AtariAge Member Subscriptions?

[Albert]

After coughing out several hundred more dollars today to setup a new server to replace the one currently running AtariAge, I believe it may be time to implement some sort of "AtariAge Member Subscription". AtariAge is one of a rare breed of website that does not have any advertising at all, and I've resisted putting ads on the site over the years. I've used the AtariAge Store to help pay for the monthly hosting fees, which amount to several hundred dollars a month. There are also recurring software costs to run the site, such as for this forum software you're using now. But that's not an ideal scenario, as it makes it difficult for me to put profits from the store back into homebrew development (researching new printing methods, printing boxes, creating special releases with unique items (like Adventure II), developing new circuit boards, and so forth).

 

Not sure how much this would cost or the exact benefits that would be available to those who choose to opt in, which is part of the reason I started this thread. Also trying to gauge how many people might take advantage of such an offer. My goal would be to not change anything that presently exists on the site for those who choose not to pay. Instead, I'd like any benefits to be "above and beyond" what is currently available, while giving people a means to help support the site. Plus, this may allow me more time to make improvements to the site, which is not something I've had a great amount of time to do the past few years.

 

At any rate, here are some of my thoughts as to what benefits could be extended to subscribers:

 

- Discount in AA Store

- Unique AtariAge Swag

- Early access to new homebrew releases

- Larger PM Inbox

- Longer Edit window

- Special icon in profile and posts

- Name highlighted in different color/font style in online lists

- Access to subscriber-only forum(s)

- Contests for subscribers

- Larger personal photo and/or avatar

- Search flood control reduced to 2 seconds versus 10 seconds

- No advertisements in forums

- Access to chat rooms (good chat room software is quite expensive, which is one reason why there is no chat room now)

- Printed and/or online newsletter

- AtariAge.net email address

- Ability to change username

- Additional forum skin selections

- Additional Reputation points per day

 

I'm looking for feedback as far as the above items go as well as how much people would be willing to pay for said benefits.

 

Thanks in advance for all the great comments I'm about to get!

 

..Al

[Wickeycolumbus]

Would it be a one time fee, or a monthly/yearly thing?. Sounds like a good idea, depending on the cost I would be willing to pay a one time cost of $25.

Edited June 27, 2009 by Wickeycolumbus

[oesii]

I would be all for it, leave the forums public but have nice perks for members like you said. Not sure about what price would scare me off but I've supported other websites and podcasts at about $5/month.

[kroogur]

How about skip the chat room and the newsletter and call it $4.99/mo?

[Albert]

Would it be a one time fee, or a monthly/yearly thing?. Sounds like a good idea, depending on the cost I would be willing to pay a one time cost of $25.

Not sure--would probably do either a one-time or yearly thing. Don't want to deal with a monthly fee, that's too off-putting and more work for everyone involved.

 

..Al

[Albert]

How about skip the chat room and the newsletter and call it $4.99/mo?

Nothing is set in stone as far as a chat room and newsletter. I'd love to do a newsletter, but that's very time consuming (at least to do it well). The chat room is easier to manage, but can be expensive depending on how many people the chat room can support at once.. This is the chat room software I'd probably be using (since IP.Board has direct support for it):

 

http://www.parachat.com/professional/fees.html

 

To support 200 users online would cost $65 a month (or $620 a year).

 

..Al

[GroovyBee]

Can we see how we get on with the CTCW chat room software first?

[Albert]

Can we see how we get on with the CTCW chat room software first?

Not sure how that's related?

 

..Al

[CPUWIZ]

Can we see how we get on with the CTCW chat room software first?

Not sure how that's related?

 

..Al

 

I think what he means is, Mike is probably using free software.

[GroovyBee]

I think what he means is, Mike is probably using free software.

Nope! Mike has just bought some better chat software for CTCW. The last one kept booting people off for no reason. Hopefully the new software will be stable and it also offers more features.

[CPUWIZ]

I think what he means is, Mike is probably using free software.

Nope! Mike has just bought some better chat software for CTCW. The last one kept booting people off for no reason. Hopefully the new software will be stable and it also offers more features.

 

Ahh, I get it, free debugging.

[GroovyBee]

Ahh, I get it, free debugging.

I was just thinking that we have access to Atari related chat on Mondays over at CTCW and less than 20 people turn up even when its free then there's no point in Albert buying it for AA because it might not get utilised very much.

[BuddyBuddies]

I think that would be very cool here on AA, even charging around $40 a membership sounds reasonable to me or i suppose you could charge a monthly fee,but a lifetime membership would be best id think or atleast maybe having that kind of option. I know Jay has something like this on JSII with the VIPs and it seems cool. Count me in

[gamerz]

Ahh, I get it, free debugging.

I was just thinking that we have access to Atari related chat on Mondays over at CTCW and less than 20 people turn up even when its free then there's no point in Albert buying it for AA because it might not get utilised very much.

 

 

AA is a big discussion forum, CTCW isnt...I think more would use it here.

[GroovyBee]

AA is a big discussion forum, CTCW isnt...I think more would use it here.

From what I gather the CTCW chat room is barely used (even though it has a different theme every night) except on Mondays. Its also advertised on here and it still attracts less than 20 people.

[Ransom]

I'd pay $60 per year for:

 

- Discount in AA Store

- Unique AtariAge Swag

- Early access to new homebrew releases

- No advertisements in forums

- Printed and/or online newsletter

[+selgus]

I would be all for some sort of subscription model for AA, or maybe even an annual raising of funds. Some people may be able to contribute more than others, and their could be a goal to reach.

--Selgus

[Albert]

I do believe an AtariAge chat room would get a fair amount of usage. During the day there are often 200+ people browsing the forums and I'm sure many of them would use the chat. I'd also include a link to it from the main page of the site, so it'd get even more visibility there. And the chat would be seamlessly integrated into the forum. Nothing against CTCW (as I want them to very much succeed), but AtariAge gets a considerable amount of traffic; I imagine much more so than CTCW (there are only two people browsing their forum right now).

 

An AtariAge chat room is not a new idea--it's something many people have been requesting for some time. I've investigated it in the past but have been turned off due to the high cost of a professional solution that would support a reasonable number of simultaneous chatting users. A "subscription" option is a means of potentially going through with it, as well as other products I've avoided in the past due to the cost involved (it's already expensive enough running this server, to say nothing of the time involved in doing so..)

 

..Al

[potatohead]

I'm up for any and all of this.

 

The scene here is totally worth it.

 

Count me IN.

[RangerG]

I will gladly pay a fee. I use this website more than any other site on the web.

[STGuy1040]

I would purchase a membership to AA if one became available.

 

edit: Any idea on price?

Edited June 30, 2009 by STGuy1040

[Albert]

I would purchase a membership to AA if one became available.

 

edit: Any idea on price?

Nope, not yet. I'll give more thought to this whole idea once I get the site over to the new server and get IP.Board 3.0 and friends up and running. Just wanted to test the waters and see what kind of feedback I'd get. So far it's been good, although not a huge number of responses (we're still on the first page of this thread).

 

..Al

[Emehr]

If I'm going to pay a membership for any web site, it's gonna be AtariAge. I vote for a yearly fee over a monthly fee. An AA store discount would be on the top of my list for benefits. A printed newsletter would be sweet! Subscriber-only contests could be fun, too.

[+HatNJ]

Id 100% pay for some extra goodies as for chat room I can see buying software if it has something exclusive for paid members but Registering an IRC channel on one of the many servers would be fine and I think free too theres the Atari channel on newnet that some members use from here but thats generally quiet as well that and chatzilla plugin for Firefox got all that chatrooms needed.

 

Anyway Id pay yearly or a 1 time lifetime deal

[+Psionic]

I want the ability to zap people through their keyboard. If you can make that a reality, I'll pay $$$.