NEW Extreme Memberships

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A wise man once said (and about something entirely different, though it still applies): "there is enough light for those who desire to see, and enough darkness for those of a contrary disposition".

I believe this applies here as well. For the record I've made exactly 1 post on one of the 4 threads over there.

So before you guys get your panties in a twist, consider the implications of this: Those of us who believe in and support the site, are still posting in the free forums.

I've said all I'm going to on this. /annoyed/

exgrowing.png
 
I think the point was to say that those who want to partake in an extreme membership of some type are welcome to do so, while those who don't, are more than welcome to refrain from doing so. And by not doing so, it in no way impedes them from the (vast majority of) free content on the site.

That being said, and as someone whose done my fair share of web design and who also hosts a couple of websites... bandwidth, storage, both of those cost money, and considering the popularity of the site, probably cost THP more than he'd care to admit to us. That, and the time and effort he's put into maintaining the site as well as being the admin/moderator (and a darn good on at that IMHO), I'm sure he'd like to be rewarded and/or compensated in some small manner for his efforts. That's why I felt obliged to give money for my membership when he offered it. Heck, I didn't even do the discount, even though I could have done so. And as I said before, at no point did THP put the Internet equivalent of a gun to my or anyone else's head, forcing us to pay to continue to use the site. Most of the site is still free, and those of us who paid, did so because we CHOSE to, not because THP made us do so in any way, shape, form, fashion, or type. And as I've said before, as this is THP's site, he's well within his rights to make everyone pay to use the site. But he didn't. He offered it to the people who wanted to, and those of us who wanted to, we did. And that in no way impedes us from posting on the free content sections of the site, and by my admittedly limited time on here, there is a wealth of information in those areas.

::steps off soapbox::
 
Cay - maybe you should consider applying to be a mod for the grow area and take a whole different line? I appreciate your perspective, free as in beer etc etc, but there are real issues of time and cost and complexity here ... like elcap, i have some experience w/ web dev, admin, hosting etc ... this site has enough traffic and requirements to warrant direct funding ... and it works on chrome, firefox, iPad, iPhone etc ... that in and of itself is a nightmare to provide for users ...
 
Cayennemist said:
"...The part that I am not a fan of is educational content, more specifically the EXGrowing section. I have have been lurking around watching the original Growing section and I have noticed a difference in activity. Basically if you are not a EX member then you are missing out on the info in the extreme section...So to say that nothing has changed for regular member is not correct. Regular members are now missing out on the same info that they would have had access to before, because it is now in the EX section....I know I am the Lone Wolf here on this, but hows this for an idea? Only EXmembers could post in the EX Gardening section, but everyone could see it..."
Click to expand...

I've been a member for many years, spending the bulk of that time only reading & honing my skill level until I reached that point (this year) where I became an active grower. I've searched & perused the forums, but I've also been lazy & simply asked for guidance at other times.

Cayennemist: you are not alone...I happen to agree with all your points. I believe that the "private/paid" area is a great idea & I'll certainly consider paying in the future. Additionally, I believe that "rank has its privileges", so I could never hold anything against anyone who opts for the "paid" path - membership (I assume) will remain an option for all & all one has to do is ante up & "bingo", they're in! But until I reach the apex of deciding which way to go, I do agree that there will be much "content" that will migrate away from the "free" area & into the "paid" area & that those who do not want to particiapte financially will ultimately be deprived of things that really ought to be shared with all members of the forum & not kept isolated in an inaccessible part of the site. Having said that, I'd like to see a "read only" option for those who decline the "paid" option. You've essentially given us a "read only" option to view the gallery, so why not a parallel privilege in the written area?
 
I love you guys...

Remember, I agree that all the other new features are well worth the EX membership. I feel the same way all of you guys do, THP deserves the compensation 100%

That is not the issue, the issue is the integrity of the free version being compromised by the EX version. More specifically in the Growing and Cooking sections.

All the other features like

Picture hosting
Expanded Inbox
Custom profiles
B2B even

All things I may even pay for myself.

I don't want to be the fly in the ointment, but without checks and balances, things can go south pretty quickly. That's why this is a Community not a regular website.
Sorry to upset anyone for putting out my opinion.
 
Cayennemist said:
I love you guys...

Remember, I agree that all the other new features are well worth the EX membership. I feel the same way all of you guys do, THP deserves the compensation 100%

That is not the issue, the issue is the integrity of the free version being compromised by the EX version. More specifically in the Growing and Cooking sections.

All the other features like

Picture hosting
Expanded Inbox
Custom profiles
B2B even

All things I may even pay for myself.

I don't want to be the fly in the ointment, but without checks and balances, things can go south pretty quickly. That's why this is a Community not a regular website.
Sorry to upset anyone for putting out my opinion.
Click to expand...

I'm not knocking you at all CM. In fact, my primary reason for getting the extreme biz was because I wanted to give back. Most of the perks are things I use elsewhere, and I saw it as giving back to THP, since a site like this requires the equivalent of a full-time job, if not more, worth of time & effort, and even with the ads, the ex memberships, etc., I'd think any profit on his part wouldn't be that great. I could be wrong. And granted, I haven't been here too terribly long, but THP doesn't sound like the type to just arbitrarily declare the site pay-only, at least not without a pretty darn compelling reason.
 
This is a really good conversation! All opinions are valid.

IMO...

Ultimately it is a privately owned site and the owner may do anything he wants. That's how America works.
That said, it is a community in every sense of the word, we have all kinds of people,
from different races, with vastly different backgrounds, that's what's so awesome.
Another point is, knowledge is not free.
I am a Contractor by trade, and you wouldn't believe how many people approach me for free advice.
Don't get me wrong, I help out when I can but this is my trade.
My 25 years of experience is MY education, my living, my income.
If you want to save $5000, tile your own shower. Don't call me asking "How do I..."

I know that doesn't translate directly to THP, but it's kind of an over-exaggeration of a similar situation.
People here at THP are mostly hobbyists and are proud to share their knowledge,
and equally proud to help out individuals who ask for it. The joy of learning thru teaching and visa-versa.
Any knowlege people share is a gift, plain and simple.
Nobody 'owes' anyone else their knowledge.

I would love to tell you that in the X section, we are having parties, talking about exclusive miracle Jiffy Pellets,
secret X-member only seeds, etc. but that's not what the X section is.
There is no exclusivity when it comes to the general purpose of this site.
A few cool features like photo hosting, (which is memory on a hard drive and quite frankly SHOULD be paid for),
Customization features, and other such paid member features.
No one in the X section has invented the latest greatest seed or growing method.

Again, all IMO,

keep up the conversation, and have fun!
 
Cayennemist said:
The part that I am not a fan of is educational content, more specifically the EXGrowing section.

I have have been lurking around watching the original Growing section and I have noticed a difference in activity.

Basically if you are not a EX member then you are missing out on the info in the extreme section.
Click to expand...

1. That's fine.

2. I call B.S on that! Stop trying to make an issue where there is not one. There is no activity drop due to the few topics in EG. And if the two sections become less-cluttered instead of one large mess all the better.

3. Correct. But no one is stopping you from purchasing one to be able to access the information for yourself.


Now I have addressed your concern that you posted twice in this announcement.
 
Scoville DeVille said:
This is a really good conversation! All opinions are valid.

IMO...

Ultimately it is a privately owned site and the owner may do anything he wants. That's how America works.
That said, it is a community in every sense of the word, we have all kinds of people,
from different races, with vastly different backgrounds, that's what's so awesome.
Another point is, knowledge is not free.
I am a Contractor by trade, and you wouldn't believe how many people approach me for free advice.
Don't get me wrong, I help out when I can but this is my trade.
My 25 years of experience is MY education, my living, my income.
If you want to save $5000, tile your own shower. Don't call me asking "How do I..."

I know that doesn't translate directly to THP, but it's kind of an over-exaggeration of a similar situation.
People here at THP are mostly hobbyists and are proud to share their knowledge,
and equally proud to help out individuals who ask for it. The joy of learning thru teaching and visa-versa.
Any knowlege people share is a gift, plain and simple.
Nobody 'owes' anyone else their knowledge.

I would love to tell you that in the X section, we are having parties, talking about exclusive miracle Jiffy Pellets,
secret X-member only seeds, etc. but that's not what the X section is.
There is no exclusivity when it comes to the general purpose of this site.
A few cool features like photo hosting, (which is memory on a hard drive and quite frankly SHOULD be paid for),
Customization features, and other such paid member features.
No one in the X section has invented the latest greatest seed or growing method.

Again, all IMO,

keep up the conversation, and have fun!
Click to expand...

Amen, Scoville. And as an IT guy by trade, I think I'm one of the few people here who can completely understand how it feels to be constantly asked for free advice. In fact I've had relatives hand out my phone number to their friends, only for these people to call me at all hours. It's quite irritating really, and I do value my free time. In fact, I was called on my way to Disney World by someone, who pretty much inisisted I cancel my trip simply to teach her how to use Excel. There's classes for that, and I'm not cancelling a weekend at Disney, including a hotel I had already paid for and had made dinner reservations...

But yes, people are still free to go to the free sections to their hearts' content. Not only is there a wealth of knowledge on there pertaining to no shortage of subjects, but I've yet to see a single topic being moved to a paid area, and unless I miss my mark, I doubt THP will be doing that any time soon.

The Hot Pepper said:
1. That's fine.

2. I call B.S on that! Stop trying to make an issue where there is not one. There is no activity drop due to the few topics in EG. And if the two sections become less-cluttered instead of one large mess all the better.

3. Correct. But no one is stopping you from purchasing one to be able to access the information for yourself.


Now I have addressed your concern that you posted twice in this announcement.
Click to expand...

It could just be that, like Scoville said, most are hobbyists and are simply at their day jobs (like myself), and can't always break away from work to post on here. I can because of the lull in work, but I guarantee you, come October when our new Fiscal year begins, I'll be lucky to log on here once a week during the day.
 
As far as I can tell, experienced growers share their knowledge and experience for the pure joy of passing it along! I highly doubt they would exercise any degree of exclusivity - that would undermine what they are doing in the first place!

I cherish this forum, and any opportunity I find to support it - I will! :)
 
This site is free.
This site offers options.
You can purchase these options or enjoy the site as a free member with the same features you had the last 8 years.

Every member is welcome. Please enjoy the site.

This sale ended Sunday and the coupon is no longer valid. Topic locked.

Any issues with features please let me know directly or feel free to post a new topic.
 
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