Advertisers/Commercial Postings

[Rich]

I received this message via a PM from a member today. They've been a contributing member here for at least two years, so it isn't just a random person sending me a PM who hasn't been here long enough to get the feel for the place. I won't provide the screen name out of respect for the privacy of the member who sent it to me but I do think they have a valid point.

PM removed due to request of member.

To begin with, the goal of this community never has been to generate cash flow for me but rather to have a place to preserve/protect the 2A in NY as well as provide a place for firearm enthusiasts in NY to gather to have discussions, help others, etc. without having to deal with a lot of the immaturity or cliques seen on other forums.

I think (at least to my knowledge) that this is the only forum that doesn't require vendors/commercial entities to pay to advertise or promote their products/services.

I don't want this community to become like other forums where you are basically given the ultimatum to "pay us for advertising if you want to be a member here or GTFO", but there are definitely commercial entities on the forum who post their info here and then offer nothing else in terms of content to the community.

Basically what I'm looking for is how we should go about handling this. I think it is a choice that should be made by the community as a whole rather than just myself or the other site staff.

Should we start requiring commercial entities to pay a small advertising fee on a monthly or annual basis? The funds could be used to cover hosting fees, advertising to increase membership, etc. and any excess could be used to cover the expense of hosting an annual forum meet and greet and some type of casual shooting event.

Or does it not bother you if a commercial entity wants to post about their organization's offerings on the forum and then doesn't contribute in any part to the community?

If you have an opinion or recommendation please let us know. I know I would like input from more than just myself and the member who took their time to express their opinion on the subject. User feedback has a lot to do with how we manage and run this forum so any input is appreciated.

[Gunner57]

I say, make 'em pay. Or at the very least, offer a discount to forum members on their goods and services.

[kev74]

On some of the forums I participate on, members are required to have a minimum number of quality posts (50 for example) before they're allowed to post stuff for sale - not just replies to boost the post count. I don't know of any other forums that allow commercial vendors to advertize their goods for free.

Personally, I won't do business with people who try to sell but don't contribute.

[Freek]

Certain people need to pay. I honestly would do it in 6 months increments. Beginning price is the same for everyone(Not uncluding current advertiseres. They would go buy content rules) and then there is a graduated reduction in cost for content. There would have to be a very specific layout of how the reduction cost so it would be universal and fair.

I would like to see all the member feedback and what they have to say and then we talk about details in the back ground. We would need a lot more to offer advertisers than one small rotating banner.

[Hinermad]

Personally, I won't do business with people who try to sell but don't contribute.

This is pretty much my position too, especially if they post a message in a forum and never reply to inquiries there. That goes for individuals as well as commercial entities. To me, forums are for conversations. (Sorry, I have some pretty archaic ideas about how forums are supposed to work.)

If you want to designate a place where classified ads can be posted with the understanding that further questions will be handled elsewhere, that's fine. As long as readers know they have to use other means to get more information.

How you control posting privileges to an advertising space is up to you. Whether you charge for it, grant it based on participation, or make it free, you're the one who has to manage it.

Dave

[minderasr]

On some of the forums I participate on, members are required to have a minimum number of quality posts (50 for example) before they're allowed to post stuff for sale - not just replies to boost the post count. I don't know of any other forums that allow commercial vendors to advertize their goods for free.

Personally, I won't do business with people who try to sell but don't contribute.

I moderate on another forum that has a similar rule, but this applies to members rather than commercial businesses. The 50/90 rule. You must have 50 _meaningful_ posts AND the account must be 90 days old before you can buy/sell items. Perhaps something like this could apply?

[monty732]

Commercial members should pay if they are going to advertise.

[Koi]

If your making money off the site then there must be a fee worth paying to keep making money. Any commercial members know this. You have real cost running the site and it is a fact of life that bills need to be paid and why not make a profit to boot. Income for the site will also make the site better as I am sure you will be free to invest more than you do already. I have used a vendor or 2 because they were on this site.

[Rich]

Thanks for the input from everyone. As of November 1st we're going to starting requiring commercial entities to pay a small fee for advertising to help offset operating costs and to create a fund that can be used for advertising and other site costs which will help grow the community as well as eventually drive more business to the organizations who choose to support the community. More info will be posted shortly!

[huggybear44]

That sounds right to me.