Changes to Premium Memberships in regards to Private Messaging / IM Chat

Quote by nicola
Hi,

Our Premium Membership Model was introduced earlier this year. It was implemented to help cover the increasing costs of our dedicated servers, backups and data storage facilities.

We deemed the fairest system to be based on restricting access to site features which use up the most resources ($), in terms of processing power and / or storage. Messaging / chat / image uploading, are high on this list.

We have been looking at ways to improve the structure of the model over the last few months, and have decided to make a change to the set up in relation to the messaging restrictions.

As it stands, new members have a 3 month trial, after which time, they will need to switch to a paying membership (less than $1 per month) if they wish to continue using all the site features. This includes the private messaging and IM chat.

This is also the case for all members registered prior to 1 Jan 2015, who were given a 6 month grace period (which ends 30 June 2015).

The way it is set up now, once a member's trial membership ends, they can no longer message anyone. Nor can a paying member, contact them.

I believe a fairer system is to have it so that if at either end of the message is a Premium Member (Bronze, Silver or Gold), then the messaging restriction is lifted.

That means a paying member, can effectively contact anyone, regardless of their membership status.

This will be coded and operational, within the next week or so.

Thank you for all your feedback on this. It may result in fewer signups, but I'd rather our community continue to be happy and supportive of all our site's efforts.

Regards,

Nicola.

Quote by simplyjohn
Nicola .. where does 'Private Chat' fit in please. I don't see that feature in the model and I have a query on it. Perhaps its just a terminology thing since 'private messaging' I understand to be use of the Lush Mail and IM is the 'online message' feature. I think you will say Private Chat is included in IM but I need to confirm that.

Quote by simplyjohn


Nicola .. where does 'Private Chat' fit in please. I don't see that feature in the model and I have a query on it. Perhaps its just a terminology thing since 'private messaging' I understand to be use of the Lush Mail and IM is the 'online message' feature. I think you will say Private Chat is included in IM but I need to confirm that.

Quote by bloodrain
Your premium membership is about to expire
Message:
Hi

Just to let you know, your Premium Membership expires in 7 days.

Your support goes a long way to ensure we can cover our increasing hardware, bandwidth and other costs, and helps keep our thriving community growing.

To renew your subscription, please click here.

Thank you again for your continued support.

Cheers,
Admin

got this in a pm.

not a prem user

Quote by bloodrain
got this in a pm.

not a prem user

Quote by nicola
Correct. As long as one person is a premium member, all forms of communication should be possible.

Quote by asian2013


Hey Nicola - just wanted to mention that the chat boxes dont seem to be working. commodoreben (who's a subscriber) sent me a chat request, and it led to a message that says it is only available for premium members.

On a separate note, are "online messages" (IMs?) now only applicable if the user is on our friend list?

Lush mail (PMs) work though.

Thanks!

Quote by asian2013


Hey Nicola - just wanted to mention that the chat boxes dont seem to be working. commodoreben (who's a subscriber) sent me a chat request, and it led to a message that says it is only available for premium members.

On a separate note, are "online messages" (IMs?) now only applicable if the user is on our friend list?

Lush mail (PMs) work though.


Thanks!

Quote by asian2013



On a separate note, are "online messages" (IMs?) now only applicable if the user is on our friend list?

Quote by nicola


I've asked Gav to take a look. Thanks for letting me know.

Quote by gav


This should not be the case. I cant verify on my dev machine just yet, the codes all in a mess. Once its operational I shall fix.

Quote by Callisto


This hasn't changed, online messages (the black boxes) has always been for friends only.

Quote by asian2013

asian2013 wrote:


Hey Nicola - just wanted to mention that the chat boxes dont seem to be working. commodoreben (who's a subscriber) sent me a chat request, and it led to a message that says it is only available for premium members.

On a separate note, are "online messages" (IMs?) now only applicable if the user is on our friend list?

Lush mail (PMs) work though.

Thanks!

Quote by nicola


I've asked Gav to take a look. Thanks for letting me know.

The private chat windows are still not working properly. I can only send a request to a premium member. They do not receive it if the other member is a freemium one. I know you are trying to be fair on who can do what, but many other sites that charge only allow non-paying members to respond to any sort of message sent to them by a paying member. So if they get an email, instant message or private chat request, they can respond, but cannot initiate. As I understand, it is supposed to be working that way for friend requests, i.e., you can accept, but not send unless you are at least a bronze. (though I have not tested out this process yet.) If something like that were put in place, I think it would encourage a lot more people to at least buy a bronze membership.

Quote by nicola


I've asked Gav to take a look. Thanks for letting me know.

Quote by asian2013



Since my original post in early July, and adele's post mid-July, just to feedback that the private chat boxes are still not working if one is not a premium member. Any idea when this would be sorted? I've encountered quite a few disgruntled members.

Unfortunately alot of PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO UPGRADE so that it actually unfair to the ones that can't do it at all and they should have kept it the way b it was because it easier for people who don't have alot of money for that I know I am one of them

And I still work at federal communications office in Little Rock Arkansas

Plus les choses changent, plus elles restent les mêmes. 😊

Quote by Cheatingwife

Unfortunately alot of PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO UPGRADE so that it actually unfair to the ones that can't do it at all and they should have kept it the way b it was because it easier for people who don't have alot of money for that I know I am one of them

And I still work at federal communications office in Little Rock Arkansas

I would like to put this into some context. For those that are UK based a silver subscription for one year (using todays conversion rates) is circa £24.50. Thats less that 7pence a day to chat here with other members in the chat rooms on a private/one-2-one basis, or to view it another way £2 per month. Can you even get a small coffee in one of the many high street retailers whose core business is to sell that for £2? I admit I dont use many other sites but those I have all charge for private/one-2-one messaging and its a lot more than £2 a month.

Quote by simplyjohn
I would like to put this into some context. For those that are UK based a silver subscription for one year (using todays conversion rates) is circa £24.50. Thats less that 7pence a day to chat here with other members in the chat rooms on a private/one-2-one basis, or to view it another way £2 per month.

So just to clarify, does the Silver option include PMs in the chatrooms. The popup window on the right here says

'x Full Chatroom access' so I presumed not.

Plus there is no mention of access to Groups! Since my Silver membership expired a few days ago I no longer have access to any Groups I am subscribed to. It would be helpful if this area of what one does/doesn't get in the Silver membership was a little more transparent.

Quote by TantricHeart

So just to clarify, does the Silver option include PMs in the chatrooms. The popup window on the right here says

'x Full Chatroom access' so I presumed not.

Plus there is no mention of access to Groups! Since my Silver membership expired a few days ago I no longer have access to any Groups I am subscribed to. It would be helpful if this area of what one does/doesn't get in the Silver membership was a little more transparent.

Yes, Silver definitely does allow PM in chatrooms.
The "x" is in relation to the Global Chatroom service which only Gold/Platinum have access to.