28-02-2004 03:10									#31
	Put an end to popups!

Ohh

Gladly pay to visit the site ( don't care about the [b]odd[/q] pop-up, as long as it is not intrusive)

No credit-card.

	28-02-2004 03:53									#32
	Increase Your PM Length

Yeah I'd pay.

Don't have a credit card though.

	28-02-2004 04:47									#33
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

Obviously I would like to see this come about. Pricing, I think, would be a consideration for many. Mark, Can you give us an idea of what your thoughts are in this area?

Also, the poll mentions "other goodies". Any hints on what they may be?

Thanks for all the effort you are putting into this to make the best site on the web even better!

	28-02-2004 05:42									#34
	Tired of ads?

Voted "yes if the price is right".

quote: Originally posted by MarkG given this initial trend, examples of the right price seem to be needed

Well, for instance, something like GameSpot subscription would make sense to me:

$5/month for a one-month sobscription
$20-30 for a one-year subscription

Given my limited budget, I'd prefer the one-month subscription, since my activity usually comes in bursts - I come here a lot in the fall and winter, but am almost inactive during late spring/summer/early fall.

	28-02-2004 05:48									#35
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

Yes, but I do not have a credit card.
One lump sum payment would be best for me, but I dunno...If markos suddenly recieves $10,000 in one day, theres no telling what he would do

	28-02-2004 05:51									#36
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

I pay $30 a year to see Salon ad free. I also monetarily subscribe to Consumer Reports (about $25-$30). I have no problem paying around that much.

But our OT posts should start counting if we subscribe!

	28-02-2004 06:01									#37
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by chegitz guevara But our OT posts should start counting if we subscribe!

	28-02-2004 06:08									#38
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

I'm interested to what the "other goodies" would be?

	28-02-2004 06:17									#39
	Remove this text

forgot to mention that I would pay if the price was right...

	28-02-2004 06:17									#40
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

quote: Originally posted by chegitz guevara But our OT posts should start counting if we subscribe!

	28-02-2004 06:20									#41
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by GePap maybe $5 a month? With perhaps 2000 active participants, what is that, 10k a month? though of course, what happens to lurkers? Of course, if real money comes in, Markos might be able to get a better server.

$5 a month? That's $60a year. More than most magazine subscripations I know of. But again I haven't subscribed anything for few years now.

I'm more inclined toward $10 or $20 a year. It's possible that far more people would be willing to pay $10 a year resulting in higher gross revenue.

I agree with Ming, it's better to charge on yearly basis.

As for those without credit cards, would it be possible to set up a PO Box account for checks and money orders?

EDIT: Corrected a mathematical error, it's so simple it's disgusting that I made that error. Thanks, Plato.

	28-02-2004 06:25									#42
	Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

quote: Originally posted by DataAeolus $5 a month? That's $50 a year.

Might want to rethink the math here

quote: I'm more inclined toward $10 or $20 a year.

I was thinking the $20-$25 per year range. I have no idea of the site's expenses so it is really hard to determine what the revenue threshold that this service would need to hit.

	28-02-2004 07:13									#43
	Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

He's math is wright though

Month per month = 5$
one year at a time = 50$

-

quote: As for those without credit cards, would it be possible to set up a PO Box account for checks and money orders?

Mark mentioned in the other thread that you can use pay-pa with a Credit-card.

	28-02-2004 08:01									#44
	Tired of ads?

It'll be interesting to estimate the "break-even" point, i.e. the point where a subscriber raises the same amount of cash as a non-subscriber.
Mark, Dan, maybe you can give that estimation based on ad revenue and site statistics?


I'd also like to put forward the suggestion of a "lifetime subscription".
With this option, one would pay the amount of (for example) five years subscription in one time, but one would then be a "lifetime member" of the site.


[Locutus: if you wired the money through the bank to me, I could arrange a subscription for you with my CC, but let's discuss that when things are set in stone.]

	28-02-2004 09:02									#45
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

I reckon that a monthly fee will be somewhat higher than an annual fee. So $30 - $40 a year and $4 - $5 a month looks about right.

	28-02-2004 09:19									#46
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

I don't know how much is involved in paying for a website and bandwidth and all that, but I'm going to suggest what I did in the other thread

x = all ad revenues for that timeframe / number of unique visitors for that timeframe
c = cost of service

c = x + 1

	28-02-2004 09:58									#47
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

quote: Originally posted by PLATO Also, the poll mentions "other goodies". Any hints on what they may be?

For the moment, the "other goodies" would most likely consist of (at least to start):

(1) Increased Private Messaging space (send/received messeages);
(2a) Increased avatar size; and
(2b) The ability to have a custom avatar regardless of post count if desired.

---------
Dan; Apolyton CS

	28-02-2004 10:13									#48
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

I'd be willing to pay.

Financial situation isn't the best that the moment, but will improve with the second job soon.

	28-02-2004 10:19									#49
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

quote: (2a) Increased avatar size; and

Dan, I'd agree with all of them--except for this one.

I am only a user, but no ads, 1, and 2b would be a nice plan.

	28-02-2004 10:23									#50
	Remove this text

quote: Originally posted by DataAeolus As for those without credit cards, would it be possible to set up a PO Box account for checks and money orders?

due to real life issues for both me and dan, that's not very easy during this period

	28-02-2004 10:25									#51
	Support Apolyton

quote: Originally posted by Zopperoni It'll be interesting to estimate the "break-even" point, i.e. the point where a subscriber raises the same amount of cash as a non-subscriber. Mark, Dan, maybe you can give that estimation based on ad revenue and site statistics?

i'm not sure how a fair number can be given about this. we've got users browsing one page of apolyton per month and users who browse 10000 pages

quote: I'd also like to put forward the suggestion of a "lifetime subscription". With this option, one would pay the amount of (for example) five years subscription in one time, but one would then be a "lifetime member" of the site.

sounds interesting

	28-02-2004 10:31									#52
	Put an end to popups!

quote: Originally posted by Urban Ranger I reckon that a monthly fee will be somewhat higher than an annual fee. So $30 - $40 a year and $4 - $5 a month looks about right.

given the paypal charges per transaction, a per month option is not very financially "beautifull"

but we'll see these things when we get to the part of deciding prices....

	28-02-2004 10:50									#53
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

quote: Originally posted by MarkG but we'll see these things when we get to the part of deciding prices....

Can you give us an idea of the parameters you'll be working within to determine this? Are there any start up costs?

	28-02-2004 11:06									#54
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

Yes, I'd pay a reasonable amount.

Considering Lefty's big offer, perhaps you can do something akin to what opera houses and such do when listing donors. There are categories, and you get a special custom title based on the category of your donation. The more you donate, the better the goodies you get, too. That would be incentive for people not just to give, but give more.

So, it could be like:

For up to $30/year, you get the title "Procurator" and the ability to have a custom avatar regardless of post count

For up to $60/year, you get the title "Consul," the ability to have a custom avatar regardless of post count AND larger avatar size

For up to $150/year, you get the title "Caesar," the ability to have a custom avatar regardless of post count AND larger avatar size, AND a larger pm box

For over $150/year, you get the title "Augustus," the ability to have a custom avatar regardless of post count AND larger avatar size, AND a larger pm box, AND the chance to ban Ming one day per year on a whim.

Or something like that.

	28-02-2004 11:12									#55
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

quote: Originally posted by Boris Godunov AND the chance to ban Ming one day per year on a whim.

This brings another revenue producing device to mind...

The Apolyton Auction.

Maybe a once per year event where such things as custom titles...banning Ming for a day...Mod for a day, etc... could be sold for a price. Hmmm....

	28-02-2004 11:13									#56
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

for blocking ads and effectively stealing money, you get the title "Total D!ck" and your avatar and signature are replaced with richard simmons fan club.

just kidding

	28-02-2004 11:18									#57
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

Custom avatar that isn't based on post count is hardly a great thing for most of us - those who are most likely to pay are those who use the site most often - who are most likely to have over 500 posts.

Still, I would pay just to be rid of ads. A larger avatar etc would be icing on the cake.

	28-02-2004 11:29									#58
	Tired of ads?

I would pay for Apolyton if it were on the same pricing scale as the Something Awful forums:

(these are all 1-time fees)
$10 for a new account
$10 for a platinum upgrade (allows for extra features like searching & private messages)
$10 to remove all ads
$10 for an archive account (lets you read through every archived thread)

$5 to change your avatar/custom title (don't think this would be necessary on apolyton)
$10 to change someone else's avatar/custom title (again, don't think this would be necessary)

$20 to add a smiley to the forums

Instituting any of these measures would be good (well, not charging for new accounts in this case). There's no way I'd pay for a subscription or anything more than a one-time fee, though.

	28-02-2004 11:41									#59
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

i'm not fond of the idea of charging for stuff that for years apolytoners have been using for free

	28-02-2004 12:09									#60
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

Markos, the glorious communist