RCadmin,
Here are my suggestions.
-Keep the gallery free...it was free before??????????
-Make a separate swap forum free like before. (auctioners can pay their own) It is not a bad idea to charge the members wishing to use the auction service.
-Get rid of the member status fees...those are truly a joke with all the spam on this site soliciting it IMHO. Make your money off the users / dealers who wish to use your auction service, donations, and the venders who post their ads.
Just my .02 cents...as I have received over a dozen emails from other users who will remain nameless that feel RCU has turned for the worse.
Now the redesigned site looks great...don't know how much it cost you to program it...I am sure it is why you are soliciting for all the money. But if it cost so much to produce and you excessivly charge your members for use and they stop comming here...I ask: What have you accomplished?
You are essentialy taxing like Uncle Sam. I believe the members here would like a tax break.
OK, you say why can Ebay and Newspapers charge and why can't you? I think you can figure that out for yourself.
I simply don't understand this logic. RCU was never designated as an official charitable company by the IRS. If I applied for charitable status I don't see how we could get them to approve it.
If we cannot get a charitable status from the IRS then we must run this as a busines just like ebay does.
In this quote you say that if you were at a charitable status you could save money...but reading this correctly...you have never even sent a application in.
since RCU started I received under 100 donations totalling less than $3,000 altogether. This is equal to 45 days of hosting fees.
What about the dealer advertising?
If RC businesses have no right to charge shouldn't hobby stores give their stuff away for free or at least for cost? They wouldn't be around long since the rent and utilities would overtake them or they would starve feeding their family.
Are you really giving anything away...you are already making money because of us members. Venders / dealers have always been all over this site. Without us their would be no RCU.
You might ask yourself why do I make such a fuss about this sites new organization. It is because I actually care about it and would hate for it to turn into a blight in cyberspace. I personnaly believe if this site continues on this track it will slowly fade away.
The new RCU is now making its first impressions to thousands of users...your decision will ultimately decide its fate. I just hope it is in the hobbies best interest.
Respectfuly,
Chris Patterson, AA8VL
[email protected]
www.aa8vl.com