[27-06, 11:37] Technoviking Chat is now for premies only.

[nahtanoj]

what kind of crap is that? what happened to bettering the community by being able to share info, and meet others.

[Technoviking]

Dude, that was the plan all along. I stated that multiple times in the site news section. The chat is not a necessity, it is a luxery and not necessary to the board.

[jhAWK21]

bye bye SDR. thanks for making us feel welcome.

[nahtanoj]

seriously, that is a big part of this site, luxury or not. i guess you don't care about traffic loss, since they paying customers will stick around.
you should at least remove it so i can't read what all the elite paying members have to say.

[Technoviking]

This was the plan from the very beginning. Take a look for yourself.

Chatbox for premium members, trader ratings system, banners for sponsors, arcade (maybe), more profile options, etc.

Go ahead and look through the site news, it is mentioned there multiple times.

[jhAWK21]

really, was there a point in removing it? Time would have been better spent creating a way to delete certain threads and forumes. like sellers who been gone for years. Items that are sold etc...

[SDguy]

Yeah, the plan always was to make the chat a premie perk. Way to go boss, leaving it so long so all the natives got used to it! :D

[nahtanoj]

whether it was the "plan" all along, doesn't change the fact that its crap.
any of my friends want to chat me up, i'll be where i can chat.

[Technoviking]

The point is that it takes too much bandwidth to allow every member to access the chatbox. I don't understand why this seems like new news, it was never a secret.

[jhAWK21]

Did you set a date and time, or was it just convenient for you to cut us off today?
BTW: stop crying. You could have handled this better... DUDE!

What the ****? I am so god damn tired of getting **** for everything I do. Do people not read the news bulletins?

[davocean]

I had no idea either, and the bummer is I am a premie, and I'm blocked

[Technoviking]

I just set it back up due to alot of premies and sponsors not being able to access it either. But it will be a premie only perk soon.

[nahtanoj]

Technoviking What the ****? I am so god damn tired of getting **** for everything I do. Do people not read the news bulletins?
if i could chat, i could respond to this. it's not news or no news, its bad business. give something to the masses, something that many rely on, then take it away and demand money to get it back.
you can say it's old news all you want, but that isn't gonna stop people from being pissed off about it.

[Technoviking]

Well people are always pissed about everything. I should be used to it by now.

[jhAWK21]

way to look at it from both sides techno... you seem to have tunnel vission on this issue. If every one subsribes in order to use the chat will memberships be used to increase capabilities. or will we just be in the same place with more $ going to SDR?

[pnguy3n]

Lately I've been seeing alot of premie members not re-newing their membership. I remember reading something about the chat feature only being only for premies. Oh well, this was in the works. It kind of sucks, but it's funny that only regs can see the chat but not type.

[nahtanoj]

thats how i would run a business, dissatisfied customer? oh that's normal don't worry about it.

[Technoviking]

You guys really don't know anything about the inner workings of this site. I have not made a singe cent, in fact, I am still way in the red. I did not take over for money, obviously. I took over so we could have some moderation and the site would continue to run.

[slowturtle]

single cent

fixed. calm down before you type.

[Technoviking]

Uh? Haha...

[nahtanoj]

you are correct. i do not know the inner workings of this site. but i do know business, and i do know customer service. and the way you handled the chat removal was unprofessional and rude. it was left up too long, and we all got too used to it.
i would like to apologize for attacking you. but if you are going to run this site like a business whether you make money or lose money, you need to do it professionally. the last reference to the premie chat only was in february, i suggest you announce it again, and SET A DATE so it is not a surprise.

[Technoviking]

Very true, thanks Jon.

[coral diver]

Well Honestly its his site and he can do anything to it that pleases him what ever he makes or not make (money) is for him to know and us to wonder not unless he open the book. In my opinion Blake should have done it ever since the chat started and blake don't say that "I DID'NT TOLD YOU SO" and its to late now since the (us) non-premi will wonder around looking for other places talk to each other low membership sponsor will not benefit they will go to the site where's theres more traffic this are the thing you have to think off just my 2cents.

[Techknowledgy]

Hmmmm..... this didn't start out as a rant.

Gotta side with Blake on this one. (Horrors!) You can't have it both ways guys.

Side 1: What is the major advantage to being a premie if all I get is a little sticker, more PM space and a lounge?

or

Side 2: I just want it for free..... all of it for free..... and complain a my discretion.

-a dime a day is well worth it for all of the fellowship, awesome deals, saved money and livestock, amazing advice and all the rest. $3.00 a month is less than a fufu cup of coffee at Starbucks. - Just one. ... a third of a movie ticket, 3/4 of a gallon of gas, two Snickers bars, one cold beer at a cheap bar, the bottom third of a hydrometer, three goldfish at PetCo, a double double with a coke, you get the idea. It is - in this hobby my friends (sorry to sound like John McCain) the Deal of the Century. If I had known this existed before I set everything up I would have saved literally hundreds of dollars.

If your rationale is that you can get all of the above from Reef Central- see ya. Please delete the link from your favorites, forget the URL and ask the mods to delete your account. This hobby is expensive, and our power is our group, our organization and what you are reading right now in front of your eyes. If it is not worth anything to you, don't use it. If you don't want to pay anything for it, but want to tell the owner how to run his business, get a life. You have no skin in the game...... I on the other hand will complain loudly in the "elite" permie lounge, while smoking cigars and drinking cognac. :)

[jhAWK21]

First and foremost,

I really appreciate this site. YOU, and everyone's input as a community. SDR has offered me endless support.
I also appologize for any misconceptions you have of me, and for any offenses i have made. I am very new to this site and you are correct in that i HAVE no idea of its interworkings.
I was extremely disapointed to be thrown out of such a reliable tool.
TV: I would really appreciate more of your feedback, I realize you think I am a prick, however I would still like to become a member of this community.
At this point I feel I should ask for yours and the communities acceptance. If you agree to let me join please send me a pm re: payment for membership.
If I have offended you and others here, then I will be on my way with no hard feelings, and i SINCERELY appologize to the community if I was offensive/abusive to you all
jhAWK

[pako73]

All I ever wanted was stickers!

[DaveMorris]

Here is the way I look at it:

A) There isn't one person that is on this board with any kind of regularity that hasn't benefitted well beyond the $30 or whatever membership is, so shut up and get out your wallet.

2) This site is owned by an individual and for those of you that were not here before he bought it, you have no idea how much worse it was. TV can do anything he wants and in my opinion nobody that can't part with a measly subscription fee has any right to complain and expect to be taken seriously.

Yes, sometimes situations are not handled in the best way, but it has been my experience that issues like that get remedied pretty quickly. Most of us have several thousand dollars invested in our tanks and do you expect me to believe that you can not afford to subscribe to this site in order to continue to get the money saving benefits? It seems to be pretty strange that it is so hard for people to understand that sites like this cost a lot of money as well as time to maintain. SDReefs provides an excellant service to us all, with a little drama and fun mixed in between. If you can't live without the chatbox, then pony up the cash to help pay for it, or go to another source of information. Good luck finding one that has as much community as SDReefs.

Dave (stepping off the soapbox)

[aanntthhoonnyy]

Start a GDT In the Lounge.

"General Discussion Thread"

It works on every forum I've even posted on. We don't need a chat. It's 33.3% bull**** and the other 66.6% are pictures and Jokes that everyone is tired of. Let the Premi's have it.

There are way's around everything.

[pcon]

I personally became a SD Reef Premium member for the chicks.

WOMEN WHERE ARE YOU?!??! :crazy:

[jblaze]

Gotta agree with Dave. All the Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh is getting old. The site is a lot better than it was and dude isn't going to take a public vote on every decision he makes.

[Lic3nc3ToKlLL]

I'm just gonna throw in my opinion.....disregarding the site....if you ever receive something for free you don't freakin complain about it...isn't that like a golden rule? Second, everyone here has his/her own mindframe and can make their own decisions on whether or not they want an account. Websites in general are not only hard to maintain but with bandwidth like TV stated....it is very and I mean VERY expensive especially when you have people just uploading big pictures! It gets ridiculous and annoying. And even if TV is making money....that's the way it is no one buys a business to file bankruptcy even though thats the way it's starting to head nowadays but everyone has to do something and money is always needed to be made. Now in TV's case he's probably spending it on the site and on his tanks w/e.....That's not the point here the point is if it's free your say does not matter...I don't know why TV wastes his time on their opinions and if you are a prem. share thoughts and ideas the site should only get better and not worse. There's some change at least a nickel or somethin lol.

[BigAir]

Honestly I have been against the chat box from the word GO, for the simple fact that it is a huge tax on the server for nothing more than BS. There is enough of that going on in the lounge on most days. They way I see it, if you want chat box, get on myspace and chat to your hearts content. This is a REEF KEEPING site not a kiddie play ground.
Also, I can't imagine that TV is making any $$ on this w/ the amount of time and energy he spends on improvements to the site, not to mention the extra bandwidth that has to be paid for to even have the chat feature.

Starting to rethink my premi status w/ all the drama and whining going on here lately. None of this is any way to get new people interested in the hobby/lifestyle or keep current members here on the site. There are many valuable members here who really know their stuff, and I would hate to see even 1 of them leave due to all the crap that is getting thrown around lately.

[WanaLeime]

Honestly I have been against the chat box from the word GO, for the simple fact that it is a huge tax on the server for nothing more than BS. There is enough of that going on in the lounge on most days. They way I see it, if you want chat box, get on myspace and chat to your hearts content. This is a REEF KEEPING site not a kiddie play ground.
Also, I can't imagine that TV is making any $$ on this w/ the amount of time and energy he spends on improvements to the site, not to mention the extra bandwidth that has to be paid for to even have the chat feature.

Starting to rethink my premi status w/ all the drama and whining going on here lately. None of this is any way to get new people interested in the hobby/lifestyle or keep current members here on the site. There are many valuable members here who really know their stuff, and I would hate to see even 1 of them leave due to all the crap that is getting thrown around lately.

I with BIGAIR on this.... For me it's not the $30, it's the direction SDR is going....No longer laid back or I should say "AS LAID BACK" like in the beginning.... we've lost a good number of the "old school" peeps, why....I guess they have their own reasons.... But time i do spend on here and people I've met is priceless.

-Dennis

[SDguy]

Do you guys see the problem here....we get "this site is too full of drama, you guys should stop all that crap then and there" and then we get "this site isn't as laid back any more" :confused: :confused:

How easy do you think it is to happily mingle people from all sorts of diverse backgrounds on a board where the only thing they may have in common is an aquarium. Let's remind ourselves of the past, shall we:
http://www.sdreefs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14154&highlight=moderator

From the PM's I'm getting, the "old timers" aren't leaving due to a stern environment...they leave becuase they don't want to be on a soap opera board, and frankly I don't blame them.

[nahtanoj]

i'd like to apologize to all for starting drama.

my case was meant to be on the way he handled removing chat for the masses. nothing to do with i want it all for free. i'd gladly pay the $30 to a business that is run professionally with respect and regard to both paying and nonpaying members. i have not seen this with this site, and i let my anger get in the way of "constructive criticism" and for that i apologize.

i completely agree it is his site, and his business and he has a right to charge for extra service. but when he offers something to the masses and then takes it away with the last notice being in february, it sends out the impression that he is doing it out of greed, and less people are going to be willing to pay that $30. i do not think this after hearing his end of the story, and i have apologized to him for my attack.

so to TV, keep up the hard work, everyone here is thankful for this site. but remember to use tact in the business of it. think of all members as customers. obviously they can't all be pleased. but there are ways of doing things that will not be as "abrasive" to the masses as simply pulling something with essentially no notice.

[WanaLeime]

Do you guys see the problem here....we get "this site is too full of drama, you guys should stop all that crap then and there" and then we get "this site isn't as laid back any more" :confused: :confused:

How easy do you think it is to happily mingle people from all sorts of diverse backgrounds on a board where the only thing they may have in common is an aquarium. Let's remind ourselves of the past, shall we:
http://www.sdreefs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14154&highlight=moderator

From the PM's I'm getting, the "old timers" aren't leaving due to a stern environment...they leave becuase they don't want to be on a soap opera board, and frankly I don't blame them.

That's exactly what i ment Peter, sorry for beating around the bush....:rolleyes:;)

[Jessy]

Its so weird around here... it's like someone put sdreefs on mute or something :) the chat box was always nice background noise.... totally readjusting now :)

[DaveMorris]

Any updates TV? When I click on the "chat" link above it just opens up a new window of the login screen. I assume you are still working on it?

[Technoviking]

Yeah still working on it, should be good to go tomorrow.

[CyberGuy]

I have never type a single word in the chat box from the very first time that it appeared. I guess I have missed out on something really great. :lol:

[OceanBeach1502]

Hey! I never got a sticker!


Hmmmm..... this didn't start out as a rant.

Gotta side with Blake on this one. (Horrors!) You can't have it both ways guys.

Side 1: What is the major advantage to being a premie if all I get is a little sticker, more PM space and a lounge?

or

Side 2: I just want it for free..... all of it for free..... and complain a my discretion.

-a dime a day is well worth it for all of the fellowship, awesome deals, saved money and livestock, amazing advice and all the rest. $3.00 a month is less than a fufu cup of coffee at Starbucks. - Just one. ... a third of a movie ticket, 3/4 of a gallon of gas, two Snickers bars, one cold beer at a cheap bar, the bottom third of a hydrometer, three goldfish at PetCo, a double double with a coke, you get the idea. It is - in this hobby my friends (sorry to sound like John McCain) the Deal of the Century. If I had known this existed before I set everything up I would have saved literally hundreds of dollars.

If your rationale is that you can get all of the above from Reef Central- see ya. Please delete the link from your favorites, forget the URL and ask the mods to delete your account. This hobby is expensive, and our power is our group, our organization and what you are reading right now in front of your eyes. If it is not worth anything to you, don't use it. If you don't want to pay anything for it, but want to tell the owner how to run his business, get a life. You have no skin in the game...... I on the other hand will complain loudly in the "elite" permie lounge, while smoking cigars and drinking cognac. :)

[Chanas4]

Its so weird around here... it's like someone put sdreefs on mute or something :) the chat box was always nice background noise.... totally readjusting now :)


Exactly what I was thinking

[jhAWK21]

should be go to go today huh?

[SDguy]

I kinda like it, people actually post more...than just FS threads :)

[Trickman2]

Techno still like the site but I would love to see a survey on what people are willing to pay for a yearly membership. I can tell you if the price was 20 bucks yearly I would join tomorrow but that is just me. I wonder how many people have not joined because of the price.

[MichaelRyanSD]

I would certainly hope that 10$...a mere 10$, would not be the preventitive factor in becoming a member..

I have always sided with non-paying members when some premium members just use the logic "you don't pay, you don't have a say", just because they don't pay doesn't make their opinion any less valuable, but at the same time if someone is on this site longer then a few months and gets a feel for it, the only real reason why they don't pay is because their cheap.

I would never say someone who can't afford something for 30$ is cheap, because I don't know everyones financial situation, but I can reasonably assume that if you have the cash to get into this hobby (which is why your on these boards) then you have an extra 3.00$. This hobby costs easily 300$ to get into, and thats some bottom of the line setup, a setup, which at that price you probably bought on here, so if someone can afford that, then they should be able afford 3.00$ a month

non the less, whether they pay or not, doesn't make their opinions any less valid and should carry the same weights as everyone elses

[SDguy]

non the less, whether they pay or not, doesn't make their opinions any less valid and should carry the same weights as everyone else's

As they do. Many things have changed due to community opinion.

[Trickman2]

I would certainly hope that 10$...a mere 10$, would not be the preventitive factor in becoming a member..

I have always sided with non-paying members when some premium members just use the logic "you don't pay, you don't have a say", just because they don't pay doesn't make their opinion any less valuable, but at the same time if someone is on this site longer then a few months and gets a feel for it, the only real reason why they don't pay is because their cheap.

I would never say someone who can't afford something for 30$ is cheap, because I don't know everyones financial situation, but I can reasonably assume that if you have the cash to get into this hobby (which is why your on these boards) then you have an extra 3.00$. This hobby costs easily 300$ to get into, and thats some bottom of the line setup, a setup, which at that price you probably bought on here, so if someone can afford that, then they should be able afford 3.00$ a month

non the less, whether they pay or not, doesn't make their opinions any less valid and should carry the same weights as everyone elses

Ryan but what do I get for my money....not much....I help the site out some and a few perks....that is a good thing but why should I.....is it worth the money? So I have to put a value on the perks and helping the site. Also I really don't spend as much time on here. The site has changed and a lot of the awesome people have left.

[Techknowledgy]

What do you get for the money?

A. Imagine if no one paid and you clicked on the site one day and it was GONE?
B. If you save $33.00 over the course of a year, it has paid for itself.
C. Awesome people come and go.

[Trickman2]

What do you get for the money?

A. Imagine if no one paid and you clicked on the site one day and it was GONE?
B. If you save $33.00 over the course of a year, it has paid for itself.
C. Awesome people come and go.

A. Yes it is a possibility that this site could be gone, would I cry over it no....There are plenty of other sites and I am sure one of us could put up another site.

B. Yes but I can do this for free without paying.

C. I think there are many reasons why people come and go in this hobby and one is cost.

Anyways Techno I am not here to argue with you. The cost is not worth it to me. Sure I would like to help the site out but not for the price. Do a poll techno and see what happens. You maybe losing out on a lot of money. It is that whole supply and demand thing. I wonder how many would join if you dropped it to $15 a year. :D

[DaveMorris]

Amazing...simply amazing.:crazy:

[barometer]

:confused::confused::confused:

[WRAiTHY]

Seems like "The Community" wants a pricing structure.

Maybe "Supporting Members" should be $15/yr and Premies $33/yr? Maybe they should charge $5/yr for just "Member" status? Any way you dice it up, someone will always complain. Here's my personal take on it. I support SD Reefs because I can, and more importantly, because I WANT TO. I use pretty much NONE of the premie perks and I have no complaints. Some people share their experience as pay back, I have none of that so I contribute with my money to help the information get shared around. Like any business, you get what you pay for. If you pay a premium fee, you should get the premium perks. If you stay Free, you should not expect them. Think of the chat feature as an "introductory" teaser. Kinda like when cable tells you it's $9.99 a month for the 1st 3 months. :lol:

[Technoviking]

Thanks guys for sticking up for me/SDR. But the thing is, we have never forced members to become PM and never will. It is up to every member to think about if for him/herself and decide if it is worth it to them and if they can afford it. I do not get mad at a member for not supporting because I know there will always be those who understand and keep the site going.

[Techknowledgy]

If it was fifty cents there would still be people who would complain. Thes eare the same folks who scream at paying taxes but shout even louder when there are pot holes on the street in front of their house. Welcome to America. Nothing worth anything is free in this world. You pay with your time, your attention, your labor or your money. We are not entitled to anything. I have lost more money than the $33.00 on corals and fish, mostly by not following the advice early on of the incredibly helpful, smart and generous people here.

[JHAI4]

Please close this thread.... I'm getting a headache.... Pay don't pay, chat don't chat... how about reef no reef? Don't we all have tanks to grow and enjoy...?

[DaveMorris]

Make chat premie only. If the people that don't want to pay anything to support the board need to chat, they can go over to Myspace or Gaia. Of course, that is just my opinion.

[nahtanoj]

i'm just stoked a thread i started actually got some replies!!! 4 pages and 58, new record for my stuff i think...

[MichaelRyanSD]

yeah I see the reasoning behind making chat for premies only, but if it were only open to premies...then it really wouldn't be so chatty...

[DaveMorris]

Ain't that the truth.

[LotsaFishies]

I'm chatty! ...between the hours of 11pm and 2am!

edit: soon to change once I'm married and have to start going to bed early, lol!

[HandyCaptPuffer]

Wow that was pretty sad.

TV should be able to do what he wants and when he wants. I have used chat maybe 2 or 3 times. Doesn't make any difference whether it's there or not. I didn't join this site for chatting anyway. And neither did anyone who is complaining. We joined to grow our knowledge of our reeftanks and buy and sell our equipment.

Please send me the instructions so I can support SD Reefs because this is worth much more than what he is asking. You are in denial if you don't agree with that.

Obviously everyone will never support this site, so if you don't or don't plan on supporting THEN YOUR OPINION is like the labor worker in the factory. NOT WORTH VERY MUCH, but still will be heard.

TV I have never met you, and I don't know much about you, but I have a ton of respect for you not deleting these accounts that ****** out there language and type their horrible advice.

As for this being a business, there are owners here, managers, and then the workers. If you don't support SD Reefs consider yourself a worker.

There are many other forums out there but none like this, plus this is local for all of us.

Take a hike if you don't like it, because YOU complaining are the ones who annoy everyone and push the rules to the limit everywhere you go.

Just my take on this.

More power to TV!

[Techknowledgy]

HandyCaptPuffer- Come on down!
http://www.sdreefs.com/forums/payments.php

[HandyCaptPuffer]

Done Deal! And I feel great!

[Techknowledgy]

Welcome! We grow by attraction not promotion.