Keep those ideas coming!

[Jason Dunn]

The initial plan going into this weekend was to move to the new template on Sunday night, launch the mobile version, and generally cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war...then I realized that despite my eagerness to get a new version of the site out the door (the true 3.0 version), I hadn't fully thought through the new features I wanted to offer. You're coming up with some fantastic concepts, and I can see a subscriber package with enhanced services forming in my mind, but keeping the free site that you know and love...free. <br /><br />I'll address this more fully later this week, but rest assured that you won't show up here one day and find all the content behind locked doors. A site that doesn't have public content doesn't do much to evangelize the platform, and that is one of the chief goals of this site. There's a balance that can be found between enhanced subscriber services and free services, and I aim to find it. Thanks for your help with this so far!

[BillG]

I’m never going to subscribe to one of these sites. I have paid thousands of dollars for Pocket PC's, software and accessories. If vendors won't support enthusiast sites to promote their products then the platform deserves to die in the marketplace.

[Ed Hansberry]

I’m never going to subscribe to one of these sites. I have paid thousands of dollars for Pocket PC's, software and accessories. If vendors won't support enthusiast sites to promote their products then the platform deserves to die in the marketplace.
Then cancel all of your enthusiast magazine subscriptions. If the vendors don't support those so you can get them for free, they deserve to die as well. :roll:

[bbarker]

I’m never going to subscribe to one of these sites. I have paid thousands of dollars for Pocket PC's, software and accessories. If vendors won't support enthusiast sites to promote their products then the platform deserves to die in the marketplace.
I certainly hope that's not a majority viewpoint here. Sounds like welfare thinking to me. So you're willing to pay thousands for your PPC, your software, your accessories and everything, but not a dime for an independent web site that supports your Pocket PC?

Actually, this is part of the information I think the site's owner is looking for: who does and who does not really want this site.

[dcharles18]

I don't think it is a question of who wants the site and who does not, but who is willing to pay for it. I would wager that a good number of members are students, and therefore on a budget. One of the reasons everyone is jumping ship at Buzz (besides Wes being canned) is due to the corporate vs hobbiest nature of the site now. When you start charging for something, that is the direction that it begins to take.

[Jason Dunn]

When you start charging for something, that is the direction that it begins to take.

Perhaps, but please keep in mind that Wes was pulling down a monthly salary for what he did, and I am not (it's one of the benefits of having your site owned by a company, but as you saw, also one of the downfalls). This is an attempt for me to find a balance between the two, so I can't apologize to you for at least trying. :D

[Ed Hansberry]

I don't think it is a question of who wants the site and who does not, but who is willing to pay for it. I would wager that a good number of members are students, and therefore on a budget.
But isn't it like that with everything? Do those students have a cell phone? Cable? Broadband? A car? How nice is the car? Etc.

You pay for what you want, and the rest you do without. If $3/mo (or whatever it is) is too much for the premium features Jason is proposing, then you get the free site which still has tons of benefits.

And I see no correlation to this and what HHMG is doing. None.

[BillG]

Then cancel all of your enthusiast magazine subscriptions. If the vendors don't support those so you can get them for free, they deserve to die as well. :roll:

Don't get your back up. :)
1. I don't pay for any magazine subscriptions.
2. Most magazines are dead or dying (Byte, PC Magazine).
3. Most of the content on these sites is copied from/ linked to vendor sites. (not a criticism, it's just available elsewhere)
4. I never said he shouldn't go to a subscription model. If he can make it work, he'd be crazy not to. That's how the free market works.

I am simply saying that while this and other sites like it are interesting, I am not willing to pay for them if that's what it comes down to. You don't see anybody paying to visit techtv.com, and that's a very content rich site.

[Tom Eichers]

TechTv.com is also a very AD rich site. The content has been getting a little sparce of late.

I am willing to pay for more content, I visit this site quite a couple times a day, but the Handheld version would not be used by me. I imagine Jason and Ed, and the others use up alot of time keeping this going and I would not mind helping in a money way.

Keep up the great work people

[dcharles18]

Perhaps, but please keep in mind that Wes was pulling down a monthly salary for what he did, and I am not (it's one of the benefits of having your site owned by a company, but as you saw, also one of the downfalls). This is an attempt for me to find a balance between the two, so I can't apologize to you for at least trying. :D

No apology required. I was not criticizing, merely attempting to present another point of view for your consideration. I am an ardent supporter of capitalism. If you can make it work, by all means have at it :)

[dcharles18]

And I see no correlation to this and what HHMG is doing. None.

Nor should you. HHMG apparantly violated a contract and displayed a total lack of respect for the website's founder. I was simply stating that when you start paying for something it becomes percieved as more business and less hobby.

When something is free, no one has any right to complain about. If you do not like, too bad, it did not cost you anything, move along. When people begin to pay for a service they then have the right to make demands and have expectations in exchange for their money, hence the business vs hobbiest aspect.