Subscriber Services Launching Soon

[Jason Dunn]

Sometime tonight or tomorrow morning, we're going to be taking the site offline for several hours in order to implement the new subscriber services code (get your green tea and hunker down for another haiku!). This is a momentous day for Pocket PC Thoughts: we've been working on the subscriber services off and on for 6+ months...although in typical fashion, I left most of my work for the last minute. 8O Once subscriber services are in place, the mobile forums will no longer function for non-subscribers, <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?topic_id=13804">just as I explained here.</a> This is the start of something major, and I hope you'll consider supporting us in this endeavour. I firmly believe that the enhanced services we're going to be offering, and the amazing prizes (!!) we're going to be giving away, will make the subscriber services worth your investment. More to come tomorrow!<br /><br /><b>UPDATE:</b> Some of you have guessed correctly that we're going to be using <a href="https://www.paypal.com/affil/pal=jason%40pocketpcthoughts.com">PayPal</a> as our primary method of doing the transactions. The Thoughts Media Engine (our back-end system) has been tied directly into PayPal, so while we will accept personal cheques and money orders, we strongly urge the use of PayPal. In this light, if you don't yet have a PayPal account, <a href="https://www.paypal.com/affil/pal=jason%40pocketpcthoughts.com">please use this link to sign up for one</a>. When you use that link, you'll be donating $5 to Pocket PC Thoughts, at no cost to you. How cool is that? :D More info to come tomorrow, but thanks for the encouragement everyone!

[Bob Anderson]

Paypal armed and ready!!!

[Tierran]

No site holds a candle to your mobile implementation

[Trokair]

Consider my money invested already, Jason. :D It's nice that I can finally give to my favorite website in a meaningful way. ^_^

-Kyle

[Eitel]

I'm in. Just tell me were to "paypal" the money. :mrgreen:

[iPaqDude]

Same here.... now that I've got the GPRS thing going I will be more than happy to support the site. Actually, I would have been more than happy to support it before the GPRS thing! :pimp:

[Foo Fighter]

Jason, your site is worth every subscription penny. I'll be more than happy to pay for subscription services! :sunny:

[Kati Compton]

Just a question - the contests won't be open just to subscribers, will they? (I will be one, btw). I'm just asking because there's some "no purchase necessary" rules...

[bsoft]

Yeah, your mobile site renders perfectly on my Sidekick. I may just have to get a subscription.

[Crash Biker]

Love the site & I'd like to support but I really don't want to open a paypal account. Any chance there would be a straight credit card option. How about an SPB (or other) product I could buy that came with a subscription?

Best of luck whichever way it goes.

Cheers

Crash

[rpommier]

Stop screwing around and give me the info on where to PayPal the money to! 8)

This is one of the few sites I'm going to pay for... you deserve compensation for your site. Just don't get cocky eh :wink:


Roderick

[Jason Dunn]

Just a question - the contests won't be open just to subscribers, will they? (I will be one, btw). I'm just asking because there's some "no purchase necessary" rules...

We're going to have two types of contests - the normal type of contests that we have now (software giveaways, small hardware giveaways like a case, etc.) Those contests will remain open to everyone.

The new types of contests will be "big ticket items" (1 GB CF card, Pocket PCs donated by OEMs, etc.) and limited to subscribers. If people give to the site, the site will give back to them - I've been buying prizes for the past six months in preperation for this. :-) In terms of "no purchase neccesasry" rules, please don't go down the twisted path of asking me to follow contest rules for every country that people are from...because that will result in no giveaways at all because it's simply not possible. Let's just cover our ears, say "LA LA LA", and have fun with the contests. Please? :|

[CTSLICK]

waiting....patiently...tick-tock...tick-tock...TICK-TOCK...COME ON TAKE MY MONEY ALREADY!!!! :rock on dude!:

[Jason Dunn]

Love the site & I'd like to support but I really don't want to open a paypal account. Any chance there would be a straight credit card option.

I'm afraid the only options will be PayPal, personal cheques, and money orders. Getting a merchant VISA account is not in the cards right now, and this is not an Spb venture, it's a Thoughts Media venture, so I don't want to complicate things any further.

Our entire back-end system is deeply integrated with PayPal - it's amazing, and there's no other system that offers us what PayPal can.

I love PayPal. Can I ask why you don't want to open a PayPal account? PayPal = digital cash, which is the future.

[rpommier]

I guess I'm just weird, I've never had an issue with PayPal, trading games on UGTZ, or eBay. I believe in good karma...

PayPal is just about as safe as it gets.

[gcherian]

Love the site & I'd like to support but I really don't want to open a paypal account. Any chance there would be a straight credit card option.

How about opening a paypal account with PPCThoughts referrel, that is a straight 5.00 in the pocket of thoughts team....... think abt it.... :-)

[Jason Dunn]

How about opening a paypal account with PPCThoughts referrel, that is a straight 5.00 in the pocket of thoughts team....... think abt it.... :-)

Don't worry, we're doing it. :-) There's no easy way though, AFAIK, to take that $5 and apply it back as a credit for the subscriber services. I guess I'll just have to thank the user. :-)

If any of you don't yet have a PayPal account, and you'd like to use one for the subscriber services (trust me, it will make things SO much easier), please use this link to sign up (https://www.paypal.com/affil/pal=jason%40pocketpcthoughts.com) (it will give Pocket PC Thoughts a $5 referral fee, and you have my thanks!).

[pro_worm]

Jason I wish you'd stop making me look like an egoist, what with your inventing quotes of mine.

:wink:

[Jason Dunn]

[blatant self-interest]

:?

[Kirk Stephens]

How much should I transfer to my PayPal account? :beer:

[ctmagnus]

Forget Paypal, use HyperWallet! :wink:

[Kati Compton]

In terms of "no purchase neccesasry" rules, please don't go down the twisted path of asking me to follow contest rules for every country that people are from...because that will result in no giveaways at all because it's simply not possible. Let's just cover our ears, say "LA LA LA", and have fun with the contests. Please? :|
I wasn't trying to be critical, I was concerned you'd get in trouble.

[Jason Dunn]

Forget Paypal, use HyperWallet! :wink:

We can certainly look at accepting alternative form of payments post launch - we have a way of manually creating subscriber accounts for those who chose to pay via cheque or money order, so if we sign up with Hyperwallet, Amazon.com, or any other payment service, we would just manually create the account.

PayPal makes everything 100% automated though, which is why I love it so darn much. :-)

[Jason Dunn]

I wasn't trying to be critical, I was concerned you'd get in trouble.

LA LA LA. There is no spoon. LA LA LA. :D Thanks for your concern, but I'm going to hope the lawyers in the world have something better to do than bust me for giving someone 1 GB CF card. :wink:

[dean_shan]

Now that you've baited me with the new mobile version I will purchase a subscription no mater the cost. (Maybe that was your plan all along. Give us the goods, get us hooked, then make us pay. :wink:) Just tell me were to pay and I will. Due to my eBay adiction I already have a PayPal account.

[BTS]

I love your site and am totally addicted. As a fellow Calgarian I am pleased as punch to see a local site do so well. I'll be signing up as soon as Linksys (who each day is falling more out of favour with me) will get their driver out (or even some info about a driver?????) so that I can go out and buy a brand new 2210 and hook up! :way to go:

[Jason Dunn]

I'll be signing up as soon as Linksys (who each day is falling more out of favour with me) will get their driver out (or even some info about a driver?????) so that I can go out and buy a brand new 2210 and hook up! :way to go:

Once you see the features list, you just might want to sign up before you are able to access the mobile forums. Mobile forums are just one of many features subscribers will have access to. Just you wait and see! :mrgreen:

[PetiteFlower]

How much is it going to be?

[Jason Dunn]

How much is it going to be?

Such a crass question! :lol: There are going to be a few different levels, with different features and prices, so you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see what the prices are. I will say that I think they're all quite affordable for what they offer, and I've received positive feedback on the pricing as being reasonable. We'll see tomorrow. :-)

[Paul Martin]

Mobile forums are just one of many features subscribers will have access to. Just you wait and see!

Good to hear. I'd like to support the site, but don't have a need for the mobile forums as I'm not connected wirelessly and don't due much surfing with the dial-up modem. :)

p.s. It's now tomorrow for me...let's see the list! :rock on dude!:

[ricksfiona]

This is great. I'm looking forward to getting an e-mail describing the latest news on the site. It's just SO HARD to stay away from the site for more than an hour or two. :)

I can only imagine the new services that the Pocket PC folks will come up for us....

[Iznot Gold]

I'm interested to know: if I'm a paying subscriber will I still be subjected to the incredibly annoying mobile planet ads that make the current home page inaccessible to me as a visually impaired person. I'd gladly pay for an accessible version of the site...not that I really should need to pay for that facility alone. I love the site and want to support it but only if it is in an accessible format.
Best Wishes
David

[denivan]

Jason, I'de love to pay subscription, but there's one thing that bothers me about the mobile forums, for some reason you can only choose to go to the next (or last for instance) page at the bottom of a conversation, on the normal forums you have that option also at the top of the page. So when browsing over GPRS, I think it would be handy if I could open a forum, stop loading the browser and click at the top to go the next page, instead of having to load the whole page again which I have read allready that morning ;)

Kind regards,

Ivan

P.S. LALALALALA can't hear you LALALALALALA :lol:

[netman]

Jason, I would love to send you money but I am having major service problems with PayPal. I suggest you look at some other service. PPCT is a great site and I do want to support you.

[theone3]

I'm interested to know: if I'm a paying subscriber will I still be subjected to the incredibly annoying mobile planet ads that make the current home page inaccessible to me as a visually impaired person. I'd gladly pay for an accessible version of the site...not that I really should need to pay for that facility alone. I love the site and want to support it but only if it is in an accessible format.
Best Wishes
DavidThere are no ads in the mobile forum ;) (http://www.pocketpcthoughs.com/mobile)

[iant54]

The problem with PayPal is that you have to have a credit card :(

There's no option for using a debit card, or even something like Splash Plastic.

So I guess that I'll have to wait until you take other forms of payment.

[bjornkeizers]

Not to mention us poor folks over in europe who usually don't have credit cards [Europeans prefer to pay cash and stay out of debt]

One question though; what, exactly, will this subscription encompass? Is it just for mobile stuff & contests? Will us non paying people still be able to read the news and post in the forums? [that's the only thing I care about]

I sure hope so, otherwise I might be forced to find a new hangout..

[freitasm]

How about opening a paypal account with PPCThoughts referrel, that is a straight 5.00 in the pocket of thoughts team....... think abt it.... :-)

Don't worry, we're doing it. :-) There's no easy way though, AFAIK, to take that $5 and apply it back as a credit for the subscriber services. I guess I'll just have to thank the user. :-)

If any of you don't yet have a PayPal account, and you'd like to use one for the subscriber services (trust me, it will make things SO much easier), please use this link to sign up (https://www.paypal.com/affil/pal=jason%40pocketpcthoughts.com) (it will give Pocket PC Thoughts a $5 referral fee, and you have my thanks!).

I hate to be bad :devilboy: but... The $5 bonus for PayPal referral is only if a new user sends a single payment of more than $250 (non-US) or total US$ 250 in funds transfer to the new PayPal account, plus complete the validation (confirm credit card or bank account).

Some users will sign up for Paypal only to pay this, and you'll not receive $5 from that referral until the $250 threshold is reached in that account.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_refer-email

[juni]

So, unless the money is coughed up -> remove PPCT from mobile favorites, if I understand this correctly?

:grumble:

[Arne Hess]

Not to mention us poor folks over in europe who usually don't have credit cards [Europeans prefer to pay cash and stay out of debt]
:?: :?: :?: 8O
I wouldn't say that we "poor" Europeans don't have a Credit Card, at least all my friends/family here in Germany have one/several Credit Cards...

[GoldKey]

Not to mention us poor folks over in europe who usually don't have credit cards [Europeans prefer to pay cash and stay out of debt]


Using credit cards does not necessarily mean being in debt. They can be a great financial tool when used responsibly. I never carry cash and use a credit card for pretty much everything. Even have some of my bills (Cable/Internet/Phones) automatically billed to my credit card. I pay the bill in full each month, so never pay any interest. Plus, I get 1% back on all my charges, so I actually make money off of using it as opposed to cash. Plus, I can pay my cc by EFT, so the only check I have to write is my mortgage.

[DavidHorn]

Likewise... though I don't have a mortgage. I use my credit card for nearly everything and have never had to pay interest on it, since I only ever spend what I know I can pay back that month.

[Sunnyone]

Jason, you (and others) have said that Paypal is safe. I've had a very different experience with Paypal. I was able to use a debit card with Paypal. Big mistake. One day I was checking my banking statement on line and to my horror found a $3000 (yes that is three thousand) debit to my checking account. Now usually I don't have any where near $3000 in my checking account. Luckily, my company bonus had been deposited so this time, I did. So even though I didn't write any rubber checks because of this Paypal error/fraud, it was a major hassle. I did get my money back. AFTER THREE WEEKS had gone by. But as a result, I closed my Paypal account. I will not reopen it. I can't imagine the bounced check charges and damage to my credit that could have occurred had I not had sufficient funds to cover the debit. I was LUCKY! I won't take the chance again. So be very careful, everyone.

I was planning to subscribe to the mobile services, but I guess I'll need to use the check or money order option.

[bjornkeizers]

wouldn't say that we "poor" Europeans don't have a Credit Card, at least all my friends/family here in Germany have one/several Credit Cards...

There are exceptions to every rule of course :D I'm speaking in general terms. I don't know about germany specifically, but in The Netherlands not that many people have a credit card, and the ones that do don't really use them for online payments.

Generally, people prefer to have cash in their wallets or money in the bank; besides, you have to pay a yearly fee for the card so it's not worth the trouble for most people. It's just not in our nature to use credit cards..

[msprague]

besides, you have to pay a yearly fee for the card so it's not worth the trouble for most people.
That's too bad. I am in the pay it off every month and earn 1% cashback camp. That's right, they pay me for using their card. :sunny:

[GoldKey]

Generally, people prefer to have cash in their wallets or money in the bank; besides, you have to pay a yearly fee for the card so it's not worth the trouble for most people. It's just not in our nature to use credit cards..

Cash can be lost of stolen. I hate carrying cash. Plus, at least in the US, there are plenty of cards that don't have any annual fees plus give you a rebate. I earned nearly $200 in rebates on my card last year. Plus the savings from not having to write and mail checks for some of my other bills. So, from a pure financial standpoint, you save money by using credit cards rather than cash.

[Jason Dunn]

I'm interested to know: if I'm a paying subscriber will I still be subjected to the incredibly annoying mobile planet ads that make the current home page inaccessible to me as a visually impaired person.

The goal is to allow you to turn on/off all modules - I don't know if we'll have the ability to turn off that rotating item zone right off the bat today, but I'll see what I can do about getting it done soon. Or maybe I"ll just dump it completely. Hmm. Stay tuned. :-)

[PetiteFlower]

You can TOO use Paypal with a debit card, I did. You can also use it just with a bank account which is what I do now(I had to for some reason, I think someone would only take my payment if I had a confirmed account). You don't need a credit card at all.

And Jason, Crass my behind, I was being practical. I can't decide whether I can subscribe or not until I know how much, I live on a VERY tight budget!

[Jason Dunn]

Jason, I'de love to pay subscription, but there's one thing that bothers me about the mobile forums, for some reason you can only choose to go to the next (or last for instance) page at the bottom of a conversation, on the normal forums you have that option also at the top of the page.

One of the things we struggled with was the small amount of screen real-estate we had to work with. That meant that we needed to throw out a lot of the text + navigation on the normal site and go with the bare minimum.

Can you describe to me the scenario where you'd go to a thread, but want to go to the next thread without actually reading the thread you just went to? I thought it would be a case of going to a thread, reading it through to the bottom, then moving on to the next one. That's obviously not what you're doing, so I'd like to understand it more. :-)

[Jason Dunn]

Jason, I would love to send you money but I am having major service problems with PayPal. I suggest you look at some other service. PPCT is a great site and I do want to support you.

As I said, there will be other options like money orders, cheques, etc. I just tried to sign up for Amazon.com's Honor system (it's like PayPal), but they only accept people from the US. :roll: The fact is, there's nothing else like PayPal out there for what we need to do.

[Jason Dunn]

So, unless the money is coughed up -> remove PPCT from mobile favorites, if I understand this correctly? :grumble:

I've been crystal clear on this point for months, so I don't know why you're grumbling. :? As I said in this message (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?topic_id=13804) when we launched the mobile forums, open access to everyone is for a limited time only. Once mobile forums become a subscriber-only service, you'll still have access to the mobile site like you did before, just not the actual forums. I'm not taking anything away from you, so it seems more like you're complaining because you can't get what you want for free.

We're offering people a service - mobile forums they can access from many mobile devices. If you don't want that service, you don't pay for it. If you find it useful, you pay for it. We're not offering you less content, or hiding our reviews away so only subscribers can see them - everything else stays the same. The home page stays the same. All the free news & views stay the same.

Subscriber services are all about accessing the same information in new ways. I've tried to be reasonable and fair throughout this whole process, and when you see the pricing, I think you'll be pleased - I'm not trying to rip anyone off. :wink:

[Jason Dunn]

Will us non paying people still be able to read the news and post in the forums? [that's the only thing I care about] I sure hope so, otherwise I might be forced to find a new hangout..

Subscriber services are about accessing information in new ways, not taking things away from you guys. The front page, forums, and everything else will stay exactly as they are now - you won't be "punished" for not being a subscriber. The benefits of being a subscriber will be worth it for some, for others, perhaps not. We'll see! :-)

[Jason Dunn]

And Jason, Crass my behind, I was being practical. I can't decide whether I can subscribe or not until I know how much, I live on a VERY tight budget!

I know, I know, I was just giving you a hard time. :D

[GoldKey]

Although I have not seen the pricing, I plan to subscribe even though I don't access this site on my PDA regularly. I have gotten so much value from this site and community, it will be a pleasure to give back something to keep it running.

[Jason Dunn]

Although I have not seen the pricing, I plan to subscribe even though I don't access this site on my PDA regularly. I have gotten so much value from this site and community, it will be a pleasure to give back something to keep it running.

Thank you! That's the OTHER reason to subscribe. :D

[bjornkeizers]

Cash can be lost of stolen. I hate carrying cash.

I *knew* you'd say that!

First off, I usually have only about $25 in cash in my wallet, the rest is in the bank. When I need cash, I either use my bank card in the store or to get cash from the ATM.

If I had a credit card, I'd need to be very careful with it; I wouldn't carry it around in my wallet for fear of it being stolen. I wouldn't want to use it in stores because they can steal your card data or commit some other form of fraud with it. Yes, it's great for paying online, but I like many other people don't like to hand out our credit card details to just anyone.. how do I know someone hasn't been in my PC and read my numbers? How do I know this connection is really secure? And even if my data arrives safely, where does it end up? Who has access to it? What are they doing with my data?

Yes, I'm very paranoid.. and I'm not alone. I prefer cash any day over credit cards. The risks are simply too big.

[GoldKey]

Cash can be lost of stolen. I hate carrying cash.

I *knew* you'd say that!



The few times a year I go to an ATM for cash always seems to be when it is out of order. So, not very convienent.

If a cc is stolen, just call the company and have it cancelled. Even if it is used before you do, it is not that difficult to protest the charge. My CC number was once copied by a resturant employee who then used it to charge about $2000 worth of pornographic videos :devilboy: I had even given him a good tip! When I got the bill, I called my CC company they mailed me some papers to sign and it was taken care of.

If everyone had paypal, I could truly go cash free. The few times I use cash are for when I owe a friend money or when we are collecting for something at the office.

[Jason Dunn]

If I had a credit card, I'd need to be very careful with it; I wouldn't carry it around in my wallet for fear of it being stolen. I wouldn't want to use it in stores because they can steal your card data or commit some other form of fraud with it....Yes, I'm very paranoid.. and I'm not alone. I prefer cash any day over credit cards. The risks are simply too big.

It's very interesting to see you write these things - I've heard the above, but it's usually coming from someone 50+. Must be a cultural thing. I've had my credit card number stolen, illegal charges made, etc. but I've never had any problems with it. I just call the credit card company, and they take care of it. Hell, I trust VISA more than I trust my bank! 8O

[juni]

I've tried to be reasonable and fair throughout this whole process, and when you see the pricing, I think you'll be pleased - I'm not trying to rip anyone off

I never thought we were being ripped off. The payment through paypal seems a bit bothersome. I'm sure I'd hand you a 5$ in person but I have no experience with this service.

[juni]

We had some bad experience with credit cards online. My cardnumber and details were once stolen and used to buy a bunch of webpages and domains from registrar.com (which claims to have such a great detection of foul play) and other sites. Luckily visa covered everything. Still, would have been interesting to know what sites I "owned"...perhaps I was a pornmogul without knowing it. :lol:

[Jason Dunn]

I never thought we were being ripped off. The payment through paypal seems a bit bothersome. I'm sure I'd hand you a 5$ in person but I have no experience with this service.

Well, once you get a PayPal account, I think you'll find it's a great way of sending and receiving money - I use it all the time for buying software, donating to sites I like, etc. Given the range of people reading this site from around the world, handing me $5 in person isn't a very realistic option. :lol:

[Jerôme Ammerlaan]

[There are exceptions to every rule of course :D I'm speaking in general terms. I don't know about germany specifically, but in The Netherlands not that many people have a credit card, and the ones that do don't really use them for online payments.

Get in this century! Everybody I know has a creditcard these days. And most of them are Dutch. How else are you going to shop online securely? Not to mention that the exchange rate is definitely in favor of the Euro :D

[GoldKey]

Jason, is the upgrade off for today?

[Jonathon Watkins]

Love the site & I'd like to support but I really don't want to open a paypal account.

Same here. I am just not happy about setting up a Paypal account. :| I get a lot of spam trying to trick me into entering 'my' Paypal details into thier fake website. I have heard a lot of bad stories about about the service, how much it costs you to use and the risk of using it etc.

I do know it's the only thing around that does what it does though. :? I've never needed it before now.

This site is the only reason I am seriosly thinking of settting up an account. Still....... I'm not sure.

[Mexico]

Take my mula. We all owe you big time. I can't think of how much money I've saved, either by buying the right product or not buying the wrong one after reading info on this site. So, take it, damn it, TAKE IT!!! :rock on dude!:

[William]

There are exceptions to every rule of course :D I'm speaking in general terms. I don't know about germany specifically, but in The Netherlands not that many people have a credit card, and the ones that do don't really use them for online payments.
8O What Netherlands are you talking about? It must be a different country than the one I know. 30 years ago, yes, then you would have been right.

[beyondallcom]

Jason, is the upgrade off for today?

Agreed :) I've been checking all day :D

[Jason Dunn]

Jason, is the upgrade off for today?

Yeah. :oops: We really tried, but there are too many pieces to connect, and I have to leave the city for a few days an hour from now, so we just ran out of time. I really hate not living up to comittments I make. :(

But they'll be cool, I know I can promise that much! :D

[Jason Dunn]

Same here. I am just not happy about setting up a Paypal account. :| I get a lot of spam trying to trick me into entering 'my' Paypal details into thier fake website. I have heard a lot of bad stories about about the service, how much it costs you to use and the risk of using it etc.

I've been using PayPal for several years, and it's been great. I've had to call their customer service # once to get something fixed, but other than that, I've had no problems at all. I've seen that spam too, but how is that PayPal's fault? That's some crook who's trying to take advantage of the a popular payment service - the same thing has been done for AOL accounts, ICQ passwords, etc. It's the cost of being #1.

I've seen "ebay sucks" sites (someone here has a "beware ebay" in their sig), yet I've never had a problem with ebay. Ditto for PayPal, Amazon, and many of the ther "XYZ sucks" sites I've seen. Iomega Zip drives DO still suck though. :lol:

I guess all I can tell you is that I wouldn't have picked PayPal if I thought it was a dodgy service. And, again, I want to stress that PayPal will not be the only method of paying, it's just the only "instant" one.

[bjornkeizers]

It's very interesting to see you write these things - I've heard the above, but it's usually coming from someone 50+.


Since when is there a minimum age requirement for paranoia? :lol:

par·a·noi·a

Extreme, irrational distrust of others

I know it's irrational, but many people [at least over here] feel that way.


Must be a cultural thing. I've had my credit card number stolen, illegal charges made, etc. but I've never had any problems with it. I just call the credit card company, and they take care of it. Hell, I trust VISA more than I trust my bank! 8O

See? To quote "enemy of the state": "It's not paranoia when they're really after you" ('re credit card info)

[ctmagnus]

Jason, I would love to send you money but I am having major service problems with PayPal. I suggest you look at some other service. PPCT is a great site and I do want to support you.

I concur. I've had problems with getting money to/from PayPal/my bank acct and as such try to use it as little as possible. I prefer good old plastic (preferrably Interac but I'll use Visa if it's absotively, posolutely necessary.)

[ctmagnus]

Cash can be lost of stolen. I hate carrying cash.

I concur. Bank cards are the way to go!

[Golfer]

I'm in if I can get the mobile forums to work offline. Can I use the site through a mobile favourite or avantgo?

[William]

I know it's irrational, but many people [at least over here] feel that way.

Yeah, you can repeat it again and again but that doesn't make it more true...http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/images/smiles/idontthinkso.gif

[William]

Jason, I'de love to pay subscription, but there's one thing that bothers me about the mobile forums, for some reason you can only choose to go to the next (or last for instance) page at the bottom of a conversation, on the normal forums you have that option also at the top of the page.

One of the things we struggled with was the small amount of screen real-estate we had to work with. That meant that we needed to throw out a lot of the text + navigation on the normal site and go with the bare want to go to the next thread without actually reading the thread yminimum.

Can you describe to me the scenario where you'd go to a thread, but ou just went to? I thought it would be a case of going to a thread, reading it through to the bottom, then moving on to the next one. That's obviously not what you're doing, so I'd like to understand it more. :-)
I guess what denivan means is this: on a normal forum thread page (like this one) you have options to select the page 1, 2, ... Last both at the top as well as at the bottom. His complaint is that on the mobile forums it's only at the bottom. So, suppose a thread has 2.5 pages at the moment I go to sleep. The next morning I don't need to reread the postings of the first pages again. I know I have to start reading halfway on page three. With the page selection only available at the bottom, I still need to load the complete first page to get there. If I had the option at the top I could stop page loading and select page 3 immediately. It saves time and on GPRS it could save money too.

[freitasm]

I never thought we were being ripped off. The payment through paypal seems a bit bothersome. I'm sure I'd hand you a 5$ in person but I have no experience with this service.

Don't worry... I use PayPal since it was created (and that was when they have a program on Palm Pilots (so they we're called, no only Palm)), that allowed you to "beam" the payment via infrared. On the next Hotsync the payment would be transferred.

Then they created the e-mail solution and phased out the Palm application.

I've my credit card and bank account registered with then (yes, New Zealand is one of the few countries you can use bank accounts on PayPal :mrgreen:) and paid things on eBay, received money for Geekzone, and payment for services. I think the few glitches people report are things that happen on banks.

Same as news on TV here other day "Police found under aged girl with two men she met over a date phone service". Now, this was a 3 minutes thing on news. But if the headlines were "Police found under aged girl with two men she met over the Internet", than would be a two months debate.

Don't worry, go for it!

[freitasm]

Same here. I am just not happy about setting up a Paypal account. :| I get a lot of spam trying to trick me into entering 'my' Paypal details into thier fake website. I have heard a lot of bad stories about about the service, how much it costs you to use and the risk of using it etc.


Get over it. Are the scam e-mails coming from Paypal? No. So why blame their service and not open the account?

Just follow a rule: never enter the login and password in links you click from e-mails. First they never send e-mails asking you things (unles it is during the registration process). Second, they always use your full name (hint: If there's no full name in the e-mail, delete it!).

[msprague]

I have been using paypal for several years now and never have had a problem. In fact now that they offer the money market interest bearing option I use it as a savings account too, it earns a better rate than my citibank money market account. BTW, there isn't a citibank branch within 120 miles, I do all my banking online/snail mail.

When I need a cashier's check (like for closing costs on my mortgage) I do a yahoo transfer from citibank to my old college credit union savings account and then go to the local shared branch (http://207.151.57.41/locations/index.htm) to get the cashier's check. I can use any ATM in the country and citibank reimburses me for the ATM surcharges (up to $2 per, up to 4 times per month). Hey, it works for me.

err... where was I... oh yeah, don't be so paranoid about paypal! :duh:

[freitasm]

I have been using paypal for several years now and never have had a problem. In fact now that they offer the money market interest bearing option I use it as a savings account too, it earns a better rate than my citibank money market account. BTW, there isn't a citibank branch within 120 miles, I do all my banking online/snail mail.

err... where was I... oh yeah, don't be so paranoid about paypal! :duh:

Well done... I do all my banking on-line, utility and other bills (mobile phone, landline, cable, ADSL, credit cards) are paid on-line too. I've been in New Zealand for six years now, and I only used one cheque book (50 pages) in all this time :mrgreen:

Ah, mandatory Pocket PC post: you can check your PayPal statement on Pocket PCs using PIE too.

[ctmagnus]

Well done... I do all my banking on-line, utility and other bills (mobile phone, landline, cable, ADSL, credit cards) are paid on-line too.

I do the same. But my problem with PayPal stems from the fact that I'm currently unverified because they didn't like for some reason the credit card info I provided them.

And there's also the fact that, because I am not an American, I cannot send funds without registering a credit card. Even though I tried to. PayPal would not accept the info I provided.