It's messed up how everyone is up for punishing, but not for rewarding. lol
If anything, something that may make people donate is limiting them to one upload per month or something.
More Bandwidth and Revenue Needed
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paizuri
- Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2001 7:15 pm
- Location: All hail me, the BEEFMASTER!!!!!
- Contact:
Uh, I don't really think we want to trick anyone. Maybe it's just your wording, but ideally we want people to fully understand what it means to donate.x_rex30 wrote:This is a reason a lot of people are not donating that already want to. It's there not educated on how easy it is and/or they don't trust using the internet to transfer money. I've told some people about some good deals for DVDs, etc online and I sometimes get responses like, "I don't have a credit card", or "I don't trust making purchases over the internet". Try to make it seem like it's simple to donate, and you'll trick all kinds of people into donating, IMO.
I think the reason most people don't donate can be summed up quite clearly with this attitude.
People in general are a selfish bunch. If they donate, they want to see what personal benefits they can accrue rather than the general benefits that apply to everyone.SuperFusion wrote:That would be your problem, not mine.
However, I think we're starting to veer a little off-topic. What this post initially said is that at the rate we appear to be growing, we will need to find/improve ways to support our expected growth (bandwidth/storage/etc.). It would be *nice* if we could continue with the way we have been (via donations and annoying pledge pages) but on a larger scale to fit increased demand. But I think it seems pretty clear that we cannot.
Rather than quibble over how/why people donate or do not donate to the site, I think the main two issues this thread should address are: a) do we really need to make these improvements (and the administration is leaning towards a resounding "yes") and b) what do we need to do to make these improvements.
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anneke
- Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2001 7:34 am
- Location: California
- Contact:
I PMed phade my reasons. I do not wish them posted here because my reasons are very specialized and don't really apply to the majority of non-donators out there. (In other words I have very odd/unique reasons for doing so that don't apply to most people, don't ask how that is so, it just is.)
It's not that people in general don't care it's more the standard of the Internet that if you can get it for free, why pay for it?
-Anneke
It's not that people in general don't care it's more the standard of the Internet that if you can get it for free, why pay for it?
-Anneke
http://www.bakadeshiproductions.com
(Stop by for a different Video each month...)
(Stop by for a different Video each month...)
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Arigatomina
- Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2003 3:04 am
- Contact:
Another vote to limit the bandwidth per user, or more accurately, the mbs downloaded per user per day/week. This would encourage people to be selective about the videos they get, and it would encourage editors to at least try to be reasonable about compressing their vids. Any idea to limit the download speed should be applied to those who download a *lot* of videos in a short time period - namely leeches on high speed connections. Anything above 56kbps won't affect me, so I'm all for it.
Bittorrents are nice for dial-up users. Surprised? If the file is popular enough (like very popular videos here - think top 5%), the download speed can be more than I get on a local video file. You can resume, too - without using Opera/Firefox/etc. The resume ability alone makes it nice to have. You don't need to remove the local versions, just offer bittorrents as an option with the mention that resume is automatic and speed can be better than local.
Don't count the members who join, get one or two videos, and then never return. They aren't real members, and aren't anything like the leeches who stay around downloading like crazy. That may knock down the difference between donators and non-donators quite a bit.
Sell advertising in the banners - you're not paying to have your fanart up, you're paying for the *link* to your profile. Make it possible for people to have their banners linked to their personal websites (after checking to be sure they abide by site rules). I bet more people would pay for that sort of advertising, and you wouldn't need to get flashy 'outside' advertisements.
To encourage donations:
Make the donation total accumumlative - entirely accumulative. Those fancy titles for donators mean nothing if the donation is cleared after a year, leaving the donator to start from zero again. You can still take away privileges from those who don't donate every year, but if they *do* donate again, add that onto the existing donation amount. What's the point of working for those top titles if you have to start over every year? People like to brag here. Give donators something to brag about, give them a reason to donate again once they lose thier title - so they get the title back and then some.
Add some perks to the video description page for donators - like a picture (that conforms to the same rules as the ones uploaded on the member profile page). People have asked for this. I'm sure some people still want it, and some would pay for it if they think it will attract more attention to their videos.
Add picture options to the journals (just the same code we have in posts) - lots of people are big on journals and like to get hits and attention. It would be monitored the same way the profile pictures are - word of mouth reporting of rule breaking.
Make a public list of the highest donators. Again, people like to brag. Just look at real-world donators who get parks named after themselves. I thought we should have had the opinionators lists in a more public place to encourage opinions. But we need donations more, so make those public (with the option to 'opt' out for those who are modest).
Get fanmanagement online - even if it's just a "email me when this creator adds a new video" option, or a "show me who put my vid on their favorites list" option. I'd pay good money for that. I'm sure others would, too.
The search options are nice. I like all of the 'donator-only' options we've been given. But I would have donated without them just to avoid the pledge page.
I liked the old carrot donation - pay $50 to start uploading immediately or wait a month or two. I know space isn't the issue here, bandwidth is, but again, money is money. I'd bet the people hosting their vids are more likely to donate than the ones downloading - because they're likely to be more impatient to get the vid out there and get feedback. Downloaders can go somewhere else if it's too much of a hassel to download here. You can always make it $5 or $10 with a shorter waiting period (a fraction proportionate to the time saved by the $50 donation).
If you want donations from even those people who download a few vids and then never come back, make a download limit for the first two weeks (month) of membership. Something like 5 vids - if they want more, they can donate a set amount or wait a little bit. The set amount can be as low as $1 - you might get more default pledges, but you're more likely to get your 'every member donating at least a dollar' minimum that way.
/end brainstorm
Bittorrents are nice for dial-up users. Surprised? If the file is popular enough (like very popular videos here - think top 5%), the download speed can be more than I get on a local video file. You can resume, too - without using Opera/Firefox/etc. The resume ability alone makes it nice to have. You don't need to remove the local versions, just offer bittorrents as an option with the mention that resume is automatic and speed can be better than local.
Don't count the members who join, get one or two videos, and then never return. They aren't real members, and aren't anything like the leeches who stay around downloading like crazy. That may knock down the difference between donators and non-donators quite a bit.
Sell advertising in the banners - you're not paying to have your fanart up, you're paying for the *link* to your profile. Make it possible for people to have their banners linked to their personal websites (after checking to be sure they abide by site rules). I bet more people would pay for that sort of advertising, and you wouldn't need to get flashy 'outside' advertisements.
To encourage donations:
Make the donation total accumumlative - entirely accumulative. Those fancy titles for donators mean nothing if the donation is cleared after a year, leaving the donator to start from zero again. You can still take away privileges from those who don't donate every year, but if they *do* donate again, add that onto the existing donation amount. What's the point of working for those top titles if you have to start over every year? People like to brag here. Give donators something to brag about, give them a reason to donate again once they lose thier title - so they get the title back and then some.
Add some perks to the video description page for donators - like a picture (that conforms to the same rules as the ones uploaded on the member profile page). People have asked for this. I'm sure some people still want it, and some would pay for it if they think it will attract more attention to their videos.
Add picture options to the journals (just the same code we have in posts) - lots of people are big on journals and like to get hits and attention. It would be monitored the same way the profile pictures are - word of mouth reporting of rule breaking.
Make a public list of the highest donators. Again, people like to brag. Just look at real-world donators who get parks named after themselves. I thought we should have had the opinionators lists in a more public place to encourage opinions. But we need donations more, so make those public (with the option to 'opt' out for those who are modest).
Get fanmanagement online - even if it's just a "email me when this creator adds a new video" option, or a "show me who put my vid on their favorites list" option. I'd pay good money for that. I'm sure others would, too.
The search options are nice. I like all of the 'donator-only' options we've been given. But I would have donated without them just to avoid the pledge page.
I liked the old carrot donation - pay $50 to start uploading immediately or wait a month or two. I know space isn't the issue here, bandwidth is, but again, money is money. I'd bet the people hosting their vids are more likely to donate than the ones downloading - because they're likely to be more impatient to get the vid out there and get feedback. Downloaders can go somewhere else if it's too much of a hassel to download here. You can always make it $5 or $10 with a shorter waiting period (a fraction proportionate to the time saved by the $50 donation).
If you want donations from even those people who download a few vids and then never come back, make a download limit for the first two weeks (month) of membership. Something like 5 vids - if they want more, they can donate a set amount or wait a little bit. The set amount can be as low as $1 - you might get more default pledges, but you're more likely to get your 'every member donating at least a dollar' minimum that way.
/end brainstorm
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Flint the Dwarf
- Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2002 6:58 pm
- Location: Ashland, WI
The way I think of it is that the Org is more like that musician playing on the street. If you like what he plays, throw in a buck. If you don't like it, keep walking and don't bother him. Don't give him a buck ONLY IF HE PLAYS AT YOUR WEDDING.
Kusoyaro: We don't need a leader. We need to SHUT UP. Make what you want to make, don't make you what you don't want to make. If neither of those applies to you, then you need to SHUT UP MORE.
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Arigatomina
- Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2003 3:04 am
- Contact:
Yes, we should all donate out of gratitude and caring for our beloved community. We don't need special perks. Remove the perks - make them for everyone. Make the pledge pages and minute wait before downloading a problem for everyone, donator or not. Then we can complain and lecture the members for wanting to get extra for giving extra.
Just to repost this:
Just to repost this:
I thought Phade was asking for suggestions, or I wouldn't have posted. But honestly, if you think anyone besides a few philanthropists here will donate for what everyone else is already getting for free, you have an overly optimistic view of the world, and the org.Phade wrote:Do you have any actual reward suggestions? Ones that do not violate site policies?
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Flint the Dwarf
- Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2002 6:58 pm
- Location: Ashland, WI
...look, I was just saying that the Org is already offering something. Yeah, it's free. Fine. But it's silly to complain about not getting enough from something that should just be courtesy for service.
Kusoyaro: We don't need a leader. We need to SHUT UP. Make what you want to make, don't make you what you don't want to make. If neither of those applies to you, then you need to SHUT UP MORE.
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NJWright
- Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2005 10:57 am
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kagome5646
- Joined: Mon May 31, 2004 11:21 pm
- Location: Florida
only 1 % donate
I'm not that shocked:shock: that so little people donate.. I mean I don't donate 100$ or anything .. but i give a little something to this community here each year.. I just think that people who don't donate at least 1$ or 2$ should be limited to a certain amount they can download.. Like when that screen pops up when u download a video.. asking u to pledge or proceed.. U know THE ONE i'm talking about.. you've all seen it.. well at least 99% of us do.. lol.. Just don't give a choice it's either pledge or not.. that way they won't have a choice but to pledge..no pledge no download.. 
Know I'm not saying that I agree W/ the comment that people who r in high school or not in the US don't donate I'm talking about people who don't donate at all .I dont care if ur blue/purple and have an extra arm coming out of your *ss . If u can't donate at least a 1$ ..NO DONATE NO DOWNLOAD. NO COOKIE FOR U..
Know I'm not saying that I agree W/ the comment that people who r in high school or not in the US don't donate I'm talking about people who don't donate at all .I dont care if ur blue/purple and have an extra arm coming out of your *ss . If u can't donate at least a 1$ ..NO DONATE NO DOWNLOAD. NO COOKIE FOR U..
.....and the angry women dragged her to the outskirts of the village and threw her to the ground and said"Y! How could u sleep w/ all the men in the village?!" and the girl said"What else is there 2 do in this god forsaking town."-GG
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Devolution
- Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2002 12:11 am
- Status: THE OLD SCHOOL LIVES
- Location: Sarnia, Ontario
that'd fall under "paying for AMVs" i think. hell i'm sure it falls under that :\NJWright wrote:I hate to say it, and i know that the point of the site is that its free, but if you made the memberships cost 1$ a year, thats a lot of dollars, and I wouldn't complain. if they don't wanna pay a dollar for 1000's of local videos, thats too bad! let them download the 1000's of inderect vids.