Membership

[4WheelDrifter]

I wouldn't mind paying. I wish I could've got on to the forum sooner. There's no doubt it's an extremely useful place for most people.
However some pieces of information that could seem insignificant to some, could be invaluable to others.
For example; someone who may not think it's not worth paying/joining may have very useful information. Information that could help a subsciber solve a problem, or whatever.

[porkkis]

Only optional donation IMHO
Obligatory fee and I'm outta here. Probably many others too.

[4WheelDrifter]

Ok. I guess I'm going to say no to membership then. We don't want to lose useful forum members.
Where do we make a donation then?

[Jamo]

This a dangerous road to go down if not done correctly.

For a start i wouldnt be here with an S2 if this forum was accessible to paying members only.

Yes i would pay for membership, but member should entitle extra priveledges ontop of the current forum format, not that only members could join and post.

Take RTOC (Renault Turbo Owners CLub) joining member gives them a pack on joining, also you could setup a link with insurance broker to give reduced premiums to paying members etc etc.

The critical thing is access to the forum remains free!

[Doug_RS2]

I think if you try and make this a payable forum, then another forum would pop up that is free.

Stickers, keyrings, donations at the meets, are a good way of making the money to cover costs. Advertising is the way forward to cover costs - and I believe this is the way this forum is going.

A paying club with a forum is a different thing - i can see why you would have a closed forum on that but then you struggle to show potential members what they are getting. I haven't joined a club in years just because the internet forums offer everything I want from any club.

Quick question:

If you could only access this site by being a member (say 20 quid/28 euros a year) would you join?

[audiman]

Only optional donation IMHO
Obligatory fee and I'm outta here. Probably many others too.

Agree with Porkkis. Im came on here looking for information. And if i had to pay for something i didnt know the content off then i wouldnt have bothered. I have gained more from this forum than the "club" that i joined. I have not only gained info on how to do stuff to the car, but have also made some very good mates.

If however advertising was intorduced onto the forum, im not sure as to how successful that would be as the forum is kinda limited to S2's and RS2's (and urS4's etc etc)

I think that a donation scheme would be a better idea.

Thanks to Robo for the comments, but i wouldnt want to take any money for help that i have given on here. As im sure the others that you mentioned wouldnt.

What has spurred this off then??

[4WheelDrifter]

There are discussions going on at the moment with regards to joining the 'Audi' club thingy, but wont allow any internet forums. Only 'clubs' are allowed. This is NOT a club unless you pay membership.

Because of a strange definition of a club.

[220bhp]

I agree with jamo the forum should remain free at entry but with optional subscribed membership allowing access to extra benifit . I also agree that the s car 20v world is quite small and we nead to find ways to exstend this , after all most audi enthusiasts know about and would love to own an s2. and there are fewer of these every year so we nead to look to the future the more importance we attach to these cars the greater ther resale value and the longer they will survive

[Fat Audi 80]

Again, I think the Forum should remain free, however I would be more than happy to contribute to its upkeep in some shape or form. An "S2 Club" as it were, could be run in parrallel with this Forum complying with the regulations to be a club and gain the advantages that being a club has to offer. (Although I am still slightly unsure what we need to be a club to gain benefit from??)

I would rather the powers that be let us know that more money is required before it is a problem, as I am sure there are people here that would put their hand in their pocket to keep this place running

Cheers,

Steve.

[220bhp]

Steve {lets keep the ball rolling ate}

[tekkno435]

An "S2 Club" as it were, could be run in parrallel with this Forum complying with the regulations to be a club and gain the advantages that being a club has to offer

This is, in my opinion, the route to go down.

graham.

[newsh]

Have a look how they do it on visordown.com, basically you get more space for photos and PMs if you pay a small fee, seems to work and raises a bit of money for server space etc. If you make it a true club with a membership fee it will die though.

[tekkno435]

If you make it a true club with a membership fee it will die though.

If you mean the forum, well yes, almost certainly. There are however many members on here who are also members of the Audi Owners club and enjoy trhe benefits of that membership. I think the route that Steve indicated ie. the S2 Owners club AND have the fourum as a discussion area is probably the only way it would work. Jamo is right, it is critical that a forum area remains free, i feel very stronly about this anyway as you all know but i do not decry the benefits of a Club Membership. As a "for instance" because i am a member of an owners club, my insurers give me a discount, i have no idea how much but it was more than £20.00. As my Owners Club membership was somewhere about that, it cost me nothing. This of course is of absolutely no use whatsoever to Porkis for instance unless his insurers gave him a discount for club membership. Which they probably won't given he is not in the UK. But there again, i know nothing about the insurance companies in his country.

graham.