Thread: Please take Note!

I think it's unfortunate that sites like this can't continue to be run as a free service to most users, but when I think about it, nothing is free. Everything has to be funded somehow whether it be donation of money or time. I'm not sure I can comprehend how much of your time you must have put into administering and running the forum over the years. Much respect and many thanks for that.

I can only begin to imagine how hard the decision must have been Inc, but I am usually one of the first to point out that a business cannot survive without change. So I'm happy you are making change if you feel it's necessary. While I'd love to see the forum remain free, I became a paid subscriber not long after I joined. I only hope others will see the benefit as quickly as I did.

Depending on how much you're trying to encourage growth or limit growth, my only other thought was 6 months would retain users a lot more than 3 months.

If you need assistance with anything, please let me know.

I have seen many larger, more active and faster paced forums disappear into nothingness by locking away content behind a pay wall.

Really hope this does not happen here.

Just paid.
Thanks for maintaining such an excellent resource.

Matthew

If the forum returns to be a 4wd/Landrover/camping and related issues forum I will be happy to continue being a subscriber.

However if it does continue along the path of being an alternative to ringing John Laws or Alan Jones then I will be reverting to being a registered user.

I can get to hear about all these other issues through the media and like to come here for 4wd related stuff - not barraged by all this other crap. If the new rules work that is great but previous experience shows that there will be pushing of the boundaries and trying it on. Lets hope the mods are up to the task.

Time for a new beginning.

Originally Posted by phibbzy

I have seen many larger, more active and faster paced forums disappear into nothingness by locking away content behind a pay wall.

Really hope this does not happen here.

Did those other forums have the same provision offered here?

I mean the provision that allows you free access for long enough to discover what is available.

That way when the free period is over, there is a good chance people will have a good idea of what they are missing out on by not coughing up the $11 (or more).

If you are locked out behind a pay wall right from the start, then you probably don't know what you are missing.

I think this is not only a necessary change, but is a well thought out change.

I don't know about others, but I have found that the majority of my technical questions have been answered by people who are subscribers, so I don't really see it being a great inconvenience to me. I think anything that helps to promote the longevity of the site, has to be a good thing. I also think it's about the best value for money you can get.

Sent from my HTC One XL using AULRO mobile app

Hope your health stays well for a long time to come Dave!

I think the new rules sound sensible.

If only there were some way you coould limit the number of non-LR related posts any individual user would post I think that would be a good thing for the future of the forum...

I notice also that many of the people who posted the best technical info in the past have left. Yet they are active in the LR sections of other forums like pirate. I suspect some of the "LR does it best" crowd have helped to drive them away...? (Either that or all the posts about pleather and colour scheme choice...)

Firstly, I hope your health improves.

It's a good idea to reduce or remove the burden on one person, as it's a high risk to have a single person solely responsible for the running of anything. It's fair to allow a new user access for 3 months, as they might seek an answer, get it, and never return. Bandwidth and rackspace cost cash. They both have to be funded by the forum, otherwise it becomes unsustainable. I've run an adblocker for 15 years, never see an ad anywhere. If I value a site that runs ads as a funding source, I pay for a subscription. There are very few sites I value, this is one of them. I've saved at least thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars by being a member here, and learning to do all my own maintenance. And I've introduced others here who are also saving because of the site.

In short, I'm happy to pay to use AULRO, because I see a significant return on investment. Inc is being more than fair with the subscription models too.