Manufacturers and the forums

[Keith Outten]

Jerry,

You can sponsor a banner advertisement here and then use our Deals and Discounts Forum to announce your products.
I've had a change of heart, this is not an option.

[Keith Outten]

Believe this or not, we are not hurting for new Members here. I delete almost 50% of the new registrations here every day for one reason or another. When it comes to growth we had an incredible year awhile back, our Membership grew by 250% in just twelve months. Now that was very bad because I didn't have the money to support that kind of growth when less than 2% of the new Members became Contributors. Its like having more mouths to feed at the table and no additional money to buy food.

Generally speaking I CAN NOT attract advertisers as fast as people join SawMill Creek.

[Keith Outten]

I even wrote you through a pm, and you ignored that...... That's the day I decided I would not become a contributor............. Jerry (in Tucson)

Jerry,

You are a Member here which means that you don't pay anything for the privilege of using my resources which is fine because I allow people do do just that.

However, you use my Forum to insult me publicly because I didn't answer a Private Message, possibly you can share with me the reason you feel that I owe you anything.
.

[Jerry Marcantel]

I don't think Jerry was looking to make his "tool/invention" a commercial enterprise, either. .

Mike, I hate to do this to you, but I AM going to make this a commercial interprise because it's going to be worth it, unlike my Chuck Plate which I posted instructions on building them as soon as I developed it.

But, at least from what Jerry said, Keith didn't respond to Jerry's last PM, so I can understand why he may not have..

Mike, I said that Keith didn't bother responding to my inquiry about why he removed a post I made about 2 years ago. Ken sent me a copy of that post, but there isn't a date so I'm sticking with 2 years ago. It was a poorly worded inquiry, but I'm told I should be a better at wording my stuff.


[QUOTE=Keith Outten]

Jerry,

You are a Member here which means that you don't pay anything for the privilege of using my resources which is fine because I allow people do do just that.

However, you use my Forum to insult me publicly because I didn't answer a Private Message, possibly you can share with me the reason you feel that I owe you anything.[QUOTE]



Keith, If you hadn't removed that post I would have become a very happy contributor a long time ago. If you don't want me here on you forum, please bannish me, but before you do that, I want my articles returned to me...... If you choose not to bannish, I might take you up on that offer for a banner as long as it doesn't break the bank.
.
I did not insult you on your forum. I merely told the truth............... Jerry (in Tucson).
.

[Jon Nuckles]

I appreciate and enjoy this resource, and I thank Keith and the moderators for providing it and protecting it. I am happy to make my small contribution to help keep it alive. While some may disagree with a decision here or there, the great majority surely recognize that we are lucky to have this forum. Let's not lose our perspective.

[Keith Outten]

Submitted Articles, Information and Data

Terms Of Service
B. Licensing
With respect to text or data entered into and stored by SawMill Creek, the submitting user retains ownership of such Public Content; with respect to publicly-available statistical content which is generated by the site to monitor and display content activity, such content is owned by SawMill Creek. In any such case, the submitting user grants SawMill Creek the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, transferable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform, and display such Content (in whole or part) worldwide and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media, or technology now known or later developed, all subject to the terms of any applicable license

[Tim Rinehart]

less than 2% of the new Members became Contributors.

That's a sad statistic given the breadth and depth of info on SMC, and the crazy next-to-nothing price to be a contributor.

[Keith Outten]

Tim,

It is sad.
If everyone here would pony up 50 cents:
1. We would be able to afford custom programing and the best Shop Tours Module you could ever imagine.
2. We would have a huge Internet Pipe and incredibly fast servers on both sides of the USA.
3. We would not be having this conversation because there wouldn't be any advertisers here.
4. I wouldn't have to spend 70% of my time marketing banner ads and I would be able to answer more Private Messages and email.

When someone else pays the bills we have to give up something
.

[Mike Cruz]

Well, there you have it! Make it mandatory for each person to give $1. 1/2 of the folks here would decline and go away. The other 1/2 would have all the perks you just mentioned. When the first 1/2 realize what they've been missing, they'll be back.

Could this site survive without Contributors? If not, sounds to me like those of us that are paying $6 (or more) are already "carrying" the freeloaders.

[Fred Perreault]

I have been a volunteer in my town for many causes, and have been an elected or appointed member of various committees, agencies and departments where there are ramifications for instances of self or professional gain. I think what is being discussed here is "conflict of interest". And in many cases even "the appearance of conflict of interest" is enough to make matters difficult for the conflicted party. No doubt the moderators jobs would be nigh impossible if they were required to make assessments of manufacturer or vendor posts and motives, even if the majority were unbiased, honest statements. The net has made it possible to get almost any information we seek, and the net has given us woodworking forums like The Creek. I would prefer to leave the Creek as free from commercial promotion as possible, save for any forums that are clearly identified as promotional leaning venues. There are plenty of other ways to get answers, and it seems that most of us succeed.

[Keith Outten]

Mike,

Our funding comes from Contributor donations, Advertisers and the sale of SawMill Creek hats/shirts/DVD's. All three sources are required to keep us moving ahead, if we lose any funds something has to give.

I am reminded frequently that Members who post here are Contributors as well and that is absolutely true.
.

[Keith Outten]

I have been a volunteer in my town for many causes, and have been an elected or appointed member of various committees, agencies and departments where there are ramifications for instances of self or professional gain. I think what is being discussed here is "conflict of interest". And in many cases even "the appearance of conflict of interest" is enough to make matters difficult for the conflicted party. No doubt the moderators jobs would be nigh impossible if they were required to make assessments of manufacturer or vendor posts and motives, even if the majority were unbiased, honest statements. The net has made it possible to get almost any information we seek, and the net has given us woodworking forums like The Creek. I would prefer to leave the Creek as free from commercial promotion as possible, save for any forums that are clearly identified as promotional leaning venues. There are plenty of other ways to get answers, and it seems that most of us succeed.

Fred,

I couldn't have said it better myself.
The rules and policies we have adopted through the years are the reason we have been so successful. Over 2 million posts and climbing in ten years and we average between ten to twenty million page views per month depending on the season. The Creek is not broke so we don't need to fix anything.