Exclusive Membership: Your Feedback

[Anthony Ng]

Please read our Exclusive Membership announcement and post your feedback here. Thanks.

 

[Spider]

GT-Web, you are basically saying Adam you have no clue what you are doing and your plan is going to fail before I even try it. Oh by the way great job.

 

[dmyre]

Originally posted by nuguru
Surely the free trial has a dual purpose and will make the exclusive forum look busy and 'convince' more people to pay to upgrade, dont be fooled.

Valid point...

 

[GT Web]

Originally posted by 207
GT-Web, you are basically saying Adam you have no clue what you are doing and your plan is going to fail before I even try it. Oh by the way great job.

No, I am saying that I have my doubts, but all of Adam's other ideas have worked really well - I said many times I will reserve judgement until the exclusive member system has been finalized and tested for a month or two.

 

[Sharpy]

The dead horse is dead.

 

[izopod]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by nuguru
Surely the free trial has a dual purpose and will make the exclusive forum look busy and 'convince' more people to pay to upgrade, dont be fooled.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally posted by brn2h8


Valid point...

Valid point? Yikes!!! I think it's smart business to open it up to platinum members for a 30 day trial. People where I come from usually have to "kick" the tires first before they buy.

I'm starting to believe those that "seem" to be against the new membership are those that will argue any point, just for the sake of argument.

 

[GT Web]

There is a difference between being 'against' it and having some questions (and doubts) about its features...I am certainly not against it, I need more info and time to make up my mind....

 

[Sharpy]

Well it would be nice to see some new post authors in the thread as the opinions of all of us who have posted are pretty much clear.

 

[Mr Webname]

Originally posted by beatz
Izopod already said it:

Platinum was billed as the top membership.

Well now it isn't anymore.

Hope that anwers your question....

"Top Membership" is meaningless and only appeals to the sense of prestige or perceived status - the fact is do you need what is on offer or don't you?
The "Exclusive" forum provides a specific range of extras, you either view them as being beneficial for you or you don't.

I don't have the top membership at my Golf Club because I don't need it but I don't go bashing the Club Admin for offering packages with extras to others.

 

[GT Web]

Originally posted by Mr Webname


"Top Membership" is meaningless and only appeals to the sense of prestige or perceived status - the fact is do you need what is on offer or don't you?
The "Exclusive" forum provides a specific range of extras, you either view them as being beneficial for you or you don't.

I don't have the top membership at my Golf Club because I don't need it but I don't go bashing the Club Admin for offering packages with extras to others.

exactly.....

 

[beatz]

Naww.

"Top membership" is not about prestige or anything.

It just meant that we had the feeling after paying the platinum fee things would have come to an end in regards of levels, new payments etc - it's just no fun to be on a forum and always have to worry you are missing things.

That's the good thing about domainstate etc.:

Everyone has access to everything.

I already wonder how many good deals are NOT taking place because of gold members having difficulties to communicate with *everyone* else, not having access to all the sections etc.

Basically what i'm saying is i feel the need of Adam having to make money with DNF and the "DNF is a business" direction is slowly but surely destroying the community spirit.

And btw in case you forgot:

It's not like me or others have decided one day to hook up with a company named "DNforum.com" and buy their "products".

It's rather like it was *us* who created the "product" long before Adam or Gregr even had appeared on the scene here the first time.The people is the content.

Whatever.We'll see.

 

[HeavyLifting]

did i read somewhere that we'll be able to check out the new forums for free for a period of time? if so, when does that begin/end.

 

[GT Web]

right....I see other people posting in the exclusive forums but I can't access them. Are only Mods allowed to post there at the moment?

 

[SlashRoot.Com]

Myth: Nothing is being taken away from Platinum members.
Fact: The new forum is going to create a brain-drain from Platinum forum, rendering it lifeless.

Let me explain why I feel that way.

When I joined DNF only about a month ago, I looked at various options (silver, gold, platinum, etc.), and it seemed like Platinum fora was where the Pros were "reportedly" hanging out. So I signed up as a Platinum member. It was not because I just wanted to be able to read/post in a particular forum. I was fully aware of the fact that there were other fora where I could post my domains for sale for free, and was also aware that most of the DNF-members (buyers/sellers) are hanging out at those fora as well. I paid for Platinum membership because it seemed to offer an opportunity for fellowship with other "proessionals."

The new "exclusive" level seems to be designed to court these professionals into another secluded area, away from Platinum forum. Therefore, Mods and the Management is only partially correct when they claim that no one is taking anything away from the existing platinum members. True, no one is taking away physical access (number of fora/services that Platinum members would have access to), etc. What is not being realized by most members here is that this new forum is going to (by design or not) take away what is at the very core of "Platimum" level. It is designed to lure away the life-blood of Platinum forum -a.k.a profesionals, experienced domainers.

Let us assume -for the sake of argument -that a significant portion of platinum membership does upgrade(?) to the Exclusive level. In that case, can someone tell me what's the residual value (if any) of about half a dozen deserted "platinum" fora that would then be virtually void of experienced membership?

Don't tell me most of the members of this new forum are going to come from Mars or somewhere. There is only a finite supply of those who are crazy enough to have ventured in this dog-eats-dog business of domaining. And there are only a few of us who are still around -solvent and kicking ass -after having weathered it for 5 years or more, having learned a lot of lessons in this school-of-hard-knocks. So it is for sure that the collective expertize in this forum is going to be depleted as/if Platinums join this exclusive club. And to those who want to suggest "oh no, there woun't be any brain-drain" , please ask yourselves how many platimum members regularly browse through -let alone contribute in -gold/silver fora? If you believe that, PM me today! I will cut you a great deal on my a beach-front property in Kansas City. And I will throw in Ouch.com as a bonus! Gimme a break.

This new forum is going to create brain-drain from the platinum fora. Whether it's by design or not -it does not matter because the results are going to be no different. If indeed most of the Platinums upgrade to Exclusive, I think they would be effectively moving to a more expensive coffee-shop. I don't think the coffee gets much better. After having carefully evaluated the new add-ons, I am sorry but I can't help think it's same old, same old, just a bigger cover charge.

As I see it, ROI on membership to this new forum (let alone lifetime membership) is going to be very hard to be justifyable except for those who are serious investors with deep pockets, or someone who has a crystal ball that is much better than mine.

To those who see a value in being called Exclusive at $400/piece:
I wish you well! It was nice having spent some time with you in this soon-to-be-depleted non-exclusive neck of the wood.

 

[GT Web]

personally, I believe one of the memberships will fail....

If Exclusive succeeds, Platinum will go way downhill
If Platium stats strong, Exclusive will be a failure...

I agree with SlashRoot alot on this one....

 

[izoot]

Good Post SlashRoot. That sums it up pretty well.

 

[SlashRoot.Com]

Thank you for your kind nod of approval, neighbour!

 

[Sharpy]

Thanks for the feedback Slash.

 

[beatz]

Well said, SlashRoot.

 

[WebCat]

Slash, I think the idea is to "draw down" those large players who are not currently involved with this forum. If the bigger players have a safe, secure place to come and do business, I think they will.

Those Platinum membes who wish to have the opportunity to interact with, buy from and sell to these players, have the option to upgrade.

I for one, will still cruise the "For Sale" threads, and the "Domains Wanted" thread, and the "Related Offers" thread and all the one I now cruise regularly.

I read and post in the Gold Lounge, etc. This is not about segregation, it is about opportunity!

WebCat

 

[Edwin]

The only way Exclusive might succeed is if it attracts lots of new outsiders. There's frankly no benefit at all in Platinum members that go on to become Exclusive, since we could already all talk to each other in our own private "club" - we're not magically going to become more professional/more willing to divulge secrets/etc. just because the name of the club has changed!

So it all boils down to the NEW BLOOD i.e. how many people come here and go straight to Exclusive level before participating, and WHO they are.

Personally, I believe most of the very biggest players probably couldn't imagine anything WORSE than being in a discussion forum with wannabees (from their perspective - when you're at the top of the hill, every direction is down) - what are they possibly going to learn that they haven't already found out by spending tens of thousands of dollars per day on buying domains?