posted on October 30, 2001 09:23:11 AM new
Ya know, I've been watching these boards for the past couple 'o days & reading everyone's comments, the majority of which are "outta here" on the stroke of midnight on the 31st. I, too, got caught up in the "oh no, there goes AW" dread, until the DH came home and said "so, just give 'em your CC and you don't lose anything" Leave it to him to simplify everything! But the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. I use my CC online. I've purchased with it from .com's that have gone outta business. I have CC protection (how many threads have we had about chargebacks?). Although it remains to be seen how unmoderated boards will survive and how effective they will be if the masses turn and leave, but all in all, the benefits of staying, IMO, outweigh the benefits of leaving. I have gotten some very good business information here (AW forums in general, especially EO) and with the economy headed in a downward direction, I need every edge I can get and therefore would like to keep AW in my toolbox.
Coincidentally, today I happened to visit a home type board that I occasionally visit. Effective Jan. 1 there will be a $15 annual charge to be a "posting" member (lurking will remain free). The general response was favorable, and it appears that most posters will be "joining". And why not? The internet came to us all free. (well, ISP charges aside) most sites were free and thriving, making huge amounts of money, even tho' analysts were baffled because there typically was no product and no actually money being made. Then the illusion came tumbling down and millions of $$ were lost, thousands of .coms bit the dust. And this is pretty much were we are today. At a crossroads. Do we stand firm in our resolve not to pay for internet sites because "it was always free"...OR do we anti up and pitch in a few bucks to a "device" that houses our businesses, our information, our learning, our friendships, our support, our entertainment? If we do not choose the latter, can we mourn it's loss when it's gone?
Think about it...Do you have cable tv?...is that free?...(not if you receiving it legally)...Do you belong to a club?...Is that free?..(don't forget dues)....Do you have a library?....Is that free? (check your taxes, it's not!).....You get what you pay for....
And that's all I have to say about that....
~ Rancher
posted on October 30, 2001 09:46:11 AM new
Hi Rancher
I'm glad you're staying.
I don't think this CC thing will effect me cos I always had mine registered with AW anyway. I will be around, will leave for a few days when I'm angry, will pop back in for a few days when I miss my friends here, will leave when there is too much real life work, will come back when there is time to hang out, same as always prob'ly.
Rocker
posted on October 30, 2001 09:46:28 AM new
Well, there's always human error to worry about:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/23/21656.html
and then there's those sneaky little hackers:
http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article/0,,4_278091,00.html
But Hey, what's this?... Amex issuing disposable cc numbers?
http://www.compukiss.com/tnews/amexcard/amexcard.html
What worries me is that AW is asking for our personal credit card numbers when there are no fees involved. If they were to require a $12-25 annual fee, I'd pay it, probably using PayPal and my checking account. But to just hand out cc info because they ask, and since I don't understand why it should be required, makes me suspicious. I'm just not seeing the logic.
Rosie
I apologize for the unclickables
*There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
edited to add that the first link provided involves an online auctionsite that mistakenly mailed out all customer credit card information to every member in their database. (Sept 21, 2001) Do you feel you can trust everyone here if that were to happen at AW?
[ edited by RoseBids25cents on Oct 30, 2001 10:00 AM ]
posted on October 30, 2001 09:50:23 AM newWhat's wrong with Pay to Play?
I'll tell you.
What good is a message board with no posts? Answer: No good.
Who supplies the content that makes a message board worth reading? Not AW. Not the lurkers. It's the posters who provide the content which makes a message board interesting, informative or worthwhile.
Why should those who are providing this content free of charge have to pay for the privilege of doing so?
posted on October 30, 2001 09:51:39 AM new
On one hand most of us are protective of our credit cards as we should be. On the other hand AW can't charge us for anything without our agreement and we all have the right to say no if asked. It may just be an attempt to have some degree of accountability. I have registered one of my credit cards, but would not agree to pay to chat knowing that just my(our) presence adds to the market value of AW's website. BTW- would a paying membership be given the freedom to say anything without moderation? or would the fees be used to re-introduce full time mods?
posted on October 30, 2001 10:18:57 AM new
Hiya Rocker....hope you're doin' all right in the city, and healing from your visit to the site...Glad to hear you'll be around!
RoseBid...I appears to me to be the same logic that eBay uses with new users who register with a cc.
Spaz...The door slams in our faces tomorrow night. They aren't slammin the door in your face, you are choosing to leave rather than abide by the new rules.
Mrpotato....[i]. It's the posters who provide the content which makes a message board interesting, informative or worthwhile. [/i[ And they get nothing out of it?...If that's true then why do it at all?
Stusi...knowing that just my(our) presence adds to the market value of AW's website. And what's wrong with that?....Isn't that the cornerstone of eBay?...eBay provides nothing but a venue, it is the sellers who have created their value. Sure, we get $$ from our sales, but do we not get info from AW that is profitable?
or would the fees be used to re-introduce full time mods? I would agree that the fees, or a portion of, would be used to hire moderators.
posted on October 30, 2001 10:46:54 AM new
I have no problem with paying. It is just the credit card thingy. To claim they need a credit card to verify your identity is ludicrous, it verifies nothing. A credit card is only a way to access amounts of money WITH LITTLE OR NO IDENTIFICATION. This is why they are so popular with scam artists and the reason hackers spend so much time and energy trying to gain access, no one knows who is using the CC until the damage is well done. Is AW going to spend the money to guarantee their security and are they now??? I have my Credit card registered in one place and only after I was satisfied with their security.
posted on October 30, 2001 11:27:40 AM new
With me it isn't the credit card or the thought of having to pay to post it's just that everytime I have been asked to register a credit card "for ID purposes" they come up with a new fee within the next month.
Not just once but three times.
I just have a bad feeling about this one too.
I may be wrong but I don't believe it is only for ID purposes.
This is what I believe:They need money right now and they will soon charge you to be a member. I would respect the request and maybe even pay it if they asked up front.
But the old "credit card" ruse just doesn't work with me anymore.
posted on October 30, 2001 01:05:51 PM new
What would really stink is if they did this
knowing they intended to close the boards anyway.
As activly as they moderated these boards in the past I can't imagine they are looking forward to letting them run amuke now.
Rocker 
