Thinkpads Forum

Why am I seeing it here? Has Bill struck a deal with them? [j/k]

ryengineer wrote:Why am I seeing it here? Has Bill struck a deal with them? [j/k]

Bill, our host here in the Forum, being a savant and all around computer God has been beseeched by ESET to participate in their testing.

James

What exactly does it mean?

Dimitri_P wrote:What exactly does it mean?

Antivirus software Dimitri.

James

well i am new here but i use nod32......i had got a virus from someone that sent me a file and didnt realize he had the [censored] virus.....i was using AVGfree and that didnt catch it,but nod32 did....been sold since then

Does this mean we might get a discount, if we order Eset Nod as a forum-member?

JHEM wrote:

Dimitri_P wrote:What exactly does it mean?

Antivirus software Dimitri.

James

Duh, I use it; but what's up with two banners, that don't link anywhere or any other words next to it.

They're working on it as we speak.

I was curious too, but figured I'd let some other...person actually ask. The beginning of the end commences..

dsigma6 wrote:The beginning of the end commences..

I hope you don't really mean that Dan.

A few discreet, non-animated, non-popup/under/over ads on the Forum can't truly be objectionable to anyone. Especially if they can generate a bit of revenue in order to keep the Forum up and running.

James

I don't think we are going to be seeing any flashing, pop up/under type ads here. A few small ads across the top aren't going to be the end of the forum.

Ah, do I ever say what I mean?

No one wants ads up, but it's a natural progression for a privately funded site like this.

JHEM wrote:A few discreet, non-animated, non-popup/under/over ads on the Forum can't truly be objectionable to anyone. Especially if they can generate a bit of revenue in order to keep the Forum up and running.

James

Can't agree more with you guys.

dsigma6 wrote:No one wants ads up, but it's a natural progression for a privately funded site like this.

Yeah, it sure beats having to be a paid member, since so many people come through here on a one time (read as "problem") basis. There would end up being less information being spread here if it became a membership status only site.

The links are up and working now.

Even though the forum has got a different look perhaps free forum one (cough..... ) but everything is acceptable as long as you keep this beauty running.

realblackstuff wrote:Does this mean we might get a discount, if we order Eset Nod as a forum-member?

the ad is a freebie i gave to ESET..
i was a beta tester and i have about a dozen licenses (and i need about that many!)..
so i thought to repay them for their good AV utility with the free ad..

i WILL ask my contact there if thinkpad owners or forum members can get a discount..
it IS not an overly expensive AV though..

dsigma6 wrote:I was curious too, but figured I'd let some other...person actually ask. The beginning of the end commences..

i have been agonizing over this for over a year..
maybe longer..

i won't go into details..

its not the beginning of the end..

popups would be..
AOL type ads would be the blistering end..

i F#%$ING HATE ads all over the place..
dancing ads, ads that spill over what you're trying to read..
AOL type ads EVERYWHERE..

not here, not now..
4 ads across the top..
and only one is paid..
(when and IF they actually write a check!)

the donate button, while it was picking up a few $5 and $10 hits a month and one or two $50! in the past quarter, was not working..
(imagine someone so pleased with the help found here that he donated $50! wow, i was overwhelmed!!)

the other choice and one i REALLY like would be a $5 signup fee..
through paypal..
which would keep spambots and malicious users out..
save me about 3 or 4 hours a DAY!

want to see a tine part: just hit the memberlist button and the descending sort..
you will see a few of the recent spammers who have been removed..
those that i catch right away i can delete without leaving a hole in the database.. so they just disappear.. those who arrive and have a real user arrive just after i can not delete without leaving a hole..

you want that..?
a $5 fee to join..?
i'll go with that, for sure..
want to vote on it..?
the mod team and admin team have and it was agreed to be a poor idea..

those ads you see look simple, but behind the scenes there has been lots of agonizing..

I am up for the $5 membership fee - but let's not make it compulsory ... if people are willing, let them pay. If we impose a $5 membership fee for joining, the forum will not flourish and prosper ... once people are part of this forum and realise how great it is, they will not mind the payment. But if we make it compulsory, then new people simply will not join.

It is good to have a $5.00 US Dollars admin fee. <--To recover the time spent on investigating real users and disrupters.

The downside of this admin fee is: will scare all new/real users who wanted to help.

------------------------------------------
Koh Boon Hui (NS)
T30, T41p, R52, R60, T60, X60

I'm not sure a nominal signup fee would keep all malicious users out. Some would be deterred, but there are certainly some who would readily pay.

Unless I'm missing something, the benefit to being a member is you get to post. Guests can view forums and do everything members can do, except post. If that would continue, I don't see instituting a fee as a major problem. Further, if your "one time" issue isn't resolved by searching and reading previous posts, $5 is a steal for unlimited tech support from such a knowledgeable group.

As I write this there are 19,372 "registered users". In general, there's no such thing as a free lunch. 19,000 + of us have enjoyed a free lunch, courtesy of bill, the admins, mods and anyone who chose to donate for a long time, both here and in the old forum.

I think it's time we start paying for our lunch. And we should be buying lunch for bill and the other's who've been paying for ours.

And I'm willing to pay to remain a member.

You can't miss the ads up top, but I think they actually look nice. There if you want to click, but not hard to look past.

Bill- I was never serious about the "beginning of the end," I was just poking fun. I'm ok with the $5 membership fee, but can I be grandfathered into that for past donations?

I really don't know much about how much it costs to run a forum like this, but I don't like the idea of a membership fee. There are many open forums on the internet I can go to get help. That is just my opinion of membership fees, if I have to pay, then I don't want in.
Then again, the membership fee would deter all of those people who just sign up and not do anything (anyone go look and see how many members are registered, but do not have a single post?) There are about 19,000 registered users for this forum, and only a few hundred, possibly a thousand or two (don't have all the time to look at the forum list to see who has contributed) of us actually post here.

Stargate, I think you're jumping the gun a little bit, there has been no serious discussions of membership fees. You're a great contributer and I'd pay your $5 membership fee for you to hang around

Stargate199 wrote:Then again, the membership fee would deter all of those people who just sign up and not do anything (anyone go look and see how many members are registered, but do not have a single post?) There are about 19,000 registered users for this forum, and only a few hundred, possibly a thousand or two (don't have all the time to look at the forum list to see who has contributed) of us actually post here.

ACTUALLY, you'd be suprised....I just checked and as of this moment, 12,695 different members have posted to this forum atleast once.

tfflivemb2 wrote:

Stargate199 wrote:Then again, the membership fee would deter all of those people who just sign up and not do anything (anyone go look and see how many members are registered, but do not have a single post?) There are about 19,000 registered users for this forum, and only a few hundred, possibly a thousand or two (don't have all the time to look at the forum list to see who has contributed) of us actually post here.

ACTUALLY, you'd be suprised....I just checked and as of this moment, 12,695 different members have posted to this forum atleast once.

Like I said, I don't have that time to go look and see how many members have actually posted. Over 12,000! Guess I underestimated a little bit.

@Kyocera
I was simply explaining my views on membership fees. I know membership fees would be a last resort. Bill said he didn't want to put ads up, but he had very little choices. This forum is great and I may be inclined to make a donation, when I actually have some money.

Stargate199 wrote:Like I said, I don't have that time to go look and see how many members have actually posted. Over 12,000! Guess I underestimated a little bit.

No disrespect meant, I was just curious, because I knew it was a little more than you had guess, but I had no idea that it was over 10,000 people....it kind of blew me away.

Stargate199 wrote:I really don't know much about how much it costs to run a forum like this, but I don't like the idea of a membership fee. There are many open forums on the internet I can go to get help. That is just my opinion of membership fees, if I have to pay, then I don't want in.

Bye.

I do like this forum and if I do have to pay a small fee to still be here, I wouldn't mind too much. I hope nothing like that has to come to this forum. This is the best place to come and find or give help on Thinkpads and other computer related issues. Good job with the incorporating the ads into the website. Very glad they are not the annoying flash based ones.

That's better. While opinions are welcome here, carping at Bill for doing what he has to to keep the forum running is not.

I think this thread has run its course.

just got time to look at this since my last post..

any "fee" would only be for NEW users..
which would SURELY keep malicious users out..
why..?
because they would lose their user status on my discovering that they are/were malicious users..

and as for spambots..
their whole thing is free eyeballs..

no old user would be assessed any fee..

but this is all academic..
the ads should do it.. ok, the one paid ad, will help greatly..
and silence the wife..