Why I won't subscribe

By ozgeek
in Site & Forum Issues

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Grand Master

ozgeek

Posted
Posted

I been having a look at the subscriber benefit list and I am going to have to say all this is a bull ripoff.

* Your own hosted blog.

So many FREE blog sites on the internet.

* Unlimited edit time for your topic titles & posts.

Common standard on many forums I visit for free. Whirlpool.net.au for example.

* Boosts PM storage to 200 messages, allows PM attachments and up to 10 participants per conversation.

This one is okay but not what I really need

* Removes flood control.

Common standard on many forums I visit for free. Steam and whirlpool.net.au forums for example.

* Raises the upload limit for attachments to 4mb (per post).

Is sandard with the increase of HHDs and file handling sizes.

* Allows you to give out 20 rep points (instead of 5) daily.

Steam forums allows you to vote unlimited.

* Includes a private & support forum.

What? forums? Is that free? Isn't the point of neowin in the first place? Billions of FREE forums.

* Sneak peaks and testing of new features being added to Neowin.

I don't care for features. You change too much it's driving me away. Whirlpool.net.au has been the pretty much same since I signed up to it.

* Choose from 5 Neowin domain related email accounts (instead of 2).

Don't need it if we got gmail or our ISP-issued email address. Even my ISP allows me to create 5 email addresses for my family included in my monthy internet fee.

    * All advertising removed professionally by Neowin.

Possilby the only best feature. If you want people to subscribe, and to discourage them from using ad-blockers then have scripts that detect ad-blockers and disable key features like if adblockers are detected and encourge people to DONATE, not subscribe.

I'm sorry but it looks like neowin is preying on people for money on features that is pretty standard on other forums I visit at NO charge at all. This is why I have decreased my visiting to this forum by about half. Since 2003 (when I first visited this site), the neowin forums has gone from a full forum with livid and helipful information to a cut-down forum where I'm forced to pay if I want to get features that I get for free in other forums.

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Grand Master

trag3dy

Posted
Posted

You have almost 7000 posts on this forum and you feel you don't need to support it even a little bit? Who cares about what you get for subscribing. It's supporting a forum that you post on quite regularly. Such a weird attitude to take. :wacko:

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Grand Master

Richard Hammond

Posted
Posted

Its not about what you get its about helping out with the running costs, servers arent free. Places like Steam and Whirlpool are free because they are commercial entities, Valve sell games so can afford to offer a forum and im guessing Whirlpool is some sort of ISP, they charge for internet connection so they can offer forums for free.

Sick of this gimme gimme gimme i want it free world we live in.

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Grand Master

+Audioboxer Subscriber²

Posted
  • Subscriber²
Posted

Subscribing offers good benefits given the size of this board, and how it has to be funded. Comparing Neowin to Steam/Valve is just silly.

However on the note of subscribing I doubt I will re-subscribe considering Neowin removed my access to the subscribers forum which I have no idea what that has to do with the GH.

  • trag3dy, jelli and Cupcakes
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Grand Master

+Frank B. Subscriber²

Posted
  • Subscriber²
Posted
Since 2003 (when I first visited this site), the neowin forums has gone from a full forum with livid and helipful information to a cut-down forum where I'm forced to pay if I want to get features that I get for free in other forums.

Say what?

As a registered member you get full access to the entire forum. The extra subscriber forum is merely a perk, a place for subscribers to post some things which aren't suitable for the rest of the forum.

Personally I bought a subscription to support the site. The perks are nice, but only the secondary motivation.

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Grand Master

trag3dy

Posted
Posted

Oh yeah, and I'd like to point out that since you use Steam forums in your examples. If you buy games on Steam, or any Valve games for that matter, you are paying money to support those forums, if indirectly. Flawed logic is flawed.

  • Cupcakes, -Vivicidal- and Chasethebase
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Grand Master

+Frank B. Subscriber²

Posted
  • Subscriber²
Posted

Well what would you suggest they put in the package then? Do you want Steven Parker to come and clean your house?

Wouldn't that be a great extra subscription perk though.. 'Pay 100 ? and a senior staff member will come to your house to clean it once a month. In the buff.'

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Grand Master

Jimmy0

Posted
Posted

I don't really understand your mentality here.

I subscribed mainly just to support the site, seeing as I spend many many hours a week here. Anything I get given as part of subscribing is just a perk, and most of the features I don't even use.

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Grand Master

Vice

Posted
Posted

Subscribing isn't about the perks it is about donating money to keep Neowin operational. That is why I not only subscribe but I have also donated separately and will continue to donate again and again. The no-ads are just a bonus.

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Grand Master

c3ntury

Posted
Posted

Basically to sum up the above replies, your thread is a pile of BS. Neowin doesn't force you to subscribe, and if you want those features.. if you want them that badly - just pay for them.. its hardly a rip-off compared to some subscriptions for forums.

  • deactivated01032015 and Cupcakes
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Grand Master

Steven P. Administrators

Posted
  • Administrators
Posted

The subscriber group was added by member request, it was those people who didn't expect anything but the recognition and wanted to help in some way other than just being active here.

Neowin has placed some restrictions on forum features because there are people who simply abuse it, the flood control for one, and what we added is simply more than we've allowed all members from day one!

Plus, believe it or not, the blogs add on is something we pay a yearly license for, and then we pay developers to support it too! We know that there are hundreds of free blogs out there, but this was another thing requested by members who subscribed, so we simply responded to that request and added something that wasn't there before the subscriber package became active.

I don't expect you to change your opinion, but the recurring subscribers speaks volumes for me, and I am grateful for the few who realise it gives as well as us "taking".

@Audioboxer, thats simply a permission mask issue, I am going to look into that now and restore your subscriber forum access.

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Grand Master

Shayla

Posted
Posted

I don't really understand your mentality here.

I subscribed mainly just to support the site, seeing as I spend many many hours a week here. Anything I get given as part of subscribing is just a perk, and most of the features I don't even use.

^ this (Y)

@ OP : nearly 7000 posts and now you decide to speak out?

  • philcruicks and +hedleigh
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Grand Master

+Audioboxer Subscriber²

Posted
  • Subscriber²
Posted

@Audioboxer, thats simply a permission mask issue, I am going to look into that now and restore your subscriber forum access.

Thank you (Y)

Another reason to subscribe being those who are in charge are heavily invested in the forums as well.

  • trag3dy and philcruicks
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Experienced

kjx

Posted
Posted

Ok, we get your point of view.

But you need to understand that neowin doesn't owe you anything. If you get something free in this world, accept it with gratitude. I can understand your consternation if you were being denied something you paid for, but that is not the case here.

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Grand Master

hdood

Posted
Posted

I'm sorry but it looks like neowin is preying on people for money on features that is pretty standard on other forums I visit at NO charge at all.

The extra "features" aren't very relevant to the use of the forum, and I don't see how it's any different in use from other forums, even if you don't pay. In fact, it seems to be less restrictive and have more features than many. Anyway, maybe you can suggest an alternative business model for a free site that doesn't involve begging for money. I'm sure people would be interested.

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RoomKid

Posted
Posted

To me its not about what you're going to get back in return but its how you're helping Neowin. Their servers aren't free to maintain, their devs don't work for free either. Plus they also have a dedicated server for Rappeh :laugh:

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Proficient

Kussie

Posted
Posted

I been having a look at the subscriber benefit list and I am going to have to say all this is a bull ripoff.

* Your own hosted blog.

So many FREE blog sites on the internet.

* Unlimited edit time for your topic titles & posts.

Common standard on many forums I visit for free. Whirlpool.net.au for example.

* Boosts PM storage to 200 messages, allows PM attachments and up to 10 participants per conversation.

This one is okay but not what I really need

* Removes flood control.

Common standard on many forums I visit for free. Steam and whirlpool.net.au forums for example.

* Raises the upload limit for attachments to 4mb (per post).

Is sandard with the increase of HHDs and file handling sizes.

* Allows you to give out 20 rep points (instead of 5) daily.

Steam forums allows you to vote unlimited.

* Includes a private & support forum.

What? forums? Is that free? Isn't the point of neowin in the first place? Billions of FREE forums.

* Sneak peaks and testing of new features being added to Neowin.

I don't care for features. You change too much it's driving me away. Whirlpool.net.au has been the pretty much same since I signed up to it.

* Choose from 5 Neowin domain related email accounts (instead of 2).

Don't need it if we got gmail or our ISP-issued email address. Even my ISP allows me to create 5 email addresses for my family included in my monthy internet fee.

    * All advertising removed professionally by Neowin.

Possilby the only best feature. If you want people to subscribe, and to discourage them from using ad-blockers then have scripts that detect ad-blockers and disable key features like if adblockers are detected and encourge people to DONATE, not subscribe.

I'm sorry but it looks like neowin is preying on people for money on features that is pretty standard on other forums I visit at NO charge at all. This is why I have decreased my visiting to this forum by about half. Since 2003 (when I first visited this site), the neowin forums has gone from a full forum with livid and helipful information to a cut-down forum where I'm forced to pay if I want to get features that I get for free in other forums.

Cool then stick to Whirlpool. Whilst i will admit it is a good community, but the WP forums lack quite a large amount of features as offered by other forums including this one, plus WP has a serious censorship issue and very heavy handed mods.

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