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Thread: Private Messaging Access Priviliges

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Hayes, Virginia
    Posts
    14,760

    Private Messaging Access Priviliges

    Private Messaging Privileges and email are now inaccessible to free-access Members.

    Because the majority of our Members are now using advertisement blocking software we are being forced to adjust some access privileges. This is an effort to encourage everyone to help us maintain the necessary funding to remain online and support our costs including new hardware, software and bandwidth. Currently our costs have not increased but our income has decreased below our ability to remain at the present level of service. By updating your account to Contributor status you will continue to have full access here and your assistance is appreciated.
    Last edited by Keith Outten; 01-05-2019 at 7:36 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Metro Atl, GA
    Posts
    20
    I can't reply to classifieds - as far as I can tell, I never could. Do I have to be a contributor for that?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    In the foothills of the Sandia Mountains
    Posts
    16,621
    Quote Originally Posted by Mark McClurg View Post
    I can't reply to classifieds - as far as I can tell, I never could. Do I have to be a contributor for that?
    Yes. As a Contributor you would have full access to the Classifieds forum.

    Some other benefits that Contributors enjoy:

    Ability to turn off banner ads
    Access to post in the Classifieds
    Larger avatar (100x100)
    Ability to create and post Blogs
    Ability to post public and private project Photo Albums
    Access to the private Lumber Yard forum
    Double the private message Inbox size
    Please help support the Creek.


    "It's paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn't appeal to anyone."
    Andy Rooney



  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce Page View Post
    Some other benefits that Contributors enjoy
    Double the private message Inbox size
    The "inbox size" is currently zero for non contributors, since we/they have no access at all.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    In the foothills of the Sandia Mountains
    Posts
    16,621
    Quote Originally Posted by Roy Petersen View Post
    The "inbox size" is currently zero for non contributors, since we/they have no access at all.
    Very true, cut & paste strikes again. I believe the size limit for Contributors is 200 messages.
    Please help support the Creek.


    "It's paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn't appeal to anyone."
    Andy Rooney



  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Hayes, Virginia
    Posts
    14,760
    From my original post:
    Private Messaging Privileges and email are now inaccessible to free-access Members.

    We discussed in the past the option of becoming a subscription based service if we fell short of the necessary income we need to remain online. Rather than make such a drastic step I decided to make a smaller adjustment to access privileges in order to give everyone a chance to help without eliminating all access. The only other option we have is to remove picture viewing and file attachment access but at that point we would probably move to a subscription based service with an annual fee of 24 dollars. I expect the majority of our Members rarely use our Private Messaging system so Its easy to predict what will happen in the near term. For over 15 years people have told me that they did not feel the need to make a financial contribution when everything they wanted was free. Free access was paid for by our advertisers and blocking software has reduced that option dramatically over the last twelve months.
    Last edited by Keith Outten; 01-06-2019 at 9:16 AM.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Keith Outten View Post
    I decided to make a smaller adjustment to access privileges
    Not sure why you've reiterated that here; it's your site and you get to make those choices. I was just pointing out that you (actually, that was Bruce) stated it was "Double the private message Inbox size" when it's not, strictly speaking. It's allowed access to an inbox, albeit larger than the default, *if* regular members had access.
    Last edited by Roy Petersen; 01-06-2019 at 9:53 AM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Ingleside, IL
    Posts
    1,417
    Quote Originally Posted by Keith Outten View Post
    Private Messaging Privileges and email are now inaccessible to free-access Members.

    Because the majority of our Members are now using advertisement blocking software we are being forced to adjust some access privileges. This is an effort to encourage everyone to help us maintain the necessary funding to remain online and support our costs including new hardware, software and bandwidth. Currently our costs have not increased but our income has decreased below our ability to remain at the present level of service. By updating your account to Contributor status you will continue to have full access here and your assistance is appreciated.
    I've seen threads pop up about members becoming contributors and for the life of me I can't understand who, if they are doing woodworking and buy materials and have tools - even basic tools - can't afford the 6 bucks a year. It's the cost of a pack of cigarettes or a good (well - sorta good) cigar. I lost all of my retirement in 08, and am far from real comfortable, so I don't think I'm out of line challenging members to pony up if they like the site, enjoy the posts, learn some stuff, and think the site has value. Sermon done.
    Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Berkshire County in Western Ma
    Posts
    200
    Just sent $20 to help keep things going. Thanks for all everyone does.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Vancouver Canada
    Posts
    716
    Just contributed the $US fee - sure is a lot more in Canadian
    Young enough to remember doing it;
    Old enough to wish I could do it again.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Hayes, Virginia
    Posts
    864
    Tony and Aaron, thank you for your donation.

    Jackie Outten

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    N.E, Ohio
    Posts
    3,026
    I intend to renew my paid membership as soon as I get out of medical rehab which is next week.
    George

    Making sawdust regularly, occasionally a project is completed.

  13. #13
    Don't want to tell you how to run your site, but it seems to me that being able to post to the classifieds section would be a lot more valuable as an incentive to contribute if everyone could buy your items instead of just a relatively small number contributors.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Hayes, Virginia
    Posts
    14,760
    Bob,

    Members have always had the ability to visit our Classifieds Forum and communicate with those who had items they were interested in buying. On one hand the changes we made will reduce the value of our Classifieds, on the other hand providing almost everything for free here is what has put us in the situation we are today since our advertising income is dwindling. I sincerely hope that in time the majority will see the wisdom in supporting SawMill Creek rather than lose it permanently. A couple of dollars per month is insignificant considering the cost of woodworking as a hobby so its a mater of whether the value of the expertise and friendship here is worthy of the minor expense. I have the option to turn over our advertising to any number of companies that will manage the advertising here that are very profitable BUT I expect everyone here would complain about the visual abuse. Since I don't like this option I have never even considered taking this path.

    Should this tactic fail the next step is to convert to a subscription based Forum and no doubt the numbers here will decrease at least for a time. If we cannot find a solution to our funding needs we will cease to exist or possibly remain online as a very small community until we cannot replace a failed server or afford the monthly bandwidth bill. There are other woodworking forums that will most likely remain free for a long time but there is only one SawMill Creek.

    Tomorrow or Saturday I hope to open up our Hall of Fame web page and I hope that this will help us to attract more advertisers but its a task that gets more and more difficult every year.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Aaron Rosenthal View Post
    Just contributed the $US fee - sure is a lot more in Canadian
    When I renewed mine recently I think the US $6.00 turned out to be about $147.50 Canadian...

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