deejay - 9:49 am on Aug 23, 2002 (gmt 0)

ugh.. I've been at work all day covertly following this thread... and I just can't get rid of the icky 'hairs raised on back of neck' feeling.... so here's my two cents.

Option 1: I'm not a 'new thread starter' as it is. Maybe I'm an exception, but I'll spend ages searching and reading back through forums rather than have to put my lack of knowledge in the limelight and ask a new question. If I knew I was gonna be vetted when I did get round to asking a question... well, I'd just never ask. a "NO" vote.

Option 2: Please please please no. Popularity contests are not my thing. Posts on more obscure but still important areas would end up marginalised. Some of these threads I have seen explode into wonderful creative and debate threads would never get off the ground. Ref. 3 column liquid CSS layout thread of a couple weeks ago.

option 3: I found this place through an SE. If it's going to interfere with SE placement, I'd be wary. New people are lifeblood to a place like this. OK, they start out newbies and maybe create more than their fair share of noise, but those that stick around are next years' gurus (no offense to the existing gurus, who will of course be elevated to deity status :) )

option 4: It's the "only" that worries me. The future issue again. This year might be rosy, but you end up with ever decreasing membership circles.

The international exchange rate is a big issue. Here in New Zealand we're not as exchange-poor as a lot of countries, but our dollar is currently worth about .46 of the USD, and it's been as low as .42 this year. Someone mentioned possibly $15 per month - converted to NZD that's a whole week's worth of my wages each year. I couldn't do it. The whole web thing is a combination hobby/dream for me at the moment. I hope it will become more, but right now it already costs me a fair bit and I have to watch every penny.

That said, I would happily pay, but it would need to be a nominal or flexible amount. If a note were put around every few months 'time to donate', yes, I definitely would contribute what and when I could.

The most vital and thriving chat site I know of has unrestricted access and posting for visitors. They recognise these are their future paying members. Paying members get to reserve their handles, own private rooms, messaging, customisable handles, etc.

There's another SE promotion-focused site around who has a few tools, eg, density analyser, etc, which are free trial for a month or so, and after that if you donate over a certain amount ($10), you can continue to have access to the tools for the next year. It's the first site I've ever handed money over to (barring anti-virus subs).

I can certainly see the benefit here at WebmasterWorld of reserving handles for all members in that it creates are more responsible attitude when posting - 'this is the name you chose, don't get it dirty' - but I was surprised to find that as a new, non-paying member I had sticky mail. Perhaps certain benefits could be attached to contributions - the ability to send sticky mail (perhaps you could still receive from mods, etc), perhaps access to some of the tools from SE World - the density analyser, etc, become tools for contributing members. non paying members could have a month's trial of the tools.

Could something be done in such a way that there is an added benefit attached to being a contributing member, rather than a penalty attached to being a non-contributing member?

I dunno.. it's a bugger of a decision, and I don't envy you having to make it.