Is this forum "free" or not?

[AllergyDoc]

I've noticed a lot of "trash talking" lately to members who don't financially contribute to the forum.

What's the "official" policy of this forum?

Can someone join and participate without ponying up?

How long can someone participate without donating, and not draw the ire of the board?

What's the purpose of this board? To steer members away from scam dealers, or to pay the bills?

My question ensues from me observing the treatment of non-paying members, like myself, who have been ridiculed lately for being "free loaders."

If someone doesn't pay up, should he move on?

[deltatahoe]

the forum is definitely free; are any of the "trash talkers" you're referring to mods or admin? i would be shocked if that was the case. some members may feel the need to try to convince others to contribute, but i don't think you'll find any mods or admin amongst that group.

there was a time however (not that long ago) when admin made a request for donations when he was having to come out of pocket on a monthly basis to keep the site running, but lanikai's efforts in the past year on the raffles have helped to raise enough funds so admin doesn't have to make those requests anymore.

for me, i really enjoy spending time on RWG and am happy to chip in to support my hobby. even the platinum membership is only the equivalent of a couple beers at a bar per month, and i certainly get equivalent enjoyment out of RWG. if you don't feel the same, don't contribute -- it's as easy as that.

just my $0.02 of course,

deltatahoe

[jmarin.72]

the forum is definitely free; are any of the "trash talkers" you're referring to mods or admin? i would be shocked if that was the case. some members may feel the need to try to convince others to contribute, but i don't think you'll find any mods or admin amongst that group.

there was a time however (not that long ago) when admin made a request for donations when he was having to come out of pocket on a monthly basis to keep the site running, but lanikai's efforts in the past year on the raffles have helped to raise enough funds so admin doesn't have to make those requests anymore.

for me, i really enjoy spending time on RWG and am happy to chip in to support my hobby. even the platinum membership is only the equivalent of a couple beers at a bar per month, and i certainly get equivalent enjoyment out of RWG. if you don't feel the same, don't contribute -- it's as easy as that.

just my $0.02 of course,

deltatahoe

+ my $0.02

[lanikai]

If you are referencing posts encouraging members to become supporters.. then I am number one on the list for that type of posts.

the forum is not free to those of us who "support" the forum through supporter contributions and donations to the raffles..

and support others who after a long time, and many reps and support, in the form of info and reviews,.. tutorials..et all.

choose not to donate to supporter status .. there are many who choose not to for one reason or another.

RWG is a "not for profit" fora.. before we resurrected raffles, and encouraged members to go for "supporter status",.. the monthly usage fee was payed for many times by the member who started this forum so others could benefit from it's knowledge and support.. and I be talkin about Admin. digging into his own pocket for the "rent" .. and then when the monthly usage got too much with all the traffic, members (usually the same ones) used to be called on (voluntarily) to donate whatever they could to keep us afloat. and without mentioning names .... these individuals would throw in hundreds of dollars at a time to pay the internet usage fees.

A Couple of dealers (you would think more would step up to the plate) who benefit from this forum give back by donating reps for raffle, if you have noticed we have been raffling (giveaways) we do NOT stock pile funds.. for any personal use.. we raffle tickets when we deplete our "prudent reserve" .. the supporter donations do not cover all the $$ needed for our usage fee.. look at how many members have been here awhile without at least an orange banner .. which is only 30 dollars a year.

that is 2.50 per month

that is 8 cents per day .. you would think that with all the support and info obtained here 8 cents per day is not giving up a lot.

but there are givers and takers in life.. you hope that there will be a medium between the 2.

In your profession... do you do all pro bono work ?? or do you charge a fee for your knowledge ??

you need to pay bills as we all do.. this forum is no different.

at one time our usage fee hit 1k a month.. not peanuts fo sure, for all the traffic we have through this community..

there are those who hit and run.. one rep.. outta here..but we hope that if members have been around and become part of this community .. which IMHO.. is the most supportive forum on the net... they would help out and become Supporters or Platinum members.

It does not end there.. what if we had not reviews.. tutorial.. wrist checks.. would noobs waste money on buy's that they could of avoided .. or sites that would have scammed them ??

I believe RWG is number 1 in tech knowledge and info .. and is the best community bar none..

markets are asking for donations to charities at the check out counter... how many people donate a dollar to whatever support group is asked ??? I am suprised by how many people just don't care..is a dollar a week too much ?? yet they can throw away food .. sorry but I am one that has been on both sides of the fence.. and imo.. you only can keep what you have by giving back..

so.. in answer to your Q.. yes RWG is a "for free" forum.. but we need to keep the lights on.. and to do this we need to pay usage fees.. and to do this without the same members donating .. we need to push for members to support RWG through donations... "we" need to support each other.. and not me support the other member, nor the other member just support me..if a member gets frustrated it is out of love for this community .. his/her passion.. nothing more.. or a difference in languages.. nothing personal.. I asure you of that.

Give and take.. such is life .. IMO..

AC/Lani

[ThinkBachs]

"Relax, Zipperhead"

[lanikai]

"Relax, Zipperhead"

he meant "academic" .. language barrier...

[KB]

As Delta points out you wont see an Admin team member trash talking a non paying member.

Sure we have the board structured so those that pay get more usage but thats only fair.

The point that Doc makes, whilst valid, is hardly surprising as people who do pay for what they love will naturally encourage others to do so too.

Some may channel a little too much enthusiasm but I'm sure it's not meant to be malicious.

Ken

[maxman]

he meant "academic" .. language barrier...

Jar head maybe

[ThinkBachs]

To explain my previous post, anyone who is a fan of Clint Eastwood would appreciate the quote.

Time and again I've seen the benefits of this forum for those that either live here or pass through. The information, assistance, and opportunities available here are certainly worth something. In this day and age when people expect something for nothing, I think many of us forget to appreciate the things we get for "free." Consider the amount of time that people put into posting reviews. Doing the research, finding just the right words to explain something, finding the right backgrounds and getting the light just right to take spectacular photos to share with us. Not to mention the contests and off topic conversations that entertain and build a sense of community and the time that mods put into keeping the forum respectable...

It's easy to look at a site or a forum and take it for granted, but fail to see all the hard work it took to get it put together. As a web/graphic designer and small business consultant, I understand how much time and effort goes into making something worth while. All I'm trying to say is take a look behind the curtain and appreciate the efforts of those that contribute. If that compels a person to contribute by helping others on the forum, great. If it means someone wishes to show support financially to assist in covering the cost of operations, fantastic. In my eyes, as long as a person makes an effort to be a productive member of the community, the better the community.

[maxman]

RWG has not only saved me a lot of money but It has allowed me to get the most for my money. I have learned so much here and I have also met some really fine people. I would feel cheep and uncomfortable taking and not giving back to the community. Im comming up on my one year here at RWG and Im going to upgrade to Platinum come the new year, I figure It's the least I could do. The other thing I have to remember Is , If know one contributes then there Is no RWG. I know that some of the big Gen sights have sponsership, who's going to sponser a rep community? not going to happen so It's up to us. Mike

[lanikai]

Ahh thinkbachs.. now I remember the line..

[ThinkBachs]

We need more Walt Kowalski's in the world...

[chubbchubb]

After a couple of years on the forum you keep seeing this particular question coming up periodically.

I love the fact that the internet gives you a vast amount of free information and entertainment. I also don't like people who switch on the meter for every question answered or advice or help given.

[Stephane]

I'm sorry to say I'm very surprised to read this.

I thought we were in a new era for months now.

Lani helped us to raise funds to maintain our forum without Admin going on his knees to ask for money.

What's wrong with that? I don't see anything wrong!

As stated by others in this thread, there are takers.

It's fine for me to see some come here as it is not different in the real life anyway.

My opinion has always been the same: a guy who can afford to buy several hundred dollar watches a month should be able to pay 30$ a year to contribute to the site which is giving back so much in terms of knowledge and friendship.

But of course, that is MY opinion.

As for non paying members, I can't remember a team member ever said they are not welcome.

@Lani: thanks so much for your dedication to RWG. It really changed the life of the forum and make it better.

Have a great week-end,

Stephane

[Star69]

a little off-topic :

do the dealers pay here to have there own section ?

cheers,

Frank

[KB]

Well it seems the whole thread is a beat up, Allergydoc quite openly states in the RWG 1:1 shoutbox that "I think I will go over to RWGjr and piss some people off"...in other words troll

You know at the end of the day it's really a case of someone after a cheap thrill.

Ken

[jazz4ivo]

Is there are thread where the forum explains the different levels of support membership and what if any benefits that brings to the supporter.

i.e. is the upgraded membership simply a tool to support the forum or do the supporting members enjoy some additional benefits... would be great to know more!

[fakemaster]

Doc you know the answer to that question.

[AllergyDoc]

Well it seems the whole thread is a beat up, Allergydoc quite openly states in the RWG 1:1 shoutbox that "I think I will go over to RWGjr and [censored] some people off"...in other words troll

You know at the end of the day it's really a case of someone after a cheap thrill.

Ken

I did say that. I was drunk last night, which is not an excuse, but it is a reason.

You put the cart before the horse, though, when in fact it's behind the horse. My intent was not to start a thread to [censored] people off, it was to start a thread I knew would upset some people, but a thread I thought was worth talking about anyway. There's a difference: one's a troll, the other's not. Maybe a drunken nitwit, but not a troll.

I've been thinking about this topic for at least a month, or whenever it was that OwenG left the forum. You remember Owen: a thousand questions followed by a Bulova purchase and a dark youtube.

Owen's "farewell" thread went on and on for what? 3 or 4, or more, pages? He was given the business for not having become a paying member. Some posters were rude, I thought, as if they resented Owen for having learned something here... for free.

Isn't the main purpose of the forum to share information that helps people get a decent watch while not getting scammed?

I thought it was. If so, why give some like Owen a hard time?

That really was my whole point.

I put "trash talking" in parentheses because I've never known the admin here to be rude to anyone, but at the time I lacked other words to explain what I meant.

I'm sure part of my reaction to Owen's treatment was personal: If he was thought of as a freeloader, then I am, too. And so is everyone else who visits here but doesn't pay up.

[lanikai]

a little off-topic :

do the dealers pay here to have there own section ?

cheers,

Frank

in fact they do Frank .. a very small fee but some also go the extra yard in donating reps on top of their rent..

the best things in life are free.. but a internet forum like RWG .. has all the security measures to keep us safe with our hobby it's not like pitching a tent on the internet and surfing. .. and new software cost money also.

jazz4ivo

Posted Today, 02:30 AM

Is there are thread where the forum explains the different levels of support membership and what if any benefits that brings to the supporter.

i.e. is the upgraded membership simply a tool to support the forum or do the supporting members enjoy some additional benefits... would be great to know more!

of course there are added benefits .. only fair to be a give and take..

more PM space... access to the supporter trade section.. supporting members like to trade their really good stuff with others who choose to support the community.. common sense would make me do that also.

the Plati's have a GGG (girls girls girls) section.. with nice models from all over the world.. ..and some interesting photography of their own..if your not envious of their watches you will be with this section.

check out the upgrade section.. I believe it tells all.. and Toads Noob guide has all the info you'll need.

I am kinda shocked Doc.. as a professional, if in fact you are a doctor with medical ethics behind you .. at least common sense should prevail.....wait.. my allergy is starting to act up.. but why should I pay someone to help me out.. it should be FREE

AC/Lani

[AllergyDoc]

You were writing the same time I was, Lani, so I know you didn't see my post. Never said, nor implied, the forum wasn't worth shelling out a paltry $30 for, or whatever the forum's asking these days. Just didn't like the sendoff Owen got.

And "medical ethics"?

I've donated a lot of my time helping those who can't afford my services, and if someone stiffs me on their bill, I write it off. I don't send people to collections. If I see them in the grocery store, if they don't duck their head and run the other way, I smile and say hello. Occasionally I've had one of these patients return for care. I take them back with a smile (I do collect at the time of service, though. ) and I don't kick them in the ass as they walk out the door.

[P4GTR]

Doc personally i'd like to see you around here more as we go way back to rwg1..

I see you around infrequently, and now I suspect I know why.

And you're a doctor for crying out loud, dont be a cheap ass.

That being said I really should throw RWG a couple of bucks soon myself. And not because lani guilted me into it. Truth is, I wouldn't be Plat if it wasn't for Lan.. But he's starting to become as long winded as RobbieG.

[lanikai]

You were writing the same time I was, Lani, so I know you didn't see my post. Never said, nor implied, the forum wasn't worth shelling out a paltry $30 for, or whatever the forum's asking these days. Just didn't like the sendoff Owen got.

And "medical ethics"?

I've donated a lot of my time helping those who can't afford my services, and if someone stiffs me on their bill, I write it off. I don't send people to collections. If I see them in the grocery store, if they don't duck their head and run the other way, I smile and say hello. Occasionally I've had one of these patients return for care. I take them back with a smile (I do collect at the time of service, though. ) and I don't kick them in the ass as they walk out the door.

thank you for that Doc... for being one of the good guy's .. I have a good friend who could be making a lot more in his practice but he does a lot of work for underprivileged families,.. it's what medicine should be about..

some members are so passionate about this community .. words may seem charged or aggressive.. but believe me in time of need there is not one of those members that would not step up to the plate to support one of us in need..

You may have been here to witness one such episode.. it was truly a community effort to support a member who fell on very hard times .. and his family.

many give unconditionally.. and see others as "takers" when like Oren.. he played a lot of members.. you could see his BS a mile away.. but he was kinda the little kid that you tolerated and then became part of the community.. his actions were sop for many that think they are slick.. for me I wish him well.. no grudge..

Aot of members spoke out because of their passion .. not to be cruel.. we are an extended family and supporting community..

like your words last night were passionate.. although not in "your" right frame of mind.. but something you felt strongly about.. that is how most here feel about this community.

Stephane has been around a long time and did countless reviews for the community.. and has been through thick and thin with life.. we "all" care what happens to him.. as a brother..

so .. take it for what it's worth.. you are a part of this community.. and a valued member weather a supporter or not.. passion has a way of bringing out charged words.. I am guilty of this also.. ad infinitum..

hope that clears up some of your concerns..

and docs are good to have on the forum.. heck when I was not diagnosed with H1N1 as I should of been; a Professional here, who is a good friend.. suggested all the test that my Doctor "didn't" administer.. had he done that I would not have ended up in ICU and critical care for a month..

and everything he advised me of .. my cardiologist repeated after I was released.. test.. after care ..etc.

Malama Pono AD.. take care of you.. and Aloha... wishing you the breathe of life..

AC/Lani

[P4GTR]

and Aloha... wishing you the breathe of life..

AC/Lani

Man I had quite the breath of life last night after eating about 18 buffalo wings and french fries. Was browsing some car parts magazines, then came the thought I should be considering an aftermarket muffler for my own [censored].

[lanikai]

Man I had quite the breath of life last night after eating about 18 buffalo wings and french fries. Was browsing some car parts magazines, then came the thought I should be considering an aftermarket muffler for my own arse.

Well.. I cooked a Chinese stew last night ... (don't ask what was in it.. tasted great though).. but ahhhh the wind was howling last night ma brotha...