Some Words From A Slightly Frustrated Admin...

[KB]

Actually as Chris has stated the cost of running this intricate set up is in fact a lot more than most realise, Thomas has refrained from diverging the real running costs and I need to respect his wish to keep it close to his chest, but he has shared this info with his Admin team and I can tell you if you are looking at this thread as a windfall of cash then you may want to think about this................if it stops here we will still be in trouble next Month.

Ken

[Pugwash]

if it stops here we will still be in trouble next Month.

Maybe next week, even.

[castlemaine]

Should have done this a long time ago having lurked this and other boards for too long. I may not have alot to say but very much appreciate the board and input of others. I'm in.

[ryyannon]

Good man.

That leaves about 100 other members currently connected to go.....

Anyone else ready to stand up and be counted?

[KB]

Good man

Ken

[Pugwash]

I'm currently working on an IWC replica guide, much like a rip-off of By-Tor's definitive Omega guide. Everything is falling in place and the information should be ready for me to round it out by the time my Portuguese Chrono arrives.

However, if enough people don't donate, I may not have a site to post this article to, so please donate so I can work up the motivation to complete my article!

Won't somebody think of the childr...watches!

ps. Ken, Admin, will that do as a pledge-drive post?

pps. Anyone got any good IWC reviews they'd like included, mail the links to me. Don't PM as my box is too full.

[ryyannon]

To all:

I think I actually have a new idea to propose here - slightly in tune with several discussions and some intense activity (over 6,000 views and 245 posts in Richard Tracy's IWC group buy thread).....

What if....future group buys were restricted to supporting members only?

Would it be suceptible to gumming up the process (not enough people) or would it - as the intended objective - stimulate membership upgrades?

I understand that having as many people as possible participate in a group purchase can determine the discount, but there must be a point of diminishing returns for the dealer at which - irrespective of how many people participate in the deal - the price can go no lower.

Might it not be interesting to experiment with the idea.....for instance, in giving priority to supporting members to attain the desired discount. If the desired price-point can be attained, then no non-supporting member gets in. If more people are needed, a requisite and limited number of non-supporting members are allowed in until the discount-zone is reached.

I've personally never particpated in a group buy - nor even followed the dynamics of seeing one take shape - so perhaps those who've actually put one together would be better placed to judge the worth of my suggestion.

But to me, it does seem to have a certain poetic (in economic terms) justice: you've got to spend some up front to save some more.a little further down the line.

Like I say, I'm just floating this to see what others think....

Your comment are most welcome.

[ryyannon]

Bump

Before this thread sinks below the horizon.

It's clear that the supporting members have already had their say; as to the free-riders, I guess something's preventing them from posting in this thread....

Can't imagine what.

ATTITUDE PROBLEM? WHAT ATTITUDE PROBLEM?

[eddhead]

Bump

Before this thread sinks below the horizon.

It's clear that the supporting members have already had their say; as to the free-riders, I guess something's preventing them from posting in this thread....

Can't imagine what.

ATTITUDE PROBLEM? WHAT ATTITUDE PROBLEM?

Just curious... do we know the ratio of supporting vs non-supporting members? I think it is understandable for the newer members to be hesitant to pony up, but it is especially odd for longstanding members who have, and continue to benefit from the knowledge base of the memebers and access to the dealers. The dealer section alone is worth the price of admission (more really) I mean think about it.. despite the fact that this hobby is akin to participating in a blackmarket, we have access to very reputable suppliers who provide an astonishinly high grade prodict. Not sure how you would get that access otherwise. And than there is the pure entertainment value that comes with following TTK's post!! How can you beat it!!?

I like the proposals that focused on limited features for non-paying members and full features for paying members, but if we go that way, i think we need to take care with new members who may not be comfortable in paying up without fully understanding what a great place this is. If I were looking at the site for the first time, and was solicited for a payment membership, i might think this was an attempt to rip me off. Maybe a 3 month grace period?

Finally, although I am a bit late with this, I would like to extend personal thanks to the admins and moderators. I am sure this is an extremely time consuming board to run, and your involvement comes at great personal and perhaps even monetary sacrafice. I kinda feel bad about that it took this thread to acknowledge your contributions and to thank you for them. mea cupla.

[ryyannon]

Just curious... do we know the ratio of supporting vs non-supporting members?

Admin certainly knows, but if you want an instantaneous idea, just take a look at the membership status at the bottom of the MAIN forum page, which displays the names of everyone online.

It's always a rather sobering experience, and consistantly reveals that approximately 10 to 12 percent of the forum participants are offering a free ride to everyone else.

At the risk of being misunderstood (hmmm...something familiar about that word) and taken for a snotty, despotic and authoritarian jerk, allow me to say that I would never expect a 100 percent supporting membership rate.

I can well imagine many reasons for not contributing, and I can easily live with the idea that a certain percentage of members simply cannot - or will not - bring themselves to ante up.

Doesn't bother me at all - and welcome aboard just the same.....

But 85 to 90 percent?

While Admin pays the deficit out of his own pocket?

Instead of bemoaning the stories of injustice, selfishness and indifference that we see every evening on the news, I would suggest that you understand that the same phenomenon is taking place right here and right under your very nose.

And while it's not a genocide or a famine, the existence of this forum is not economically viable without increased - and immediate - member support.

I'm confident that in time, a more equitable system of financial participation will be worked out, allowing the majority to offer a modest contribution to keep the servers up and running, rather than the current situation in which a minority is attemping - and failing for lack of wider participation - to pay the bills.

Which is why I keep hammering at the hundreds of members out there who apparently are just going along for the ride: some of you are going to have to figure out that your support is needed right now, and not in six months when a new conception of membership payment has been put into place.

In the meantime, I'll probably keep bumping this thread back up - waiting for the light to go on in another member's brain: signifying that he or she has understood that RWG is a community - something that demands a certain degree of community spirit - rather than your personal playground, offered to you by a handful of altruistic and wealthy individuals whose only objective in life is to permit you obtain the best possible products at the best possible prices, along with the possibility of complaining when your playground temporarily goes off-line.

I could go on like this for ages, but if you haven't gotten it by now, you never will no matter what I - or anyone else says here.

Now get back to looking for that perfect watch....sorry to have distracted you once again....

[Pugwash]

Admin certainly knows, but if you want an instantaneous idea, just take a look at the membership status at the bottom of the MAIN forum page, which displays the names of everyone online.

... or use the search feature:

2500 members

210 Supporters

(figures are ±10)

[SubFrog]

Bump is right.

Which is why I keep hammering at the hundreds of members out there who apparently are just going along for a free ride: some of you are going to have to figure out that your support is needed right now, and not in six months when a new conception of membership payment has been put into place.

I agree.

Just FYI: Some have paid for support (such as myself), but have yet to be changed to support status. My status is still in Member mode. I'm sure the admin or mods will get to it when they can. Admin has acknowledged receipt of payment.

[retep]

Bumperdiebump.

[eddhead]

... or use the search feature:

2500 members

210 Supporters

(figures are ±10)

[/quote

wow, that is not at all what i expected... all the more reason to compliment the admins and mods.... not sure what motivates you guys, but thanks.

[eddhead]

Bump is right.

I agree.

Just FYI: Some have paid for support (such as myself), but have yet to be changed to support status. My status is still in Member mode. I'm sure the admin or mods will get to it when they can. Admin has acknowledged receipt of payment.

i am not sure how one checks to see thier staus, but your banner says RWG SUPPORTER....

[Admin]

i am not sure how one checks to see thier staus, but your banner says RWG SUPPORTER....

That's because I just updated his status;). He paid with creditcard and these payments are not automated in the system, so I have to manually upgrade the members;

Again, thank you very much to those of you who have upgraded your memberships these last couple of days

[KB]

Bump is right.

I agree.

Just FYI: Some have paid for support (such as myself), but have yet to be changed to support status. My status is still in Member mode. I'm sure the admin or mods will get to it when they can. Thomas has acknowledged receipt of payment.

Ahh....Froggy, Froggy, Froggy....the reason why it took time for you is that you paid via the back door, if you upgrade through the donation link it's instantaneous

Ken

[Admin]

... or use the search feature:

2500 members

210 Supporters

(figures are ±10)

Exact numbers:

2711 members

207 RWG supporters

7.6% of the members are currently RWG supporters.

[KB]

Not even 10% that's a pretty damning revelation

Ken

[Admin]

Well...I must admit that when I thought about how much the membership should cost, I didn't really do any "solid" calculations. Like now, a 1 year RWG supporter pays $2.50 pr. month for a membership. What do you get for $2.50 these days

[Pugwash]

Well...I must admit that when I thought about how much the membership should cost, I didn't really do any "solid" calculations. Like now, a 1 year RWG supporter pays $2.50 pr. month for a membership. What do you get for $2.50 these days

You should have based it on the more stable Euro

[KB]

Well...I must admit that when I thought about how much the membership should cost, I didn't really do any "solid" calculations. Like now, a 1 year RWG supporter pays $2.50 pr. month for a membership. What do you get for $2.50 these days

Which is why I chose the 1 Month re-accuring, at least it's $5 per Month.

Ken

[jonthebhoy]

I'm beginning to come around to ryyannon's thinking that maybe we should build in some sort of fee to all members.

I was never for this before but when I get to thinking of all the work that goes into making this site what it is then I feel we are grossly underestimating our (and especially Admin's) endeavours.

Sure we would get flak from the "opposition" but I truly believe we are the best at what we do but staying in that position will become increasingly difficult without proper resources.

The other by-product would be that the wheat would most certainly be separated from the chaff.

JTB

[retep]

I'm beginning to come around to ryyannon's thinking that maybe we should build in some sort of fee to all members.

JTB

Don`t know if it`s already mentionted but how about a trial membership for one month or so and after that a membershipsfee?

[ryyannon]

I'm beginning to come around to ryyannon's thinking that maybe we should build in some sort of fee to all members.

I was never for this before but when I get to thinking of all the work that goes into making this site what it is then I feel we are grossly underestimating our (and especially Admin's) endeavours.

Sure we would get flak from the "opposition" but I truly believe we are the best at what we do but staying in that position will become increasingly difficult without proper resources.

The other by-product would be that the wheat would most certainly be separated from the chaff.

JTB

I don't think of the other boards as opposition - or even competition, but you guys might have insights into situations of which I'm not aware.

For me, the other boards represent different alternatives, for the time being, free. But to my knowledge, RWG1 has stopped offering the possibility of watch sales on the site; RWI appears to magically have no or little need of member support (and the more power to them), while TRC seems to attract a lower-key crowd as well as much less traffic than this board. As for the WatchTrader, the forum seems to be quietly expiring with very little activity at all. And my sincere apologies to any and all connected to the above-named sites for any (purely unintentional) erroneous opinions concerning them that I've just given.

The bottom line is how many paying members does RWG need to comfortably stay afloat? How many people who are currently non-paying members will stick around if a financial contribution becomes necessary for being here? I'm all for separating the wheat from the chaff, or put another way, keeping the members who feel that RWG is unique and irreplaceable enough to merit paying for; but I certainly have no idea how many people will actually stay if and when membership payment becomes mandatory.

At the current 7.6 percent, things can't get much worse. Could we hope for a 25, 35, 45 or 55 percent increase? Where's the break-even point? How many people out of the 2,700 listed members check in regularly? How many register once, and never come back? What's the weather going to be like tomorrow?

I'm certain that Admin and the people surrounding him are canny enough to make an educated guess and take a calculated risk - or else either drag along like we have been or find other ways of generating revenue.

I wonder if it would be worthwhile (or possible) to post an anonymous survey in which members could indicate (yes/no) whether they would be willing to pay a membership fee and at what price-point (perhaps in multiples of $15.00, ie, $15, 30, 45, 60). Anonymous, because if this thread is any indication, most people don't have the courage to come right out and say 'No, I wouldn't pay a cent for being here!' or thoughts of a similar nature.

If members could simply anonymously (and just once) access the survey and hit the choice-buttons, we might get an idea of what's possible and what's not. This thread in itself has generated around 1,800 hits since it was first posted. Many of them are repeaters - people like me coming back either to post or to read the latest post. That in itself might offer an inidication of what we can expect: anywhere from 500 to 1,000 people interested enough in RWG's long-term survival to be willing to pay for it. Maybe even less than 500.... But we need to have at least a ball-park idea. More astute members might be able to deduce the actual number of people who regularly use the board by looking at the daily traffic statistics, but whoever and how many they are, this thread is probably a first glimpse into who might still be around once a paid membership becomes required.

I'd still be very interested to see the responses to a survey on the question....

Once again, just my two cents - and more creative than just posting a 'Bump.'