POLL: TO charge or Not to Charge

To the Board:

It seems there’s general agreement that this forum is a useful endeavor, and credit is due to all of you for making it happen. When we opened our cyber-doors for business, it was decided to charge what we deemed a modest fee for membership—$20 for the first year and $15 for each ensuing year. Every bit of the money collected from subscription dues has been expended on behalf of board members or for our charity drives.

As the season progressed, it became apparent to the administrators that the subscription fee has produced an unexpected benefit. It seems to have encouraged only serious basketball fans to join. Forum members have a knack for balancing humor and a good time with high-quality, knowledgeable basketball conversation. Moreover, there are club-like elements to the board in terms of the caring that members demonstrate for one another—many times on topics other than basketball. In all of these respects, I’d stack this board up against any other basketball forum in existence.

The administrators now believe that the character of the board has been firmly established. The question has been raised as to whether we need a subscription fee as a continuing barrier to frivolous, irresponsible memberships, considering that we’re not about to abandon our responsibility for closely moderating the board. And we have decided that we need to poll the membership to see what you think.

The alternative to charging a subscription fee would be to ask for voluntary donations (probably at the beginning of each season with periodic reminders throughout the season) from those members who feel such donations are warranted and economically feasible. We would then govern our policy concerning contests and giveaways by the amounts collected through donations. (Obviously, contest prizes would have to be more tangible than free subscriptions, which would no longer have value. In fact, one of our first orders of business would be to come up with replacement prizes for those who have already won free subscriptions for next year.)

We believe the ease with which we have dealt with the few instances of troll-like behavior suggests we could still guarantee freedom from such behavior. It is possible that doing away with the subscription fee would attract some “new blood” that would produce more lively, extensive conversation. And we pledge to remain firm in our resolve that members who are fans of other teams must clearly recognize that this is, and will always be, a Celtics support forum.

While we regard this as a non-binding referendum, we promise to place a lot of weight on the results. So please place your vote and feel free to register your opinions as well.

Many thanks, and we hope that everyone will continue to post in the off-season. There will certainly be plenty to talk about.

Best regards,

The administrators: Sam, NYCelt, gyso, Pete, dboss and 112288

Sam,

I voted unpaid. I like the idea of having "new blood" especially fans of other teams, and if this makes it easier for them even on a short term basis I'm all for it.

I also trust you and the other mods to deal with the trolls.

I voted Paid.

It is a very small amount of money, but just enough to help support the upkeep of the board - and keep the trolls and dirtbags out.

If you have someone that shows him or herself to be a good member during the trial period - but expresses an inability to pay - you could give them a free membership on a case by case basis.

Either way is fine, you guys know I like to debate with the best of em. But I like the fact that you have to make a real commitment if you want to post here and I think THAT is what makes the quality of the posts here so high.

Either way, I will be here.

Sam I think we need to make contributions to cover expenses and perhaps have something left over for a few gatherings.

dboss

Sam,

I say pay. Like kleen, I will be here either way. I am even ok with a little fee hike if it is needed. Besides, if at the end all of the money is not needed, donate it to a charitable cause. The fee is a small cost for all the hours I have enjoyed reading and posting.

MG

Sam - In my opinion, the minimal fee that is being charged is well worth the product. We have all had such a great time this year learning alot about one another by sharing the same love, The Boston Celtics. The small amount of money that I may have to pay for belonging to this "club" is fine with me. When I think back to all the time I spent on BDC and how frustrating it was, this site has been a joy. Donate what you have as "extra", run your small
contests, whatever. I am more than willing to pay. Thanks for giving me such
an outlet to share my thoughts.

I had no problem donating $20 for the priveledge of being around so many classy, intelligent guys on this board. I got nothing against ponying up another $15 (or more if needed) going forward.

I fall in the "you get what you pay for" category and voted "paid".

Please do not discount or cheapen what you have put together here by making it unpaid.

You should have a pretty good idea regarding total costs for one year. You should also have a pretty good idea regarding the board's time spent monitoring and other non-posting efforts. Keep running it like a business, multiply total costs including salary for running the site based on approx. hours devoted to site maintainence, divide that by the current number of posters and assess us that.

Personally, you can't charge me enough for this site. I have to remind myself every once and a while where I came from by going back to bdc. I will respect the board's decision.

David

Dbrown,

Just to clarify things a bit, there is no "salary" or other remuneration involved for anyone.

Sam

Portion of proceeds should go towards charity.

112288

i voted Paid and agree with the thrust of people's opnions about reasons to stay paid.
also agree with Mr Kleen where he said
"If you have someone that shows him or herself to be a good member during the trial period - but expresses an inability to pay - you could give them a free membership on a case by case basis." I expect that would be rare ...

see you in JUly !!!!!!

Michael

In excess of 30% of our members are not being charged for that reason, Michael. There are a lot of people who could find the money, but it would simply pile one more layer on what is proving to be a very difficult period. This is a board of friendship, and they'd fall all over themselves (and probably have done so) to do the same for others were the situation reversed.

Sam

sam etal,

I voted paid. However, I am open to first month free or if a member is in difficult financial straits (although if they can't afford $20 for a year then they shouldn't be spending any time here in the first place. They should be trying to drum up some income) to waive or reduce the fee. I am completely comfortable with the mods making that decision on a case-by-case basis.

bob

.

Sam, I voted paid. there is so much value to this Board, and I don't think you or other administrators should bear a financial burden to keep it afloat. W

Hi,
I voted "paid".
Thank you very much.

AK

Well, to me you (et al) should be, Sam! As seamless as this all has been someone needs to be compensated. I'm still reeling from the quickness of the exorcism!! Very impressed!

Well, to me you (et al) should be, Sam! As seamless as this all has been someone needs to be compensated. I'm still reeling from the quickness of the exorcism!! Very impressed!

I voted paid. And I also like what Kleen said about freebies.

Can someone please help me get off the ledge! Sorry I had to cry while someone listened and didn't want to start a thread.

Hoop

Hoop,

If anyone on the board has a worthy perspective against which to measure the playoff loss, it's you. You should be so happy that no one was hurt when that car crashed through the front of your cafe...and equally happy that you're able to build it back in relatively short order.

But, in terms of avoiding ledge thoughts about the Celtics, the best I can do is to fall back on my #1 rule in following professional basketball. Proceed as you think the players are proceeding. I don't mean you should draw all of your money out of the bank and count it for the next 2,000 years. But think about it for a minute.

They have a right to be even closer to the ledge than you. Because they were actually in control and in a position to do something about the loss. And they failed. The fact that the Celtics have almost always won in a similar situation makes it even worse.

And yet they're not out on any ledge. They had a bad day at the office, and they're putting it behind them, attending to other matters they've had to give short shrift over the past nine months, and getting on with life—including the enjoyment of their time off (many with their families).

I'm finding that it's nice to be able to say, "Sure, let's go" when my wife comes up with an idea for an activity—rather than having to consult the schedule and disappoint her half the time. I know that, come the fall, we'll both go back to "disappointment mode" and will have to work harder to overcome those disappointments; and we'll succeed in doing that.

But right now, it's our time. And that doesn't diminish for an instant what I will always feel for the Celtics or my interest in this forum. It simply balances life out a little bit and, I hope, makes me a more well-rounded person.

So I hope you and others will enjoy your three months of freedom, will weight in on this board when you're so moved, and will approach the fall as renewed as we all expect the Celtics to be.

Take care,

Sam

It's amazing that the Celts can come back from near oblivion in mid-season and make it to within a few minutes of an NBA championship (even without their starting center), and we all feel bitterly disappointed, as if this team didn't achieve something really tremendous this year. Wow do we have high standards. It's like bemoaning the fact that our date for the night was Sophia Loren instead of Brigitte Bardot (I know - I'm showing my age).

Perspective, please. We had a great year, and next year may be even better. That's why we watch. I love this game!

Sam,

Thanks, I feel much better now. I suppose I did actually keep the finals in prospective while still feeling somewhat unsettled about the ending. The forum has been a good place to find, above all, good folks with positive things to say. This summer will be interesting to say the least with many possible changes for the Celtics. I'll look forward to saying yes to my wife as well, although she is no Sophia or Brigitte, she still floats my duck boat.

Hoop

Just say yes!

worcester wrote:It's amazing that the Celts can come back from near oblivion in mid-season and make it to within a few minutes of an NBA championship (even without their starting center), and we all feel bitterly disappointed, as if this team didn't achieve something really tremendous this year. Wow do we have high standards. It's like bemoaning the fact that our date for the night was Sophia Loren instead of Brigitte Bardot (I know - I'm showing my age).

Perspective, please. We had a great year, and next year may be even better. That's why we watch. I love this game!

W,

Yes perspective is important, and as time goes by it is easier for me to realize how much the Cs accomplished. Now, details on the night with Sophia please.

From your mouth to God's ears.

mrkleen09 wrote:I voted Paid.

It is a very small amount of money, but just enough to help support the upkeep of the board - and keep the trolls and dirtbags out.

If you have someone that shows him or herself to be a good member during the trial period - but expresses an inability to pay - you could give them a free membership on a case by case basis.

Either way is fine, you guys know I like to debate with the best of em. But I like the fact that you have to make a real commitment if you want to post here and I think THAT is what makes the quality of the posts here so high.

Either way, I will be here.

It's a rare occasion when I quote Kleen and agree with everything he has said, but this is one of those occasions.

Paid. keeps the trosls out- which is what makes this place the oasis of intelligent conversation that it is.