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Future of the Forum

Darat said:
I think Emily is only meaning if the forum was going to stay with the JREF, and she is to a large extent correct that would be an approach that would result in a forum much more closely aligned with the JREF mission.
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Yes to this.

Darat said:
But it ain't staying with the JREF so I think this is more an interesting thing to discuss rather than having direct bearing on the new place. Mind you ideas like Emily's will have to be considered because the new-forum will need to raise money somehow.
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Granted. Annual donation fundraisers ;)
 
RemieV said:
Emily's post isn't about financial cost. It's about branding, and whether or not we fit with the JREF's goals and help to achieve them, or hurt their cause.
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Mostly, although I'm sure there is at least some financial cost associated with it as well. I am not at all privy to JREF's financial position, so I don't know how much the server fees and maintenance of the forum database are relative to the other organizational incomes. It may be minimal... but it may not. I don't know. The largest consideration is in terms of brand positioning, though, as RemieV suggests.
 
G6000 said:
.........The idea that this forum should have been forced into some idiotic constraints within the parameters of some capriciously determined "mission" completely contradicts the idea of free thinking.......
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Yep. Square peg in a round hole. This current circumstance allows us the opportunity to make ourselves a square hole.
 
The_Fire said:
I can see the need for raising fund, however a "Not insignificant" amount of money would effectively shut out a lot of people. 1 dollar a month? Not a problem for most people (including me). 100 dollars? OUCH!
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$24 to $48 per year, payable up-front annually. High enough cost of entry to keep out most trolls and trouble makers, low enough to allow entry to most people who actually are interested in the topics and the goals.

Set up an anonymous donation fund for those who can't afford it but wish to join anyway. Details on that TBD.

The_Fire said:
I would propose a sliding scale consisting of 3 types of accounts: Free accounts (students and those who cant afford to pay for some reason or the other) with a possible adverts running as well to recover some of the cost on those. 1 dollar acounts: For those who have some means, but not a lot and wants to contribute. Donation accounts: People who donate larger amounts (I saw someone offer up a C-note(?) towards the start-up phase).

The last one could come with some sort of board acknowledgement. If combined with a charity type of status for the board/organisation running it, it could also carry out further advantages to the donators.

The 1-dollar accounts alone has the potential to carry the costs of the boards with a surplus for "hard times" or towards the legal support fund that probably going to be needed.
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That too, has some potential. There are many ways to skin this cat.
 
Emily's Cat said:
$24 to $48 per year, payable up-front annually. High enough cost of entry to keep out most trolls and trouble makers, low enough to allow entry to most people who actually are interested in the topics and the goals.
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I am strongly opposed to this. Lets see how far we can get with voluntary donations. If that cannot keep it afloat, I think nothing will.

I'm in for voluntary donation well above the annual amounts you mention. If it comes to pay-for-play, I'm out. Thats a ship that is doomed to oblivion in short order.
 
Belz... said:
Yeah but I'm not sure the community at large would be very happy with determined trolls with money to spend destroying every debate.
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You could double the amount for every banning (per person). $10, $20, $40, $80, etc. So if someone gets banned 10 times, they would have to pay $10,240 to get back in. That should sort things out pretty quick.
 
I say again: it's already ridiculously difficult to get banned. It's downright impossible if you follow the rules. Conclusion: those who get banned don't follow the rules. Why would you want them here ?

Now, I've said in the past that I miss several people who were banned from here, but if they couldn't follow the rules then, they won't in the future, either.
 
John Jones said:
Some have already offered regular contributions. My employer (a large multinational group of science laboratories) might be willing to donate, or place banner ads or some such, as long as no woo-woo kook crack-pot advocacy can be reasonably associated with their name.

Maybe I'm naive. I don't think funding will be a problem for at least the first 2 years. After that, it's sink or swim. I'm in for 2 years at least.
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I will donate to keep banner ads off the site.
 
I was of two minds about posting this, and I freely admit that it's a provocative posting. I do not intend to offend anyone, but reality bites sometimes.

The power company won't give the forum free electricity; the computer manufacturers won't give the forum free hardware; the registrars won't give the forum a free domain name; the hosting .. well, maybe that could be free.

Saying that the forum should be gratis is at some level not realistic. Someone(s) has to pay for these things. Who? How?
 
Darat said:
More or less this.
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OK then. I can totally buy the community aspect to it. Personally day and month correct, but fudged the year. By how much is nobodies beeswax.

But doesn't that mean that the DOB data is junk? Which then begs the question why so many are foaming at the mouth about a field in which they could literally claim to have been born yesterday?

And roll it on. The same applies to first and last name. I could have typed those as Oliver Clothesoff or Amanda Hugenkiss (well obviously something more subtle, but you get the point)
 
madurobob said:
I am strongly opposed to this. Lets see how far we can get with voluntary donations. If that cannot keep it afloat, I think nothing will.

I'm in for voluntary donation well above the annual amounts you mention. If it comes to pay-for-play, I'm out. Thats a ship that is doomed to oblivion in short order.
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This.

A paywall forum would be doomed, indeed.
 
abaddon said:
And roll it on. The same applies to first and last name. I could have typed those as Oliver Clothesoff or Amanda Hugenkiss (well obviously something more subtle, but you get the point)
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So, you're saying you actually registered with your real name and DOB?

Huh, never occurred to me...
 
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