Not So SECRET!!!!!!!!!

Wow, this is like going back to 2001 when I started the club in the first place.

A "scam" means you're cheated out of money and don't get what you pay for. Whether it's CoasterBuzz Club site features or Q-bots, you're getting what you pay for. If you don't want the product, you don't pay for it.

And it's funny too how people were predicting the demise of CB back in 2001, and here we are, six years later. And visitors to the site has since tripled.

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Jeff said:

If you don't want the product, you don't pay for it.

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I think that's what some people are missing. Personally I don't find the value in spending $20 for membership. I have no plans on ever going to an event. I don't mind the ads. And I certainly don't feel the need to pay to access certain forums.

I choose to spend my $20 elsewhere. I will still continue to visit the site and read the free forums. This is certainly not the end of coasterbuzz.

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Jeff said:And it's funny too how people were predicting the demise of CB back in 2001, and here we are, six years later. And visitors to the site has since tripled.

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Are those unique visitors or does it just reflect Rob Ascough? :)

That was WRONG. But damn funny...

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LostKause said:
But a possible pay-to-view-secret-threads "perk" just seems like a scam to me, like Q-Bot for example, and something I think would be way below such a well respected website.

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You mean like nytimes.com? You have to pay to view their archived articles.

The private forum is not a pay-per-view scam, Jeff isn't taking your thread that you posted for free, and then charging people to view it. Its just a place where paying club members can go and have their own conversations.

What goes through the mind of a club member in deciding to post something in the member's only forum or in the free forum?

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millrace said:
What goes through the mind of a club member in deciding to post something in the member's only forum or in the free forum?

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For me? That's easy.

Do I want this to get a standard sarcastic comment from millrace or not? :)

That pretty much sums up the way a lot of members feel. One guy made his first post ever, in fact, yesterday.

Hell, I've posted more in the member's only forum more in the past week than I've posted in the regular forums all year.

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millrace said:
What goes through the mind of a club member in deciding to post something in the member's only forum or in the free forum?

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This strikes me as an interesting question.

There is a tension in the size of an online community. As it gets larger, it begins to benefit from the network effect---the idea that more participants inherently bring more information value to each participant individually. On the other hand, trust rightly or wrongly tends to degrade as communities get larger. For example, your chances of being the victim of certain kinds of crimes is no lower in rural areas than in cities, yet cities "feel less safe", because you don't know all of your neighbors.

At least for me, some threads are "network effect" threads, and others are "small community" threads.

I'm sorry if those of you that don't pay 20 bucks a month are offended by there being a separate forum for club members. The thing is, we paid money to help support the site; many of us since 2001 when the club option became available. If the webmaster wishes to grant us a little something extra for our support, that is his business.

I can tell you that it has been a very positive experience. A lot of club members I have not heard from in years have posted content in the club member forum. Why did they wait until now? To be honest, it has to do with the general asshattery that goes on in the general forum nowadays. Everyone has a snippy comment and many of the regulars who have been here for a long time are frankly fed up with it. Jeff saw that happening and he did something about it.

Now, if your non-paying butt wants to leave because you feel we are holding secret conversations about you, then, well, go. You probably aren't clicking on any of the ads anyways. You are probably the one causing all of the problems. This site will continue on just fine without you. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

It's not as if the members-only forum chokes the bandwidth of the free area. Still plenty for non-members to see and do, right?

-CO

Thank you, Brian, for a thoughtful answer without resorting to sarcasm or asshattery.

Mr. Pot, this is Mr. Kettle. He's black.

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millrace said:
Thank you, Brian, for a thoughtful answer without resorting to sarcasm or asshattery.

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What a hypocrite...

Is there a gold membership where one can be an 'asshat' in both public and private forums? How about a platinum membership that includes moderator powers? Line-jumping during ERT at events? ;)

'Line, what line?' ;)

But you see, there's no (arse) smoking in the private forums. Apparently, the designated (arse) smoking area is out here. Where so much of it seems to go on, no one would notice...

I'm just sayin'.

-'Playa

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Kick The Sky said:
general asshattery

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This has my vote for an alternate name for the General Buzz forum.

That might even be more funny than dicketry. Well done.

Or, if you're like me you can practice dickery and asshattery simulataneously ;)