Guests to Members

[MidLifeCrisis Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close MidLifeCrisis]

Since the start of the new forum I have noticed a lot of Guests logged in (usually 4 guests for every 1 member). To me this says either:
1. Members are viewing without logging in , or
2. There are a lot of people out there that could become members.

Naturally, if the case is actually point 2, we should be doing something to capture this wider community as members.

No doubt the new supplier section may do this or at least assist. I think locking out certain threads to members only would help.

Another thought is restricting "How to" information to blogs anbd locking them. That way step by step instructions would only be available to those that are members hence increasing the value of membership and one day paving the way for paid membership to take this already great forum to the next level.

[wooley Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close wooley]

Agreed. No use having people just lurking around, make them become members to read certain sections.

[Matty80 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Matty80]

While I agree with the theory, isn't that more or less what has already happened?

We have to be careful with how much info is restricted versus how much we give to guests. As too much restriction may work against recruiting more members!

Don't we have a thread on this already?

[williade Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close williade]

... and one day paving the way for paid membership to take this already great forum to the next level.

I sense a firestorm approaching.

[croozza Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close croozza]

I sense a firestorm approaching.

Let me be the one to stoke it....lol
Why have a pay for forum, The advertisers pay for it all, no other forum on the net is a pay for system.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Let me be the one to stoke it....lol
Why have a pay for forum, The advertisers pay for it all, no other forum on the net is a pay for system.

I could be wrong but I thought Exploreoz was a pay for, if you want to be a member.

Not sure what the real value in having the Lurkers becoming members is if all they want to do is lurk (read) and not contribute. I have noticed in my time plenty of members who join, start half a dozen threads asking questions that have been covered 100 times before, never offer anything in return, and then leave never to be heard from again, do we really want to encourage those types of members!

If there was a way to encourage knowledegable and enthusiastic members who are going to add something to the forum that woulod be different, but numbers for the sake of numbers??? I think once you started charging to be a member all those half hearted people would drop of anyway.

The charging for the forum idea has been covered before and nothing came of it.

Cheers Andrew

[Corigator Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Corigator]

Well I often don't log in now, as the "What's new" button only looks at new posts since the last login.

If I know I will not get through all the new posts in the time I have available I don't login. I do a quick browse of any really interesting posts. That way when time permits I can log in at a later date and not lose the flagging of the new posts I haven't yet read..

[Bazza Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bazza]

"do we really want to encourage those types of members!"
IMO, I think we need to attract "all" types of members.
Bazza.

[MidLifeCrisis Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close MidLifeCrisis]

Let me further some thoughts.
Advertisers do pay and rightly so. No disagreement there.
Members, get advantages of the wealth of experience and tips, no problem there either.
BUT:
Suppliers, the same ones that we all regularly visit when not perusing forums want a captive audience. I have no doubt that the number of times I visit, mods I post, contributions I make, advertisers links I click and suppliers I check via PP (the new section that is yet to be utilised) will all be available to interested parties looking for my business. I want to give it to them as do many others. The advantage is if they are attracted by a large number of members and strong data, then there is every chance I will give them slightly less through discounts to members offered on this site. A captive audience is more than guests. It's members.

If a small annual fee means an initial drop off in members then well and good, especially if it means a strong forum and even the moderators getting paid for their currently free efforts. There are members that devote some of their time (me included) to coordinating discounts for members, this could be easily and better managed through the suppllier section, which no doubt it will. But someone had to create the Supplier section, currently I expect for free. I really do feel for that guy!!!! I feel for those members that share their experiences only to have some free loader take those ideas and benefit.

The maths are easy. 20 members paying $100 each gives $2,000. 100 members paying $20 each gives $2,000, 1000 members paying $10 gives $10,000. 10,000 members paying $5 ea per year gives a pot of $50,000 to improve this site, AND draw in discounts for members and improve the site significantly AND reward those poor bastards that give so much of their own time for free.

Pretty simple really, could even pay someone to refund members that are classed as valued contributors, or pay them a small amount for their contribution to making the site great or writing up the "how to" on topical subjects.

It has always been my belief that there should be a front end webpage to this forum. One where there are definitive write ups on topics. Eg. Installing a snorkel on a 90,120, or 150. or tyre sizes to suit a 90, 120 or 150. Imagine how many would pay the small fee to access that information and not post the typical initial post we all do lol. Even if those people never post they will have contributed financially and know where to find answers and thus visit regularly thereby giving better numbers to encourage suppliers etc etc.

Finally, just to put the cost into perspective, $5 is a cup of coffee, $10 is the coffee and a slice of cake..... My car, the friends I have created and the excitement and fun experienced with people I have met on PP and travelled wioth on various trips is worth a lot more.

Perhaps I should just do the same as that facebook dude and create it all and keep the commissions in pertetuity. lolol.

By the way, my initial post had nothing to do with paying for membership, just thought I would clarify that, most know I am an advocate of a membership fee anyway.

Regards

Rob

Rob

[matt150 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close matt150]

I reckon Piggys locked threads except for some teasers, was the go.

Members Only entry...

[williade Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close williade]

Members only is fine. But paid membership is a great deterrent. I know when I'm looking for anything online, the minute I'm asked to whip out my credit card, even for a couple of dollars, I'll walk away. I won't pay for anything that's likely available for free elsewhere.

Re: Explore Oz.
Their model is particularly dumb, because you pay zip to view the vast resources that are already there, but you pay to contribute.

[ntp Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close ntp]

We also have a lot of members that do nothing except register and view one or two times just to answer their immediately question. Many, many others that probably have only just registered to check out the site and then done nothing since.

Current system seems to work fine if you ask me. We've already discussed paid membership before - hope we don't have to go through this again.

The forum works now, works well, and has a good community/membership. The fact that we've had two successful (and a 3rd in the planning) PP GTG is testament to this.

Don't try and fix something that aint broke.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

I reckon Piggys locked threads except for some teasers, was the go.

Members Only entry...

These are the site stats copied from the forum page: Threads:10,568Posts:150,984Members:12,590Active Members:1,672

I am assuming the approx 11,000 non active members are those that haven't posted anything. The only difference I see between them and a guest is that the members have filled out an application.

Please tell me if I am missing something; but why do we want people to to fill out an application just to view the site? Does this somehow make them more worthy?

I do think with the new site that group discussions aren't able to be viewed by Joe public (might log out and double check though) so already some advantages in being a member.

NTP is right, If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Cheers Andrew

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

We've already discussed paid membership before - hope we don't have to go through this again.

God help us.... not that again.

NTP is right, If it ain't broke don't fix it.

I agree, apart from some fine tuning I think the forum is pretty well spot on. It's an online social community forum, not a 4wd club.

Mick

[ondaboat Coopers Pale Ale Find all posts View Profile Close ondaboat]

Howdy to all,
Have been a PP member less than 12 months with a whole 20 posts. Brought Prado last year around same time as joining. As williade said "paid membership is a great deterrent" and unfortunately it is.
If when joining PP it asked me for "$5, $10, $50" what ever, I don't know that i would have joined.
Having said that I have found this site invaluable for info and would be more than happy to "pay or contribute" in one way or another.
But when you look at the calibre of people who do most of the contributions to this forum it's hard for "average joe blow" to find or do something that hasn't been done.
What i have found great is that people who don't even know each other do stuff to help others out and that my PP friends is the "Australian Way"
If i have to pay to be part of this great site show me where to pay, but as NTP said "Don't try and fix something that aint broke"
Adam