Premium Memberships (3 Viewers)

[jumb]

Ack, this forum already has enough pretentious twats (ALL benefactors, some mods, Minai) and I hardly see these silver-spoon kids with their fat wallets helping the situation.

However, I always expected this to happen and am not at all phased. BOS was always a free service to us, and I don't see how I will lose anything with these new features, especially now that I have finished the HSC.



Anyway, progress is good. You children won't be able to understand this until you grow up and accept change.

 

[Nashie]

Premium memberships are not a bad thing when all things are considered, even for us members who have finished year 12, we get more message storage and stuff! Just one question, are you going to make it more inclusive of VCE *waits for reply* good, don't even consider it! (stupid messed up system *growl*) I would be interested, but I have to ask.. is anyone on the admin team doing marketing or management at uni? If not, I could be a good idea to get someone who is onto the team to help promote it (ads, etc) and it may actually help if you do big blogger next year as well!

 

[katie_tully]

I think you'll find the majority of the users are freeloaders anyway, and aren't interested in the study notes.

I have no use for HSC study notes anymore, but I'll pay the $20 to be a member just to help the service continue. If you used the subject forums during the HSC, I'd be suprised to find people who didn't find them useful in one way or another.

I know because I did a distance ed system it was invaluable being able to trade notes and cram with students from other schools that had resources that some of us are unable to obtain

I think it's mainly the troll types who have never used BOS for any other reason than shock entertainment, that are complaining about a Premium Service. Which is easily fixed ... don't pay. Otherwise, I see no reason why some of you are getting so high and mighty over the matter.

 

[katie_tully]

If a Premium Member gets banned for say an offence which is at the mods discretion (ie. not posting porn which is expressly forbidden), won't the shit hit the fan? After all, you've payed for these services, unless the moderator can expressly prove that the Terms and Conditons were breached, won't it open up a whole can of worms?

I would assume that there would probably be some disclaimer that you would have to agree to before paying for the service.

 

[Bored of Studies]

Premium memberships are not a bad thing when all things are considered, even for us members who have finished year 12, we get more message storage and stuff! Just one question, are you going to make it more inclusive of VCE *waits for reply* good, don't even consider it! (stupid messed up system *growl*) I would be interested, but I have to ask.. is anyone on the admin team doing marketing or management at uni? If not, I could be a good idea to get someone who is onto the team to help promote it (ads, etc) and it may actually help if you do big blogger next year as well!

We have two marketing managers on board and we have been promoting premium services by way of a teaser campaign. We will also have ads, etc.

Katie: funnily enough, the 'trolls' are all (so far) unanimous in defending the new premium services.

 

[Dellaware]

IF IT IS SO SHIT THEN NOONE WILL PAY FOR IT AND IT WILL DIE OUT AND THE ADMINS WILL LEARN A VALUABLE BUSINESS LESSON

How many people do you think will sign up for this?

20 bucks for nothing? Then again people are stupid.

 

[Dellaware]

The target audience are HSC students, who'll get the most benefit out of the premium membership.

Yes they will. But 'prioritised support' is marketing wank and looks like marketing wank. People can Pm a mod at any time regardless, it also assumes that mods are proficient and actually helpful.

You pay 20 bucks a year for bigger avatars, more Pm's (damn the delete button is so hard to find). All useless.

The main thing HSC kiddies will get out of it is good notes. Everything else is meaningless filler.

Still 20 people will sign up and give the forum enough money to keep going. I don't think it will get massive support.

 

[Purp|e]

haha wow, premium members :\

i guess its about time something like this started ... you guys can get a bit of money but probably not enough to actually score much profit eh? oh wells, aslong as it keeps the place going.

oh and it starts on my birthday too ... does that mean i get to join the awesome club for free?!

 

[Not-That-Bright]

What's the go with the word 'shameless' anyway? I mean, I think it's shameless (they're earning money legitimately, where's the shame in that?) but shouldn't nwatts have said 'shameful' ? I thought nwatts was like teh pwn of england.

funnily enough, the 'trolls' are all (so far) unanimous in defending the new premium services.

The trolls had a TUA meeting and decided on a 6-1 basis to support the premium memberships.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Reading and posting on the forums is not part of the premium membership scheme - as any registered user can (and will still be able to) do this - so it can't be said that they've paid to use the forums.

Yea ok, but there are things like extra storage space / larger avatars which require access to the forums, so I don't think simply saying that they're not paying to use the forums will be enough. Just tell them before they sign up that they're subject to the same rules/regulations as any other member.

I don't see how it's a big issue tho, people get kicked out of places that they've paid for all the time... I know that it will probably become an issue (people that pay tend to bitch alot on a forum like this)... but I doubt it presents any sort of real problem to you guys.

 

[Lazarus]

That's true. We do have a comprehensive set of terms and conditions ready to go in any event.

 

[katie_tully]

Not you Brogan. I love you. Sincerely. <3

Katie: funnily enough, the 'trolls' are all (so far) unanimous in defending the new premium services.

Well, I'll be damned.

Allow me to rephrase then. I see no reason why BOS should not ask for contributions to keep the website going. If you don't want to contribute, then don't. Why condemn them by saying it is merely a scheme?

They've been operating for the better part of 4/5 years now without asking us for a cent, and I think that's a really selfless thing to do. There are plenty of shameless ways for them to make money. Pop up ads? Eh? Think about it.

 

[DeltaOne1]

I havn't read the whole thread, I will sometime, when I can be bothered, but I had a look at the pricing etc.

I know BOS will need money for hosting etc etc.
I also think $20 is a fair price for it too, I have no problem with that, but introducing it at April is a very bad move, it should have been January, Because everyone in Year 12 only have around 6 months left, so why should we pay the full $20, can we just pay $10?

Sounds good to be, also, can we see what notes etc, we will be able to get that are supposed to be really good?

How's a couple day's trial? Or a sneak peak?
I wont pay until I see what there is to offer, also, what will stop people using different accounts from people paying?

A movie like this is not good for a business, there is too much to consider and too much will go wrong, I would suggest a donation thing, or something similar, or have something else going rather then paying for study notes.

Edit: If the price was say $5, then I would not have a problem at all, as I wont miss $5 much.
But $20...well I want to see the goods first.

 

[katie_tully]

Er... Delta.

Firstly... April is a long way off from the HSC in October. Also, Preliminary Students will be going into year 12 at the beginning of October. Either way, there is plenty of time to get the notes you require.

You pay for study notes everywhere else. When you buy Excel books, you're merely getting study notes. Other online study sites ask a small fee also.

Why is this not good for business? I would consider it probably an excellent business move, and I doubt it is going to decrease the popularity, or traffic flow of the website.

 

[DeltaOne1]

Frist, I even get teacher's who recommend this site, when they start charging for study notes, it becomes commercial.

I also think April is a bad time to make a new business move, as it's 4 months into the year, if it was January, then fine.

But this website has not asked for money before, now it is, but selling off study notes..well...It just didn't sit right with me, even though when you buy Excel books to study from etc, but I thought this site was more of a cumminity thing with people from lot's of different Schools trying to help each other out with studying etc etc, when it comes commercial and they profit from it, it's different, it will loose the value it has now.

 

[iamsickofyear12]

Most people are willing to pay a lot more for a physical book than an Internet membership. You can't compare Excel study guides with BOS. I think people will be reluctant to sign up and just continue to use what is free.

There are better ways to make money.

 

[DeltaOne1]

Er... Delta.

Firstly... April is a long way off from the HSC in October. Also, Preliminary Students will be going into year 12 at the beginning of October.

Yes it is, but Year 12 Students are already more then half way through, so why should they pay $20 when they will only need half the notes?

Why not make it so they only pay $10 as they only have half a year left?

This is why April is a bad time to introduce it.

 

[Purp|e]

Yes it is, but Year 12 Students are already more then half way through, so why should they pay $20 when they will only need half the notes?

Why not make it so they only pay $10 as they only have half a year left?

This is why April is a bad time to introduce it.

quiet you.

 

[DeltaOne1]

Learn to spell.

I would willingly donate towards BoS hiring an editor to fix every post made by idiots and translate it into English.

P.S: study notes will still be free? You just pay for premium notes? At least that is the impression I got.

Are you talking about me? If my spelling is off, it is because I had around 4 hour's sleep last night from reading, or if you're not talking about me, well yay! I can still spell on limited sleep.

Yes, the study notes will be free, but these premium notes...sounds dodgy, why are they premium? I wan't to see what makes them so special that you should pay $20 (a Year) to get your hands on them.

 

[katie_tully]

Frist, I even get teacher's who recommend this site, when they start charging for study notes, it becomes commercial.

It becomes commercial? So what Michael Moore.

But this website has not asked for money before, now it is, but selling off study notes..well...It just didn't sit right with me, even though when you buy Excel books to study from etc, but I thought this site was more of a cumminity thing with people from lot's of different Schools trying to help each other out with studying etc etc, when it comes commercial and they profit from it, it's different, it will loose the value it has now.

Uh ... You will still be able to access the forums and trade notes with other students if you don't pay. So I am under the impression.
But the premium notes mean you will be getting a higher quality of study notes. See it as a certificate of verification. You can rest easy in the knowledge that the notes are current and correct.
Trading notes with other students in the forums is fine and all, but how do you know they're correct?