Slow stock day, so I can use another post here.
Matt: The changes look fine. I tune out ads automatically, so it doesn't much matter where they're placed, I just get used to not-seeing them. The ones I loathe are the animated ads. I find them terribly annoying, so I move off those pages quickly.
There are already a number of functions which, when you try to use them as a free member, tell you that you have to join to use that feature. I've come across that note many times. It doesn't take anyone long to learn what most of the features are that we cannot use. While I find it a little annoying that I can't use all the searches and the PM features, that isn't a great feeling to have. At least, for me, it more turns me off subscribing than anything else. I look at the pricing and feel that it should be less expensive and that I won't allow myself to be coerced into spending more than I feel is right. I'm not representative of everyone, but I think there is a group of people who feel as I do and I'm pushing the ponit because I see that no one else is, even though I have spoken to others who feel the same as I.
I have already met a lot of people who enjoy the service but don't want to pay such a high fee for it. Unless you add free pizza and movie delivery to the features, I don't think those people will be swayed by offering an increasingly costly lifetime membership. That others will, is good for you, and I'm glad to hear that some are paying it -- otherwise you might disappear. But I'm positive that more reasonable pricing would add a much larger amount of subscriptions.
Also, Many of us have learned in our own lifetimes that a lifetime membership only lasts as long as either the service continues or the management chooses it to last. So, I figure a lifetime membership shouldn't cost more than the price of 2-1/2 years of membership, and I think annual shouldn't be more than $20. That is, annual at $20, lifetime at $50, would be affordable for the populace who feels the features are worth money but not the price of a new car.
The Happy Hour is a great way to get people to try the features that they don't use. Since I was a long time SI member, I'm familiar with the advantages of PM and some of the other premium features on iHub. The fact is, they are great features, but not essential to the use of the service, and isn't that what you want? Don't you want the free members to be happy enough here to be posting here? They add to the liveliness and interest of the site, bring in fresh ideas. Some of those will eventually pay the fees, and some only will if the fees are lowered, but at least the site will be interesting and open to new input.
You haven't acknowledged my posts on this, but I'm assuming you're seeing them. So I won't say anything else about it unless I have some new insights.
AK: You can feel free to PM me about orchids as much as you like, or about anything else. I won't respond till a Happy Hour in which I'm actually here, unless I have an email address for you, but feel free to send me any info you like. I'm sure I'll be interested and I'll respond when I can. I see you live in HI, which must be lovely for orchids.
Chowderhead: I hope your heart is happy, now. :) Mine is!
Linda
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