[Theforum] another online community in trouble

aardvark roselli at earthlink.net
Wed Jun 19 23:13:45 CDT 2002


> From: "Paul Cowan" <evolt at funkwit.com>
[...]
> What about the idea of *combining* the text-ads with the sustained
> membership option? Not even making members pay for them, but making
> them a "value-add" for paid membership? Something like:
>
> Become an evolt.org contributing member. For US$5/month (or whatever)
> you get:
>     * extra 10MB of hosting space on m.e.o. (I'm making this up)
>     * .. other benefits here (see below) ...
>     * the chance to advertise your services to other members in a
>     sidebar.
>
> So, on the evolt homepage, you have a little sidebar thusly (forgive
> ASCII art):
[...]
> Or whatever -- choose 1 or 2 randomly on each page load.

so pay money, get a chance to be pimped on the home page?  do we pimp
a text ad, or a link to their blog?  text ad isn't so bad, and
perhaps we can encourage people to do more with it -- like not post
an ad, but instead post some chunk of humor or whatever...

administrating that could be a challenge, though...

> If the text ads are a way for members to promote themselves, their
> design or coding services, or whatever, then (a) it increases the
> benefit of being an "evolt.org member", which can a recurring
> (budgetable!) fee, and (b) it helps eliminate the "selling out" by
> running text ads for heartless multinationals. It's much more of a
> "community" thing, which I think is a great thing about evolt.

+1

> Obviously recurring monthly cash is the best way of raising $$$. By
> helping make m.e.o accounts (or, more accurately, "premium accounts",
> to avoid those who can't afford it losing the basic service -- or a
> better name, like "e.o contributor account") a better BUSINESS
> prospect, poor starving freelancers are more likely to get benefit out
> of it and make it worth their while, or people might be able to get
> their employers to pay for it.
>
> Other benefits along this line would be great too. No idea what,
> maybe people on theforum might have something they could
> contribute.... like  "m.e.o contributors get 10% off hosting fees at
> Crazy Rudy's House of Co-Location" or whatever... be creative.
>
> I like the idea of ramping up the 'premium' m.e.o accounts, rather
> than introducing "fee for this, fee for that"... but that's just me.
> What would I know?

it's an idea... can't have too many of those...

--
Read the evolt.org case study
Usability: The Site Speaks for Itself
http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1904151035/evoltorg
ISBN: 1904151035





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