Contests

[encece]

I dont like the whole subscriber only thing. Whenever I read it, on the face of it, it seems like you dont care about your non-subscribing readers. It's not really a great incentive to subscribe.

I'm not angry about it...just thought it worth mentioning.

[Jason Dunn]

I dont like the whole subscriber only thing. Whenever I read it, on the face of it, it seems like you dont care about your non-subscribing readers. It's not really a great incentive to subscribe.

Well, three things:

1) The majority of the contests we have are open to everyone. This is the first round of contests that have been mostly for subscribers. Subscribers pay money, I want to provide value. Subscriptions are one of the ways this site keeps running. Non-subscribers get the same news and other benefits that this site has to offer, but I work extra hard to give subscribers extra benefits.

2) Non-subscribers can enter by sending me a postcard. I do this largely because the old contests we used to do were random draws from all 27K+ registered users resulted in people who registered once two years ago getting a prize they didn't care about. Some contests we have are the "post in the thread and we'll give away a prize randomly" type, which are open to everyone, but I'll never do another contest where we pull from EVERYONE who's registered. I want to reward people that visit the site frequently, subscribers and non-subscribers included.

3) We have, and will continue to have, contests open to everyone.

Looking at the front page news, articles, etc. that we do as being me "not caring" about ALL ours readers is, frankly, a bit insulting. :?

[xdalaw]

The majority of the contests we have are open to everyone. This is the first round of contests that have been mostly for subscribers. Subscribers pay money, I want to provide value. Subscriptions are one of the ways this site keeps running. Non-subscribers get the same news and other benefits that this site has to offer, but I work extra hard to give subscribers extra benefits...

As a PPCThoughts "user," but non-subscriber, I found your response to be very thoughtful and fair. The fact that even a non-subscriber can enter these contests (by doing offering a little effort) is not too much of a price to pay for the excellent content and other contests that your site provides. (And, I say this as one who has never won anything from PPCT yet. :cry: )

***long quote snipped by moderator JD***

[lapchinj]

As a PPCThoughts "user," but non-subscriber...With the risk getting flamed for going off track I think you mention the magic word here as being a 'user'. I've 'used' this site for a number of years now and because of this thread and particularly your mentioning of the term 'user' made me sign up (just before I started this reply) and become a subscriber.

Jason mentions that he works very hard and so do the other moderators that contribute to this site (community) with all the latest and greatest. Then here are all the great people (subscribers and non-subscribers) that contribute their knowledge, thoughts and ideas around for everybody to consume and of course the subscribers who added a couple of dollars a month. Everyone is a 'user' and everyone contributes in one or more ways.

I'm big on Open Source and the OS community is the 'user'. And as with any community project everyone is able to be a 'user' of the project and everyone is able to contribute to the project (aka community) and of course there are many ways in which to contribute. While I'm able to contribute to other OS community projects by writing code I took the path here at PPCT of putting up a couple of dollars a month as my contribution to the community.

While one of the benefits pushed here to becoming a subscriber was being able to login 'on the go' this was something I had no access to and didn't use so I just never subscribed. But then you mentioned being a 'user' (which I am) so I just had to jump in (with both feet).

Thanks xdalaw :mrgreen:
Jeff-

[encece]

Looking at the front page news, articles, etc. that we do as being me "not caring" about ALL ours readers is, frankly, a bit insulting. :?

To be insulted by my comment indicates that you didn't read into the true nature of my post as it was intended. (Though my commenst were a bit brief). But I've offended you a few times before I believe. I'm either really a A$$ or you're really fragile. ;)

I didn't mean you didn't care. I stated that it may seem that way to some. And this is my reasoning:

People, as we all know, join online communities, to follow the latest news, and trends and to be part of discussions and groups that share the same interests as themselves. I'd have no one to talk to about my obcessions if not for the tech forums, including, but not limited to, SPT, PPCT, & DMT. Frequent visitors begin to feel an association these sites. A deeper part of the community. The "regulars" if you will.

Some members, from both ends of the participation spectrum, may choose to or not to become paying subscribers. I'm sure that's fine for your company as your site benefits not only from subscriber fees, but also from advertisment hits. As long as members visit, they're supporting the site...in a sense. (I'm not trying to get into your personal finances, or prod you to talk about them, I'm just trying to make a point).

That said, any registered member who supports the site, by reading news, reviews and commentary, and participates in discussuon should be eligible for contests....in my opinion. (This is all just my opinion, mind you.)

Not allowing them into contests, possibly disassociates them from the community they have grown so fond of and thought they were a part of. Made to feel as if they are the second in class to the upper echelon of subscribers.

I understand that givaways are good advertisment for the manufactures/developers of the products you are giving away. I also understand that if you can lure additional subscribers during these give-aways...you'd be foolish not to take that opportunity.

But catering to subscribers only may make some feel like you are only interested in the business aspect of the sites, at least a bit more than the community aspects, where the site began.

A better alternative may be to offer subscribers double entries and allow non-subscribing members to participate as well. (But only those with 88 posts and above....scr3w those lurkers!) ;)

I don't feel very strongly about everything I have written here. I am playing devil's advocate on certain points. So don't read this post, placing an imaginary forum voice in place of my well natured voice! (What? You don't place differnt voices on different forum members when you read their posts?)

A Personal Note:
Understandably you do focus on this more popular site than the rest, or so it seems and attempt to drum up subscribers more frequently here than anywhere else. And based on your memberships, I can certainly understand why.
3744 SPT Members <---No Subscriber Services Available(yet)
25426 PPCT Members <---Subscriber Services Available
2495 DMT Members <---Subscriber Services Available

But I believe that all of my favorite sites have declined in purity as I watch them capitalize on their popularity one by one over the years. More ads. More pop-ups. More affiliate stores. More donation requests. Even little enthusiast blog sites have more and more ads on them.

I liked the old days better. But you havn't created a TimeMachineThoughts.com website yet.

BTW...When are you getting SPT Subscriptions going? ;)

[encece]

Wow that's a long post. I tend to get long winded, spell words incorrectly and use them incorrectly when trying to get down a thought. So read it for what it's worth.

[Phillip Dyson]

[OFF-TOPIC]
Its just my opinion (and granted I'm a biased subscriber) but I think that Jason and his team do very well in providing benefits to segments of the community.

Just a few months ago I remember Jason announcing the availability of mobile forums to all registered users. This was previously only available to subscribers. So the offerings to both segments is always evolving.

As a subscriber you can actually deactive most ads on the sight, so its not as if theres a lot of double taxation.

Frankly, I think to toss the subscribers into a pool of registered users is a bit unfair to the subscribers. I don't know what the ratios are, but I would wager that even the double entry idea may not work so well.

Also, I could be wrong, but I don't recall any Subscriber only contests. But I can stand to be corrected.

But to make a long story short...8O
keep up the good work Jason and the PPCT Team. :way to go:
[/OFF-TOPIC]

[Jacob]

That said, any registered member who supports the site, by reading news, reviews and commentary, and participates in discussuon should be eligible for contests....in my opinion. (This is all just my opinion, mind you.)

Not allowing them into contests, possibly disassociates them from the community they have grown so fond of and thought they were a part of. Made to feel as if they are the second in class to the upper echelon of subscribers.

But non-subscribers ARE eligible for contests, they are just not automatically entered into them.

[encece]

Criticism is a funny thing. Some people take it well and some don't. Even if it's meant with better intentions. Oh well.

[Jason Dunn]

Criticism is a funny thing. Some people take it well and some don't. Even if it's meant with better intentions. Oh well.

And opinions are like...nevermind. ;-)

[encece]

Excellent! :D

[PetiteFlower]

Criticism is a funny thing. Some people take it well and some don't. Even if it's meant with better intentions. Oh well.

And opinions are like...nevermind. ;-)

Earlobes. Opinions are like earlobes. Everyone has them, yet they're even more useless then the, erm, anatomical feature that is usually referred to in this saying....

[ctmagnus]

I have a suggestion: People can use earlobes to attach Post-Its to, so that when they look in the mirror, they can see their non-digital notes.

Of course, we'd all have to learn to write backwards, but...

[PetiteFlower]

Foreheads would work better for that anyway.

[ctmagnus]

Hm... I suppose so. But, at least around here, I've seen more foreheads covered up with hats, hair, etc. than ear lobes.

Oh well. It was a suggestion.

[pocketpcadmirer]

Hm... I suppose so. But, at least around here, I've seen more foreheads covered up with hats, hair, etc. than ear lobes.

Oh well. It was a suggestion.

btw, 4000 posts and this is all I get?!?

Hey watch out..u almost made me fall off my chair !!

Sunny :mrgreen:

[ctmagnus]

Hey watch out..u almost made me fall off my chair !!

Sunny :mrgreen:

Whoops, I didn't mean to cause you any harm ;)

[dmr54]

Totally awesome, thanks Vaja and thanks Pocket PC Thoughts :)