Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
It's been asked for before. I think there is a way, but it's up to arn. Don't quote me as I may well be wrong.

Mhm.. And the reason I said $2.50, is that way it could even earn him a little more over the year if people keep it.. I suspect he may even get more people subscribing, as I can't justify paying the whole year at once, I hate doing things like that :p
 
I wouldn't think it as a subscription, it's a donation. It's not like you are paying to get something (well, you get the special forum and title) like in WoW, you pay because you like the site and want it to keep going. That's the way I think of it.

Of course it would be fair if you could choose the amount and then get the Demi God title for X amount of days (if this can't be done already).
 
I wouldn't think it as a subscription, it's a donation. It's not like you are paying to get something (well, you get the special forum and title) like in WoW, you pay because you like the site and want it to keep going. That's the way I think of it.

Of course it would be fair if you could choose the amount and then get the Demi God title for X amount of days (if this can't be done already).

Well, the thing is, I find it better to donate on a monthly basis rather than all-at-once.

It's better and I don't mind the little extra. This place is worth it.
 
Well, the thing is, I find it better to donate on a monthly basis rather than all-at-once.

It's better and I don't mind the little extra. This place is worth it.

I agree, read my last sentence ;) If it was e.g. 3$ a month, it would be easier and it would feel cheaper even though you would end up paying 11$ more per year. Maybe admins can hear us? I think all money is appreciated so I'm sure this can be done :p
 
I agree, read my last sentence ;) If it was e.g. 3$ a month, it would be easier and it would feel cheaper even though you would end up paying 11$ more per year. Maybe admins can hear us? I think all money is appreciated so I'm sure this can be done :p

I'd happily spend $3/Month if it gets rids of the ads xD

And since when do you come on MR and not go on MSN? lol
 
Thanks for the interesting suggestion, TheBritishBloke. It produced some lively discussions in the back room.

We considered adding the monthly membership option you suggested, because of its potential convenience to some users, and a chance for the site to gain more members. But after weighing the pros and cons we decided not to offer it, so I'd like to explain the disadvantages that led to that decision.

  • MacRumors has always used an opt-in system for paid membership, i.e., membership payments and renewals are manual, never automatic. This is to make sure that nobody is ever charged when they hadn't intended to continue their membership. With a monthly plan it would be a huge annoyance to have to renew manually every month, so payments would have to be automatic, meaning that the "forgot to cancel" problem would become a concern.

  • Offering a monthly option could in theory bring new members onboard who would otherwise not have joined, but a monthly option would add to our recordkeeping overhead (time and fees for processing, tracking, and problem-solving), probably canceling any gain we might get from additional membership, even if we charged $2.50/month or $3.00/month. We'd feel uncomfortable charging even more for monthly membership, the equivalent of $40 or more per year, even thought that's what it might take to make it worthwhile to the site.

  • Having a choice of plans could lead to confusion over how to join. It might seem simple but we spend a lot of time answering very simple questions about using the forums and we'd rather not have another potential customer service issue regarding monthly memberships.

  • PayPal has been very reliable but once in a while there is glitch and we need to help somebody get it straightened out. Despite their rarity, these cases could multiple with automatic monthly payments.

  • It might interfere with the stability of the private forum community to have new members, with less of a commitment to the site, popping in and out every month.

  • With such a low barrier to entry we might find users joining for inappropriate reasons, such as to post spam ads in the private forum. We work hard to keep software spammers and shills out of the public forums. We don't want to give them yet another target.
Our paying members like the thank-you benefits they get (ad-free pages, Demi-God, Demi-Goddess, or Contributor user titles, and access to a private forum) but it's not necessary to join to take advantage of the news pages, Buyer's Guide, and Mac Guides, or to participate in the the forums that cover news, Apple products and services, special interests, etc. The primary benefits of the MacRumors website are still free, and supported by advertisements.

Despite changes in the cost of living, we haven't increased the $25/year price of a paid membership. In effect, the real cost has been dropping each year. It's a small amount and completely voluntary. To be frank, if $25 is a problem for someone's budget then supporting MacRumors this way might not be appropriate for them. And there are other ways they can support the site without stretching their budget.
 
Doctor Q said:
Thanks for your reply, I appreciate it. And your points are extremely valid and I completely understand it.

For me its just physcological lol. I'd prefer to fork out a smaller monthly fee than fork out all at once for something like this, but I completely understand your reasoning!

I'm actually on holiday at the moment, so I might join when I get back. One main thing that annoys me is the silly exchange rates with have for £->$ now.

I appreciate the reply. Thanks very much!
 
The annual fee is not like it will break the bank. 25 bucks is chump change, I can't see going to the effort of setting up, managing and dealing with a monthly subscription for such a low amount.


If you want to support MR, then I say pony up the 25, why mess around with 2.5 a month
 
The annual fee is not like it will break the bank. 25 bucks is chump change, I can't see going to the effort of setting up, managing and dealing with a monthly subscription for such a low amount.


If you want to support MR, then I say pony up the 25, why mess around with 2.5 a month

As I said. I just seem to dislike pre paying for that long.

Would a 6 month option be plausible?

Edit: Ah bugger it. MR deserves it. I paid haha
 
Monthly is a bad idea and if you don't really see why then that says quite a bit.
 
Do you lose the title of Demi-God/Demi-Goddess/Contributor a year after your donation?
 
Do you lose the title of Demi-God/Demi-Goddess/Contributor a year after your donation?

Correct. Your title reverts to the normal one (based on post count) if you don't renew by the anniversary date of your membership, and all of the other paid membership benefits end automatically too. You get an email reminder before your anniversary date.

If you decide to continue supporting the site by renewing, the paid membership benefits continue.
 
So what exactly are the Private Forums...

How are they different. Other than ads and less of the "stupid" people. :D
 
So what exactly are the Private Forums...

How are they different. Other than ads and less of the "stupid" people. :D

Not really.
We talk about privates and there are still "stupid" people, me being the head of the stupid heads. :D
 
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