Membership ?
- Thread starter superflea
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Well, You can't get the benefits of Sams Club or Costco without a yearly fee... Whats different here? If one person is bearing the cost of all of this then why is he paying for it? For all the knowledge, support, etc here it's not far fetched to pay something for the privelige of what you get..... I'm not bashful in saying I'll support a membership platform.
Why not sell advertising like other sites? And charge for classifieds. Or partner with another enthusiastic bulletin board with a proven revenue model. Maybe it could relieve you of a lot of the administration and still provide you with that banner space above, and a proper bio in your honor as the founder, too. Maybe let you get back to all that tooling and working on things you enjoy. Or at least consider just archiving or donating the content. This place is like a living museum, after all. So congrats on that.
And btw if you're touting your shop capabilities because you want more custom or production work, I gotta say this is the first I'm hearing about it and I'd love to know more. Good luck.
And btw if you're touting your shop capabilities because you want more custom or production work, I gotta say this is the first I'm hearing about it and I'd love to know more. Good luck.
Well...Since nobody asked, I offer my .02. Bunch of old coots on mini bike forum offering to support it is noble gesture, but it's temporary solution. If the forum we all enjoy is supported only by us it will only last until we're gone and funding stops with our leaving. If forum is only an advertising vehicle for its owner, it is a business expense for the owner and subject to their business decisions. We all have ideas and suggestions for our beloved forum but don't have the ability to implement our ideas. If forum was a hobby or simply a generous offering to mini bike enthusiasts, it would be awesome. Trouble starts when expenses exceed revenue. Paid membership is limited solution when your supporters are old and potential new members are finding their "predator mods" and Coleman chat rooms on Facebook and YouTube. Forum will only thrive as a business if operated as business. Other forums use advertising revenue to help support their expenses and continue to operate. Perhaps this could be a lasting solution for forum operation.
Sounds like Hent has a lot going on with life stuff. Why not try to find a buyer and sell the website to someone who has time to properly run it. Fortunately if this site goes black there are some great mini bike forums on Facebook. A lot of active members that help each other out. These are moderated and FREE.
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Augie hit the nail on the head. Oldminibikes.com needs to remain free and used as a tool for Hent.com . The potential to make Hent.com profitable is there but needs full attention and effort. A revamp? Advertisement would keep the lights on.
Augie hit the nail on the head. Oldminibikes.com needs to remain free and used as a tool for Hent.com . The potential to make Hent.com profitable is there but needs full attention and effort. A revamp? Advertisement would keep the lights on.
You use the terms "we", "us" and "our" when you're not even a supporting member... 
There was a time when this site was plastered with ads and members pissed and moaned about it. I didn't see the ads due to the browser I use, just like I don't see ads on YouTube (without Premium) and other sites. I did read the complaints and saw other members' screenshots. Ads all over the place would drive away members but there is so little activity on here, now, that I can't imagine anyone paying to advertise on here.
There was a time when this site was plastered with ads and members pissed and moaned about it. I didn't see the ads due to the browser I use, just like I don't see ads on YouTube (without Premium) and other sites. I did read the complaints and saw other members' screenshots. Ads all over the place would drive away members but there is so little activity on here, now, that I can't imagine anyone paying to advertise on here.I was honest about what I think about oldminibikes.com (critical because I care) so I'll be brutally honest about Hent.com. IMO, Hent.com is its own worst enemy, the website absolutely sucks. I maybe could understand it sucking when launched but now? I do all of my shopping online, even groceries, and have done so for many years. I've used countless websites and Hent.com is about the worst. I just checked a couple days ago to see if it has improved, it has not. It is not user-friendly, it's boring, and I see nothing positive I could say about it; it's like a website from decades ago.
I will give @Hent a mention so that he will be sure to see this. I'm not being mean, just honest.
I will give @Hent a mention so that he will be sure to see this. I'm not being mean, just honest.
My personal opinion is that everyone who enjoys posting, spending their free time here, or looking for information here, gets well over 25 dollars worth of information and entertainment from this site. Go to your profile, click "account upgrades". It won't hurt you a bit, but it just might make the difference for @Hent and this site.
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