Well...
Here's the thinking, at this moment.
There's some thought - and it's just thought - being given to the idea of charging a nominal fee (for something) to offset some of the costs it takes to run this site.
For example, the forum software, ubb.threads, has a cost - see for yourself:
http://www.ubbcentral.com/order.php?product=UBB.threadsIn addition, the ETS organization itself operates on a shoestring, and it would be nice if there was some money to buy products for review on the open market, rather than just the manufacturers samples.
There's been no decision about the forums themselves, however, there are plenty of other options for paid content online, and given that the ETS organization is looking to develop better sources of funding, it only makes sense to look at all possibilities.
The Marketplace is the only "paid" area, and as you can see by the number of post (0) in there, it's not exactly a door-buster.
The point of this experiement is to test the waters and see what might work. There's no reason to panic or get worried, even, as this test continues. There won't be an abrupt shift to paid-only content.
On the other hand, with over 1,500 registered users, the donation rates are pretty abysmal. Is this site worth a buck a month to you? $12 a year? That's about the cost of a cup of coffee and a bagel in some places. So, yeah, we're looking for ways to make content that's worth paying for, some how, some way. The donation route isn't doing it well enough. So, yeah, some kind of paid forum is on the list of ideas, and LTR is one idea that's been kicked around.
What would YOU consider as worthwile content - enough to get your $1.00 a month?
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