I'd like your feedback on a couple topics: Search, Subforums, Banner Ads

As a paying member, I'd certainly vote no banners. I'd rather keep the status quo than see banners. For non-paying members to see them but then get to search, that seems like it might be a fair trade.

If we're voting for other sub-forums, a 'sale/barter' subforum for WSS would be super, and popular. There are large amounts of gear/blades/etc that are specific to that population, and it's broader than any of the manufacturer-specific subforums by far.
 
Thanks for asking us in the first place.

I think Sphinx is great. I think that's what you should use.

I say use banner ads. Allow paid users to turn them off.

Win/Win
 
As others have said, thanks for asking for our opinions.Whatever you do, you won't hear me complaining.

Banner adds drive me crazy. There are sites that I just won't go to because the adds are way over the top and make the sites hard to use. That said, the bills need to be paid and if adds will pay them, so be it. I'll still be here.

I would like to make a suggestion; I don't know if it's financially worth it: Allow international folks to buy a basic membership in order to avoid seeing the adds.

Now I'm not being a cheapskate as such. I've had gold membership for two years here, just to contribute as I rarely sell anything. Since I wrecked my ankle last year though, money's been too tight and at the moment I can't justify $30 for a gold membership. I know it's not much but I'm having to cut expenditure everywhere I can. I've not even bought a knife for nearly a year :eek: :(

If I could buy a basic membership for $10 (or even $15) though - I would do it right now! I wonder how many others would to avoid the adds? I suppose it comes down to how many gold memberships are lost to basic ones, compared to how many extra basic memberships are gained.

Just a thought ;)
 
Please give me your thoughts on putting in banner ads that would only be visible to registered users, and not to members with paid subscriptions.
+1

Thanks for a great site.
 
I jump on this site maybe once a year. It's simply not worth paying for me. Not being able to search means I am on here even less, since I am a big believer in looking for the answer to a question that has already been brought up rather than wasting people's time with what may be a common issue.

I have no problem with dealing with some annoying banners for the benefit of searching and getting the information I need.
 
I am a member of one other forum that deals with knife related objects, and have been a charter member there. Ads where there regardless of membership status. One at the top and bottom, and it never bothered me.
 
I agree with foxyrick's suggestion for international members, a simplification would be welcome.

The other question as to banner ads is entirely reasonable, if you have a membership you don't have to see them. I hope that ads won't bring about censorship and objective criticism/evaluation of products leading to posts being removed because the advertiser will hear no criticisms. One of the major strengths of this forum is the exchange of views and it not being some puerile fan-boy paradise where products and the owners are worshipped uncritically.

More sub forums are good provided they are related to blade matters.
 
Though I chose to get a paid membership largly for the search feature. I totally agree with possibly opening it up. As long as it doesnt take away from usability. I'm a member on another site that limits the amount of non paying members from being able to access the search feature. Not quite sure how they do it but it seems to work for them. They are the largest site in their field

As for banners, use em. Especially in the manner you suggest.

Sub-forums we'll have to see how they work out, I guess. If they dont well can em

side note I also felt compelled to paid membership due to the amount of help and info offered and wanted to help sustain it's availability. I'm sure others feel the same. And really the minimum membership is very reasonable

Chris
 
As a non-paying member, here are my thoughts.
1.) I would love to see the search feature opened up, as it would make the site much more usable to me. Another option you may want to consider is getting a Google search appliance dedicated to your site. I work for a web-hosting company and one of our customers have one, and it seems to work well for them. I also frequent www.candlepowerforums.com as well, and they have one, so you could see how it works there.

2.) I have no problem with ads, especially in a registered members only approach. Ads on webpages are simply to be expected, and if that could be my way of supporting the site, I'm fine with that. I just have too many interests and not enough money to support all the fora I frequent.
 
maybe throw the banner ads at the bottom of the page, that way they're there and you get the cash flow, but they're not interfering with the forum usage

but hey, that's just my 2 cents
 
Please give me your thoughts on putting in banner ads that would only be visible to registered users (members without paid subscriptions), and unregistered guests browsing the forums, and not to members with paid subscriptions.

I like this idea. The truth is that some banners hopefully will make sense if they are knife related and then it is up to the individual to click on the link. My $0.02.

By the way - thanks for asking. I appreciate this.
 
I am for the banner adds for non paid members.

When my subscription comes up, I always feel like it is the best entertainment for the dollar I have ever spent. When I think of all the hours I have spend on here, becoming more informed about one of my favorite subjects, I don't begrudge a paid membership at all.

I spend more on a single movie night and some popcorn and drink for me and my wife than a gold membership costs for the year. A real steal, as far as I am concerned.

With the added benefits that come with the membership with being able to sell knives I want to move on.
 
Honestly, the least annoying and even occasionally useful ads I've seen are through google ad-sense. But, but, but- that pees on dealers who are paying you.

The only real answer I see that really works out (for me, trying to think positive about ads) is to run the banners in house- not let a third party company spam the banners. There's several market models for this out there.

Of course, i'll be happy with whatever you end up doing.

regarding forums- I'm interested in seeing a few more specialized subforums that are directly related to knives- like a kitchen knife subforum.

A few things that might be nice, in the way of brainstorming suggestions:

Putting some related subforums together might be nice - like in WSS - a subforum for knife photos (user and maker).

As a maker in my style and what I do, I get very little response or useful conversation in the normal customs subforum- but it's been getting a bit rough to post new blades into WSS because it's been abused sometimes with people basically doing it as for sale threads. Which annoys me as sometimes I want to post particular new designs into WSS- I don't post the dirks and sgian dubhs in there!

I wouldn't mind a bit of breakup in the gadgets and gear if you are going that way.

I lucked into finding BF when i was starting out, and I'm very, very thankful that it's here.






I'd love to see prac tac have a 'sane' and a 'w&c' division, but aybe it's just not fixable
 
I'm in.
Ads for non-paying, no ads for paying members.
Opening the search function with the change in programming.
More forums.

Thanks for the forum and all the effort Spark. This has to be a labor of love to keep this place running. We really do appreciate it.
 
Kevin,

Let me start by saying... You do a great job!

And the banners sound like a plan, in fact, if you could make it an option, I would probably be OK with seeing banners, I like to research new stuff that way.

And, Thank you for Asking!

Best,
Marion
 
PLEASE think of us dial up users! I am with you on all points made except maybe one. I'm just wondering if the ads that non paying members see would slow the site down for us paying members. I'm sure a lot of you don't think about it because you use broadband and its so fast anyway but I will not even go to other knife forums or sites that use banner ads because it takes almost a minute to load a page. This is why I love bladeforums because everything is FAST and uncluttered even with my dial up connection! I don't know if this would even be an issue but I ask you to just please think of us in your considerations as there are still a lot of people living outside city limits that do not have the option to get comcast.

Thank you.
 
The search function seems to work OK for me.

I don't mind banner ads for knife-related products, like dealers etc.

Alternatively, why not close the Exchange for all but paying members a la USN? I'm sure you will get a lot more people ponying up the membership fee then.

Will hopefully also weed out many of the chancers and daytrippers.
 
1. Make banner ads site-wide by default, but allow paid members to opt out of seeing ads, as an option.
This is what my cloud email service does.
Maybe some members would LIKE to see ads -- at least knife ads. So let them have that option.

2. Either allow static ads only, OR limit animated / video ads to the very bottom of pages.
All the animated ads on KnifeForums are very annoying... not because they are ads, but because they are animated, and coming at the viewer from 3 or 4 directions at once.

3. NO ads with auto-start or mouse-over sound! :eek:
Only click-to-activate sound. Or none.

BRL...
 
1. Make banner ads site-wide by default, but allow paid members to opt out of seeing ads, as an option.
This is what my cloud email service does.
Maybe some members would LIKE to see ads -- at least knife ads. So let them have that option.

2. Either allow static ads only, OR limit animated / video ads to the very bottom of pages.
All the animated ads on KnifeForums are very annoying... not because they are ads, but because they are animated, and coming at the viewer from 3 or 4 directions at once.

3. NO ads with auto-start or mouse-over sound! :eek:
Only click-to-activate sound. Or none.

BRL...


Absolutely, I came here instead of there because of that...

but ...

I now use Firefox with adblock plus and have never seen another ad again.
 
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