Quote:
Originally Posted by Brundah1
Annual fees may defeat the original concept of web based Special Interest Groups! I agree with Jason's comments on this point.
Less experienced members (like me), all benefit from the continued involvement of those older more experienced Amateur Astronomers, who could easily spend their time elsewhere. So why punish them with fees?
However perhaps a join-up fee of AUD10 would achieve a similar outcome to that part of Chris's suggestions. But keep it small, so school age would be astronomers will not be deterred!
More importantly the intention of Chris's suggestion should include the introduction of a more rigorous requirement to provide real personal identity information on the membership form. Plus a more explicit statement beside the "tick the box" - indicating this has legal implications contained in the "Terms of Service and Privacy Policy".
Obviously real personal identity information should be protected within a Privacy Policy statement, but should allow Website Owners the right to provide this information to the Police; when suspected fraud; or other serious breaches of TOS&PP occur.
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Well worded David.
That is along the lines of my suggestion-in fact it would appear a small one off fee might be better.
I do finding it very surprising that some replies are aghast at the suggestion.I can really see no logical reason why some would bail out
and other photography forums died from something similar.But many of these
same people would not worry about the price of cigerattes and booze.
The fishing forum that has the $10 yearly fee is like the size of POTN-i'd never have time to get around all the sub forums.But its not died at all.
Suppose-most astronomers are much tighter after seeing what goes on here.
Anyhow-its simply a suggestion,and up for reasonable and logical discussion not a KKK bon fire.
Other forums I am on have free membership free everything,but if you pay a yearly fee or a one off fee,you do get extra's-like lots of 'Pigeon holes' (not sure what the right name is.But it means you can store threads,images,all sorts of stuff,that you can do only on a limited basis on the free plan-which is still very good.
I think most here,end up regularly visiting two or three of their hobby forum.So I feel that a small fee of 0.03 cents a day is not all that expensive.
Anyhow-that's the last I'll suggest on it