...WickedFire is going to become a paid forum very soon. I mean it this time. Honest goddamnit!
I've decided to go this route due to yet another crackdown by large social networking sites. FaceBook this time. Myspace last time. Government many times. Shady networks trying to spam our members behind our backs. Lame newbies trying to get something for nothing.
I'm tired of it. I miss the old quality of WickedFire. I miss the bash-a-thons. I miss just shooting the shit and having fun.
We're going to go the route very similarly to that of SA. The change will be made final by October 1st (of 2007.. not 2010 you smartasses!). This was also a very spur of the moment decision I just decided on too.
We're going to keep sections open for free/basic. Industry News, etc.. whatever.
The paid area will be cheap too. Most likely a low monthly fee. $25 or less. Or maybe a one time annual recurring fee. I want to get rid of our dependency on the large banner ads on top, and allow users to buy ad space here and use it for fun or to market their services for cheeeap. I want to be able to segregate the newbies who are retards from the newbies who may actually become valuable.
I'm still going to keep a very high premium paid area (the current $55/mo one -- wooo soooo high!) and expand on that. So in short, we'll have THREE levels.
1- Free/basic = lots of annoying ads for you people. Not that much great info. More news for the industry, networks, events, etc. More open fucking around with the new member type stuff. Not much quality. The place where we'll be launching most of our services for the industry. We'll also start promoting again via the search engines and let anyone who wants in to come in. Very likely that there will be no sig links allowed. Premium members will be allowed to do lots of fun stuff and bash all day long in certain sections if they feel like it, sort of like having a hall pass and a license to beat the shit out of the new kids whenever they like (although it will be allowed in only a few sections). I guess you can consider it our way of hazing people to see if they are worthy to make the cut and cross over to the premium side, possibly for free for a limited time. We're going to limit what these members have access to as well. Very limited if any Private messages. Very limited if any abilities to post in the Buy Sell Trade area. Etc.
2- Premium = Everything good about WF from the past, present and future. Sig links allowed. NO search engine access. No spying from outsiders. Just good, solid fun and information, the way it used to be, and the way it's supposed to damn well be. There will be ads, but it will be done in good taste, and we'll be covering topics that other forums won't touch. Including a much suped up mailer section, BH SEO, Gray hat, shady ideas and tactics, programming, design, etc. Much more into sharing and caring. All members in here get free passes to all conferences and parties during industry events we secure for our members. Sections for posting all sorts of "entertainment" themed goodies that we started to get all strict on before. Rewards program. Etc.
3- Super special area = Reserved for the super special areas that are too super cool for the Premium section. Meaning, what our uber awesome Premium Section is right now, will just get a one up level boost and stay the same. Not very much activity, but the shit that is posted, is fucking awesome compared to anything else we have. Some premium members will be able to create their own super cool and exclusive paid sections here, but only if they have a topic worth covering, and want to keep it VERY exclusive/limited.
There will also be a private area JUST for networks and affiliate managers. So now you people can have a sweet section of your own to wheel and deal your crack deals without prying eyes from the greedy affiliates!
This actually works out very well for our goals to overhaul WickedFire. Now we can finallllllly get new channels set up, and keep our creative ideas and content flowing.
I'm also going to issue a limited quantity of discount passes for the premium area (that would be a number 2 on your menu), so people who have been around here for a while, and proven themselves, can get in, for freeeee, for a month or two until they pull their own weight in the making cash dept. We're also totally open to bartering, I mean come on, this is owned by a Jew! Haggling is in my genes! If you're willing to produce quality content, or help promote or do something useful enough that you haven't done already, I'll gladly trade ya for free access to the Premium area.
That's all bitches. If you think we are being cruel, fuck you and leave! I'm tired of spending my time on the newbies, or answering questions, or worse, explaining the rules.
The big boy rule of them all is going to be... regardless of section 1 or 2, even if you paid, if you break a rule for that section, you're gone. No refunds, no 2nd chances, done for. I mean, hey, you can join up again, but your ass is going to have to pay again too. That alone should stomp out the idiots. (thank you L0wTax for inspiring me)
I've decided to go this route due to yet another crackdown by large social networking sites. FaceBook this time. Myspace last time. Government many times. Shady networks trying to spam our members behind our backs. Lame newbies trying to get something for nothing.
I'm tired of it. I miss the old quality of WickedFire. I miss the bash-a-thons. I miss just shooting the shit and having fun.
We're going to go the route very similarly to that of SA. The change will be made final by October 1st (of 2007.. not 2010 you smartasses!). This was also a very spur of the moment decision I just decided on too.
We're going to keep sections open for free/basic. Industry News, etc.. whatever.
The paid area will be cheap too. Most likely a low monthly fee. $25 or less. Or maybe a one time annual recurring fee. I want to get rid of our dependency on the large banner ads on top, and allow users to buy ad space here and use it for fun or to market their services for cheeeap. I want to be able to segregate the newbies who are retards from the newbies who may actually become valuable.
I'm still going to keep a very high premium paid area (the current $55/mo one -- wooo soooo high!) and expand on that. So in short, we'll have THREE levels.
1- Free/basic = lots of annoying ads for you people. Not that much great info. More news for the industry, networks, events, etc. More open fucking around with the new member type stuff. Not much quality. The place where we'll be launching most of our services for the industry. We'll also start promoting again via the search engines and let anyone who wants in to come in. Very likely that there will be no sig links allowed. Premium members will be allowed to do lots of fun stuff and bash all day long in certain sections if they feel like it, sort of like having a hall pass and a license to beat the shit out of the new kids whenever they like (although it will be allowed in only a few sections). I guess you can consider it our way of hazing people to see if they are worthy to make the cut and cross over to the premium side, possibly for free for a limited time. We're going to limit what these members have access to as well. Very limited if any Private messages. Very limited if any abilities to post in the Buy Sell Trade area. Etc.
2- Premium = Everything good about WF from the past, present and future. Sig links allowed. NO search engine access. No spying from outsiders. Just good, solid fun and information, the way it used to be, and the way it's supposed to damn well be. There will be ads, but it will be done in good taste, and we'll be covering topics that other forums won't touch. Including a much suped up mailer section, BH SEO, Gray hat, shady ideas and tactics, programming, design, etc. Much more into sharing and caring. All members in here get free passes to all conferences and parties during industry events we secure for our members. Sections for posting all sorts of "entertainment" themed goodies that we started to get all strict on before. Rewards program. Etc.
3- Super special area = Reserved for the super special areas that are too super cool for the Premium section. Meaning, what our uber awesome Premium Section is right now, will just get a one up level boost and stay the same. Not very much activity, but the shit that is posted, is fucking awesome compared to anything else we have. Some premium members will be able to create their own super cool and exclusive paid sections here, but only if they have a topic worth covering, and want to keep it VERY exclusive/limited.
There will also be a private area JUST for networks and affiliate managers. So now you people can have a sweet section of your own to wheel and deal your crack deals without prying eyes from the greedy affiliates!
This actually works out very well for our goals to overhaul WickedFire. Now we can finallllllly get new channels set up, and keep our creative ideas and content flowing.
I'm also going to issue a limited quantity of discount passes for the premium area (that would be a number 2 on your menu), so people who have been around here for a while, and proven themselves, can get in, for freeeee, for a month or two until they pull their own weight in the making cash dept. We're also totally open to bartering, I mean come on, this is owned by a Jew! Haggling is in my genes! If you're willing to produce quality content, or help promote or do something useful enough that you haven't done already, I'll gladly trade ya for free access to the Premium area.
That's all bitches. If you think we are being cruel, fuck you and leave! I'm tired of spending my time on the newbies, or answering questions, or worse, explaining the rules.
The big boy rule of them all is going to be... regardless of section 1 or 2, even if you paid, if you break a rule for that section, you're gone. No refunds, no 2nd chances, done for. I mean, hey, you can join up again, but your ass is going to have to pay again too. That alone should stomp out the idiots. (thank you L0wTax for inspiring me)
