Names in ORANGE on portal page

[rickandsandi]

Peter-

As I mentioned earlier, we are all equal. If a forum member so decides to contribute $$$ along with advise, friendship and all the other things that make this forum so great so be it. No big deal in my book. I never have judged anyone in this forum other than by what they post. 99% of the forum members are wonderful, great people. You will notice I said forum members. You are a member of this great forum wether you contribute $$$ or not.

[05ModPod]

Originally Posted by GT6921

.......I think it is great that people contribute $'s to this forum .......

Yes contributing has been around for a while and the option has been there for over a year now.

But you received behind the scene"tangible" benefits for your efforts like more space for attachements.

In fact I was thinking of joining because my Red level is expanding and my Green is diminishing in my total attachments. But a drive of sorts to subliminaly push me to "donating".

It is like Bell Expressview - with the 50% off equipment - you know yours is out dated and in need of an upgrade and you think wow we've been members for a long time now we should upgrade our stuff. You are all set to lay down the cash to find out that the 50% off is for the people who do not have an account yet. So fine - you look a little further to see if there is something for the dedicated member who already a member - and nope. why there is even a huge service fee to change over to their new all in one "rental" program.

I love the colour/change too - and it would have been great for everyone!

As many are saying here - we don't need the rewards! like the rivets even - I just noticed that I am now over a 1000 - whoooopiiii where are the bells and wistles.

We - Peter and I just like to chat -(sometimes silly stuff) and other times the very best of our experiences - and sure do like to contribute our photos. By the way - I would be somewhat rich if I charged royalties on my photos - by the sure magnitude of the number of times they have been downloaded.....

Paying members (Come on you know who you are don't be shy )- you might want to ask for a financial statement as full fledge members - for the rest of us we are just MAL's or in my case a Large Member

It is getting some chatter though and that again is a good thing. This communities success is based on its members strength and cooperation. It is this collective strength that can be sold to potential advertisers as a "tangiable" benefit. Not sure how many really active forums there are - as we only have belonged to ONE! this one.

The air stickers and donation button came out almost at the same time - that was a fine level of "contribution" - then a higher level of contribution came along and you got hidden benefits - now it has reached the visual level which is a "Peer Pressure" tactic - and soon privilages (as some call them) will not be added - they will be taken away until this place becomes no longer a FREE community.

[enduroryda]

Originally Posted by TwinkytheKid

Gee, if the forums management didn't give the people that paid cash to them something for their money, what reason would there be to give any money?
"Hi! Please donate to the forums! For your donation, you will get...nothing."

Not true....Every day I get my daily dose of Aluminum here, not to mention the amount of $$$ I have saved from the tips I have gotten. Do you know how much it would have cost to pay someone to winterize my unit...I have been told about $300 at a shop...Here it cost 0.00 for the valuable info provided to us by the forums. I got my AIR sticker to boot for the $20 "Thank you" I contributed.

I personally could do without the "bling". I think a more appropriate place might be in our user profile to make this notation. Rather be "Stealth" here. Sorry to be a scrooge.

ps. did not see a option for the adjustment under the user CP that Janet mentioned.

[05ModPod]

See! now the post above has taken two perfectly good members who both contribute and have received great knowledge from these forums - and I am detecting a hint of sarcasm and a hint of defesiveness - these two traits do not belong here and all over a gold rivet and a change in the name to red....how silly is this Moderators???

[clancy_boy]

It was a joke of a thread when I started this - I really thought it was some sort of fowl-up on the server when I saw the color changes.

I guess I will switch to the serious side and say something. I liked the original color selection of blue and blue-in-bold but hey, if I was running the forums it may never have gotten out of the idea phase. Andy R. keeps a tight ship and makes the choices on the direction it will go, if he likes it - that's all that metters. Thank You Andy.

[uwe]

Originally Posted by 47WeeWind

I have a dream that the Forum's many members will one day live in a cyberworld where they will not be judged by the color of their rivet, but by the content of their posts.

Well said!

[85MH325]

Originally Posted by 47WeeWind

I have a dream that the Forum's many members will one day live in a cyberworld where they will not be judged by the color of their rivet, but by the content of their posts.

Fred, I would like to think that we all contribute to what the Forums have become, THE single comprehensive spot in the world for Airstream knowledge. You personally, as the VAC historian are a VERY valuable resource, and so too, of course, is every other contributing member in his or her own way! Unfortunately, there is a price to be paid for use of that repository, and in this case that price is the cost of servers and bandwidth. Andy has born that pretty much himself, offset by the small amount of advertising we see and through contributions.

As you know, I am no longer an Airstream owner and I have given up my volunteer Moderator status, so I currently have nothing to gain but friends and community from the site. I would like to say though, that were it not for Andy's investment, none of us would be here sharing. Maybe something on a Yahoo listserve, but certainly nothing like what Airstreamforums.com has become. So, I believe it benefits us all when we support this venture financially. There should be no stigma attached to those who don't.

Donation is voluntary, but I would hope that folks who find community here, use the site as a resource, take knowledge away with them, and have the resources to help would be willing to help pay the freight for those who can't afford it. I don't see it as class distinctions, I see it as a recognition for those who are willing to make the website happen. As you can see, there are a LOT of contributors who continue to support Airstreamforums.com. Thanks to all of you! For everyone who hasn't yet contributed, I would hope that as your fortunes allow you become supporters as well. This is a great site!

Roger

[bake315]

What price the cost of doing business, what value the company of friends?

[overlander63]

These rivets and colored user names were supposed to be a "thank you" from the forums for donating. They were part of the advertised "package" for contributing, along with "AIR" stickers, and a larger PM storage area. This has been done after considerable effort and discussion behind the scenes, and if you don't want to let others know you have donated cash to the forums, simply go to your user control panel, and turn the feature off.
*Moderator hat OFF*
Andy and Ben have worked hard to give you these things, and some of you seem to be acting like not only do you not like it, or want it, but they should be the subjects of a public stoning for their efforts. How many times are you going to gripe about something they try to do for you, before they finally stop trying?

The opinion above is mine alone, and not the opinion of Airstremforums.com, its management, or staff.

[wheel interested]

I like my shiny rivet and my name in red. Thank you. I will disable the contributing member byline since it has caused such a terrible negative undercurrent from non-paying members and is now PI. (There is a software glitch though and I have not been able to get the do not show to function.)

Just wish the nay sayers would not have been all so eager to tarnish it before the day was through.

[moosetags]

Originally Posted by overlander63

These rivets and colored user names were supposed to be a "thank you" from the forums for donating. They were part of the advertised "package" for contributing, along with "AIR" stickers, and a larger PM storage area. This has been done after considerable effort and discussion behind the scenes, and if you don't want to let others know you have donated cash to the forums, simply go to your user control panel, and turn the feature off.
*Moderator hat OFF*
Andy and Ben have worked hard to give you these things, and some of you seem to be acting like not only do you not like it, or want it, but they should be the subjects of a public stoning for their efforts. How many times are you going to gripe about something they try to do for you, before they finally stop trying?

The opinion above is mine alone, and not the opinion of Airstremforums.com, its management, or staff.

I'm with Terry. The guys who make this thing work for all of us thought that this recognotion was a good idea, and I wholeheartedly agree. When I contributed some money to the cause earlier this year, I did not expect any kind of recognition for doing so. I contributed because I realize that there are certain administrative expense that go along with operating an internet forum such as this. Consider the cost of printing and mailing the AIR Stickers for instance. I think that these Forums are a great asset to me and to anyone interested in Airstreams. I is worth my contribution and much more to have this asset available to me.

[str8strm]

Everybody still friends???? I hope, I hope, I hope.......

[enduroryda]

Originally Posted by GT6921

See! now the post above has taken two perfectly good members who both contribute and have received great knowledge from these forums - and I am detecting a hint of sarcasm and a hint of defesiveness - these two traits do not belong here and all over a gold rivet and a change in the name to red....how silly is this Moderators???

I'm not sure what your saying here...I hope you don't think I was being sarcastic. I just thought there was a little to much GOLD by my name...personally I was just hoping my rivets would be shinier when I signed up

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by enduroryda

personally I was just hoping my rivets would be shinier when I signed up

The shiny rivets didn't work too well, they just looked a little less grey, so we started experimenting. The gold ones seem to be the best so far, as far as apearance and visibility.

[BIGED52]

I have been using this forum as a knowledge source since I joined it. There was no need to contribute to access this information source and share the wealth of knowledge of all here! Those who try to help the uninformed... as I was, never asked me to make a contribution or pay any fee to be a part of this forum. They never expected any payback for the enormouos amount of assistance that they have provided to me. I chose to make a (Small) donation to keep this forum running and hopefully to make it last. It is a great place to chat with others and to make friends! I will never regret the small $ Amount that I sent in to help fund this site! Keep up the good work and don't let the detractors change a thing here. Thanks Again, Ed

[TinShack]

Originally Posted by enduroryda

I'm not sure what your saying here...I hope you don't think I was being sarcastic. I just thought there was a little to much GOLD by my name...personally I was just hoping my rivets would be shinier when I signed up

Members earn status by the quantity(not quality) of their posts. This is evidenced by the rivet count under your forum name. If a member contributes financially to help keep the forum operating, they should be able to earn status as well.

However, I agree with enduroyda...I think there is too much bling bling with the status as conceived. When I contributed, it was agreed to give us shinier rivets, not have our forum name "in lights". If the shinier rivets didn't work too well, why not just make the contributors silver rivets gold and do away with the extra gold rivet, name in red, and "contributing member" notice? I don't want to be placed on a pedestal, but if it will help to keep the forum operating, I feel it's important to be publicly acknowledged to encourage others to contribute.

[2airishuman]

i’ve got a few thoughts on these enhancements and others…

followed by a suggestion or 2 going forward….

on how they might be delivered...

which may or may not be useful to anyone.

what is happening here isn’t new or different that what happens whenever a ‘few’ decide things for the ‘many’…

many members here feel ‘invested’ in the forums…
content, community, mission, identity and so on…

yes someone owns this site and content…

and with the help of a few ‘selected’ can do whatever they would like…

and for the most part what this group does is GREAT!

how it is delivered is another matter…

whenever a change, improvement, new feature and so on are contemplated…

a post that announces it or seeks imput or otherwise LEADS before the change, would benefit the masses and the few….

it is a misconception that asking for input or announcing improvements slows the process of change…

what it can do, is make change easier to swallow…

for example when janet ‘announced’ the private forums, it was a good thing…

as members we were allowed to express views; which has many great consequences….

except for the non public red karma a few mods slung my way….it was a positive exchange, venting and at least made most aware it was happening.

I don’t think janet took any of our posts as being directed toward her…I hope.

and then the thread passes into oblivion...after we've expressed ourselves.

this thread too shall pass.

personally I have no use for the gold rivets or burgundy colors…

although it does reflect my classic limited décor! can we get some hickory accents too?

I also don’t need the page archiving links, but would prefer they be MOVED TO THE FAR RIGHT…near the quotes tab or upper right new the post # box..

and out of the ‘signature space’ they are too close to member links and sigs for my taste...

occasionally the owner or mods COULD ask for input on new features wanted, current features, old features and so on…

doesn’t matter if any member input gets used and doesn’t have to delay a projected change…

but it would make them easier to swallow.

as an aside I don’t see a way to ‘turn off’ the new stuff…yet.

and I expect since our user cp page now shows the dates our contributions expire…

the distiction will go away without another bit to the kitty… i guess that's one way the member/investors can express themselves.

the few are often bothered or confused, when the many don’t seem grateful,

but what the ‘many’ want more than any new colors or rivets or gloss IS the appearance we’ve been included in the process of change…

cheers
2air’

[2airishuman]

now for a couple of ideas....

1. terry
you wrote that the shinny rivet feature didn't pan out so well...

-how about a 'sparkle feature'...sort of like an antimated gif, have the rivets twinkle a bit?

ever seen the game bejeweled?

2. a feature i'd REALLY like to see is including acess on the user cp page to ALL the karma/feedback ever received...

-it's there for y'all to see but not us. so to enable us to see ALL the feedback we've ever received would NOT seem that difficult...

-that is a feature several have asked for on multiple occasions...

3. if is a fact that these virtual worlds cost REAL money. are any of the other 12 forums that are part of this network collecting fee?

-the royal forum and the fashion forum are HUGE compared to a/sforums...

-are any of the new features tried on them first? my guess is no.

cheers
2air'

[maxandgeorgia]

I for one contributed sheerly out of appreciation for this wonderful site and still feel the amount asked for was very small for the rewards of participation here. I return here again and again for information, entertainment, and sense of community. Thank you, Andy and team, for your efforts to make this forum incredibly functional, surprisingly deep in concept and content, and (wonderous of all to me!) easy for a non-computer-literate user to navigate. And on top of all that, you make it attractive and fun with unique features. Maybe the gold-rivet-studded "contributing. . ." is a little vocally over the top and could be deleted in consideration of some feelings expressed on this thread. (Remember, didn't we all have to get active and actually post a question to figure out what those funny dots were???). If someone asks what the color is for, as with the rivets, simply tell them in reply, as you do when someone asks "why the rivets" or "what is karma". Therein is expressed your appreciation for and advertising for support, but more subtly given. Just another suggestion from a member who stands amazed at the behind-scenes work of this community and its founder. ~G

[clancy_boy]

Something I would like to see over time (it may take time) is the increase (or otherwise) in contributions as the contributors are now highlighted and this takes on a certain air of - how to say this without any RED showing up in my profile - increased ownership in the forums.

Again, I have to say that having noticed the change yesterday, I thought it was a fluke. The seriousness that many - if not all - of you take this forums is proof enough of our combined dedication to it. Many of us have been members of other forums that have gone the way of the internet black hole and disappeared. I know from my personal experience I have gained - in a short period of time - A LIFE TIME of knowledge from many of you. For that I am grateful. I will contribute in time - that I have already not done so is a point I am ashamed of. That said - I really don't think I need the added golden fleece to my name and would probably like the option to have no recognition at all to my account.