Membership Upgrade???

[flguy]

TY and OZ, I have read your note on the home page that our free membership with upgrade features will expire on Dec. 15. I went to "JoinUs" as directed and the actual only benefit I see is to be able to enlarge pictures. But the real point of this post is that if you go and try to upgrade your membership there is no price quoted? I love this site and the people on it, I rarely post at Daddy's due to conflicts with Daddy and Deej. However, this site just hasn't really jumped up and gotten busy. But I guess there is no way for us to tell if thousands of guys are coming to the site but only a handful participate in the forums. I certainly hope this is the right decision and direction for you. Thanks for a great site but howmuch is it going to cost the users to enlarge pictures?

[TampaYankee]

TY and OZ, I have read your note on the home page that our free membership with upgrade features will expire on Dec. 15. I went to "JoinUs" as directed and the actual only benefit I see is to be able to enlarge pictures. But the real point of this post is that if you go and try to upgrade your membership there is no price quoted? I love this site and the people on it, I rarely post at Daddy's due to conflicts with Daddy and Deej. However, this site just hasn't really jumped up and gotten busy. But I guess there is no way for us to tell if thousands of guys are coming to the site but only a handful participate in the forums. I certainly hope this is the right decision and direction for you. Thanks for a great site but howmuch is it going to cost the users to enlarge pictures?

All of our preparation notwithstanding, we seem to have left out the biggest extra Gold benefit -- unlimited access to 64 AEBN movie categories of which 18 are purely Gay content.

"But the real point of this post is that if you go and try to upgrade your membership there is no price quoted? "

Good point about the prices. Prices are quoted through the Upgrade Button on your My Membership Page only for upgrades from your present level. If you are presently Silver then you will see the price for upgrade to Gold ($19.95/mo). Those with Free Membership will see upgrade prices for Gold and for Silver ($7.95/mo). This set-up is awkward and ought to be made more transparent. Thanks for pointing that out.

"However, this site just hasn't really jumped up and gotten busy. But I guess there is no way for us to tell if thousands of guys are coming to the site but only a handful participate in the forums. "

Initially, the intended use of subscription funds is to increase our advertising online and in print. IMO the best way to gauge our traffic is to view the hit counters on escort reviews and profiles. While some may try to influence the counters by multiple visits for specific reviews/profiles, sampling the hit counters across several profiles and reviews should give a fair indicator.

IMO forum posts and forum views are, at best, weak indicators of site traffic. I felt that in the days of HooBoy as well as now. I suspect the stats today at Daddy's also bears out that many more guys are interested in reviews over discussions of varied topics. That seems even more true today as forum participation seems to have fallen way off at daddy's successor to HooBoy's Forum compared to the halcyon days of HooBoy.

"I certainly hope this is the right decision and direction for you. ?"

We do not expect everyone, even most, to subscribe to premium services. That is why we continue to provide all basic information content on a Free basis. We strive to provide useful information about escorts and escorting to the community. At the same time we need to support site operating expenses and if some are interested in supporting our efforts by subscribing to perks that interest them then that is much appreciated.

There comes a time when everyone has to mature and make it on his own. That time has come for this site to do the same. If we provide a site with service that has support then we will make it. If there is insufficient interest then we are not filling a need with the present format. We shall test the proposition. I am optimsitic about the outcome.

Personally, I am not sure what the community wants at this point. Several people were quite enthusiastic about an alternative site when we were in development. For some, their enthusiasm waned soon enough as measured by participation and contributions. Others elsewhere have complained about the time to post a review or why it wasn't posted at all, often without any explanation. Still others complain about the poor content quality of reviews elsewhere. Others have complained about treatment elsewhere on the forums. Yet it seems that most do not vote with their feet. Maybe they visit anonymously -- peer pressure at work? ) It seems they bear their disenchantments quietly. Some drop out altogether which is too bad.

We have sought to provide an alternative that is a level playing ground for clients and escorts -- without favoritism. We have striven to publish only legtimate reviews and reviews that have factual content -- the good, the bad and the ugly -- not nonspecific testimonials. We publish reviews in a timely manner or explain to the reviewer why not. We treat our forum posters with respect. We have gained a solid , if small, base of support up to now. Yet many who seem disenchanted elsewhere seem not to have embraced our alternative. So I come full circle -- I am not sure what the community wants at this point.

"Thanks for a great site but howmuch is it going to cost the users to enlarge pictures?"

As mentioned above, the Silver Membership is $7.95/mo. One benefit I am pressing to add soon is X-rated escort photos. We do recieve such photos from some escorts. I have been reluctant to accept those for profiles because the site is potentially accessible by minors since our site is not behind an Adult Shield. I don't want members and visitors to have to subscribe to an Adult Shield in order to view and participate in the site. Adding the XXX-rated photos as an added perk for Silver Members provides the escorts the option to post XXX-rated photos and seems a fitting addition to the Silver Level. This is not an existing perk, only a statement of my desire to add it, so at this time no one should make a decision about subscribing based on this desire.

[lookin]

I appreciate flguy’s starting this thread, as I rarely visit the home page and would have missed it altogether. Here’s some input from a free member who’s been getting a free ride on the Silver membership train, and appreciates it, but is not planning to upgrade on December 15th.

It’s not that I begrudge you eight bucks a month. On the contrary, I’d be happy to buy you guys a drink every time I saw you. It’s just that I don’t join websites. I hate the idea of turning over my credit card info for a recurring charge every month. An old-fashioned bugaboo of mine, I know, but there you have it.

After I’m downgraded on December 15th, the one thing I’ll miss is being able to enlarge pictures. I don’t do it very often, but once in a while I like a closer look. Along with posting in the forums from time to time, it’s really the only reason for me to even log in. I visit the forums and Flirt4Free most every day, and have fun posting once in a while, but usually just show up as a guest.

I can’t say for sure but my guess is that the first time I try to enlarge a picture and am told I don’t have sufficient privileges, it will probably piss me off a little. Not a great deal, but it will probably feel a bit like a punch in the nose. After the second or third time of being reminded I’m out of the club, it will probably keep me from stopping by the site as much.

I’m very clear that you folks have business decisions to make, and I’m certainly not the kind of site visitor that’s central to your business plan. But I did want you to know what my thinking is, so you’d at least have one more piece of info as you go forward.

It remains my hope that you’ll be able to make ends meet from advertising revenues alone, and not need to charge for enlarging pictures. But I understand and respect whatever decisions you make, and wish you the very best!

Thanks again for the good times!

[OneFinger]

Got to agree with Lookin'. I just don't see a benefit to paying for a membership. I never look at the pictures and can't imagine making use of on-line movies.

Truly hope I'll still be able to access and use the Forums. But, if that goes too...

Good luck with the subscriptions but I'm afraid it's only going to make our little sandbox a whole lot smaller.

[Lucky]

Try again!

[Lucky]

Where did everybody go? Recently your total membership was well over 140000, but now only 14000. Has there been a plague...a purge....a miscount? Frankly, I always felt safer knowing I was surrounded by so many members...kind of like the Verizon network standing behind me. And, if all those members had paid 8 bucks a month, why you'd be millionaires in no time.

Or did I imagine the whole thing?

[TampaYankee]

"Where did everybody go? Recently your total membership was well over 140000, but now only 14000. Has there been a plague...a purge....a miscount? Frankly, I always felt safer knowing I was surrounded by so many members...kind of like the Verizon network standing behind me. And, if all those members had paid 8 bucks a month, why you'd be millionaires in no time.

Or did I imagine the whole thing? "

Possibly the thought of you holding Oz's hand got you all twitterpated and you started imagining grand visions?

[Lucky]

Thee you go again with the tarradiddles. Try for some humor next time!

[TownsendPLocke]

My favorite poster driven site on the web has an option of paying for a subscription of $11 a year to avoid ads,pop-ups etc,,,and to have full status on their very popular site(which grew 10% last year)

That is a fair amount and I am happy to pay it.

If full access to this site is going to run me 9 bucks a month-forget that.

No problrm paying a onetime reasonable charge($15 ayear or under)-but to ask members to pay to look at a site clogged with ads which slow the site down and telling them that they can then look at another porn site which will also run ads,,,sorry guys I think you need to rethink this.

Yes selling ad space is work-but IMO this plan is a recipe for disaster.

[TampaYankee]

Thee you go again with the tarradiddles. Try for some humor next time!

It struck my sense of humor. I would have thought a glancing strike at the least on yours.

[Lucky]

TY- when I had to look up twitterpated on dictionary.com, I saw that the word of the day was tarradiddles, so I tried to use it in a sentence.

Today's word of the day is deracinate: de·rac·in·ate /dɪˈræsəˌneɪt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[di-ras-uh-neyt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–verb (used with object), -nat·ed, -nat·ing. 1. to pull up by the roots; uproot; extirpate; eradicate.

2. to isolate or alienate (a person) from a native or customary culture or environment

Use it in a sentence? Okay: The fees to be charged here will deracinate many members!

(This post provided to MER by Lucky at no charge!)

[lookin]

TY- when I had to look up twitterpated on dictionary.com, I saw that the word of the day was tarradiddles, so I tried to use it in a sentence.

Today's word of the day is deracinate: de·rac·in·ate /dɪˈræsəˌneɪt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[di-ras-uh-neyt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–verb (used with object), -nat·ed, -nat·ing. 1. to pull up by the roots; uproot; extirpate; eradicate.

2. to isolate or alienate (a person) from a native or customary culture or environment

Use it in a sentence? Okay: The fees to be charged here will deracinate many members!

(This post provided to MER by Lucky at no charge!)

And here I thought I'd have to go to the other site to get my member deracinated. Or tarradiddled for that matter.

Your post alone is worth the price of admission!

(This post provided to MER by Lookin at no charge!)

(And cheap at twice the price!!)

[TampaYankee]

TY- when I had to look up twitterpated on dictionary.com, I saw that the word of the day was tarradiddles, so I tried to use it in a sentence.

Today's word of the day is deracinate: de·rac·in·ate /dɪˈr泉?ˌneɪt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[di-ras-uh-neyt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

•??verb (used with object), -nat·ed, -nat·ing. 1. to pull up by the roots; uproot; extirpate; eradicate.

2. to isolate or alienate (a person) from a native or customary culture or environment

Use it in a sentence? Okay: The fees to be charged here will deracinate many members!

(This post provided to MER by Lucky at no charge!)

I learned a new word today. Lucky Me!! ... and I thought it involved some nasty act involving the thumbs.

Lucky, for you posting will always be on the house.

[TampaYankee]

And here I thought I'd have to go to the other site to get my member deracinated. Or tarradiddled for that matter.

Your post alone is worth the price of admission!

(This post provided to MER by Lookin at no charge!)

(And cheap at twice the price!!)

Lookin, we at MER try to stimulate both heads. And you are right: "cheap at twice the price!!"

[Guest twinklover]

"Thanks for a great site but howmuch is it going to cost the users to enlarge pictures?"

As mentioned above, the Silver Membership is $7.95/mo. One benefit I am pressing to add soon is X-rated escort photos. We do recieve such photos from some escorts. I have been reluctant to accept those for profiles because the site is potentially accessible by minors since our site is not behind an Adult Shield. I don't want members and visitors to have to subscribe to an Adult Shield in order to view and participate in the site. Adding the XXX-rated photos as an added perk for Silver Members provides the escorts the option to post XXX-rated photos and seems a fitting addition to the Silver Level. This is not an existing perk, only a statement of my desire to add it, so at this time no one should make a decision about subscribing based on this desire.

Paying the $7.95/mo just to enlarge pics is annoying. I like to enlarge pics and use this feature all the time but I'm not sure I will "upgrade" my membership. Many will opt not to pay this fee for reasons similar to what lookin has stated. A one-time annual fee that is not recurring might be more enticing. Perhaps other benefits could be added to a Silver Membership, like the xxx photos that TY has suggested or email alerts rearding new profiles/photos. I wish the chat function worked and was used and we had escorts available for live online chat. That might save a lot of time fishing around. Also knowing if an escort was available online right then for an IM would be great. I also wish there was a kind of craigslist ability to find new ads. I'm finding some new faces on craigslist just like boiworship and some other posters but craigslist is still a fishing expedition with lots of flakes. One thing I love and appreciate about this site is the escort profiles available free of charge to client and escort. Having both quality reviews and profiles is unique, with rentboy.com and Daddys and other escort sites having only one or the other. Men4rentnow has some reviews but it's just not as reliable as the reviews here. There is quite a database assembled here and I hope it grows further.

[Guest happy]

Maybe my knowledge of business is lacking but I'll throw this out there anyway.

This site is a triad. There are three groups the are equally important; owners, escorts and clients. Without any single rail of this triad the site could not sustain.

However, within the above mentioned three groups only two have the potential to benefit financially, those being the owners and the escorts. Therefore I'm somewhat confused as to why the owners feel that the site should be directly client supported.

Both the escorts and the clients see and can access the affiliate banners. In the short time I've been a member I have noticed them all over the place. In fact, they even frame the membership information page which I find a little ironic. These affiliate ads can result in substantial income for any site that has the right traffic. A site that caters to men who pay for companionship most likely will have the visitors who will also pay for adult websites.

But maybe the traffic isn't there yet. Maybe the site is becoming to expensive for the owners to manage. I know if I were in such a situation I would look first to the people who gain financially from the site for assistance not the site users. If this wasn't thought out beforehand then I would politely suggest that the business model is flawed.

With the upcoming pricing policy some might goes as far to suggest the escort would be hurt in the long run. If the typical user, who has options, finds it too unfriendly to use this site they'll stop coming and the escort shall lose what potentially could have been a client.

There is nothing wrong to offer the members options. For example the AEBN unlimited viewing for $20. per month will probably be a good deal to some. However, that should be a separate node to this site not incorporated into the use of the sites basic functions.

I hope that the owners will rethink their policy at hand and make appropriate adjustments. If not done I fear this site too shall become another happenstance on the web.

[lookin]

With the upcoming pricing policy some might goes as far to suggest the escort would be hurt in the long run. If the typical user, who has options, finds it too unfriendly to use this site they'll stop coming and the escort shall lose what potentially could have been a client.

I think Happy makes a number of very good points. One of the escorts I’m hoping to hook up with in the near future is David in San Francisco. He’s posted a few times on Daddy’s website and comes across as a really nice guy. Shallow as I am, I did want to check out his pictures before getting in touch with him. Fortunately, his pictures are on a number of websites, and are easy to find. He is definitely hot!

Today, I’m likely to look for David’s pictures on this website, but that will change after December 15th, when I’ll be limited to viewing only thumbnails. It makes a difference, as you can see.

Here’s David’s picture from Daddy’s Reviews today:

Here’s David’s picture from this site today:

And here’s David’s picture from this site as of December 15th:

It's possible this site will become less popular with escorts as well as clients, once only paying members can see pictures large enough to make a hiring decision.

Of course, you'll be able to see any change in traffic pretty quickly, and may decide to reverse course. But then I wonder how you'll get any lost traffic back again, without spending more money. I’m sure you’ve run the numbers before making the decision to charge for enlarging pictures. But, based on the feedback you’ve read here, I hope you’ll consider running the numbers one more time before the change is made.

(This post provided to MER by Lookin at no charge.)

(And as you so accurately pointed out, it's cheap at twice the price!!)

[TampaYankee]

This is the fair comparison of our site as of December 15:

The primary photo:

not to mention our extras:

Not to mention, that when known, we provide a link to another website containing photos.

Each individual will have to decide what constitutes adequate visuals to gauge interest in an escort and which site has the edge on providing visuals. As a client I have my preference. This example applies to all visitors and FREE Members.

[Guest StuCotts]

I think Happy makes a number of very good points. One of the escorts I’m hoping to hook up with in the near future is David in San Francisco. He’s posted a few times on Daddy’s website and comes across as a really nice guy. Shallow as I am, I did want to check out his pictures before getting in touch with him. Fortunately, his pictures are on a number of websites, and are easy to find. He is definitely hot!

Today, I’m likely to look for David’s pictures on this website, but that will change after December 15th, when I’ll be limited to viewing only thumbnails. It makes a difference, as you can see.

Here’s David’s picture from Daddy’s Reviews today:

Here’s David’s picture from this site today:

And here’s David’s picture from this site as of December 15th:

It's possible this site will become less popular with escorts as well as clients, once only paying members can see pictures large enough to make a hiring decision.

Of course, you'll be able to see any change in traffic pretty quickly, and may decide to reverse course. But then I wonder how you'll get any lost traffic back again, without spending more money. I’m sure you’ve run the numbers before making the decision to charge for enlarging pictures. But, based on the feedback you’ve read here, I hope you’ll consider running the numbers one more time before the change is made.

(This post provided to MER by Lookin at no charge.)

(And as you so accurately pointed out, it's cheap at twice the price!!)

I ask in a spirit not of criticism but of puzzlement: Would you really hire on the basis of the one lonesome photo daddys shows of any given escort? Setting aside the stinginess, I don't remember ever seeing one of those shots that looked any more provocative than a tasteful fashion layout. Your David's is a fit example. He looks sweet, but he doesn't show even as much skin as he might in a run-of-the-mill Calvin Klein ad, not to say Abercrombie & Fitch.

Be that as it may, I hope that Management iron out whatever problems are inherent in their move. I would consider any grief this site came to a real loss.

[Guest SouthernMan]

I ask in a spirit not of criticism but of puzzlement: Would you really hire on the basis of the one lonesome photo daddys shows of any given escort? Setting aside the stinginess, I don't remember ever seeing one of those shots that looked any more provocative than a tasteful fashion layout. Your David's is a fit example. He looks sweet, but he doesn't show even as much skin as he might in a run-of-the-mill Calvin Klein ad, not to say Abercrombie & Fitch.

Be that as it may, I hope that Management iron out whatever problems are inherent in their move. I would consider any grief this site came to a real loss.

If I want to see more than the review photo that Daddy posts, then OMG!, I can click on the web page link included in the review? Or even more logically astounding, go to RentBoy, Men4Rent Now, or sheesh how many more sites? that give full view pics of the escort being reviewed?

IMO, this is not well thought out policy from this site, and it will only drive away the few customers that already visit this site.

[lookin]

I ask in a spirit not of criticism but of puzzlement: Would you really hire on the basis of the one lonesome photo daddys shows of any given escort?

I might, and have, if I like the guy from his reviews and/or posts, and if the picture looks good. But here you caught me being lazy, using Daddy’s review site as my only example of a larger picture. I had also taken a shot at including David's Rentboy pictures in my last post so you could see what they look like too, but was told that dynamic links aren't supported, whatever the hell they are. However, if you’ll click the following Rentboy link, you’ll see a half dozen larger pictures of David, just about any one of which would get me to pick up the phone.

http://www.rentboy.com/location/getrb.asp?...amp;Location=71

MER has been a great combo site with reviews and good pictures, when the guy I'm interested in is here. I usually check Daddy's site for reviews too and, after next week, Rentboy will be the place I'll check for more full-size pictures. MER will remain a good one-stop solution for paying members, but probably not for me, as the little thumbnails don't show up very well on my screen.

Sorry for the puzzlement, and hope this clears it up OK.

[Guest BudFox]

ANY smart and successful business person will tell you that you DO NOT EVER take away from your current customer base, options, features and services of which they have become accustomed to having and utilizing after a period of more than a year. This is just plain moronic business practices, with no disrespect intended or directed to the ownership of this site. But, I must ask...What the fuck are you thinking?

The people here currently, are the only reason this site is here today. Begin charging your fees to new members after the 15th., but for god sakes leave the people who supported this site from day one alone. If you don't leave them alone, they will most likely leave YOU alone.

Should you be interested in a more in-depth analysis of my beliefs, please feel free to email me at:

BudFoxx69@Yahoo.com

http://damonkruezeratnight.blogspot.com/

[Guest PWIT]

Reiterating what other posters have said, I am puzzled and disappointed with the change. I do believe this change will have negative effects to the bottom line in the long run.

If fewer people visit, the ability to find sponsors will decline. The first thing I do when I go onto this site is go to the 'new pics' area. Not so sure I would visit as frequently if I new I would only be able to see thumbnails. If there are others like me that come to the forum as secondary reason, then forum activity will decline.

Even if clients start here, then go to another site to find larger pics, they will probably utilize the contact methods of the last site they are on. Thus if a shopper started at MER, then went to Rentboy for bigger pics, initiated email contact from Rentboy, the provider sees Rentboy as the place where he is getting most of his contacts. When it comes time to keep one site updated and continue a presence, the provider will always choose the site that is bringing in more clients.

[Guest deej]

IMO forum posts and forum views are, at best, weak indicators of site traffic. I felt that in the days of HooBoy as well as now. I suspect the stats today at Daddy's also bears out that many more guys are interested in reviews over discussions of varied topics. That seems even more true today as forum participation seems to have fallen way off at daddy's successor to HooBoy's Forum compared to the halcyon days of HooBoy.

Actually, forum views are an excellent indicator of traffic as long as you understand that the forum will be a small portion of any site's traffic. A lot of people just don't DO forums, and many only lurk. This is true of ANY discussion forum.

At Hooboy's site, forum traffic was always less than 10% of overall traffic and that number holds today. It's never been any secret.

All other numbers hold today, as well. Traffic at Daddy's site is pretty much the same as it was with Hooboy. The forum still gets the same number of unique visitors/month, and that's less than 10% of the overall site's visitors. And it's still free.

[Guest BudFox]

It's interesting to me, that a controversial subject like money out of ones pocket would die such a quiet death as this thread has. I'm just curious, has management re-thought any of their previous announcements of a membership surcharge to those members of whom are already in existence? Or is this a done deal?

BudFoxx

http://damonkruezeratnight.blogspot.com/