Feedback thread - Subscribing Members Private Area

[j0ker]

We have been discussing among the ECF staff how to improve our service to Supporting Members, and feel you deserve your own private area. We are looking for suggestions to what you might like to see happen here. We've already came up with a few things we think might be deserving, but we want to know what you want. Keep in mind this is preliminary, and will not all happen overnight, but we are determined to complete this project as soon as possible and of course this will always evolve over time. Here are some of the ideas we have so far:

• Private forum
• Monthly random giveaway (within private forum)
• Special coupon codes from participating suppliers
• More direct communication with staff members <--edit for clarification
• A suggestion/request sub-forum
• Basic PC Assistance involving the forum

Other Ideas for Abroad

• More payment options (check by mail, etc...)
• Larger sig
• Animated avatar (within reason)

So please post some ideas and give us more to work with. The suggestions are open to everyone, not just supporting members. If you aren't a Supporting Member but there's something that would encourage you to become one, by all means post your idea. We will take all ideas into consideration.

 

[oldsoldier]

All reasonable ideas will be entertained. Please do be aware that some things will not be viable or possible, but we will listen and take them into consideration and may implement them in a modified form.

 

[JerryRM]

I don't have any new ideas at the present time, but I do have a few comments. As a Veteran, I already have a private area on the ECF. Unlike the Veterans, who are Veterans for as long as they remain members of the ECF, Subscribing Members come and go. A person may be a subscribing member one year and not one the next year. Considering the number of members on the forum, who is and who is not authorized to use the new private forum, will probably change daily and at a rate much higher than the Veterans, who can't "unsubscribe" from being a Veteran.

Considering the load that is already on the servers, wouldn't this put even more strain on the servers ? On the other side of the coin, I see it as being a benefit to many of the Subscribing Members and hopefully encourage others to become subscribing members.

 

[tmcase]

My only questions for right now is why should a member have to pay a fee to get better communications with the staff members?

 

[j0ker]

I don't have any new ideas at the present time, but I do have a few comments. As a Veteran, I already have a private area on the ECF. Unlike the Veterans, who are Veterans for as long as they remain members of the ECF, Subscribing Members come and go. A person may be a subscribing member one year and not one the next year. Considering the number of members on the forum, who is and who is not authorized to use the new private forum, will probably change daily and at a rate much higher than the Veterans, who can't "unsubscribe" from being a Veteran.

Considering the load that is already on the servers, wouldn't this put even more strain on the servers ? On the other side of the coin, I see it as being a benefit to many of the Subscribing Members and hopefully encourage others to become subscribing members.

Won't make a difference at all. It's a matter of the software unchecking a block and the process would be so dispersed, no one would even notice.

My only questions for right now is why should a member have to pay a fee to get better communications with the staff members?

It's called a perk, should someone paying for a service receive better service than someone receiving the service for free. Doesn't meant the current communications will drop, it just means if you are paying to support the forum, you will have different avenues that give better communications.

This is a little funny (not in a haha kind of way). We try to do something better and special for members who contribute monetarily to the forum and the first two post are complaints of a sort. Maybe we should scrap the idea and save the staff a lot of time and effort?

 

[whiskey]

I would give it more time to circulate first...maybe there will be some good ideas coming forth, J0ker..if none come then maybe scrap it.

 

[markfm]

Improved Communication I'm not sure about, to the extent I haven't found it hard to reach staff with questions/comments. You all seem pretty accessible.

 

[JerryRM]

I wasn't complaining, j0ker, I was just asking a question and making an observation.

 

[priorities]

Hi all...those ideas sound nice and I think it's great of you to post something like this...take care...have a great day..*

 

[j0ker]

I wasn't complaining, j0ker, I was just asking a question and making an observation.

Sorry I misunderstood. There should be no performance issues.


As far as the communications goes, it will be a dedicated area for that specific staff member. The details aren't all worked out but it will be a more direct way of discussing matters with us. One of the things I was considering, is having when someone post, my cell phone is alerted and I can come take a look. Like I said, not all the details are worked out but if there's a way we can improve the communications, we will.

Sorry my first post was in a forum with no posting rights. Sort of funny though, I posted a discussion about a private area, in a private area, where no one but staff could post

 

[markfm]

Ahh, thanks for the clarification, that might be neat, areas per staff member

I like the last part of your post, keeps the riff-raff comments down

 

[kwalka]

I like the idea. FTR, I support this forum because this forum has supported me in ways that cant be expressed monetarily. Unless your Bill Gates or the like. If I could I would donate monthly to this life saving project. WTS, I have found myself in a couple of positions lately where I've said to myself "the nerve of that unsupporting %$#^&^%". I have paid for the right to (insert action here) and this person who doesn't even pay up has the nerve to come at me like that! So in that sense, yes it would be nice to be able to play that card when necessary. I also think there are members here who contribute way more than $, and those folks should be included. Maybe some of us could support in their names if they so desire, to gain them access to the "backroom", as even though they havent paid $ they have earned their way in.

 

[CES]

I think it sounds like a nice idea. I don't have any specific suggestions for it though.

 

[tmcase]

It's called a perk, should someone paying for a service receive better service than someone receiving the service for free. Doesn't meant the current communications will drop, it just means if you are paying to support the forum, you will have different avenues that give better communications.

This is a little funny (not in a haha kind of way). We try to do something better and special for members who contribute monetarily to the forum and the first two post are complaints of a sort. Maybe we should scrap the idea and save the staff a lot of time and effort?

I'm not trying put down any attempts to better the forum but it seems like everybody should have the same quality service to communicate with the admins/staff. I hear a lot of complaints that some admins won't even receive PMs and I've been told not to bother them and I'm a supporting member. It just seems kind of funny and not in a ha ha kind of way that we should have to pay for the communication.

 

[Liscab]

I have to way one more month to get my SM status back, my new glasses screwed my bank account and they are collecting dust in a drawer ,any way if i am back as a SM I dont think i wouldnt be very welcome there as an unreadable member

 

[Kay1959]

I like the idea of the random give aways!! lol! And discounts too!
I think you might get more Supporting Members, just so people can see what's in the private areas!
I for one would be happy to just be able to find an avatar I like that passes classywife's inspection and is animated like jokers! lol!

 

[Liscab]

I personally do not care about the give away, I just want a faster page loading .BTW the forum is working much much better lately

 

[Killjoy1]

I like the concept of a private area for supporting members, I can see the benefits to your ideas for it and your suggested perks do have some appeal. At the moment, I don't have any specific suggestions or ideas, though, just voicing my support

 

[VapApe]

Well this isn't my first rodeo And I have been a member and a mod on a few forums.

All I can say is good luck your going to need it.

Wile it can work as a perk it can lead to some head aches.

You will run in to the members, Who because they have donated, That they now have some say on how its ran.

Then when things don,t go their way,They will demand there donation back. I have seen this happen.

I am not saying it wont work but hang onto your hat it could be a bumpy ride.

 

[JerryRM]

I like the idea of the random give aways!! lol! And discounts too!
I think you might get more Supporting Members, just so people can see what's in the private areas!
I for one would be happy to just be able to find an avatar I like that passes classywife's inspection and is animated like jokers! lol!

It's difficult to pass Classy's inspection, she has already told me that she doesn't like my flaming phoenix. LOL As for animated, you would have to get permission from Oldsoldier to use an animated avatar. They are normally not allowed on the forum.