate button - but would be good to have it linked to a target - that if it was projected that the running cost was £X a year - then there's be an open thread to share this info, along with that donate button, and if an unexpected cost came up, it could be detailed, and the finance raised through further contributions.

I wouldn't want to be throwing money into a bottomless pit without knowing where it was going - there'd need to be a bit of transparency about what the donations were being used for- and a track of totals received. (Not to detail who gave what - but a true running total).

But as I said, we might be jumping the gun a bit here.

There may be an avenue whereby the site is still kept relatively advert free - but a small (and I emphasise small) number of controlled key adverts could be placed if they were to be a revenue stream for the running costs - if specifically photography related.
 
I think I pay / contribute £30 ish for a forum that I have not visited in over a year and it'll probably be a while before I'm back on it again haha

I'm mostly a lurker here, but would happily contribute something and on a subscription bases - £3 or £4 per month? that's about the cost of a coffee, right? but I wouldn't want any special treatment, ah maybe, perhaps no ads? no paywall
 
I won't vote yet, it all depends upon how much the donation will be.
 
TBH, its great to see the membership offering financial help.
I for one hope that it will remain subscription free,
Free for all, was always Marcel's intention. There used to be a donate button years ago,
but I think that was superseded by some google tie in or other :thinking:


But I'd also be happy to throw in a few quid now and again via a donate button.
 
I don't have a problem with donations or a small subscription fee.
On a side note, it you don't like the Hot topics forum, then don't go there. Obviously it's a different matter for the moderators who have no choice but to sort out all of the mischief that goes on in there.
I think I've only visited that part of the forum a few times in 6yrs.
 
"DEFINATELY" No problem whatsoever. (y)
 
Obviously it's a different matter for the moderators who have no choice but to sort out all of the mischief that goes on in there.
That one forum causes us more headaches than the rest put together Dom :(
 
I think subscription/paywall for the site would be a non-no. Against the ethos and founding intentions.
Whether certain parts of the forum offer the opportunity for a donation, is more user-friendly and inclusive. I'm wary of making participation a financial decision given the number of us old folk on here!
Perhaps a subscriber option that gives added benefits might be considered - I do that on Pentax Forums, for instance.
 
How about trying to get some more advertisers on board?
I know we all hate advertising but if it covered the running cost of the forum it would be easier.
 
In my opinion it would be more sustainable to look at a funding source that could be accurately forecast.
Donations would be impossible to predict in terms of budget, you would literally have no idea what you were able to forecast year on year.

So it would either be subscription or advertising, or possibly both.

I'd personally say donations isn't really the most efficient way to fund and run a forum.

I'd happily pay for a subscription, I'm not against paying my way, I just don't think donations is the best way forward.
 
I've never visited hot topics and really don't see why it is tolerated or why mods should waste time on it, this is a photography forum, if people want to debate whatever goes on in HT they can use facebook, twitter and the like.
 
I do wonder if it acts as a candle flame to draw away those who would otherwise sod up the rest of the site?
Yep it keeps all the crap stuff in one place (y)
Its very much a glass half empty forum, if you aren't hardened to it, best stay out. The problem is,
there is a few experienced photographers in there, that never leave, that prefer to talk about all the woes of the world,
Rather than discuss photography, help out struggling members or post images.
 
I've never visited hot topics and really don't see why it is tolerated or why mods should waste time on it, this is a photography forum, if people want to debate whatever goes on in HT they can use facebook, twitter and the like.
As above Chris, Marcel started it to keep all the crap, negative stuff away from the rest of the forums.
But yes I fully understand where you are coming from (y)
 
Yep it keeps all the crap stuff in one place (y)
Its very much a glass half empty forum, if you aren't hardened to it, best stay out. The problem is,
there is a few experienced photographers in there, that never leave, that prefer to talk about all the woes of the world,
Rather than discuss photography, help out struggling members or post images.

It does also permit expression of interesting points of view, but one gets the feeling some practically live in there (and I'm not just talking about the non-toggers) but there is much so baiting that goes on (from those that do know better too) I wonder if closing it might be a good move.
 
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