[Chefelf]

There have been a few members recently who have asked if there could be specific perks for paid subscription services at chefelf.com. While I would like to keep the site as free as possible it does ask a valid questions:

1.) What does the Night Lifer want?

2.) What is the Night Lifer willing to pay for?

Now, there are some things that I could easily add into the forums. The ability to create a blog built into the Night Life does exist. You can see an example here: http://forums.invisi.../matt/index.php?

Now, obviously you can get a blog anywhere for free, the only advantage would be the ability to use the built in community and share ideas that way.

I don't really have any concrete ideas. Running the site does costs a ton of money (something ads are able to partially subsidize) and I know some of you have been kind enough to offer donations so this would be a way of giving something back for your donations.

All ideas/feedback welcome.

[Deepsycher]

My main issue with paying someone to host something for me even a bog logger are limits on the bandwidth. I see these limits everywhere. I don't mind donating to a cause I understand but sorry I rather not pay money to be hold up in some center of attention just to spread my ideas through log bogging until I cannot afford to pay. Sounds awful to me.

One thing I am interested in is an old network game to be hosted but again bandwidth limitation is my worry.

This post has been edited by Deepsycher: 17 September 2007 - 03:29 PM

[Spoon Poetic]

Bringing back the old arcade games - is that even a possibility at this point? But that would be a definite perk for paying members. I'm not so interested in a blog, either; but someone might be - a good perk to add on there... More space for PMs would be EXCELLENT. A great incentive to become a pay member. I'd probably do it just for that! Maybe more customization options, like the ability to change your username, the colours of the forums, the ability to customize how a thread will look if you start it? But I don't even know what's possible to offer.

[Deepsycher]

I knew someone will say that. Bring back the arcade thing and privatize it. Sadly I wasn't around that long to see the arcade. Quite devaluing either ways to have those petty modifications or customizable features for name change, page layout, colours and options. Paying for additional space for message storage might be fair.

It would be quite devaluing to set something that can be changed as fixed even if it annoys other users because they didn't pay. If there are choices on presentations that were free in the first place shouldn't it remain free. Someone who see dots and string could benefit on seeing darker colours in these text boxes instead of white but I don't think it would be fair to take advantage out of that by charging if the options were there freely. I see that limiting those customizable small features won't be keeping the site free as possible.

This post has been edited by Deepsycher: 17 September 2007 - 05:11 PM

[Chefelf]

Good ideas, Spoon!

Things that are easily doable:

• More space for PMs
• Customization (e.g. skins) though we'd need to make some for starters.
• User Blogs
• Change user names (though that may lead to confusion, etc.)

Things that are not possible:

• Arcade (at the moment it can be done but it involves editing the core Invision files such that the ability to upgrade is basically stripped away. Too bad, I'd love to have the arcade back
• Customizing individual posts (as far as I know).

[Deepsycher]

So you are going to charge for making basic customizations such as changing the outlook to dark colours if I didn't want a skin?


I am worried and paranoid about another issue that sounds horrible. Will you not limit post counts and charge rates when the daily quota is exceeded?

I hope the future won't end up like this like in many other places I saw by how much people pay and not by post counts on the avatar or profiles.

"Elite members"
"Premium members"
"Pro members"
"Basic member"

I refuse to sign up in places that values people on status by money.

This post has been edited by Deepsycher: 17 September 2007 - 06:29 PM

[Deepsycher]

Would it be possible for you to launch network games of someone's choice if they are willing to pay for the licenses themselves? And roughly at what price would charge for hosting it?

This post has been edited by Deepsycher: 18 September 2007 - 04:19 PM

[Chefelf]

The arcade games, unfortunately, will not be coming back (for the reasons stated above). Again, I would love to make them available but due to limitations in the forum software (and making upgrades very difficult) I have opted not to make any unauthorized modifications to the forum source code so that the forums will continue to run efficiently and maintain maximum uptime.

[Deepsycher]

Oh I am very sorry as reading from above this could be a misunderstanding. I don't mean arcade games I mean actual hosting games that run outside of the forum software. I mean non arcade games. Unreal Tournament 1 for example where people join to play. There is a Linux server starter for it. Is that possible for you?

This post has been edited by Deepsycher: 18 September 2007 - 05:01 PM

[Spoon Poetic]

Dude. Free coffee.

Kidding. I have some real ideas.

PMs to more than one member at a time might be cool, but it might also be abused. Maybe a calendar type thing that all members can access but only paid members can edit; something you could put birthdays and events. It could be both serious and could have some fun silliness to it.
Our avatars are already pretty big or I'd suggest that, but maybe you could have the option to change more thingies underneath it, like a sort of mini-profile that shows up on every post along with the "where from" "total posts" etc. For instance, I could set mine to say "current objective: lick David Bowie" instead of where I'm from. Something weird like that.
Maybe the option to turn off the ads on the site?

I know a lot of forums that have both free members and pay members create a sub-forum only accessible to paying members. I'm going to go ahead and state that I'm not a fan of this idea, as I feel it would create elitism and hostilities, and that would suck.

My ideas are just little silly things that don't make non-paying members feel second-class, but would be fun incentives to becoming a pay member if you can. If you don't charge an arm and a leg, and come up with an easy method of donating (Paypal would probably be easiest and most universal) I'll probably hop on board just to be a support, no matter what the perks.

[Deepsycher]

Well I am thinking you are meaning that calender on the top of this page on the top right to make that paid only? Unless you mean something different.

What would others think if post counts were hidden?

Including board statistics. Which I recently took notice of. Then people would pay more attention to the contents and quality of their posts than posting in quantity and no one would moan about someone posting too much. I don't mean if it affected people by someone constantly posting after every response.

This post has been edited by Deepsycher: 18 September 2007 - 06:33 PM

[Spoon Poetic]

I never noticed that little calendar. I was thinking bigger and better, though.

[Cobnat]

1.) What does the Night Lifer want?

1. We wish to be referred to as Chefelfers.

2. The ability to edit one's posts at any time.

3. The ability for anyone to edit Bond’s posts at anytime.

Other then that I really don’t see a problem with Chefelf.com. This place is basically perfect for my tastes.

Now, obviously you can get a blog anywhere for free, the only advantage would be the ability to use the built in community and share ideas that way.

Isn’t that the whole point of a forum?

I don't really have any concrete ideas. Running the site does costs a ton of money (something ads are able to partially subsidize) and I know some of you have been kind enough to offer donations so this would be a way of giving something back for your donations.

Oh, I see. You trick us into coming here with free samples then you jack up the price!

[Spoon Poetic]

I don't like the idea of being able to edit posts any time because then there might be a problem with a post, and then we need proof of that problem to report and get the problem-maker taken care of, and that person can just go fix it and we have no proof and nothing can be done.

[Deepsycher]

I think it might be good to be able to edit posts anytime by the owner but only for in certain circumstance for threads like my Nametease thread so I don't keep on having to ask other people to correct mistakes I couldn't see before posting.

A solution for people who insult other members and then change their comments if they were trusted to do that is to log all the changes made to comments if it is possible.

This post has been edited by Deepsycher: 18 September 2007 - 10:57 PM