NightmareAtTheBraineHotel

21 minutes ago, Kittiara said:

I've been a Club Member for a good while now. It is excellent value for money. It being a lifetime membership is a very good deal for members... it may, however, make raising funds a bit difficult over the longer term? Sooner or later everyone who's interested in becoming a member will have the membership and that ends that source of income.

I wonder, then, if creating an annual membership would be an option? I know that it would create yet another membership tier, and you're probably not keen on that, but I would be happy to pay 10 - 20 dollars per year to support the site and others might be as well. I know that I am not the most active poster. I tend to be more of a lurker. This site has offered me so much, though, over the years. The members here are extremely knowledgeable. And the times I watched shows with other members have been excellent fun. I am definitely fond of this site and would gladly support it on a more regular basis.

As it wouldn't be mandatory nobody would be excluded from the site. There'd be the free membership, the Club Member option and whatever this would be. Something to suit every pocket.

Yes, yes, yes. It's as if you read my mind!

Downzy - thanks again for your response, but I do agree w/ Kittiara that a monthly membership option (which maybe could be paid annually if members so desired) would be a great resolution to some of these issues that are being discussed. I would think that for $5 per month, this forum could run in an optimal state and then some. Hell, you can barely buy a Starbucks coffee anymore for $5, so I wouldn't think that there would be too much pushback from anyone claiming that such a fee would cause a hardship. And maybe for $75 to $100 annually, members could opt for a VIP member status, or something similar. Maybe create a VIP lounge subsection that is restricted to the VIP members only? First in line for pre-sales, toss in a t-shirt annually, etc. Maybe give the VIP class an opportunity to contribute to a forum blog, or something?

Anyway, there are numerous possibilities that could work that wouldn't involve you ever having to pay several hundred dollars per month out of pocket again, even if it is for one month out of the year! Honestly that seems totally unnecessary that any one person would have to take on that financial burden with a community of this size. $15 for a lifetime pass is very generous of you, but as Kittiara pointed out, it doesn't seem sustainable long-term. And if there are those that don't like the idea, as you said, there are other options for them that exist!

At least give it some thought!

Kittiara, great idea!!

Take care and stay safe, everyone!!

3 hours ago, downzy said:

Yes.  Eric had all but closed the forum down because he wasn't managing costs with respect to revenues.  At some point TB provided payments (with the idea that they were buying the forum; which turned out not to be the case). 

Subs bought the forum and HV ultimately ran it for him for four or five years.  If it wasn't for Subs' financial investment (along with others who did not get any credit for helping Subs pay hosting costs) and HV's expertise and time, the forum would have folded.  

I'm not sure if they were disgusted.  But Subs wasn't willing to figure out how to manage the finances of the band and do the hard work to keep the forum's ad revenue in compliance with Google's policies.  HV lost interest in running the forum due to the demand on his time (the man was a machine, and deserves the most credit for keeping this place afloat than anyone) and moved on before I joined the mod team and eventually became owner when Subs couldn't figure out how to make the finances work.

Maybe.  I've thought about that.  But I'm not sure such a person exists.  Keep in mind this person would be willing to spend hundreds, potentially thousands of dollars, out of pocket to keep the forum running like it use to.  All for a band that you yourself have described that hasn't been all that fan friendly and seem more interested in their bank accounts.  I still have a lot of affinity for the forum and the community.  I know the place well enough to know how to manage the forum where its existence isn't threatened.  

That said, everything changes.  This forum won't be around forever is it currently stands.  Nor should it.  Eventually Axl/GNR will retire, there will be a moment of reflection on this forum and elsewhere, and then people will move on.  There are plans to allow people to review this forum going forward, but there will come a point where this place will no longer be an active fan community.  And that's okay.  I'm hoping it's years from now but there is a shelf life to everything.

As I expressed in the post before, my lack of faith had much to do with the lack of new music or anything new at the Hershey show.  I think most people, like myself, saw what we got at Hershey and just assumed that it was another round of the same stuff from the last five years.  

Now that they're at least playing something new, it's changed my orientation for what is possible going forward. 

I don't think it's a lack of faith, but a reflection of where this band is right now.  One that I think most people who don't see the world through rose-tinted glasses can see.  If this was simply another greatest-hits tour with zero to no interest in doing anything different, why would anyone pay hundreds of dollars to keep this place open to everyone?  There is a way to keep it open to those who have provided some support for this place.  I think that is a fair solution for everyone involved.  To those who feel differently, well, there are hundreds of other places to discuss this band.  And I wouldn't want or expect anyone else to have to fork over hundreds of dollars a month just to give people a place to shit on a band that only deserves shit.   Life is too short.  

Thanks for your response, Downzy. It was good to get your point of view. Personally, I think it sounds reasonable enough. As you said, nobody is being "forced" into doing anything.  At most, they might be getting a slight nudge to do the right thing and help finance a forum that they supposedly enjoy viewing and being a part of. Assuming most fans have $75 per month for internet access, it's not a stretch to think that most could afford making a one time donation to support a forum and band that they love. And keep in mind, many are currently receiving stimulus money from the government. Even if some of these same people are currently out of work, or opting not to go to work because they're in fear of the virus, that $15 is definitely well spent, especially considering the amount of free time that they might currently have to work with.

I also think it's great to see that other already paying members are paying for members that might not be able to. I think this was a great idea on your part and it really highlights the strong community spirit. Just to throw it out there, if it's discovered that there aren't enough members that are willing to pay for another member's membership, maybe you could consider raising the membership prices of those who can afford to pay to $20 or $25 to help offset those unable to contribute. It would be similar to that of our current healthcare system in the US. And it's still a great deal and reasonable enough for those that can afford to pay more.

Anyway, thanks again for the reply. Even if I'm bored to death of this band, and disagree that a reworked 20 year old B-side is a reason for optimism, I might make a donation myself sometime soon just to show my community spirit. Take care all & stay safe!!

Hi Downzy,

Admittedly, I'm probably one of these fair weather fans that you speak of. I only come around once in every blue moon to see if hell might have frozen over and the band has actually decided to do something that doesn't consist of butchering 34 year old songs in a live setting. As I'm sure the vast majority have (and very understandably so), I've grown bored by this train-wreck long ago. How could anyone not, really? I thought Chinese Democracy stunk to high hell and the reunion that followed has been an over-priced bad joke (if not an absolute nightmare to those of us that have longed for one for decades)! I don't think anyone can be faulted for being BEYOND tired of seeing Axl get fatter and fatter each tour as it becomes more and more difficult for him to weeze his way through the setlists. As a result of the absolute shit-show that has been upon us for years now, I mainly frequent another band's forum that I have interest in.

With all this said, (and forgive me if I'm being overly presumptuous), but as I read your comments in this thread, it was like a bad case of deja-vu. A decade ago, I remember when Eric started becoming more vocal about his dissatisfaction with the band. Wasn't he about to close down shop when a mystery donor funded the site for a year? A year or so after, didn't Subs and HV takeover only to become disgusted with the band themselves a short time later? Now that you're here and talking similar, would passing along the torch to someone who might be less disgusted in the band ever be considered as an option (and assuming that such a person actually exists)? Again, not judging you for losing faith. Personally, I wouldn't go to see this lineup if I found a ticket lying on the ground that offered premium seating. But when the forum admin is publicly expressing his lack of faith and optimism, and opting to close down the forum to non-paying members on, what should be, some of the most exciting days to be a fan, I'd think that one would have to start questioning "what's the point"?

Anyway, I'd be curious to hear how you see the future playing out in terms of this forum and your level of continued involvement. Take care!